Swine flu ...

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sat May 02, 2009 10:31 pm

Snowdrops wrote:Now Sally-Anne, tell the truth - is that the original version you got or has it been doctored?

Someone very clever put it through Adobe Photoshop. E.H Sheppard would turn in his grave if I posted the â€œother" version on here!

stevew61 wrote:Kids are picking up on the news headlines and need grounding in, don't panic, we have all had a dose of the flu and lived happily...

Indeed â€“ DH and DS1 & DS2 got a bout of flu around 10 years ago, right over Christmas too! I didnâ€™t get it, but I still had to produce the turkey and all the trimmings - quite why, I've never been sure!

DH also got pneumonia in the aftermath of it, but he didnâ€™t die. Modern medicine is wonderful (Hooray for Herman!

) and 1918 is a very long time ago.

I had flu 3 years ago, and Iâ€™m still here. Flu is flu â€“ it isnâ€™t fun and it just mutates to remind us it is there. (Chickenpox was much worse, but don't get me started on that subject again!)

T-4-2 · Post by **T-4-2** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:03 am

My daughter is asking lots of questions about swine flu (apparently the kids at school are all talking about it). I've explained that flu has been around for a long time and as long as we're relatively fit and healthy we'll be okay. I told her that the people that are dying may have other problems, ie weak heart, lungs etc, that mean their bodies can't cope with another infection, or they may not get the right help with they get ill. I do think our children are genuinely concerned about what is happening, not helped by the scaremongering on the television and radio! The media has a lot to answer for, in my opinion.

sycamore · Post by **sycamore** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:19 am

I'm wondering if it's more serious than MAN-flu?

But seriously, the media have created yet another frenzy which, in a way, downplays how serious this could be, especially for those who are particularly susceptible to complications from these kind of viruses.

After all, what happened to Bird Flu?

Post by **hermanmunster** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:45 pm

well sycamore - that's a good question really about bird flu. It is still there and WHO are producing reports on it every few days - they just don't hit the news. There is a steady stream of cases in Egypt and other parts of the world - far east and north india I think. The cases are still from people with contact with dead or sick birds. It is still not managing the human to human transmission that would cause the major problems.

Main concern I have picked up is that the H1N1 from mexico could meet the H5N1 from birds and swap genes and produce the nasty H5N1 with the human transmissibility of the Mexico virus. WHO etc have upped their surveillance.

T-4-2 - I think your explanation is right for kids - a lot of them are getting concerned though the older ones seem to relaise that some of the antics may wel be to divert attention from the economy, informal info indicates that many people have been to mexico over the last few months and come back with a few like illness which they quickly recovered from - maybe this was thebeastly bug???
Unfortunately some young fit people do get very ill from it and occasonally die but then you can run over by a bus anyday, mainly it is people who have other illnesses who really struggle with flu - happens every winter ........ we offer the immunisation but many don't want it, though I reckon if I had had a vaccine for swine flu last week I would have had a queue round the block several times! -- the most demand for flu vacc was the year that he press kept saying it was in short supply.

Post by **hermanmunster** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:52 pm

sycamore wrote:I'm wondering if it's more serious than MAN-flu?

No definitely not - Man Flu is the most serious disease we ever see. -

for a laugh (ladies only please .....) try searching for man flu sketch on the well know video channel.

Snowdrops · Post by **Snowdrops** » Sun May 03, 2009 2:24 pm

Poor little bunny ............... poor little bunny ..................... poor little bunny

Post by **hermanmunster** » Sun May 03, 2009 3:59 pm

Snowdrops wrote:Poor little bunny ............... poor little bunny ..................... poor little bunny

haven't you heard of lemsip?????

mike1880 · Post by **mike1880** » Mon May 04, 2009 12:03 am

Everyone knows that bird flu is trivial compared to bloke flu. Stop complaining, finish your lemsip and get on with looking after the person who's really suffering.

Mike

Post by **hermanmunster** » Mon May 04, 2009 9:25 am

mike1880 wrote:Everyone knows that bird flu is trivial compared to bloke flu. Stop complaining, finish your lemsip and get on with looking after the person who's really suffering.

Mike

LOL! - what quite surprises me in the pandemic flu guidelines for health services that there isn't a section pointing out that the whole service might be run by women during a pandemic!!!!!! -

sj355 · Post by **sj355** » Mon May 04, 2009 5:52 pm

DH also got pneumonia in the aftermath of it, but he didnâ€™t die. Modern medicine is wonderful (Hooray for Herman! ) and 1918 is a very long time ago.

Quite right. Got pneumonia in the aftermath of a very serious flu when I was nine in Greece (in the summer for heaven's sake!). Not only did I make a spectacular recovery, but also while until then I had been a sickly child I then experienced 36 years of never being sick (except of a rare running nose) till today. Antibiotics really did the trick in my case!