Swine flu (not about me)

I'm so worried about this, it's on my mind a lot. Izzy is asthmatic, under 5 and very tiny so I'm terrified for her. I'm worried for myself too if I'm honest, I'm a teacher and around kids all day who sneeze, cough and never wash their hands. My asthma has been very bad recently too, I've tried putting my head in the sand over it but it's not working at the moment at all. There has been one confirmed case at the infant school attached to mine, and two cases of suspected SW in the teachers.

mmm - i am quite worried about it - we have confirmed cases now where i live and my sister (pregnant) has just had it  and has been extremely ill - she is coming out the other side now but it really has been appalling

i am asthmatic so i will get help and hopefully a vaccination - but what was quite scary is that children over 6 will not get tamiflu - my youngest is 6 today and while not diagnosed asthmatic gets horrible chest infections and had pneumonia last winter with breathing complications

i am trying not to be hysterical about it - but i must confess that i am scared - the clever, clever patronising chit chat about it just pisses me off

janeyh:

i am trying not to be hysterical about it - but i must confess that i am scared - the clever, clever patronising chit chat about it just pisses me off

I know what you mean, a friend of mine told me the other day that she thinks it's "ridiculous" that "they" have declared a pandemic. Because obviously WHO should change their definition of a pandemic based on her opinion. Also: "I've never had flu before so I'll be fine". 

I am close to hysteria at times but I am trying very hard to keep it under control. I admit that I have stockpiled a small stash of flu/cold tablets, just because if H and I came down with it at the same time we'd have no-one to go and get some for us. That probably sounds neurotic to some but I don't care.

I have to agree with everything that Rache has said. I don't think we've scratched the surface with SF, I really don't. I'm a nurse in A&E, and despite all the media saying don't go to A&E we still have people turning up to A&E. I wouldn't mind if they were poorly or even had symptoms of SF, but they don't. I still have to get gowned from head to foot, do the initial triage, report to the doc, doc gets gowned up, patient gets sent on, and room has to be 'deep cleaned'. And we've not even hit the winter months, I AM DREADING IT. One of the Drs who works in Xray thinks she has SF, and is desperately worried about it (apparently) However, she has still been to the A&E dept twice today, demanding to be swabbed, and is still treating patients...... Now if health care professionals can't get it right, how can you expect 'the public' to?

I feel awful for the GP service, I've no idea how they are going to cope. It is inevitable that front line staff are going to get SF, but it needs to be prevented for as long as possible. I feel desperately sad for the people in the at risk groups,  it must be really quite scary. My H is asthmatic, and really suffers when he has colds/coughs etc.

Just a quick question for other Health care proffesionals - Will you be getting the vaccine when it becomes available?

 i was trying so hard not to worry but we have got a case at our school now and it makes me twitchy,  thinking should i keep my kids home just in case but then the case might not be confirmed.

i am an asthmatic that can be quite unstable at times ans both of my children, 4 and 7 have other medical issues that could put them at risk if they were to get it so now i am terrified.

i think if the family that lost the 6 yr old and think well it happened to them despite what anyone says but it might not happen.

would you send them to school or not risk it?

RuthG I will be taking the jab if offered.

I will be too. I'm front line and also immunocompromised.

There are some scary stories being revealed on a doctors' site I go on. Not about swine flu, but as we're predicting, non swine flu casualties, misdiagnosed as swine flu because of the huge workload. 1 x meningitis, 1 x DKA, 1 x appendicitis. There will be more.

I must admit I am worried about it.  I am not sure if it is swine flu itself, or the fact that everything seems to be being labelled as swine flu at the moment. I have a young child, and I have to say, if she was ill, I would want her seen, as I dont know if I would automatically assume it was swine flu!  Reading the symptoms, it could cover many things.

Rache, on that note, I am so glad you posted (just read more before posting). I cant even think how difficult your job must be at the moment, to be overstretched, to not be protected, to be put in an situation I guess that the assumption at the moment is that everything is Swine flu.

I am just trying to avoid the news, try not panic, and try and watch over my family as I would have before this all came to light, as I can feel my panic levels rise if I dont.

Rache, I really had no idea how bad things are. 

I'm worried because I'm 33 weeks pregnant so I'm worried about getting it now but also getting it with a newborn, I don't even know if newborns could get it but the thought terrifies me tbh.  I also have an 87 year old Grandad and I dread to think how he would cope.

My grandaugher has it she is 3 in Sept. My daughter  20 has been told that  neither of them are to leave the house for Min 5 /10 days and that we have to collect medication for them in the morning.

I am aslo worried as they visit my mum daily and she is in a home with MND.

My grandaughter has caught ir from her nursery.

My head is all over the place and i know i wont sleep at all tonight, x

RuthG:

I have to agree with everything that Rache has said. I don't think we've scratched the surface with SF, I really don't. I'm a nurse in A&E, and despite all the media saying don't go to A&E we still have people turning up to A&E. I wouldn't mind if they were poorly or even had symptoms of SF, but they don't. I still have to get gowned from head to foot, do the initial triage, report to the doc, doc gets gowned up, patient gets sent on, and room has to be 'deep cleaned'. And we've not even hit the winter months, I AM DREADING IT. One of the Drs who works in Xray thinks she has SF, and is desperately worried about it (apparently) However, she has still been to the A&E dept twice today, demanding to be swabbed, and is still treating patients...... Now if health care professionals can't get it right, how can you expect 'the public' to?

 

I feel awful for the GP service, I've no idea how they are going to cope. It is inevitable that front line staff are going to get SF, but it needs to be prevented for as long as possible. I feel desperately sad for the people in the at risk groups,  it must be really quite scary. My H is asthmatic, and really suffers when he has colds/coughs etc.

 

Just a quick question for other Health care proffesionals - Will you be getting the vaccine when it becomes available?

Today's Daily Mail gives the advice to go to A&E and not to call first 'as the shutters will go up'.  I was gobsmacked at that advice which goes against all official advice I have seen.

Not sure if you will see the image

I have a cold and feel a bit crap but comments from my customers at work have been driving me crazy tonight.

Cheesecake Factory:

I'm so worried about this, it's on my mind a lot. Izzy is asthmatic, under 5 and very tiny so I'm terrified for her. I'm worried for myself too if I'm honest, I'm a teacher and around kids all day who sneeze, cough and never wash their hands. My asthma has been very bad recently too, I've tried putting my head in the sand over it but it's not working at the moment at all. There has been one confirmed case at the infant school attached to mine, and two cases of suspected SW in the teachers.

 

 

locally its been really badly managed cheesecake, docs now think my bil and neice had it 6 weeks ago (high temp, in bed 3 days) but they missed it and they were given antibiotics- now his ex has it (neice' mum) and docs have revisited bil symptoms. i am asthmatic but not badly (i self control rather than meds) but its cait (4) and my nan (79) im worried about. ive beentrying to tell myself not to worry but today im starting to stress a bit- seeing the hitched sensible bods saying there could be issues is worrying me.

| can see why they don't want people to go to A and E/ Doctors surgeries etc, however, if I am understanding it correctly, the idea that GPs will diagnose people, especially children over the phone is ridiculous. It puts both the GP and the patient at added risk.

That picture that Shiny has posted is very Dailmailesque, however, there is a point in there that I agree with - I will try and manage it at home if it comes into our household, but if I feel that extra medical support is needed then I would go to A and E.... what else could I do?

There appears to be no contingency plans within the NHS for episodes such as this, which means that frontline staff such as Rache are put under undue pressure - pressure to perform, to diagnose, to not diagnose....

I dont know what the answers are. Things such as walk in clinics operating in local village halls for people who suspect that they have swine flu may be an answer - but it is too late anyway to start to think about setting such things up. Plus the time and expense incurred at doing such a thing. However, would the costs be outweighed by the pressure and costs relieved on GP surgeries and A and E departments.  This idea is just a musing rather than something that I think could really operate in the real world, so please dont jump on me for it! LOL

St K - I think that could work quite well -but would require huge funding - we'd have to requisition locum GPs and A&E docs, and agency nurses to work it. but it could be done I think.

Blimey some of the things you are saying Rache are really really scary, I feel extremely sorry for the medical profession actually.

Our surgery are pretty fab usually, even for cases like conjunctivitus or the like they still always want to see MissSun before diagnosing over the phone and treating so I have every faith (in normal situations at least) that they would diagnose properly.

I just hope we don't get it.  To be honest, i'll be glad when MissSun has her last playgroup session tomorrow.