H1N1 Infuenza

[Dapper Dan]

It's finally made its way to my town in South Carolina. Many kids are out with it in surrounding schools. Just tonight, my son developed a high fever and started sleeping a lot. This after a day of listlessness and some coughing. I'm pretty sure he has it.

I'm not too alarmed because our doctors report that what we are seeing here is a very mild form of it. In fact, this might even be a blessing since it will give our kids immunity from whatever more virulent forms may come back around later.

I'm sure many of you are already dealing with it or are about to. What's the flu situation like where you are?

[MikeTbob]

Hi Dan,
Good thread!
We here in North Texas had a pretty good outbreak last year, they closed almost all of our schools for 1 or two weeks, they canceled all outdoor events such as the Fort Worth Mayfest and the Main street Arts Festival. We're hoping things don't get that bad again this year but we will prepare for the worst.

[Lakshmipathi]

Here in India,I would say there is pretty bad outbreak of swine flu. Mostly people
returning from abroad,infected with the flu. But the situtation is slightly improving now.

I'm not too alarmed because our doctors report that what we are seeing here is a very mild form of it

I hope he will recover soon

In fact, this might even be a blessing since it will give our kids immunity from whatever more virulent forms may come back around later.

yes,that's quite true.



I have uploaded WHO document on my site- just to create little bit of awareness

http://giis.co.in/swine_flu_WHO.pdf

[elija]

I may have it. Certainly I have been put on Tamiflu anti-viral medication. It's so mild it feels like a cold with joint aches - or that might be the medicaton making a difference.

Here's hoping it's as mild for your son.

[meton_magis]

I live in Arizona, it is STILL summer weather here (yesterday it was still tripple digits) so it is too hot and dry for bacteria to spread easily.

[techieMoe]

It's been blown incredibly out of proportion by our local media (and probably national media in the US). When it was the "hot" news topic last year we had schools closing and all sorts of craziness.

Here's a fact that the news people don't seem to want to report: the swine flu is no more dangerous than the regular old flu that comes around every year at this time. In fact, it's significantly LESS deadly, according to the numbers I've seen.

Scientists see this flu strain as relatively mild - Los Angeles Times
Swine Flu Is Bad, But Panic Is Dangerous - CBS News


Long story short, it's nothing to worry about. Unless you're at risk from dying from the regular flu (meaning you're an infant or a very old person or otherwise have a very weak immune system) you'll be fine.

[oxf]

First don't panic...please dont! The media has been whipping things up into a state of histeria. Fortunately that seems to have toned down now in the UK. For the vast majority of healthy people it's nothing more than a nasty normal flu. The only people who seem to be at risk of anyhing more are those with a underlying health concern.

Back in January I had a very nasty cold/flu thingy that kept comming back. I would feel better go out and get on with my day and next thing I knew I would be running a fever and feeling like C*** again. I'd wake up in the night dripping with sweat. This lasted for about 10 days. Eventually it went away.

Then we get the hight of the swine flu here in the UK in june/july with 100,000 plus new case a week for a while. My partner gets it and qualifies for the NHS issue of Tamiflu but decides it would be a waste of medication and NHS resources to use it. Instead she sat it out. It wasn't really -that- bad except it sort of wiped her out for a week or so. I thought at the time many of the symptoms were just like mine in January although what I had was pre swine flu. A couple of times while she had it I was convinced I was fighting it off and would get it but after a good nights sleep I was fine again. Clearly whatever I had in January had given me some antibodies against it.

Now after it's pretty much dwindled but they say it might come back in the fall?

Mike

[elija]

Although I do blame the media, I'm not sure I'm being completely fair to them. After all from their point of view

MILDEST FLU EVER SPREADING ROUND GLOBE - LITERALLY TENS OF PEOPLE UNDER THE WEATHER

will sell a few less papers than

SWINE FLU! IT'S ARMAGEDDON! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!

[fingal]

I live in what is supposedly the UK's premier swine flu hotspot - Birmingham. So far I haven't met anyone who's had it... I caught a cold a few weeks ago which I thought might be swine flu at first, but it only lasted 4 days. There are a lot of worried people here, but we aren't dropping like flies just yet.

There's supposed to be another wave of swine flu in September/October, but no-one really seems to know if that's the case. Someone who cleans my mum's place has had it though. Her 'cure' was to avoid taking Tamiflu and to dose herself on paracetamol and red wine! Probably not a good idea.

I'm drinking a lot of green tea (swear by the stuff) and eating dark chocolate. My diet isn't very healthy at the moment, but I'm working on it. Apparently a good immune system really helps a lot.

[oxf]

I live in what is supposedly the UK's premier swine flu hotspot - Birmingham. So far I haven't met anyone who's had it... I caught a cold a few weeks ago which I thought might be swine flu at first, but it only lasted 4 days. There are a lot of worried people here, but we aren't dropping like flies just yet.

There's supposed to be another wave of swine flu in September/October, but no-one really seems to know if that's the case. Someone who cleans my mum's place has had it though. Her 'cure' was to avoid taking Tamiflu and to dose herself on paracetamol and red wine! Probably not a good idea.

I'm drinking a lot of green tea (swear by the stuff) and eating dark chocolate. My diet isn't very healthy at the moment, but I'm working on it. Apparently a good immune system really helps a lot.

Well green tea is a very good start! its supposed to be full of all sorts of good stuff. I have a friend who lost quite a lot of weight and put's it down in part to green tea. Funny you should say that about the wine. When I was fighting it off a good G&T worked wonders Seriously!

Although I do blame the media, I'm not sure I'm being completely fair to them. After all from their point of view

MILDEST FLU EVER SPREADING ROUND GLOBE - LITERALLY TENS OF PEOPLE UNDER THE WEATHER

will sell a few less papers than

SWINE FLU! IT'S ARMAGEDDON! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!

Yes you probably have a good point there!