Swine 'flu

[Bunnylump]

Hmmm. How unfair is that? I've just heard that one of the year 7s has been diagnosed as having Swine flu. We've had 2 local schools closed for a week each because of it, and what happens? As soon as one of our cherubs gets it they change the advice to "Oh we can't stop it now, just keep your eyes open and manage it!" Knowing my luck I'll probably get it just in time for the summer holidays.


Anyone else affected?

[LAT]

Well my son has been in quarantine and on Tamiflu for the past week because several of his friends at University have caught it. But he is OK to go out into company again now. I had visions of him getting it just before the week was up, then OH catching it from him a week later and my daughter and me ending up in quarantine for a fortnight or more.
It did stop him coming to his sister's graduation which was a shame.

[Bunnylump]

That really is rubbish, isn't it?? Shame he missed his big sister's big moment of glory.

I haven't been given any Tamiflu, despite having worked with said pupil. Obviously I'm invincible.

[gill216]

I hope neither of you are victims of it. Not wishing to doubt our NHS advice etc. when I was in Spain in April (the first UK cases were only just appearing) the Spaniards were already wearing face masks.

Over cautious or well advised? I must check out the statistics.

[clvrlad]

id go with over cautious but check away
(dont forget to report nack its not actually a disease just one of scurras puzzles ) you get bonus points for curing it
weve been given info at work (out dated the paper we were packing when given then had info 10 days more recent...)

usual anti flu advice trap it bin it use a hanky and wash your hands etc basically the usual

[giraffe]

I was surprised when they said 4000 people die of normal flu every winter in the UK. This doesn't seem to be much more deadly. It must be horrid if you have it, but I can't help feeling that normal hygeine precautions and staying home if you feel unwell are all that is really necessary.

[Scurra]

The current incarnation of Swine Flu is indeed relatively benign - there's an argument that we should encourage it to spread rather than try to fight it, as that way we will have a chance of evolving the antibodies to fight a potentially far more dangerous version.

(I'm not making light of the fact that people have died from it, but, as Giraffe notes, a lot of people die from "regular" flu every year.)

[katsmom]

The current incarnation of Swine Flu is indeed relatively benign - there's an argument that we should encourage it to spread rather than try to fight it, as that way we will have a chance of evolving the antibodies to fight a potentially far more dangerous version.

My little bug was out of school for 2 weeks because of this. Two day's before she was supposed to go back, they closed all primary schools for the summer. Not a major loss for her, her school term would have ended with a half a day on that Friday. The other kids here were thrilled as they had three weeks left.

Our Government quarantined that hotel, then started quarantining any one with contact and made them take the Tamiflu. Then they started making public service announcements "if you were on this flight call this number" The next step was designated flu clinics and hospitalization if you had symptoms. Well that worked great and the hospitals filled to capacity within a week. Now they have decided that unless you are really sick you can stay home. And by the way, we aren't giving out Tamiflu anymore because there isn't enough and "it might be better to build up antibodies!" Some friends of mine and I were looking for sick people. We want to have a Swine flu party for just that reason!

Three weeks ago my husband and I went to China for a day of shopping. As I got to the imigration counter, one of the border cops spotted my passport, grabbed me by the arm and shouted "come with me you have Swine flu!" What?!? I had to go fill out a form that said I hadn't been back in the states for over FOUR YEARS! and try to convince the mainland authorities I didn't have the flu before they would allow me to cross the border. Did they take my temperature? No! They just looked at my blue passport and decided I was sick. Vigilance!

Yesterday we went to Macau to set up the displays for my exhibition. On the way I got seasick and was green when we landed. I was asked if I was feeling ok and I said yes. Ok, no problem, enjoy your stay in Macau. Coming back I was sick again. (I know those jetfoils aren't supposed to bounce on the water, they are supposed to glide. The water was so rough, I was bounced out of the seat twice, and the vomiting was almost non stop for the hour and a half trip-which is normally one hour) When we got back to Hong Kong, my greenness got us stopped, temperatures checked, and thankfully the people I went with were able to explain my lack of sea legs because I did have a slight fever-anyone would after an hour of constant dry heaves. They wanted to rush me to hospital to be checked. Well, because of my friends and the very nice, but very ticked off jetfoil steward who had to clean up the first mess (why don't they have seasickness bags?), I'm home and happy, and not so green anymore. But if I develope flu like symptoms I promise, I will go straight to the hospital.

[kathlyn]

The current incarnation of Swine Flu is indeed relatively benign - there's an argument that we should encourage it to spread rather than try to fight it, as that way we will have a chance of evolving the antibodies to fight a potentially far more dangerous version.

Now they have decided that unless you are really sick you can stay home. And by the way, we aren't giving out Tamiflu anymore because there isn't enough and "it might be better to build up antibodies!" Some friends of mine and I were looking for sick people. We want to have a Swine flu party for just that reason!.

Our government NHS is advising against swine flu parties as they think it will only make the bug mutate faster or something.

Hopefully they will have a vaccine for it and add it to the normal flu jab before the winter begins.

[Bunnylump]

They shut two of the other local secondary schools last week. What a ridiculous idea. All the kids from Queens were out shopping in the Harlequin Centre in Watford all week. So it's been well and truly spread around that town now. It'd have been better if they'd kept them in school.

We've had another confirmed case, 4 more tested and 5 on Tamiflu. So let's face it, I'm gonna get it!! I wouldn't normally have been worried at all, but in the past 2 weeks my hayfever has been so bad I've been getting asthma attacks. Must remember to get one of those inhaler things. (But that'd involve going to the doctors, so I think I'll just moan about it instead).

[eirian]

I'm on a forum for couples going through/gone through ivf (v. supportive throughout our treatment and even more use now for advice on bringing up our miracle) and there's a thread there about swine flu parties and the general consensus is why would anyone be stupid enough to want their child to get it? OK, so it's a relatively new thread, but they all agree anyone who takes their child to one of these parties needs their head examined.

Bunny - that's a very interesting comment about the consequence of closing the schools, never really thought about what the kids did when not in school... Oh, and if I were you, I'd go to the docs just in case - I'm sure they'd rather you went in now, rather than leave it till you get flu and it makes your asthma 10 times worse....

[Bunnylump]

I know I should. But I don't like doctor's surgeries. Sick people go there!!


How's that bundle of joy coping with the heat?

[gill216]

Quick diversion from swine flu parties for a couple of seconds.

My god-daughter had chicken pox while daughter & grandson were staying with me. I left it up to mummy whether he visited or not. Her attitude was "if he's going to get it he may as well get it now". He was 9 months old at the time, duly caught a very mild dose of chicken pox- 5 spots If I remember correctly and suffered not a jot. However, what none of us knew was that children under 1 year old who have had chicken pox are prone to shingles- something otherwise unknown in youngsters. We found that out when he had his first bout at 2. He has had at least 2 bouts, possibly 3, and he's only just turned 4.

He no longer goes to catchy catchy anything parties.

Back to topic

[eirian]

How's that bundle of joy coping with the heat?

what do you think?
at least he's been sleeping better today with it being cooler here. Can't believe how much I'm having to drink to cope with his thirst as well as my own

[Bunnylump]

It's SO hard for you in these temperatures, isn't it Eirian? You need to be careful about that - very easy to dehydrate both of you if you're not careful. Just don't make him wear clothes when it's like that. They can overheat alarmingly rapidly.

Oh, and Gill, re the chicken pox thing - yes, shingles is DREADFUL, however, I know an adult who got chicken pox for the first time at the age of 40. He was unbelievably ill - had spots in his ears, eyes , nose, throat, (couldn't eat/drink) + other unmentionable places. He ended up hospitalised for 3 weeks. Nasty.

[giraffe]

I had chicken pox while I was expecting Lally. I looked like Mr Blobby. I thought perhaps it would give her immunity, but she has had it twice since. The first time she had two spots on her first birthday, and was fine, the second time she was absolutely covered. You're only supposed to be able to get it once, but I gather that if it is very mild the first time you can get it again.

[katsmom]

Chicken Pox to Shingles is not a good thing! Since coming to Hong Kong, I've had the shingles 4 times. Each time gets worse and worse. The last time I had spots inside my mouth and on my nether regions. Talk about uncomfortable!

Katherine was vaccinated at 6, and we purposely kept her away from the chicken pox parties because of me. Around 2 months ago, some kids were in the playroom with it trying to pass it around the building. Katherine was down there by herself (she's almost 8 now, it's in the building and she's demanding her independence! That's as far as she's alowed to go alone) She didn't know what was wrong with the girl and just kept playing with her. A few days later she had spots all over. I paniced as you would, and took her to the dr. Luck was with us, we found out she was allergic to caterpilllars. Thankfully the vaccinations work. Only problem is that she has to keep getting them. It would probably be better for her to get the Chicken Pox now, but I just don't want to take the chance of getting shingles again. Am I a bad mom or what!

[giraffe]

Chickenpox is mild in children, so she'd probably be better off with it now rather than later.

[Biscuit]

they said u cannot get shingles from chicken pox but i think it was a bit of a coincidence when we went on holiday a long time ago and my daughter 13 months at the time got chicken pox on the flight (we could have cancelled had she got it a few moments before with the insurance - we knew it was destined as her sister was recovering from pox which started 2 -3 weeks ago) - my dad who was on the same holiday got shingles - i felt so guilty:( I am sure they are more linked then they realise.

[Bunnylump]

I must say that my Mum (former biology teacher) tells me that you cannot catch shingles from someone else who has chicken pox. I've just double checked on the BBC health website, which says:

Shingles is a reactivation of the virus infection that causes chickenpox. After a person has had chickenpox the virus remains in their body, lying dormant or hidden in part of the nervous system.

For some reason, often many years later, the virus travels back down one of the nerves to the skin, where it causes a rash in the area of skin supplied by that nerve.

It's not clear what triggers reactivation of the chickenpox virus but it may be linked to changes in the immune system. Ensuring your immune system is not weakened may help to prevent this occurring.

So basically, Katsmom, don't panic if Katherine gets chicken pox - you shouldn't get shingles as a result, and if you do it would probably be a coincidence because you've got run down.