I wasn’t worried about it at all before, I’m not easily fooled by the media’s scare mongering, but now 5 kids in a school pretty much 10 minutes away from me (in the UK) been confirmed to have the illness. Is this more real than I gave it credit for, or is it just as much of a threat as the common winter flu? Are there actually treatments for it? I really haven’t been paying attention.
Whoops, didn’t realise the person just before me had asked something similar!
No
It’s OK to be practical. Sanitize your hands a lot. Don’t go out if you feel sick. But I think it’s silly to walk around with a mask. Or sit at home and not go out. 36,000 Americans die every year from the normal flu. Only 1 person so far has died in the U.S. and he was a Mexican citizen.
It’s normal to be worried. This strain of flue isn’t as nasty as first thought. Apparently it’s quite mild, so even if you do catch it, it’s not likely to do much harm unless your particularly vulnerable, very old, very young or you’ve already got something like lukaemia or aids.
Not at present according to the NHS, the real problem will occur when or if the virus mutates into a more virulent form and that is unlikely before the late autumn.
There is not a vaccine for it but it has responded to anti-viral drugs well like ‘Tamiflu’. Unfortunately, the people who have died did not have easy access to modern medical facilities or care (Mexico).
It is very important that people do not self-medicate or over-medicate. These are the main reasons bacteria, viruses and fungi are becoming resistant to treatments.
The most important thing is to maintain regular everyday personal hygiene (washing hands, covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing…).
The regular flu kills A LOT more people. CDC scientists estimate that an average of 36,000 people (up from 20,000 in previous estimates) die from influenza-related complications each year in the United States.
In addition, about 11,000 people die per year from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a virus that causes upper and lower respiratory tract infections primarily in young children and older adults.
You probably have a better chance of being struck by lightening . 25 people in the whole world have died from this flu ever since it started.
If you are worried about the Swine flu, be afraid of the normal flu.
It’s just a mutation of a few of the flus that are out there but it’s mostly mutated with the Swine Flue.
Well people who died from it are people that didn’t get it treated within 10-15 days.
There is only a vaccines for it. But Flu viruses mutate so they have to keep updated it a lot.
i looked up swine flu in the dictionary
Definition: swine flu – causes irrational paranoia in human beings who believe media hype
Reported Human deaths: over 450
Reported pig deaths: 0
Do any pigs actually have this disease?
You can worry if it comes back in the fall nastier than ever. The pigs are the ones who have to worry. In Canada they got the flu from a worker who came back from Mexico!!! Hey, in Brave New World II they would execute all the humans just to be on the “safe” side.
The fact is more peole are dying from malaria, hepatitis, aids, etc than swine flu. You are right to tear up the leaflet.
You should not be worried but prepared. Clean your hands after washing. Cover your mouth when you cough, sneeze.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said the outbreak was “unusual and of concern”.
She said surveillance arrangements in the UK were being “stepped up” but added: “It is too early to make a complete assessment of the health implications of this new virus or if it could represent the appearance of a potential pandemic strain of influenza virus.”