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Swine Flu


Buttercup
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i am in playgroup so broke up for summer (ha ha) more like october. Anyway just interested in settings that are open how are you dealing with swine flu. How are parents reacting. I am still confused. Thinking just like normal flu so we should not be worried. if it is why do we need tamiflu and there is talk about injections. concerned that they are not tested properly.

 

trying to keep healthy as we are flying to france on sunday

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I'm off to Cornwall in an hour or so - our sister nursery has some cases in both children and staff but I haven't heard of any in ours. Maybe they're just not spoiling my holiday, been off since Thursday.

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Hmmm........well I've 'broken up' too ...... so no news from 'a setting' as such :(

 

We had a case at the end of June (staff member) - I live in a small village - everybody knows what's going on :( and I haven't heard of anyone else in the village having it! xD

 

I don't see how it can be properly 'tracked' now (no swabs) although I can understand that the 'cost implications' would mean this is impossible to keep up.

 

Will have to see what the autumn brings! :o :wacko: :(

 

Sunnyday

 

P.S. - have a lovely holiday!

Edited by sunnyday
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I had 3 suspected cases in staff last week, all were sent home, all received Tamiflu, I did the online thing for me on Fri and it came up with I had it and had to get Tamiflu; last day of tablets today. Staff who went home Thursday are back today, I'm back at work tomorrow.

 

On the whole parents were ok about it, at least they were when I was in but I havent been in work 3.5 days. I had one parent saying did she have to pay if she decided not to send her child? I said she would as we are remaining open and another who demanded to know who had it; of course I didnt tell her, she also said that she wasnt happy that we had cases of it in the nursery; does she think I went and bottled it and brought it in on purpose :/. Others said it is worrying but if their child is going to get it then they'll get it. To my knowledge no child has caught it and only 1 other member of staff has gone off ill; not sure what with yet though.

 

So yes it's hit us and yes its been a pain, but we have coped and on the whole the parents have been ok!!

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I do believe the media has got a lot to answer for. There are so many mixed messages. sounds like you are coping well. i hope we will be the same when we return in sept. Our only prob is that we only have a few staff. If me and deputy are ill will have to close.

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I do believe the media has got a lot to answer for. There are so many mixed messages. sounds like you are coping well. i hope we will be the same when we return in sept. Our only prob is that we only have a few staff. If me and deputy are ill will have to close.

Same here!

 

Obviously i don't WANT to 'get it' but have found myself thinking - 'it would be more convenient now'! :o

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Hi Buttercup,

 

I'm going to move this topic into the Lounge area as it seems to be a more 'chatty' type of thread rather than a specific query. There have been quite a few topics about the subject on the forum which you may find useful if you are confused about up to date advice.

 

Here are a few recent ones.

 

Swine Flu? I'm Confused!

 

Swine Flu Shutting Nursery

 

Child With Suspected Swine Flu, should we inform parents?

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Same here!

 

Obviously i don't WANT to 'get it' but have found myself thinking - 'it would be more convenient now'! :o

 

Me too! I have had parents of children in my last class come down with it (all very mild cases) and it is apparently quite prevalent in the area now. Knowing how flu feels like and having one been rather annoyingly diagnosed with glandular fever at the end of the hols despite having symptoms all through the summer hols, I would rather have it now when I have 5 weeks off rather than in the autumn when I have two inspections due as well as a house move!

Edited by Guest
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All predictions seem to be that it's a mild strain at the moment, so presumably those who've had it will have some resistance if it progresses to a stronger strain later.

 

Does tamiflu just help the symptoms or does it kill the virus? I'm just wondering whether the people who've had tamiflu before any obvious symptoms will have built up any natural antibodies? Is there anyone out there who knows?

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All predictions seem to be that it's a mild strain at the moment, so presumably those who've had it will have some resistance if it progresses to a stronger strain later.

 

Does tamiflu just help the symptoms or does it kill the virus? I'm just wondering whether the people who've had tamiflu before any obvious symptoms will have built up any natural antibodies? Is there anyone out there who knows?

My understanding is that Tamiflu just alleviates the symptoms - shortens the illness.

 

I was interested to hear from a 'dad' who is a G.P. - that the current theory is that the reason 'older' people don't seem to be getting it is that they will either have had flu several times in their life and/or will have had several flu jabs and that even though this is a completely new 'strain' they will have some immunity....

 

Goody I thought - my age will be an advantage....and then I thought...but I've only ever had 'proper' flu once...now I have to say...I used 'proper' there because I was so jolly ill.......in bed for days and then just could not 'pick up' properly.......didn't eat prpoperly for ages....very good for weight loss! The following year I went to my G.P. and offered to pay for a flu jab because I really didn't want to get it again...he wouldn't let me pay, but did give me a jab!....so I don't think that will give ME much protection! :o

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That's reassuring though - I've had several flu jabs - and had 'proper' flu as you so rightly call it - and no, it wasn't 'man flu'.

 

 

me too Possum flu is no joke - but i do agree with Sunnyday about now they are not swabbing how do we actually know the figures??????

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All predictions seem to be that it's a mild strain at the moment, so presumably those who've had it will have some resistance if it progresses to a stronger strain later.

 

This is from the NHS website:

 

Is it possible to catch swine flu twice?

 

Yes, because the virus can mutate (change). If you become infected with the swine flu virus, your body produces antibodies against it, which will recognise and fight off the virus if the body ever encounters it again. However, if the virus mutates, your immune system may not recognise this different strain and you may become ill again, although you may have some 'cross protection' due to encountering a similar virus previously.

 

(Website: NHS - Swine Flu Information)

 

So no, only if you were to catch the exact same strain of the virus would you have some resistance to it... I wonder how likely that would be? How many strains of the virus are there? :o

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Well we finished at the end of June over here. So far I have heard that there is a suspected case in the day care centre that my aunt who has downs goes to.

 

Closer to home is that my work colleague, her partner and son were suspected of having it. He started feeling ill on Friday morning and all the medication in the world wasnt bringing his temperature down and the wee one of 2 had it as well, off all food, temperature etc. My friend then rang the doctor on call late Friday afternoon and the drugs were collected at 9pm that evening. She said that within half an hour of taking both her partner and son picked up and have had no real symptoms since taking them. They both finished their courses today, but her partner still feels "as weak as dishwater". She ended up with a really bad head cold, which she blames on camping out and partying in the rain at Oxygen the previous weekend!!

 

On another note, I was reading in the paper today about the man who rang up the NHS helpline and gave numerous names and addresses and answered all the questions correctly, resulting in him being sent quite a few prescriptions of tamiflu which he is selling at car boot sales to make a profit!!!

 

Hubby also tells me that people are coming from abroad and ordering them, to have 'just in case'!!

 

I realise that there has been some horror stories, but the majority of people will come through it OK, some people will not catch it. Why panic and lie to get the drug, with a possibility that it may lie at the back of someone's cupboard and never get used??

 

Speaking as someone who's husband was VERY seriously ill earlier in the year, if everyone does this, then what happens to those who geniunely need this drug due to underlying medical conditions and it is no longer available because of people selling it or getting it just in case. Because of my husbands illness he now has a low immune system and his lungs are delicate and was told that it will take him at least a year to recover fully. What happens if he needs this drug and because of all these people pulling a fast one, there is none left???!!! This thought keeps him awake at night! (and me as well, as he tosses and turns and expects a full blown conversation about it at 3am!!)

 

Thankfully here in N. Ireland, we still go through our doctors for this medication!

 

I think this has just turned into a bit of a rant!! I already have hubby bending my ear about it and because I dont want to worry him, I have spent the past few weeks reassuring him and telling him not to worry, but he did raise a very valid point,

what happens to those that really need it, but cant get it because the stocks have ran out?

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what happens to those that really need it, but cant get it because the stocks have ran out?

I was listening to a debate about this on the Jeremy Vine show - two things stick with me.

 

One girl saying she was thinking of going on the website and lying about her symptoms so that she could take Tamiflu on holiday with her to Indonesia so she could enjoy her holiday safe in the knowledge that if she got swine flu whilst away she would be able to get back to enjoying her holiday a couple of days sooner. Oh and spud the chap who you read about called in and said he had been selling Tamiflu at car boot sales and was making an absolute bomb.

 

The second was a doctor who is insisting on testing his patients for swine flu (and his patients pay for this privilege, I gather) once they have been 'diagnosed' over the phone or via the website. He said that 90% of these patients get a negative result for H1N1 virus, so 10% o people actually have the swine flu. Another caller rang to say that although he only had one recognised symptom, he was given a reference number to get Tamiflu for what turned out to be a chest infection.

 

So the combination of tourists being able to get Tamiflu free on the NHS, people getting stocks of the drug 'just in case', others out to make a quick buck and peoople being misdiagnosed as having the virus, all makes me wonder how long the existing drugs will last.

 

Makes me want to cuddle my teddy bear - oh but we're not supposed to have those now are we?

 

Maz

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I did the online thingy and it said I had to get my Tamiflu and gave me a number reference. xD:o:(:( ...but I feel fine....and I don't want to take something if I am ok....I feel a little confused about it all :( ....given that I have had a sore throat for a while now on and off I guess I could have mild symptoms but it is mad because I would never go to the doctors anyway, unless I was really bad and now I am not allowed to anyway????

 

So am I spreading it to everyone when I go out....

do I sit with my feet up and drink plentiful fluids?

 

NO I carry on as normal...... :wacko: xD

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Guest MaryEMac

I heard the Jeremy Vine programme as well and was horrified that people were lying to get Tamiflu. I have asthma as do my daughter,son, daughter in law and grandson. As mummyspud said,what happens if it is all gone should we need it. I can't believe how selfish people are being.And another thing, how can something like swine flu be diagnosed over the phone by someone with no medical knowledge? The media have a lot to answer for I think.

I've finished now.

 

Mary

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I was at the opticians yestereday and he was asked by the local authority to work at the distribution centre. He said people were coming in with prescriptions that had checked the symptom website and then called the tamiflu line. He'd given out 800 authorised by the hotline.One was a woman who was collecting for her husband and 8 children but she was fine!

 

He said he'd come to the conclution that he wasn't in a high risk group and that he would just go to bed for 4 days and that the tamiflu has to be taken for 10 days and causes more side effects for the 10 days than 4 days of flu would.

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