Swine Flu. Are we in big trouble with this then?

[Meglet]

This sounds worse than the bird flu that thankfully never really happened.

news.bbc.co.uk/mobile/bbc_news/top_stories/801/80183/story8018356.shtml?

Sky news have a press conference on now about possible cases in new york. When do we start panic buying .

if my kid was at that school, I'd put him into isolation, rather than give him Tamiflu tbh.

Can I just salute Aporkalypse Now and nominate you for any future 'name of the year' award.

Yes the hysteria is not going to help. Read sensible advice from sensible people, prepare sensibly and recognise that people will probably send themselves mad trying to avoid the flu.

The risks are small, even if people catch it. Sensible precautions are all people need at this stage: handwashing and reading the govt/NHS advice...

rosalie - I presume you are taking the piss right?

From what I can gather, Mexico City has warnings about it's poor hygiene and was pretty disease ridden before this outbreak anyway. Therefore it's residents are already vulnerable.

The Scottish couple are both recovering and said that symptoms were quite mild. In this country, with hygiene being what it is and good access to medication I don't see that it'll be a problem. However, gastric flu is deadly. In 1990 it killed 3 million people worldwide, 300 children under 5 die in the US every year because of gastric flu and a further 220,000 are hospitalised.

So whilst it is dangerous, I don't see the difference between this type of flu and gastric flu. Both have the same symptoms, are passed in the same way and both have the ability to kill. Why isn't gastric flu classed as a pandemic?

Hello FlightAttendant. As one emetophobe to another, try not to worry about the side effects of Tamiflu. I have just googled it (because now that I know you are anxious about it for emetophobic reasons, I had to know all about it too!) This is what I found: "The most common side effects of TAMIFLU are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. TAMIFLU is generally well tolerated." That second sentence should carry more weight with you than the first. It is well tolerated. If you had to take it, you would be fine. As an emetophobe, you are probably rarely sick and there is a reason for that which will help with Tamiflu too - you have a strong stomach that stops you getting nausea. So take heart sweetie!

BTW, I have been avoiding these swine flu threads, but since I am here, I have to say, the hysteria about this is ridiculous. It is only flu when all is said and done.

just heard on the news that the WHO has risen the alert to 5 - is this now the highest level?

Gee thanks Llama

I am quite proud of it myself....

No profiterole, it isn't.

The BBC interviewed a Scottish man who is quarantined in his house with possible swine flu.

He was at the window talking to them, sounding a bit hoarse and smiling.

If that's flu then I'd rather we get it now and that way be immune to it if it mutates to be worse.

Last time I had flu, I couldn't even get out of bed and stand up straight. I had to crawl, drag myself to the toilet.

oh yes, expat, I wasying exactly that to dh earlier.

I had proper flu when i was 12. I was in bed for 11 days straight, couldn't walk and lost a srone in weaight, couldn't eat, hallucinations, everything!

i am trtying not to panic.

not doing so well.

was ok till today

misdee it must be really frightening for anyone with compromised immunity

Exactly. Put it into perspective. It's gastric flu is all. Some people will have worse symptoms than others, but with the right treatment, or even not, most will make a full recovery.

Babies, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weak immunity may be at risk, as they would be to any strain of gastric flu or even normal flu.

There is no need to put your entire life on hold on the off chance you might catch it. You wouldn't do that for any other sickness bug so why do it for this one?

I am a bit worried, I worry about everything.

hopefully, misdee, there will be a vaccine for it in a few months.

and i hope they keep tamiflu stocks for the most vulnerable people first.

misdee - I'm sure you have those anti-bacterial hand wipes anyway, but carry them around with you everywhere. Take sensible precautions. Just as you would do if there was an outbreak of a sickness bug at your dcs school.

we're all jabbd up for normal flu but not swine flu, am hoping they get a jab sorted, but then if it mutates then that'll be useless.

i am trying to reassuremyself that ll cases bar one outside of mexico have been milder, and just one death.

i think they thought the deaths in mexico were coupled with another virus, has that been confirmed?

If it cheers you up, the government are now busy debating as to whether to change it's name to 'Mexican flu', because 'swine flu' has upset the Jewish population. But then 'Mexican flu' would upset the Mexicans who say they get the blame for everything!

misdee, the flu jab offers protection against one strain of the H1N1 virus, so you are partly protected.

peter is telling me to stop worryignm as we cant chaqnge it and risk is minimal.

maybe i should pop him in an isolation bubble?

lol.

there hasnt been many cases in the uk though haqve there?

jesus wept all this histrionic hand wringing and what if is so disproportionate to your likely risk and prognosis

this is a treatable viral illness,and we have the treatment (antivirals).The prognosis is overall good,as most people with confirmed case are reported to be responding well to treatment

fatalities.yes.some.not all affected pts though.so a diagnosis of swine flu does not necessarily result in fatalities.overall,it is treatable

all this talk of self quarantine etc is wholly over reacting and alarmist.you cannot live on your nerves and what if's and just in case. all this talking this up is alarmist

shit happens,deal with it

flapping like a headless chicken,aint the way to do it

basically

• good basic hygiene.
• hand washing
• sneeze in disposable tissue.dispose of it carefully

dont stock pile paper masks -next to useless

Look, I do want to be a voice of reason but I don't want people to be complacent either: if the WHO have raised the Pandemic alert to 5 then that does mean a pandemic is imminent - which means the flu will spread rapidly out from its current clusters. Has this actually happened or is this rumour?

I do think people should inform themselves about what to do if schools are closed, or if they have underlying health issues, and should practice hand hygiene and should prepare for life to be difficult for a bit.

But a pandemic in itself tells us nothing about the actual impact of the disease: pandemic simply means the disease is spreading globally. There are causes for concern, but people should follow proper advice and not panic.

Makes you wonder what they do when an outbreak of tummy bugs sweeps through their schools - do they keep their kids in isolation then?

sky news are reporting that the WHO have raised it to 5 and are about to do a press conference telling us.

The word 'pandemic' is in itself overused I feel. The cold virus is a pandemic, as is flu itself. Any virus that can be spread through contact is a pandemic - so that includes coughs, sore throats, etc.