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Original poster

dd got swine flu yesterday - she is on tamiflu - do you think she can fly Thursday pm?

41 replies

CountessDracula · 03/08/2009 22:48

She is already a lot better apart from sounding like a seal when she coughs.

She had a bit of a temp this am, lunchtime and tonight but otherwise is fairly bright and happy.

WWYD?

OP posts:
swishyswashyswishyswashy · 03/08/2009 22:57

I would assume she'll still be infectious (so not a good person to put on a plane) even if most of her symptoms have gone, and in any case I'd assume there's a good chance she'll still be coughing. What have you been told about how long to keep her away from things? I thought it was supposed to be 5-7 days minimum (sorry).

This bug is going to screw up a lot of people's holidays .

devotion · 03/08/2009 22:57

you have to be in isolation for five days so flying thursday is a no go!

its not worth the risk, whenever you have a cold or a cough it always get worse with the cabin air.

plus she still could be spreading germs around to people in the high risk group.

i've just had to keep my dd in isolation for five and it was bloody boring especially as she was fine for days. but i would not risk spreading it.

most people are not isolating themselves and this is not helping.

ash6605 · 03/08/2009 22:58

if she was diagnosed yesterday then her 5 days quarantine will be up late thurs/early friday so i would imagine she'd be fine.dd was better on the 3rd day of having it except she was still off her food(this actually lasted a couple of weeks so if i'd have been due to go away the not eating would have worried me)

Myself on the other hand,i was ill with it for over 2 weeks,it lingered and left me with terrible aching limbs-but i'm pregnant and didn't take tamiflu so that could be why. where are you flying to?

devotion · 03/08/2009 23:02

plus you are better off keeping her at home because she may develop another illness after swine flu.

my friends dd had swine flu and near the end of the week she seemed fine but by the very end her cough got worse and she then developed a chest infection which needed antibiotics, same happened to my mum.

you need to keep her at home for five days, away from others and give her at least a week and a half to make sure she is better.

i had to take my dd to a local shop once on teh 4th day so i put the rain cover on the pram and left her just inside the door where i could keep my eye on her.

its annoying but has to be done.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 03/08/2009 23:03

yy I thought that
it will be 5 days by the time we fly
If she still has symptoms obv we wouldn't go as I don't want to infect others (I am immunosuppressed so I know how nightmarish it is if you are at risk)

I thought they were contagious for 2 days before and 4 days after symptoms started tbh

OP posts:
Original poster
CountessDracula · 03/08/2009 23:04

well i am assuming it is swine flu
who knows though!

OP posts:
devotion · 03/08/2009 23:04

i had read you are only contagious from when your symptoms appear and until they are gone.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 03/08/2009 23:05

right
there is so much information about all this I ahve no idea what to believe!

I think I will call the GP
I can change the flights to sat or cancel holiday and claim on insurance

OP posts:
devotion · 03/08/2009 23:05

exactly i dont really know if my dd had it too.

i hate the fact its a big guessing game and i have given her tamiflu and her chance of getting it again if she needs it will be very low!

MrsFogi · 03/08/2009 23:06

Please don't fly if there's any chance of her being infectious as devotion says there could be people in a high risk group on the plane.

wannaBe · 03/08/2009 23:09

well, the reality is that they don't know what the incubation period is or how long you are infectious for etc.

Also, there's a good chance it might not be swine flu - as no-one is being tested there's just really no way of knowing.

Tbh I would go with how she's feeling in herself and if she's feeling better then I would fly.

Afaik people are told to isolate themselves until the end of the tamiflu so that would take you up to thursday anyway.

Plus there's a good chance your travel insurance won't pay out if you have to cancel due to swine flu, so I'm afraid for me it would also come down to whether I could afford to lose the money.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 03/08/2009 23:10

I will see how she is Thursday morning

Why would insurance not pay out?

OP posts:
wannaBe · 03/08/2009 23:12

a lot of insurance companies are refusing to pay out due to swine flu - presumably because of the likelyhood of catching it.

hmc · 03/08/2009 23:15

I'm glad you are seeking further advice re contagious period - good on you for being responsible and considerate of others.

I am fearful that we will contract swine flu on a flight to Canada; from someone not yet recovered - and there is no insurance compensation you can claim for being laid up in a hotel room with swine flu - shortly after arrival - for 7 days, and missing half of an incredibly expensive holiday. (Sorry dreadful sentence construction!)

If we caught it before we go - not such a problem. Doctors note certifying swine flu followed by insurance claim.

It irks me that people are not quarantining themselves as devotion says (clearly this does not include you and your dd, since you are being very responsible). People have all sorts of good reasons for not wanting to contract it - as you say those who are immuno-suppressed, but also people with professional exams looming, people with big events on the horizons (weddings etc).

Glad she is feeling lots better already. I hope it all works out for you and it turns out to be some minor viral thing which doesn't preclude you flying.

hmc · 03/08/2009 23:16

wannabe - as with anything it depends who you are with. Sorry to hear about your Ryanair experience btw

hmc · 03/08/2009 23:17

(i know mine would - have checked)

yummymummy310 · 03/08/2009 23:57

would think the main problem other than infecting others potentially would be whether you want to risk you all being away when you've been exposed to it, in case you come down with it.

I was told 7 days for children to be quarantined but in our case like ash6605 I was actually much more poorly than my little girls were in the end, had terrible aches. pains and a fever for 10 days. My eldest had what was like an accute asthma attack and seemed really poorly but was treated for this with an inhaler a curse of steroids and she also had tamiflu and bounced back within 5 days, still a little under the weather and with a cough but reasonably well and happy to be going away.

So sorry your holiday could be messed up so hard to know what to do, hope she's better soon x

yummymummy310 · 04/08/2009 00:02

p.s like devotion said I also had a chest infection after the swine flu, although my girls were fine and I think I took tamiflu too late where as they didn't. Am not sure I could settle and enjoy a holiday for worrying about her being ill if it was one of my girls while we were away, but am sure she'd most likely be fine I'm just such a worrier! x

dikkertjedap · 04/08/2009 09:33

This is the advice on the CDC (Centre for Disease Control in the US) website:

Avoid Contact With Others
If you are sick, you may be ill for a week or longer. Unless necessary for medical care, you should stay home and minimize contact with others, including avoiding travel and not going to work or school, for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer . If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, and cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. In general, you should avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness, especially people at increased risk of severe illness from influenza. With seasonal flu, people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods. People infected with the novel H1N1 are likely to have similar patterns of infectiousness as with seasonal flu.

It can be found on:

www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm

So if you were to follow the CDC advice flying on Thursday would not a no-goer.

Anyway, hope she is feeling better soon and hope the rest of you don't catch it.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/08/2009 11:03

I have checked and we are covered
I think I will change the flights to Saturday then she will have had 7 days and not be contagious (assuming dh or I don't go down with it argh)

She is much better today and slept well
Tamiflu seems pretty good tbh
I think I have already had it but not sure

OP posts:
AtheneNoctua · 04/08/2009 16:32

Hi CD

Sorry about swine flu. I'm curious, did she get tamiflu? I thought it was only for vulnerable groups.

And, yes as youpoint out I think there is a good chance you or DH will get it before the flight. Finger crossed that you don't!!

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/08/2009 17:27

Hi Athene
She has a history of being hospitalised for pneumonia hence tamiflu

OP posts:
wannaBe · 04/08/2009 17:29

anyone can get tamiflu. If you have two or more symptoms they will prescribe it...

CD I had "aledged" swine flu about three weeks ago and neither dh or ds got it.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/08/2009 17:47

yes me too

But I don't think it was
This is v classic presentation so am more convinced though clearly it could be anything

OP posts:
MitchyInge · 04/08/2009 17:53

am not in vulnerable group and have tamiflu despite v mild symptoms

in some countries your temp needs to be 39!

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