Swine 'flu - What economic impact?

sad_dog_lady

i have fibro myalgia and other illnesses but was over swine flu in 5 days, occasional cough still but it wasnt worth all the hype , my son was ill for 10 days and my hubby and other older kids were ill for 4 days, its not as bad as all that we did not need our tablets. so hubby was back to work on day 7 to ensure that he was not contagious. so 5 days off work is not bad but some people are taking 14 days off, its just not true that it lasts that long.

michaels

I'm not a doctor but my understanding is that there is no 'cytokine (sp?) storm type over immune response to this flu but that the problems and complications are resulting from infection occurring deeper in the lungs than is typical for colds/flus?

lostinrates wrote: »

Is that the case here though? I presumed ''strong/good imune systems'' were that of fully grown young adults, not the under 14/15s but the next age bracket up, or sort of crossing over with the latterpart of that age bracket? Any doctors/biologists in the house today?

tomterm8

Generali wrote: »

Isn't the point not that people are dying of swine flu but more that not very many are dying compared to people who get other types of flu (as compared to colds which people describe as the flu so they look a little bit harder to people they are hoping to get cups of tea etc from).

It's easy to catch but less dangerous when caught compared with other strains AIUI. I think with flu it's the immune response that kills you, not the disease itself so the young with good immune systems are the most likely to die.

I think one of the major differences so far is that it is in summer. When there is less pneumonia about, and people are generally healthier, and so the chances of complications is much lower. We'll see what happens in the winter, when the predictions are that swine flu is going to be much worse.

If this goes according to the predictions, we are within a week of the peak of the first wave of flu, and things should calm down soon until late august.

Thrugelmir

tomterm8 wrote: »

I think one of the major differences so far is that it is in summer. When there is less pneumonia about, and people are generally healthier, and so the chances of complications is much lower. We'll see what happens in the winter, when the predictions are that swine flu is going to be much worse.

If this goes according to the predictions, we are within a week of the peak of the first wave of flu, and things should calm down soon until late august.

Spot on. Flu isn't a summer illness. That's what is unusual. With this variant circulating people who are below par in the winter with another medical condition will be at far greater risk than normal years.

Generali

tomterm8 wrote: »

I think one of the major differences so far is that it is in summer. When there is less pneumonia about, and people are generally healthier, and so the chances of complications is much lower. We'll see what happens in the winter, when the predictions are that swine flu is going to be much worse.

If this goes according to the predictions, we are within a week of the peak of the first wave of flu, and things should calm down soon until late august.

Good news that younger people are gaining resistance to H1N1 type 'flu's then I guess. Clearly it may not feel like it right now but I'd much rather get a nasty summer disease than a potentially fatal winter one.

A mid-20s friend died of pneumonia when I was 19 so I am well aware of the risks.

amcluesent

"Swine flu screening at UK airports amid fear that NHS could be overwhelmed

NHS intensive care services could be overwhelmed by a huge rise in swine flu cases, researchers have warned, as Britain’s port authorities started screening incoming passengers for the first time.

Demand for critical care beds could outstrip the numbers available by 130 per cent.

The intensive care study found that hospitals on the South East coast, in the South West, East of England and East Midlands are likely to become “quickly exhausted” if cases continue rising in winter as is predicted."

Will secret triage procedures need to be introduced, so that 'horribly' white men over fifty are marked for palliative care only as the few intensive care and high-dependency beds are allocated to the young and 'ethics'? "They've had a good innings..."

Generali

amcluesent wrote: »

"Swine flu screening at UK airports amid fear that NHS could be overwhelmed

NHS intensive care services could be overwhelmed by a huge rise in swine flu cases, researchers have warned, as Britain’s port authorities started screening incoming passengers for the first time.

Demand for critical care beds could outstrip the numbers available by 130 per cent.

The intensive care study found that hospitals on the South East coast, in the South West, East of England and East Midlands are likely to become “quickly exhausted” if cases continue rising in winter as is predicted."

Will secret triage procedures need to be introduced, so that 'horribly' white men over fifty are marked for palliative care only as the few intensive care and high-dependency beds are allocated to the young and 'ethics'? "They've had a good innings..."

Well unfortunately, contrary to the normal British thinking on the NHS, health care is a limited resource just like everything else that people want and need.

The problem isn't whether to ration health care but how to ration it. If you don't want to do that by money then that's fine but you need to have an alternative. The NHS uses time and hassle instead (waiting lists and lower standards of care for 'minor' ailments for example). The former isn't appropriate to a 'flu epidemic so you need to chose another way to allocate the scarce number of suitable beds.

It's no good saying that selection by age is innapropriate unless you can come up with an alternative. Blaming immigrants is traditional I believe although not strictly accurate most of the time.

amcluesent

> unless you can come up with an alternative<

No [STRIKE]representation[/STRIKE]Tamiflu without taxation!:beer:

Generali

amcluesent wrote: »

> unless you can come up with an alternative<

No [STRIKE]representation[/STRIKE]Tamiflu without taxation!:beer:

The Boston Lemsip Party!

michaels

amcluesent I generally value your contribution to these boards and I do not want to report you for racist posts but this does not seem to be the first one so unless you have some evidence to support this type of sickening accusation I suggest you don't repeat it.

amcluesent wrote: »

"Swine flu screening at UK airports amid fear that NHS could be overwhelmed

NHS intensive care services could be overwhelmed by a huge rise in swine flu cases, researchers have warned, as Britain’s port authorities started screening incoming passengers for the first time.

Demand for critical care beds could outstrip the numbers available by 130 per cent.

The intensive care study found that hospitals on the South East coast, in the South West, East of England and East Midlands are likely to become “quickly exhausted” if cases continue rising in winter as is predicted."

Will secret triage procedures need to be introduced, so that 'horribly' white men over fifty are marked for palliative care only as the few intensive care and high-dependency beds are allocated to the young and 'ethics'? "They've had a good innings..."