swine flu.... are you worried?

[superscaper]

A way to look at it for anyone worried about catching it - in the UK, several thousand people have had it and less than 5 have died. They all had 'underlying health problems' to start with so their immune defence was down. There is a lower death rate with this than seasonal Flu and at least if you do catch it you will build some defence to the virus. All in all I wouldn't bother yourself worrying about it - I was myself at first but now I know more about it I'm not.

Not sure where you're getting your figures from but 17 fatalities in the UK had swine flu and at least 2 of the most recent did NOT have underlying health problems and was healthy. I'm not saying it's anything to panic about but I think your figures are out of date.

[shaithis]

Gone from "not worried in the slightest" to "undecided" based on this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8370859.stm

[zinger5]

There are other Tamiflu-like dtugs on the market - we just don't have them in the UK - so I don't think a few cases where people have resistant forms of the virus should be anything to worry about too much. For most people the Tamiflu side-effects are worse than the 'flu itself, although obviously if you're someone with Asthma/other "underlying health problems"/etc you wouldn't want to chance not taking it.

zinger5

[aidanjt]

<-- Me healthy.
<-- Me with swine flu.
<-- Me with regular flu.

In otherwords, I don't care.

[TooNice]

Gone from "not worried in the slightest" to "undecided" based on this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8370859.stm

Based on what I've read about Tamiflu's side effects, it's not really something I am really keen to take.

My main concern with swine flu though is the impact it has on the healthcare system here. Almost 8 weeks ago, I found myself with pneumonia. Of course, at the time I had no idea what it was, a cough and a fever may well be normal flu, and by association swine flu. Many clinics seem to have a sign that tells you to go home and rest/call the flu-hotline if you have flu-like symptoms. Had I followed the advise, I would've ended up with an even worse condition (pneumonia + side effect from the wrong medication).

Yet even after I was referred to the hospital (due to a scorching fever), I was actually -turned away- because they still thought it was either type of flu and 'my body should be able to rid of it' - ignoring that my temp was 40.5C have been gradually rising/getting worse for days. It was only after I was referred back two days later (with a temp close to 42C) that the hospital finally took me in. So indirectly, this affecting people with other issues.

[Sir Digby]

Not in the slightest.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I think I would be more worried if a delirious Moose with flu plummeted in my general direction. Now that would be dangerous flu.

[Couger]

Not worried really

[cat123]

Not worried at all. I find it all a bit of an over reaction people get the flu every year, I know swine flu is different but I read that more people will die of ordinary flu than swine flu so why all the headlines and scare mongering about swine flu?

I also will not be getting the vaccination for it and neither will wife or child.

[TooNice]

I know swine flu is different but I read that more people will die of ordinary flu than swine flu so why all the headlines and scare mongering about swine flu?

Wouldn't that be because there are more people who catches the flu? What I am curious is how the two compares if you classify by average severity. To be honest, I've never known anyone during my years at Uni (filled with twenty-something students) who ended up so sick from flu that they couldn't get back to class after a few days. I recently heard that of my friend's brother (early twenties), who is normally in good health ended up with swine flu and had to be hospitalised for a week.

It's really unfortunate because he's doing an intensive course and is now most likely going to have to drop out.

Well, not that my sample is by any mean meaningful, I seem to see more people with flu capable of shrugging it off than swine flu (he's not the only one, just the most serious case I've come across).

[chuckskull]

'Normal' Flu can put you in the hospital rather quick. It kills half a million people every year. So far Swine Flu has killed less than 8000(according to the WHO).

I've had a dose of swine flu(confirmed by the doc). It really, really sucked, but so did the flu I had a few years back.

Why is it so over-reported? Because "PIG DEATH IS COMING" sells more papers than, "First triple hybrid flu strain discovered". Simple as.

[cat123]

'Normal' Flu can put you in the hospital rather quick. It kills half a million people every year.

Exactly I know a lot of people, family and friends who have been bed ridden and hospitalized with "Normal" flu it is just as severe to the person suffering from the symptoms. I've had it myself although I've never been hospitalized with it.

[nheather]

Must admit, I actually thought that Swine Flu had come and gone. I had not heard of any recent cases and don't know anyone who has had it.

But reading the local paper today, I saw that two schools are closed because a good number of the teachers apparently have swine flu.

Cheers,

Nigel

[megah0]

Tamiflu resistant strains have appeared apparently (http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-ne...008815.article)

I'm not concerned, especially since it has been announced that student nurses (I graduate in 6 months) are NOT going to be pressed into service in case of a pandemic.

Swine flu is going to BITE in 12-18 months imo.