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Original poster

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

586 replies

Meglet · 25/04/2009 21:20

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 .

OP posts:
NotmyELFtoday · 29/04/2009 22:49

thanks Llama

Saint2shoes · 29/04/2009 22:53

NotmyELFtoday sorry to hear about your Nan

flymetothemoon · 29/04/2009 23:12

Why verylapsed do you have a NBC suit at home??

I confess I've bought some respirator masks today. They weren't very expensive and by doing so I'm hoping that I have single-handedly tempted fate and the whole thing will be a storm in a tea cup just because I spent £20

Mrsprepared · 29/04/2009 23:52

fly where did you get your mask from?

An old boss of mine was the one who introduced me to the idea of a disaster plan. He has a major supply of tinned and dried food and water, masks and NBC suits for all his family.
He probably has a fairly decent supply of tamiflu too.

I don't know if I should be grateful to him or mad that he passed on his crazy ideas to me.

PIL informed me a few hours ago they have got the keys to safe haven early.

I was feeling fairly calm this afternoon but the WHO raising the alert has worried me.

rosalie12 · 30/04/2009 00:02

Llama, thankyou for settin rhubarb straight!!!
I am staying home with my son at min and not going out, until the (pm) and (who) say what the next step is. I in my own right are taking these steps, and don't expect anyone else to follow my lead. Panic, I say do what you feel is right, this feels right for me!!

frasersmummy · 30/04/2009 00:06

Elf I am deeply sorry for your loss..

I know the who have upped the alert level but if you look at the bbc site they have a map with all the confirmed cases on it (figures from the who) and you will see the numbers are tiny

There are only 150 cases worlwide with 8 deaths

I know 8 deaths is 8 too many ..believe me I know but I really think the media need to get a grip and stop causing such panic

and someone please explain to me how tinned goods and bottled water will stop you getting the flu????

Mrsprepared · 30/04/2009 00:16

The food and water is so you don't have to go outdoors and come into contact with the infected.
Plus if a very high % of the world population is ill, then the distribution will slow down leading to a shortage.

I do agree the media need to be very careful not to spread panic but at the same time give us accurate data and harsh facts. The current infection rate and deaths are very low therefore at the moment it doesn't look like there will be a pandemic.

ipanemagirl · 30/04/2009 00:24

News like this just makes me think of 28 days later
!

I heard people are taking their kids out of school in Boston! yikes...

Mrsprepared · 30/04/2009 00:46

LOL That film scared the hell out of me!
Listening to Queens Bohemian Rhapsody just freaked me out too, never really listened to the words before.

Mmm I think I need to step away from the lappy before I really spook myself an implement stage 2 of Zombie plan.

MadamDeathstare · 30/04/2009 02:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alipiggie · 30/04/2009 03:48

I'm trying not to panic, but sadly a 23 mnth died in Houston this morning from Swine Flu. Can we do anything to avoid it nope I don't think so. I'm actually more concerned that in the next few weeks it truly escalates and transatlantic travel becomes affected and my holiday is threatened. Here in Colorado we're all aware that sooner or later it's going to hit here. So who knows.

sarah293 · 30/04/2009 07:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

expatinscotland · 30/04/2009 07:48

The child also had 'underlying health issues'.

cory · 30/04/2009 08:09

I wonder if this hysteria accounts for the fact that the locum doctor was so extremely curt with us when we turned up at the surgery yesterday. She brightened up considerably when we explained that we had come to consult her about dd's meniscus.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 30/04/2009 08:21

It IS good that the cases are mild now, but the great fear is that it could mutate into a more deadly form, which is definitely possible, as flu viruses are constantly mutating, and will do so as they spread to more and more people.

So I don't think people should just be pooh-poohing the whole thing and laughing at anyone who dares to be concerned about swine flu at all.

However I am not rushing out and buying a face mask.

cory · 30/04/2009 08:34

Of course it is possible that it will mutate into a deadly form and kill thousands.

I certainly intend to observe all usual forms of hygiene- as I normally do.

But at the same time it would seem to me the most unjustified self-indulgence to sit here worrying about a disease that may or may not hit me in months to come when my friend died last week from a diseases that does kill thousands every year.

And she was a strong and healthy woman until she contracted cancer.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 30/04/2009 08:36

Yes, I agree, I am trying to just get on with things too, no point in worrying is there.

I wasn't actually directing my comments at you directly though. Just I have heard a lot of people recently laughing at anyone who is worried.

coochicoo · 30/04/2009 09:16

My husband laughs at mr because I'm so worried, but seriously, what do I expect him to do? I wouldn't want him to be as worried as I am.

I don't understand why they gave so many children in Paignton Tamiflu to take. Surely it shouldn't be taken before symtoms develop? They may not have been infected with it. Giving medication out willy nilly seems a bit silly to me; just like the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

Like I said, I'm a worrier but even I think this is all getting a bit silly. I can't believe that people really have zombie plans in place ffs.

coochicoo · 30/04/2009 09:18

Husband laughs at me of course.

expatinscotland · 30/04/2009 09:23

Exactly, coochichoo!

It could mutate, it could not.

If it does there is nothing you or anyone else can do to stop that other than washing hands and sneezing or coughing into tissues and binning htem and keep in as good health as you can.

People who are immuno-supressed or compromised, of course they are rightly worried, but fucking zombie plans and acting like it's Ebola is ridiculous.

And really a luxury, because the real victims of any pandemic are going to be the billions of people living in abject poverty all over the world.

And yeah, giving out Tamiflu to people who don't have confirmed cases is so far beyond stupid it's downright enraging.

expatinscotland · 30/04/2009 09:25

'But at the same time it would seem to me the most unjustified self-indulgence to sit here worrying about a disease that may or may not hit me in months to come when my friend died last week from a diseases that does kill thousands every year.

And she was a strong and healthy woman until she contracted cancer. '

Very true. I agree.

iwantagreenlollipop · 30/04/2009 09:42

I think the media are loving all this!
I'm not saying that swine flu isn't serious,but we should all try and remember that a lot of people in Mexico City have poorer living conditions and very limited access to healthcare.

frasersmummy · 30/04/2009 09:48

For me personally its not laughing at people

Its more a case there are people on here with seriously ill family members (not with swine flu) and to those people the worry is here and now and very real.

in these kind of circumstances worrying about a worst case what if scenario taht could happen in a month/6 months/never just seems silly

Flightattendant25 · 30/04/2009 09:59

May I ask a question re healthcare workers?

Should a vaccine be developed and offered to NHS staff, does anyone know whom that would cover - reason I ask is that our upstairs neighbours all work at the hospital in random departments such as social care and finance. Would they be offered it too?

The other thing of course is that say it takes 3 or 4 months to develop a vaccine - that surely means they'll be able to vaccinate a lot of people before a 'second wave' hit over the winter. Is that right?

wannaBe · 30/04/2009 10:17

I think the media need to start reporting on this more accurately. In reality, nine people have died from swine flu. Surely if the other 150 odd had had swine flu that would have been confirmed by now.