snow Posted April 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I'm with Snow on this one. I do think its silly to panic before things get too bad but I think it's equally silly to just dismiss it as hype. Yes we've had "scares" before with SARS, bird flu etc but I've never known the WHO have an alert at 5, the government to leaflet every household and the NHS to ave that sort of guidance on their website. I don't think we're all doomed but I do think this will spread around the UK and I do think more people will die than with regular flu purely cos the vulnerable types who usually get vaccinated won't be vaccinated against this strain. I'm a long way off panicking but I will be ordering a few extra things from Tesco this week just in case. A pandemic is simply an infectious disease which spreads across a large geographical area so yes it is a pandemic. People seem to think that pandemic refers to the severity of the disease but it doesn't. I did a stock check on our pills cupboard last night, we have enough paracetemol for the both of us for a week already and thats not counting the asprin, ibruprofen, hot lemons, cocodamol, solpadol & diclofenac I dunno about stocking up - methinks I'll be supplying the street if it came to it In all honesty its probably not now that we actually need to worry about - everything I have been reading from the medical sources rather than the tabloids is that this is the wrong time of year here, we'll probably see a cluster of cases now but it's more likely to fizzle out and come back in the winter by which time they'll probably have a vacinne. On the other hand as Rob will tell you, I have a huge collection of "end of the world" fiction - it's my absolute fave type of read and in the books it always starts like this ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I'm usually pretty blasé about health scares, but whilst I'm not panicking about this one I am concerned. Unlike some of the other new types of flu virus that have hit the news, this one is fully spread by person-to-person contact. It may prove not to be 'serious', who knows at this stage, but it could also follow a pattern of fizzling out now but reappearing in the winter in a much more virulent form. Given the appalling death rate all over the world from the Spanish Flu in 1918, which was the last really serious flu pandemic, I'd certainly not dismiss 'flu' as a mild illness. Worryingly the deaths in Mexico seem to follow the same pattern as Spanish Flu of being mainly healthy young adults rather than the elderly/vulnerable who are at risk from our normal seasonal flu. I hope it all comes to nothing - but will be watching carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Mmmmm, think I'll be joining the " not arsed in the slightest queue" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 (edited) someone here mentioned pig flu, and I looked out the window Ooh, Groan!!! Given the appalling death rate all over the world from the Spanish Flu in 1918, which was the last really serious flu pandemic, I'd certainly not dismiss 'flu' as a mild illness. Perhaps true, but medicine has come a long way since 1918. On the other hand as Rob will tell you, I have a huge collection of "end of the world" fiction - it's my absolute fave type of read and in the books it always starts like this ........ & I'm afraid that for me fiction is about all this is - a few cases is hardly a world crisis, we've already had worse with Aids etc - & at the moment I reckon there's still more chance of us being hit by a bus than dieing of swine flu - so, as the song goes, don't worry be happy Edited April 30, 2009 by Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sproggie14 Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 On the other hand as Rob will tell you, I have a huge collection of "end of the world" fiction - it's my absolute fave type of read and in the books it always starts like this ........ I did say to Dave yesterday that it put me in mind of Survivors and that if something like that did happen, this is exactly how it would start out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kats n greys Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Fed-up with the scaremongering But an announcement from our company made me laugh. It stated all the countries were swine flu had cases had been identified including the UK and told us not to visit them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I am slightly concerned, but not too much. Most healthy people will be fine I would imagine, it will be the elderly and very young or ill that we should be most worried about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Here's the answer: http://tinyurl.com/co593z Anyone looked at this - it's v funny. It's the "treatment" for swine flu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murtle Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Here's the answer: http://tinyurl.com/co593z so long as the stuffing is veggie that'll be fab thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 And how about this: my friend tried calling NHS direct about swine flu, but all he got was crackling.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 <Groan> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigailj Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Fed-up with the scaremongering But an announcement from our company made me laugh. It stated all the countries were swine flu had cases had been identified including the UK and told us not to visit them Sounds like they are telling you to go on holiday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 It's a strain of flu, not a killer virus as the press seem to be leading us to believe. Chances are if you get it you will be ill for 5 to 7 days, just like 'normal winter flu', yes some people will die (as they do each winter from 'flu') but swine flu is not a death sentence which some of the media seem to be reporting, so no I won't be walking around in my mask. Perfect sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzeanna Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 If you catch it and it makes you itch, will they give you oinkment? I'm not worried myself, but I'm concerned for my OH and my daughter, they both have asthma and she especially is prone to chest infections, plus she's taking tablets to suppress her immune system to keep her eczema under control...the same tablets they give to people who have had organ replacements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 It's a strain of flu, not a killer virus as the press seem to be leading us to believe. Chances are if you get it you will be ill for 5 to 7 days, just like 'normal winter flu', yes some people will die (as they do each winter from 'flu') but swine flu is not a death sentence which some of the media seem to be reporting, so no I won't be walking around in my mask. sums it up for me I think a lot of people are forgetting that Influenza already kills thousands of people every year I also think that a lot of us ( me included until I had flu ) use the term flu to cover a heavy cold or a winter bug. I have only ever had flu once and If someone had placed a million pounds at the end of the street free to a good home I would have been unable to walk to get it because I was that ill with my lifestyle and travel history/plans I am at more risk of Malaria or Dengue Fever and I don't to be honest give them much thought so I won't worry about the flu too much either at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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