Swine 'flu - What economic impact?

michaels

And for those who are happy to be reassured by the existence of a vaccine, don't read up on the 'success' of vaccination on a previous outbreak of swine flu at a US military base where the vaccine killed more than the virus...

vivatifosi

One of my colleagues has just returned to work after recovering from suspected swine flu. Her husband had also caught it first and as part of a known swine flu outbreak. Neither of them were seriously ill. I find this reassuring, as I'm being told first hand about the symptoms by a colleague, not a spinning government. Honestly, she said it wasn't that bad and not much different from ordinary flu.

System

My fiancees best friend who she spent the day with on Saturday came down with it yesterday.

Looking forward to my 10 days off

michaels

So what are the symptoms like? (Asking as my wife and kids had a mild, coldy, coughy, fluey thing over the last few days - would you know it was 'swine flu' rather than a normal cold if it wasn't for the publicity?

vivatifosi wrote: »

One of my colleagues has just returned to work after recovering from suspected swine flu. Her husband had also caught it first and as part of a known swine flu outbreak. Neither of them were seriously ill. I find this reassuring, as I'm being told first hand about the symptoms by a colleague, not a spinning government. Honestly, she said it wasn't that bad and not much different from ordinary flu.

vivatifosi

michaels wrote: »

So what are the symptoms like? (Asking as my wife and kids had a mild, coldy, coughy, fluey thing over the last few days - would you know it was 'swine flu' rather than a normal cold if it wasn't for the publicity?

The big difference from what I think of as 'ordinary flu' was a tummy bug that went with it. It started with sore throat then cough/cold/raised temp. AIUI from her she was not given Tamiflu (husband was), because she had mild symptoms for too long before reporting. Has to be given quite quickly apparently and her symptoms were very mild for first 48 hours. Her husband was because he was part of a known outbreak. Does that help?

Cannon_Fodder

not disimilar to "tonsillitis" - allegedly.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23717995-details/London+school+child+and+GP+die+of+swine+flu/article.do

SingleSue

My sister is now into panic mode....a child has come down with swine flu at one her childrens schools and as my sister is not a very well person (severe asthmatic, repeated chest infections), she is quite eeekked out!

I'm in the watching and waiting stage, the advice appears sensible but the reality for those with underlying conditions is actually quite scary...you can't help but be worried.

And worried I am as a mild common cold almost killed my youngest son last October and I was already dreading the autumn/winter cold season.

Not into panic mode yet though!

vivatifosi

Sue, the key thing seems to be that if someone vulnerable is at risk that at the first sign you get the Tamiflu. The person I worked with was told that she had reported to the doctors too late to be effective, and as I understand it the young girl who was diagnosed with tonsilitis also got it too late. So if you do find yourself in that situation, maybe you need to stand firm. Now where's our resident doc when we need him to tell us whether or not I'm talking bollox?

SingleSue

Lol thanks Viva....it just so happens that youngests doctor is insisting on seeing him on Friday when we did a prescription request for his medication, so I can ask all the questions then.

As I said, not really in panic mode yet with regards swine flu but after last year and the horrendous two weeks of panic and worry on if he was going to make it or not, I am already eeekk about normal colds!

I'm also one to normally downplay colds etc, how would I know it was different to his normal run of the mill colds (which is like bad flu to everyone else anyway, everyone else shakes them off in a few days, he is incapacitated for a few weeks!), it was partly because of my downplaying that I didn't realise he was as ill as he was last year (didn't help that he went downhill fast and the first doctor misdiagnosed) and ever since, I have felt ever so guilty about what he and everyone else had to go through as a result.

Snooze

LOL @ all the 'you're all gonna die unless you barracade yourself in your house' scare-mongering in this thread. Ridiculous. :rolleyes:

Just get on with your lives as normal and it'll disappear just as fast as all the other 'you're all gonna dia' diseases did (Bird Flu, Cow disease, etc)

Rob