Serious question - Are you HONESTLY scared/concerned by the swine flu outbreak?

[adrian29uk]

I've just noticed that Sky news have NO breaking news story for the first time since the story broke! 'This Week' on BBC1 are taking the piss out of the outbreak to the hilt, so I can sleep safe in the knowledge tonight then it's all going to be alright...

Then again I am pissed

I would not bother looking at SKY NEWS anymore they are irresponsible, and if anyone is going to cause a panic in this country these tossers are.

A few days ago they had BREAKING NEWS, SWINE FLU IS IMMINENT, this was followed by a video of some poor bloke in a Mexican hospital coughing his guts up, and just to add to drama of it all, an x-ray of his lungs. What a bunch of irresponsible arseholes this SKY lot are. I understand people need to be informed, but like I say the way they do it scares the shit out of people.

 

[DIFFBROOK]

The media really do need to be more responsible. The Sun today had a worse case scenario of 750,000 deaths. That is a worse case scenario of 50 % of the population getting the virus and around 2% of those dying. From past pandemics the % of people getting the virus has been a lot less and the number of deaths has been a lot lower too 1968 it was 0.2%

The Spanish Flu in 1918 was a lot higher, probably nearer the 2% mark. But we have come along way since then. Better healthcare and obviously aniti viral drugs

The Dept of Health is preparing the NHS for this.

At the moment the virus is reasonably mild, and the country has enough stockpiles of tamiflu. So I wouldn't worry about it too much just yet.

People need to take good hygiene practices. i.e wash your hands regularly. Remember the virus can live on hard surfaces i.e door handles for hours. So washing your hands, and if you have it sneeze into tissues and then bin them.

Also look out for your friends, neighbours who might live alone. If people fall ill, they might not be upto collecting their Tamiflu, so you as a friend could get it for them.

Also, Tamiflu comes in tablet form (2 every 12 hrs for 5 days). Get it and take it as quickly as you can. It wont cure you, but it stops the flu virus from multiplying in the body, thereby cutting its duration. After 48 hrs its useless. Children under 7 wont be able to take tablets. They will need it in liquid form

 

[Horsham Gull]

World Health Organisation have now raised the alert level to level 5 which is one off it being declared a pandemic (level 6)

 

[strings]

I'm not worried, but have a 5 hour train journey this evening, as such have packed an anti-bacterial alcohol hand gel thingy. I wouldn't normally, but thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

[auschr]

First confirmed case in my county. Farewell

 

[Exmouth Seagull]

I am a 100% certain we are heading into a pandemic. Some of the 85% here who voted not worried might change their view a bit when the first cases arrive in Brighton.

However, it doesn't seem to be a virulent strain. With our modern health care system, high availability of anti-virals and high levels of public awareness hopefully things won't be too bad. It's the third world countries that will suffer worst, imagine how many may die in, say, India, Africa and China, people who have none of the things I just mentioned. I voted yes, mainly on behalf of the parts of the world where people live in poverty.

 

[Mellotron]

How long until this is "old news" along with SARS and Bird Flu? I give this one.......

2 months.

 

[SirDouglasLoft]

Got a savage cold, and sore throat

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I am a 100% certain we are heading into a pandemic. Some of the 85% here who voted not worried might change their view a bit when the first cases arrive in Brighton.

However, it doesn't seem to be a virulent strain. With our modern health care system, high availability of anti-virals and high levels of public awareness hopefully things won't be too bad. It's the third world countries that will suffer worst, imagine how many may die in, say, India, Africa and China, people who have none of the things I just mentioned. I voted yes, mainly on behalf of the parts of the world where people live in poverty.

Did bird flu reach Brighton? Did SARS? Hell, did we even get a sniff of mad cow disease in the city? No.

Therefore your certainty appears hard to justify at this time.

 

[clapham_gull]

Did bird flu reach Brighton? Did SARS? Hell, did we even get a sniff of mad cow disease in the city? No.

Therefore your certainty appears hard to justify at this time.

Difference being that bird flu didn't jump from human to human.

This one already has, which is why the authorities are being cautious.

 

[bright1064]

Got a savage cold, and sore throat

Have you rung NHS Direct?

 

[bright1064]

And by the way, there are now 642 suspected cases in this country, with 11 confirmed.
We'll be catching up with Mexico soon!