News Plague Year?

[Trem]

and here's me about to start an apprenticeship in butchery in a shop on a pig farm

....in Mexico?

 

[rynnor]

This is it now isn't it? Every couple of years for the rest of our lives the facemasks will come out and the hysteria-o-meter will get dialled up to 11.

Nah - I dont intend to wear one - unless it becomes a mega killer like Sars.

I am concerned to see it and think its serious but I'm more concerned about the secondary disruption than the threat to lives at the moment - in a bad year 25,000 die in the UK due to the normal flu so this has a way to go yet.

I think they will end up taking steps like closing schools and the transport network - having my kids at home for weeks would be an absolute nightmare!

Its going to be a hassle but I'm not expecting to pop my clogs imminently because of it

 

[Zenith]

The real danger about these things is the situation we have in the world right now; mediacoverage. They can make anything as big as Jesus in seconds...

 

[Chilly]

nail on head zenith. our hysterical media have a lot to answer for these days.

 

[Wij]

It's just flu. Try some Lemsip. If it gets worse see the doctor. Same as any other flu.

WHO WILL BE THE FIRST ARSEHOLE TO WEAR A FACEMASK? - The Daily Mash

 

[Dark Orb Choir]

"But really, the best way to stop pork flu is to get it, takes some pills and watch the telly until you don't have it anymore."

Class

 

[Trem]

My wife works at a place that supplies air con supplies for the government and MoD.

She was late in today because she has been so busy getting mortuary boards for all the local councils ready for the pandemic.

Maybe the government aren't telling us something, or maybe its a new way for them to waste our money perhaps.

Our local Sainsburys warehouse is our mass mortuary in the event of lots of deaths......which is nice. I had dreams of my ashes being scattered on the top of a beautiful mountain but now at least they can forklift my body into a skip.......which is nice.

 

[Nate]

....in Mexico?

No, in Essex

I had dreams of my ashes being scattered on the top of a beautiful mountain but now at least they can forklift my body into a skip.......which is nice.

They'd probably use a digger driven by a bird instead, just for you

 

[Ctuchik]

This is it now isn't it? Every couple of years for the rest of our lives the facemasks will come out and the hysteria-o-meter will get dialled up to 11.

yeah probably. but the thing is that a pandemic WILL happen sooner or later. noone in the knows is questioning that one. its just so easy to overreact whenever something new pops up.

because virus IS mutating, more and more diseases are becomming resistant or even immune to vaccine/antibiotica.


it just sucks to not know when

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

There has been planning in the UK for some time now. The NHS Direct meetings on it are a matter of public record and you can easily google them. You don't need to view/listen to the media coverage or Downing Street, you can go straight to see the online documentation on the subject.

If you notice, people are being directed to phone in if they think they have symptoms. That puts the NHS Direct on the frontline for most of the country. There has been extra infrastructure and resources applied to this in the event of an emergency.

Meeting info here if you are interested: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/media.aspx?id=1033
As you can see this was over a year ago.

However, in the media... E-Health Insider :: No National Flu Line until autumn

If you note the comments towards the end, you'll see that we are reaching the end of the flu season and any outbreak will be easier to contain. Thats probably doesn't suit most media because it does not promote hysteria and the associated TV ratings.

So it will likely be the autumn before we had any large scale pandemic to worry about and by then the final stages of the pandemic response will be fully in place if they are not already. The main caveat of course is that this is a bit like forecasting the weather as its a combination of statistics, guesswork and luck tracking the progress of any virus.

The most important thing is to stay calm and don't go jumping at shadows.
When people get scared people get stupid. Stupidity is arguably a greater enemy than any micro-organism as irrational responses can excacerbate the situation. The media should get that frothing nicely under the guise of news reporting. If we can do our best not to over-react even if we do see an outbreak in this country we'll get it under control. I'm not saying it will be pretty or without loss, but we'll weather it (if it even happens this year).

I don't want my post to sound a little cold. I have family very close to where the first cases have appeared in this country in the last few days and am of course very concerned. I am keeping a close eye on the progress of the virus and its removal.

 

[Trem]

Lets also not forget that Gordon Brown proberly cum in his pants when he heard about swine flu. It was exactly what he needed to divert the media and public away from what a state Labour is making the country.

 

[Turamber]

I returned from a two week holiday in Mexico last Tuesday/Wednesday. Didn't know anything about this flu until Saturday morning and I developed cold symptoms early this week.

NHS Direct told me to speak to my doctor ... turns out they should have told me to ring her, as it was it wasn't clear that I was not to go the surgery. I know it seems obvious now but it really wasn't at the time. The queue of people in her surgery parted like the Red Sea before Moses when I mentioned to the receptionist why I was there!

Looks like it was just a co-incidence in any event, as the doctor checked me out and although I have a temperature it is not high enough to be this flu. It was somewhat surreal being tested by a doctor in full medical gear -- head to toe gown, mask and gloves.

There were a couple of days of being very worried earlier this week, let me tell you !

 

[rynnor]

Looks like it was just a co-incidence in any event, as the doctor checked me out and although I have a temperature it is not high enough to be this flu. It was somewhat surreal being tested by a doctor in full medical gear -- head to toe gown, mask and gloves.

Did they take swabs to send off for testing?

 

[Turamber]

Did they take swabs to send off for testing?

No. She put a gadget in my ear to check my temperature and visibly relaxed. Was a bit more concerned after putting her spatula down my throat and telling me to say 'R'.

She said I would know one way or the other in the next 24 hours and to let her know if my temperature increased anymore but to stay at home, in isolation, during that time. On reporting this to my Boss he said 'bollocks, you're not having anymore time off' and has written off all the coverage in the media as press hysteria.

But then Scrooge was an Accountant

 

[rynnor]

She said I would know one way or the other in the next 24 hours and to let her know if my temperature increased anymore but to stay at home, in isolation, during that time. On reporting this to my Boss he said 'bollocks, you're not having anymore time off' and has written off all the coverage in the media as press hysteria.

But then Scrooge was an Accountant

Lol - we get 5 days off if we come into contact with a mexican

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Lol - we get 5 days off if we come into contact with a mexican

Sounds like normal burrito after-effects to me.

 

[rynnor]

Lol at more NHS swine flu disasters - good thing it doesnt seem like a nasty one since they dont seem to understand infection control!

BBC NEWS | England | Coventry/Warwickshire | Swine flu suspects 'left in A&E'

 

[Raven]

It seems its all gone out in a massive "pfff" then.

A great big nothing of a virus. I would like to see the BBC investigated for their dreadful scaremongering, its not how I like to see the TV license spent. Somehow I doubt that will happen though.

 

[Turamber]

I take it you are thinking of BBC NEWS | Health | What scientists know about swine flu

I do wonder if the Mexicans have a weakness, perhaps a genetic weakness, to some forms of flu. After all, I seem to remember from my history lessons, many of the Native Americans of the region were wiped out by illnesses caught from the Spanish conquistadores.

The 'original' Spanish flu perhaps.

 

[Cadelin]

I take it you are thinking of BBC NEWS | Health | What scientists know about swine flu

I do wonder if the Mexicans have a weakness, perhaps a genetic weakness, to some forms of flu. After all, I seem to remember from my history lessons, many of the Native Americans of the region were wiped out by illnesses caught from the Spanish conquistadores.

The 'original' Spanish flu perhaps.

There are over 100 million mexican. 70% live in urban areas and the health care is poor for the average citizen. That might explain why 12 people have died of the disease!

 

[Turamber]

That might explain why 12 people have died of the disease!

I thought they had been quoting hundreds of people as having died from it earlier in the week? Not that even that is a large proportion of people for the 11th most populated country in the world, or something similar.

 

[Trem]

Having the shits could kill you in Mexico along with a splinter in your arse.

Its so out of proportion to what could happen in the rest of the world its untrue. Bloody media.

I would rather have swine flu and stay at home than risk catching a superbug from hospital.

 

[Cadelin]

I thought they had been quoting hundreds of people as having died from it earlier in the week? Not that even that is a large proportion of people for the 11th most populated country in the world, or something similar.

There are 12 confirmed deaths and around 168 "suspected" deaths in Mexico and one other death (in the US of a Mexican child). However we have no idea what "suspected" means.

 

[Raven]

Suspected swine flu = bit of a sniffle. Though we are all going to die there is good news The Daily Mash

 

[Scouse]

Meanwhile the government yesterday launched its pork flu information campaign underlining the fact that despite 2000 years of civilisation the people of Britain still have to be reminded to use a fucking hanky.

Class!

 

[taB]

Played see who you can get to jump the most with a loud *cough* in Hong Kong while SARS was out and about. My trip up China pretty much followed its route, having been in HK when it was in full flow and arriving in Beijing a couple of days before the local govt there actually did something about it. Went from normal to everyone wearing a mask in < 24 hours. Was getting all sorts of crazy messages from relatives back in Blighty

Daily Mash is awesome btw.

 

[Trem]

Pig flu has been confiirmed in Glasgow
Possibly NSFW

Spoiler

 

[rynnor]

Yesterday we had 18 confirmed cases - now we have 27 - impressive dailly increase so I'm suprised to see Ministers saying we have it contained

In theory it should die off a bit in the next few weeks as we all get healthier in the summer apparently.

 

[Trem]

I know you are worried rynnor and so am I mainly because of my son. But this is not the same as bird flu which had a 60% fatality rate.

This strain seems quite mild compared to H5N1, it seems comparable to normal seasonal flu, which in itself is awful but most people get over it in a few days.

The Autumn/Winter months may see more cases but hopefully they will all be managed.

The government got its week of hysteria to help us forget about their fuck ups thats another reason why they are trying to calm people down.

 

[rynnor]

Lol - some enterprising soul has rented a formerly closed down shop in Hertford and is now selling (amongst other things) "Swine Flu Kits".

These consist of a couple of masks, some gloves and some anti-bacterial wipes for a mere £60!