Mad Cow, Bird/Swine Flu, Foot and Mouth, E.coli, Salmonella, Ebola, Marburg...

[BlackCats]

ETA and I wasn't malingering BC, there's no mileage in it if you're self-employed :D

I think you just wanted to stay in bed and get sympathy.:D;)

[harpy]

Bed! Now that's an idea! Have only just finished work (cue: violins). You seem to be burning the candle at both ends too?

[Marrers]

A friend came round on Wednesday night and she knows 6 people with swine flu, including a friend of ours and several people she works with.

I felt ill yesterday and was slightly worried it might be swine flu because I had a variety of odd symptoms (sweating, nausea, headache, extreme sleepiness, bubbly tummy and an odd rash on my chest.) I feel better today so hopefully that will continue.

But it started me wondering what I would do if I did have swine flu. I'd be quite reluctant to take any drugs anyway but especially without a clear understanding the benefits and whether the risks of not taking it are serious or potentially deadly ie enough to warrant considering it. Also I'd want to know for sure that I had swine flu, not have someone 'guessing' on a phone helpline as people have been saying. I wonder if you can pay to be tested and how quick the service is?

[Stu]

One of my colleagues has swine flu and one of my other (stupid) colleagues refuses to work around her. Nobody has managed to explain to me why this particular flu is a big deal yet, and it's been months. I don't mind if I get it.

[Glossgirl]

^ Maybe your collegue dont want to get it because she is in contact with people that have weak immune systemweak imune systeme?

[Stu]

I think it's more likely that she reads the Daily Mail / Express / Mirror / Sun / Metro etc.

[Cherry]

Shouldn't your colleague be off sick if she has (swine) flu!?

[kriz]

Exactly. I know lots of people that say they have the flu when it is just a cold.:rollseyes_ani:

I usually ask if they really have INFLUENZA or just a runny nose... WHICH one is it? BIG difference there, you know!.... I feel the same when people say they got a cold from walking in the rain on a chilly day... or think that antibiotics work against a viral infection....:dizzy::dizzy:

[Marrers]

Nobody has managed to explain to me why this particular flu is a big deal yet, and it's been months.
I think it is hard to assess as I think almost everyone who has had it severely enough to get medical attention so far has taken tamiflu. There is no treatment for normal seasonal flu is there? We have no idea how bad would it be without the tamiflu treatment.

The reason I'm concerned about getting it is that I think I have a problem with my immune system and I don't want to take tamiflu or be vaccinated.

[BlackCats]

I usually ask if they really have INFLUENZA or just a runny nose... WHICH one is it? BIG difference there, you know!.... I feel the same when people say they got a cold from walking in the rain on a chilly day... or think that antibiotics work against a viral infection....:dizzy::dizzy:

(:D)

I'm not worried about getting swine flu as I'm fairly healthy, I would rather that I didn't catch it though! I'm sure if I do get any type of flu this year it will be around x-mas and New Year as that always seems to happen to me.:rollseyes_ani:

[Kate1978]

Shouldn't your colleague be off sick if she has (swine) flu!?

My employer (obsessed with reducing sickness absence) has issued an edict saying if you think you might have SF or your kids are off sick with it to take time off. Clearly the thinking here is that if you stay away from work you're reducing the overall number of sick days by reducing the spread.

Or so they hope. :satisfied:

[Ms_Derious]

I've had 'normal flu' once in my life, and it was bl**dy horrible. I was a fairly healthy 20 year old, and it took me about 4 months to get over it. I had all the coughing and sneeze of a cold, while 'bucketing it out at both ends' and pretty much feeling like death was coming for me.

I was hardly able to move, it sucked all the energy out of me, and I felt worst then I ever had, and I've had some pretty bad problems with my health in the past.

It even took a toll on my mental state, whereby my parents found me outside in my nighty defrosting the car at about 2am so it would mean I could have a lie in in the morning.

Every year about 250,000-500,000 people die from the flu, so if this is a very contagious version, that in itself is a worry as the more people who contract it the higher the mortality rates.

Its very easy to ask what all the fuss is about, but if one has underlieing health problems, or is the carer, then yes, this is a legitimate concern.



The reason I'm concerned about getting it is that I think I have a problem with my immune system and I don't want to take tamiflu or be vaccinated.

Same here. My GP actually suggested I put of my routine blood tests as they are getting a lot of people ignoring the advice and coming in with flu like symptoms, and it would be 'not good' for me to get it.

[Stu]

Every year about 250,000-500,000 people die from the flu, so if this is a very contagious version, that in itself is a worry as the more people who contract it the higher the mortality rates.

I don't think this is correct. "Swine Flu" is nothing to worry about because it is very mild and does not tend to kill people. A bigger deal is being made about this, than real flu.

The only people who have any reason to be concerned, are those with a very vulnerable state of health - and these people have much more serious things to be worried about than swine flu anyway.

Can we start threads about more valid health matters, such as 'Crossing The Road', 'Not Washing Your Hands' or 'Going To A Club'?

[Marrers]

I think it is hard to assess as I think almost everyone who has had it severely enough to get medical attention so far has taken tamiflu. . . . We have no idea how bad would it be without the tamiflu treatment.
. . . I don't want to take tamiflu or be vaccinated.


"Swine Flu" is nothing to worry about because it is very mild and does not tend to kill people.

My point is it may have killed more people if they had not been treated with Tamiflu. So a person with swine flu refusing Tamiflu may be much more likely to die - we just don't know how many people would have died if left untreated do we?


Can we start threads about more valid health matters, such as 'Crossing The Road', 'Not Washing Your Hands' or 'Going To A Club'?
I don't think there is any need to be so flippant about other peoples concerns Stu. You have made your views clear. Repeatedly.

[Stu]

OK. Sorry to piss you off.

[kriz]

I'm not more worried about this than the regular flu. However, people's fear worries me and I wouldn't want to get it for that reason - I don't want people around me to flip out.:amazed_ani: Unless it mutates into something much nastier, I'm not too concerned.

[cedarblue]

One of my colleagues has swine flu and one of my other (stupid) colleagues refuses to work around her.

we all have different worries and concerns; just because someone reacts differently to an issue, does'nt make them stupid :(- or are they ACTUALLY stupid?? :dizzy: more, that the person who is ill should be staying at home not going in to work.


I think it's more likely that she reads the Daily Mail / Express / Mirror / Sun / Metro etc.

interesting that someones personal choice in reading matter seems to reflect widespread things about that person??


Its very easy to ask what all the fuss is about, but if one has underlieing health problems, or is the carer, then yes, this is a legitimate concern.



agreed

[fiamma]

It said yesterday that as much as 40% of the American population may contract this flu; people have died, and I would say it's certainly something to be concerned about. As for the "valid health concerns" you mention, Stu, at least I have control over washing my hands, crossing the road or going to a club. I can't always control who I come into contact with and therefore who might give me the flu.

[gogs67]

The worry the authorities have is that if 30% of the population come down with this all round about the same time, the infrastructure of the country will collapse.
Hospitals having to close for a period, no train/tube drivers, air travel restricted, lack of police, schools closed etc etc
THAT is the problem, not the fatality rate!
So the tactic is to 'scare' the public slightly more than is necessary and hope that peoples common sense can obstruct the spread of this virus!
This is CPNI policy!

[kriz]

My employer (obsessed with reducing sickness absence) has issued an edict saying if you think you might have SF or your kids are off sick with it to take time off. Clearly the thinking here is that if you stay away from work you're reducing the overall number of sick days by reducing the spread.

Or so they hope. :satisfied:

I think that is very wise and logical of your boss. If everyone could stay at home when sick with contagious diseases, we would all be safer, and yes, reduce sick days in the long run.

Another thing that upsets me (and I've seen it a lot!) is when people bring their kids to after school activities like music classes or kids gyms when they're having respiratory infections or other nasty stuff... It's beyond common sense. Let's not panic, but let's not spread illness all around us either whatever it is. If anything the Swine Flu will hopefully change that type of carelessness.

As a kid I wasn't allowed to even step outside the front door when if I was infected with something, I had to ride it out at HOME. It was OK to be unproductive for a while.... Most of my friends' parents had the same rule and I can't remember any of us (class mates and neighbors) being sick often. I never had a flu of any kind growing up nor did my brothers.

[cobweb]

^ that makes sense to me, too - not for people to panic but not to freely spread their illness around, it can cause misery.

If people stayed at home they would recover more easily and quickly, too and might not get so many after effects.

[Gorilla]

i've been working on a swine flu helpline and there is a lot of panic about it out there. i had one guy calling to ask how many people in the local area had caught and died of swine flu, because he was having visitors from Edinburgh and wanted to know if it was safe for them to come here. also a lot of people are desperate to get Tamiflu. i've been getting a lot of spam email from companies selling Tamiflu on the internet.

i had a horrible cold/whatever a couple of weeks ago and felt like death; it could've been swine flu for all i know but i didn't want to be told to take anti-virals so i let it run its course because i know i'm healthy enough. i'm not sure what i'd do if my immune system was more fragile. someone's bound to have a bad reaction to the anti-virals or vaccinations soon enough...

[Poison Ivy]

i had a horrible cold/whatever a couple of weeks ago and felt like death; it could've been swine flu for all i know but i didn't want to be told to take anti-virals so i let it run its course because i know i'm healthy enough. i'm not sure what i'd do if my immune system was more fragile. someone's bound to have a bad reaction to the anti-virals or vaccinations soon enough...

Same here about three weeks ago, fever, cough, vomiting and diarrhoea...the whole shebang - felt shocking for about four-five days, it never even occurred to me it might have been swine flu just thought it was some kind of stomach bug - found out about a week later that people in our village were falling ill with it (swine flu) so who knows??

[cobweb]

i wonder if dogs can get it?
Tam has been sneezing for days and has a bad upset tummy :(

[Ms_Derious]

i wonder if dogs can get it?
Tam has been sneezing for days and has a bad upset tummy :(

Not likly Cobby Poppet

http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/2009/04/27/can-my-dog-or-cat-get-swine-flu.htm

Hope Tam gets better soon