Because of my job (in the good old NHS), I'm seeing all the advice and guidance that is being issued, and personally I'm a 'B'.
As others have said, the media are thriving on the story, and the coverage will inevitably get more dramatic.
The reality seems to be that the best defence is to wash your hands regularly, and hope that others have the decency not to cough and sneeze everywhere.
A bit of a long post but some may feel happier having read it (from an American Healthcare Publishers): Should You Be Concerned About The Swine Flu ???
Death and Destruction What could be more interesting to the media than the threat of mass disease spreading like a wildfire over the whole world? Our televisions are filled with images of death and destruction. We see crowds outside of hospitals in Mexico, armed guards wearing face masks, keeping the masked crowd out of a normally crowded hospital emergency department. The reports come back frequently, "Another suspected case of the swine flu..."
A Normal Flu Season Now, let's be logical and reasonable. Why all the brouhaha over what appears to be a normal flu season? The CDC normally reports late-season flu statistics within the range of the current "epidemic." Most years there are a few epidemics of influenza which is defined by the CDC based on projections from the previous five years of statistics. This strain of the flu doesn't appear to be any more dangerous than any others. It's just the flu!
What is Different? What is different about this one? Normally, swine flu can infect humans from pigs, but isn't transferred very well from human to human. Thus, there are sporadic cases of swine flu every year. What has changed is that this particular strain is able to be spread between humans. This why there is so much concern. If this one hasn't been seen in many humans then nobody will have immunity and it can spread quickly and potentially do more damage. However, it is still the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, which is found with every normal flu season.
Damage Report On April 27th when there were seven confirmed deaths in Mexico from the flu, the news media was reporting 159. Since reporters like to make things interesting, they often don't distinguish between suspected cases and confirmed cases. As we have seen, these two numbers are wildly different. In reality there are thousands of confirmed cases of the flu every year. Deaths are reported in the hundreds to thousands. In the 2007-2008 season, for example, there were 85 deaths of children from the flu. The problem with these statistics is there is no way for them to be accurate. The vast majority of cases of the flu go unreported. Most doctors don't ever test for the flu, they just treat based on symptoms. So, the CDC uses a substitute to determine deaths; P&I. This is the term for "Pneumonia and Influenza." Since there isn't enough testing to know how many people die of the flu, and pneumonia is very carefully diagnosed and reported, they just add the numbers together. Of course, the effect of this is to exaggerate tremendously the actual cases of deaths from the flu since most pneumonia deaths aren't from influenza.
Prevention The way to prevent the swine flu is the same as any other flu. Wash your hands, especially if you come in contact with a sick person. Keep your immune system in good order with good food, stress reduction, regular exercise, and appropriate supplements. One supplement that shows good promise in preventing the flu (and other viruses) is vitamin D3. A vitamin D3 deficiency may be the cause of the seasonal nature of influenza, because our bodies naturally produce more of this vitamin (which is really a hormone) when we are exposed to sunlight. For this reason, I always recommend that you supplement vitamin D3 during the winter months at the very least. The dose that seems to work best is 6,000 IU per day.
Treatment Treatment for the flu is needed if a person has a suppressed immune system such as those with cancer, HIV, or other chronic illness. If you have any difficulty breathing you should seek medical attention. Good medical treatment for flu complications, such as pneumonia, is the best way to prevent deaths. There are two drugs witch may be of use to shorten the time you are ill, but only if you get one within a day or two. Even then, they only diminish the symptoms on average between 1-1.5 days. Consider using a prescription dose of vitamin D3, which is 50,000 IU per day for 3 days. You don't need to get a prescription to take this amount, you can just take more of the supplement you buy yourself from the health food store. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe to use a large dosage for a short period of time. The latest breakthrough in vitamin D3 supplementation comes in pre-metered spray form. The spray gives most people better results over other forms of supplementation. To learn more visit: http://products.mercola.com/vitamin-d-spray/?aid=CD106
Bottom Line: Don't worry more than any other flu season. Don't buy into all the exaggeration from the media. This is likely to be a big year for the flu just because more people will be tested, not because it is an unusual virus. Take care like you normally would.
Yours in excellent health, Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D.
[cite]Posted By: wickford[/cite]A bit of a long post but some may feel happier having read it (from an American Healthcare Publishers):
Should You Be Concerned About The Swine Flu ???
One supplement that shows good promise in preventing the flu (and other viruses) is vitamin D3. A vitamin D3 deficiency may be the cause of the seasonal nature of influenza, because
our bodies naturally produce more of this vitamin (which is really a hormone) when we are exposed to sunlight. For this reason, I always recommend that you supplement vitamin D3
during the winter months at the very least. The dose that seems to work best is 6,000 IU per day.
, M.D.
Taking this advice I decided to come on holiday to Mexico to ensure I get plenty of sun.
Nope. If I recall correctly both deaths were people who already had other serious medical problems already, and I'd be willing to bet there's more than 5000 cases in the average winter, it's just they don't get reported because it's not already a news story. It's worth people being careful with their germs, because you don't know who around you is immunosuppressed or has respiratory problems, but that's true anyway, swine flu or no swine flu.
According to that well known medical journal, The Sun, you had better worry if you work at the Bank of England. It's running riot apparently. Swine flu that is...........
Worried a bit obviously because of my heart problem...it's quite a nasty and very active strain by all accounts and just about none of the population are immune.
I have the old flu jab every autumn to prevent the latest flu viruses from getting to me....I'm left wondering if the one they will be giving me this autumn will immunise me against swine flu....anyone know?
Anyway, I don't know why I'm bothering any of you guys with this........ as Leroy once so delicately told me when I mentioned it a couple of months back..."Find someone who cares".
Got back from Asia Thursday morning ... had what could have been flu or cold systems from Friday night ... family says 'ohhh you've got swine flu'.
Bolox I have ... had a shit weekend, woke up this morning, not feeling great but improved - should I have panicked and gone to the doctor? ... probably, but to be honest I coudn't be arsed.
[cite]Posted By: stonemuse[/cite]Got back from Asia Thursday morning ... had what could have been flu or cold systems from Friday night ... family says 'ohhh you've got swine flu'.
Bolox I have ... had a shit weekend, woke up this morning, not feeling great but improved - should I have panicked and gone to the doctor? ... probably, but to be honest I coudn't be arsed.
Believe you me stoney....if you have flu as opposed to a common cold you know it mate....you can't even pick up the phone to call the doctor to come to see you at home, let alone pop along to the surgery.
[cite]Posted By: Goonerhater[/cite]mate do u freak out at the first sign of Apple sauce ?
I freak out if there's none in the fridge GH....cooked a couple of pork chops and found that out to my cost a few times over the years.
Pork chops without apple sauce is like a moose without a hat rack.
Agree with SoundAs tho,
Only had "Flu" twice, both times couldn't even get out of bed for a p***:
Not that I wanted to go, sweated all my fluids out................
A 19-year-old man has died after contracting swine flu in London, health authorities in the capital have said.
The man, from south London, had serious underlying health problems and was in Lewisham Hospital. Tests undertaken after his death showed he had the flu.
He is the fourth person with swine flu to die in the UK. Dr Simon Tanner, from NHS London, said London has seen a "spike" in flu cases in the past week.
London is the second-worst affected area, with more than 1,900 cases.
Rise in cases
The death comes as the government's Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson warned the public to avoid panic buying "counterfeit" anti-swine flu drugs online.
Dr Simon Tanner, regional director of public health for London, said: "It is with sadness that we have to announce the death of a patient in London who has subsequently tested positive for H1N1 swine flu."
He said no further details about the patient would be released.
"There are people out there in the community, and we've talked about one today - precious individuals that have got really difficult medical conditions - who are particularly vulnerable when the population has a virus like this in it," he said.
"We've had a spike in London and in the last week or so we've had larger numbers every day."
Other fatalities
Sir Liam said the UK has moved beyond the stage of containing the flu into the "treatment phase", and advised people not to resort to self-medication.
Earlier experts warned that the number of cases in the UK could rise to 100,000 a day by the end of next month.
Jacqui Fleming, 38, of Glasgow, was the first person in the UK to die after contracting the flu, followed by a 73-year-old man from the Inverclyde area of Scotland.
The youngest victim was six-year-old Sameerah Ahmad in Birmingham. All fatal cases were suffering from other health problems.
The first case of the flu in the UK was reported in April
I tell you what - i'm getting thoroughly annoyed with the reporting and headlines/scaremongering about this. Take Henry's article for example:
The man, from south London, had serious underlying health problems and was in Lewisham Hospital. Tests undertaken after his death showed he had the flu.
and:
All fatal cases were suffering from other health problems
That 6 year old had a rare life threatening disease god bless them.
It's the flu - it's no deadly than the flu we have had in this country for years.
Until it mutates into something like in the film Outbreak i'm going to carry on as normal.
Comments
If ever the time was right for us to be led up the moral panic path it is now.
No doubt the New World Order are currently plotting a population cull.
I'm not worried I have been stock piling weapons for years. If anyone wants to join my militia send me a whisper.
eventually!
;-)
useful table !!
As others have said, the media are thriving on the story, and the coverage will inevitably get more dramatic.
The reality seems to be that the best defence is to wash your hands regularly, and hope that others have the decency not to cough and sneeze everywhere.
Should You Be Concerned About The Swine Flu ???
Death and Destruction
What could be more interesting to the media than the threat of mass disease spreading like a wildfire over the whole world? Our televisions are filled with images of death and destruction. We see crowds outside of hospitals in Mexico, armed guards wearing face masks, keeping the masked crowd out of a normally crowded hospital emergency department. The reports come back frequently, "Another suspected case of the swine flu..."
A Normal Flu Season
Now, let's be logical and reasonable. Why all the brouhaha over what appears to be a normal flu season? The CDC normally reports late-season flu statistics within the range of the current "epidemic." Most years there are a few epidemics of influenza which is defined by the CDC based on projections from the previous five years of statistics. This strain of the flu doesn't appear to be any more dangerous than any others. It's just the flu!
What is Different?
What is different about this one? Normally, swine flu can infect humans from pigs, but isn't transferred very well from human to human. Thus, there are sporadic cases of swine flu every year. What has changed is that this particular strain is able to be spread between humans. This why there is so much concern. If this one hasn't been seen in many humans then nobody will have immunity and it can spread quickly and potentially do more damage. However, it is still the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, which is found with every normal flu season.
Damage Report
On April 27th when there were seven confirmed deaths in Mexico from the flu, the news media was reporting 159. Since reporters like to make things interesting, they often don't distinguish between suspected cases and confirmed cases. As we have seen, these two numbers are wildly different.
In reality there are thousands of confirmed cases of the flu every year. Deaths are reported in the hundreds to thousands. In the 2007-2008 season, for example, there were 85 deaths of children from the flu. The problem with these statistics is there is no way for them to be accurate. The vast majority of cases of the flu go unreported. Most doctors don't ever test for the flu, they just treat based on symptoms. So, the CDC uses a substitute to determine deaths; P&I. This is the term for "Pneumonia and Influenza." Since there isn't enough testing to know how many people die of the flu, and pneumonia is very carefully diagnosed and reported, they just add the numbers together. Of course, the effect of this is to exaggerate tremendously the actual cases of deaths from the flu since most pneumonia deaths aren't from influenza.
Prevention
The way to prevent the swine flu is the same as any other flu. Wash your hands, especially if you come in contact with a sick person. Keep your immune system in good order with good food, stress reduction, regular exercise, and appropriate supplements.
One supplement that shows good promise in preventing the flu (and other viruses) is vitamin D3. A vitamin D3 deficiency may be the cause of the seasonal nature of influenza, because
our bodies naturally produce more of this vitamin (which is really a hormone) when we are exposed to sunlight. For this reason, I always recommend that you supplement vitamin D3
during the winter months at the very least. The dose that seems to work best is 6,000 IU per day.
Treatment
Treatment for the flu is needed if a person has a suppressed immune system such as those with cancer, HIV, or other chronic illness. If you have any difficulty breathing you should seek medical attention. Good medical treatment for flu complications, such as pneumonia, is the best way to prevent deaths.
There are two drugs witch may be of use to shorten the time you are ill, but only if you get one within a day or two. Even then, they only diminish the symptoms on average between 1-1.5 days.
Consider using a prescription dose of vitamin D3, which is 50,000 IU per day for 3 days. You don't need to get a prescription to take this amount, you can just take more of the supplement you buy yourself from the health food store. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe to use a large dosage for a short period of time.
The latest breakthrough in vitamin D3 supplementation comes in pre-metered spray form. The spray gives most people better results over other forms of supplementation. To learn more visit: http://products.mercola.com/vitamin-d-spray/?aid=CD106
Bottom Line:
Don't worry more than any other flu season. Don't buy into all the exaggeration from the media. This is likely to be a big year for the flu just because more people will be tested, not because it is an unusual virus. Take care like you normally would.
Yours in excellent health,
Dr. Scott Saunders, M.D.
Taking this advice I decided to come on holiday to Mexico to ensure I get plenty of sun.
Hope that I did the right thing.
Cant take the risk of losing any more fans.
I have the old flu jab every autumn to prevent the latest flu viruses from getting to me....I'm left wondering if the one they will be giving me this autumn will immunise me against swine flu....anyone know?
Anyway, I don't know why I'm bothering any of you guys with this........ as Leroy once so delicately told me when I mentioned it a couple of months back..."Find someone who cares".
I wondered why the suicide rates were showing such an increase in that neck of the woods.
Bolox I have ... had a shit weekend, woke up this morning, not feeling great but improved - should I have panicked and gone to the doctor? ... probably, but to be honest I coudn't be arsed.
Believe you me stoney....if you have flu as opposed to a common cold you know it mate....you can't even pick up the phone to call the doctor to come to see you at home, let alone pop along to the surgery.
I freak out if there's none in the fridge GH....cooked a couple of pork chops and found that out to my cost a few times over the years.
Pork chops without apple sauce is like a moose without a hat rack.
Only had "Flu" twice, both times couldn't even get out of bed for a p***:
Not that I wanted to go, sweated all my fluids out................
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8132570.stm
A 19-year-old man has died after contracting swine flu in London, health authorities in the capital have said.
The man, from south London, had serious underlying health problems and was in Lewisham Hospital. Tests undertaken after his death showed he had the flu.
He is the fourth person with swine flu to die in the UK. Dr Simon Tanner, from NHS London, said London has seen a "spike" in flu cases in the past week.
London is the second-worst affected area, with more than 1,900 cases.
Rise in cases
The death comes as the government's Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson warned the public to avoid panic buying "counterfeit" anti-swine flu drugs online.
Dr Simon Tanner, regional director of public health for London, said: "It is with sadness that we have to announce the death of a patient in London who has subsequently tested positive for H1N1 swine flu."
He said no further details about the patient would be released.
"There are people out there in the community, and we've talked about one today - precious individuals that have got really difficult medical conditions - who are particularly vulnerable when the population has a virus like this in it," he said.
"We've had a spike in London and in the last week or so we've had larger numbers every day."
Other fatalities
Sir Liam said the UK has moved beyond the stage of containing the flu into the "treatment phase", and advised people not to resort to self-medication.
Earlier experts warned that the number of cases in the UK could rise to 100,000 a day by the end of next month.
Jacqui Fleming, 38, of Glasgow, was the first person in the UK to die after contracting the flu, followed by a 73-year-old man from the Inverclyde area of Scotland.
The youngest victim was six-year-old Sameerah Ahmad in Birmingham. All fatal cases were suffering from other health problems.
The first case of the flu in the UK was reported in April
London is the second-worst affected area, with more than 1,900 cases.[/quote]
Given the size of the London population, the cramped conditions many people face going to work, I am surprised we are 2nd, soon it we will be first.
Come "flu season" an underground strike will be a godsend for holding back the spread of the disease.
The man, from south London, had serious underlying health problems and was in Lewisham Hospital. Tests undertaken after his death showed he had the flu.
and:
All fatal cases were suffering from other health problems
That 6 year old had a rare life threatening disease god bless them.
It's the flu - it's no deadly than the flu we have had in this country for years.
Until it mutates into something like in the film Outbreak i'm going to carry on as normal.