Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Urgent - what would you do?

30 replies

maria1665 · 21/07/2009 09:29

We are about to join a group of families holidaying in a large house in the Lakes. They have been there three days already.

One family went home today with the 3 year old suffering from swine flu.

What's the advice on whether we should go. I have an 19 month old, as well as suffering from asthma myself.

Checked NHS website - no advice given.

What would you do? (Car packed and we are just about ready to set off.)

OP posts:

moffat · 21/07/2009 09:32

oh lordy, tough one. I would err on the side of caution and not go. Is the three year old a confirmed and tested case? Will you be losing money?

belgo · 21/07/2009 09:32

I would not go. You may be more vulnerable if you have asthma, and pf course your child.

LIZS · 21/07/2009 09:32

Go , you can't really cancel on a maybe especially if teh ill child has left . Sure others might be incubating it but myabe not. Could just as easily ctahc it at a service station en route or your local shop. Even then it might be mild symtpoms.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/07/2009 09:32

Personally I wouldn't go as it is pretty likely that some/most of the others are/will catch it.

I think you have to decide whether the holiday is worth it.

Sorry, it's very hard I know

paddingtonbear1 · 21/07/2009 09:34

hmm, hard one, I guess they are sure that the 3 yr old had SF? Would you get any money back?

brimfull · 21/07/2009 09:34

I would rather have SF at home
I wouldn't go unless coming home is not a hassle.

MovingOutOfBlighty · 21/07/2009 09:35

Have swine flu and severe asthma ATM. It is not too bad at all (for me - I get to sit here all day and look at MN!)

My friend who is the constultant microbiologist at a London hosp said that I was lucky to get SF now as it is going to potentially become more virulent and getting it in the summer whilst it is warm (? looking at the rain now) is a good thing. So althoug she is not actively advocating SF parties she thinks now is a good time to get it.
I would go on holiday.

bigchris · 21/07/2009 09:37

i would go, you might not get it, presumably everyone else is o k or they would have left too?

paddingtonbear1 · 21/07/2009 09:38

how many of you would there be in the house? If it were just me I'd risk it and go, but I'm not sure I would with a child.

Flgihtattendant · 21/07/2009 09:39

You could postpone a couple of days and see if the others start getting it who are already there, if not then go up. Leave everything in the car.

paddingtonbear1 · 21/07/2009 09:42

Flight's idea is good. can you do that?

littlemissbossy · 21/07/2009 09:44

I wouldn't go either TBH. Very likely that the virus will have spread to others already.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 21/07/2009 09:55

When is the incubation period for SF? Maybe you could find this out from NHS Direct?

nosleeptilbedtime · 21/07/2009 10:28

I would go, practice good hygine. My daughter had swine flu 2 weeks ago and so far DP and DS have not been affected and she was cuddling them, sleeping in bed etc.
Anyway, SF is really quite mild in comparison to normal flu.

Dumbledoresgirl · 21/07/2009 10:31

I would go. I have a feeling it might be better to get it now rather than next winter.

Also, it sounds like you are staying in a nice house. Not the same as being at home with all your comforts, but not as if you are going to be ill in a tent on a windswept hillside! There will be lots of people around you to help you and cheer you up if you do get it.

But most of all, I would go because I don't think it sounds very likely that you would catch it now that the infected child has gone home.

Tummum · 21/07/2009 10:45

This is a tricky one, but on balance my personal choice would be to go. My DD2, who is 2, has sf at the moment, and it's pretty mild TBH, and I am not convinced it is SF at all it is that mild. If you do choose to go, make sure that you take plenty of calpol & ibruprofen for your DC and for you, take a thermometer and know who to contact when you get there if you need some advice on it all.

HTH

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 21/07/2009 10:53

I think I would go. Lots of handwashing will be the order of the day. Hope you have a great time if you do decide to go.

wannaBe · 21/07/2009 10:54

I would go. Just because she has had it does not mean others will have it. Besides it's possible it wasn't sf as no-one is being officially diagnosed any more..

Flgihtattendant · 21/07/2009 11:02

But if the people whose child had it have had to leave, you might have to face a return journey as well - if the other families don't want you to stay - when you are all feeling rubbish.

It's a risk. If the other family had been welcome to stay there, I would think differently - although maybe it was their decision to leave?

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/07/2009 11:08

It isn't ALWAYS mild, I know people who have had it and said it was pretty horrible, like regular seasonal flu.

MovingOutOfBlighty · 21/07/2009 11:11

Not always mild but as an asthmatic with SF I just want to reassure Maria that catching it is not a death sentance either.
From all the reports on the TV I was terrified of catching it as it is so balanced in favour of despair. The reality has been, so far, thank goodness, I have had worse problems with normal seasonal colds.

Pollyanna · 21/07/2009 11:11

I would go too, my dh and ds2 have both had this (dh has been ill for 2 weeks now), and no one else in the house has had it yet.

I have already heard that it is better to get it now than in the winter.

My dh has asthma, which is why the SF may have gone to his chest, but he has never been in danger with the illness (touch wood etc etc), it has just lingered on for weeks.

Spidermama · 21/07/2009 11:13

I'd go.

Spidermama · 21/07/2009 11:15

Pollyanna I also have asthma and have had pneumonia and pleurisy so am slightly worried. My lungs are my achillies heel. However I think I'd rather get it now and battle through.

I'm not a big fan of vaccines and probably have more fear of what a hastily knocked together vax might do to me than of the actual illness.

traceybath · 21/07/2009 11:15

I wouldn't go but i'd also be mightily pissed off if they knowingly took a child with SF - did they realise before they set off?

DS2 has chicken pox at the moment (contagious stage) and i'm not taking him anywhere where he could pass it on.

Flip

1 2