Forum Topic

Swine Flu at the West Mid

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23682329-details/Pig+flu+tests+on+first+Londoner/article.do

James de Vivenot ● 6363d26 Comments

Blimey - bit close to home i think.I was at a gp surgery in Perivale today and the receptionist was taking a call from a patient who has the symptoms and recently returned from Mexico.......

Samantha Tubbritt ● 6363d

Typical scaremongering "journalism" from the Evening Standard, which barely manages to drop below the level of hysteria on any subject."Precaution: members of the public wearing protective masks as swine flu reaches London" - which public exactly? Has anyone seen crowds of people walking around London wearing surgical masks in the past couple of days? Or could it be that this "public" they refer to underneath the photo happens to be the public of Mexico City?No wonder people worry if they read these ridiculous half truths."pig flu tests" - it's not even confirmed yet, but the report still says she's "being treated for suspected swine flu". Do they put people in plaster for "suspected broken leg", or do they diagnose the condition first and then decide on treatment?

Max Duley ● 6363d

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) predicts between 15 and 50% of the UK's population will contract swine flu.There is sufficient Tamiflu dosage for 33 000 000 people. The government has just ordered 33 000 000 face masks.If we are to believe the government's figure for population of the UK is 66 000 000 then it seems half the population will receive Tamiflu and the other half will receive face masks.As face masks are probably as much use as chocolate teapots then the prediction of the HPA will be remarkably accurate.This conclusion is based on the premise that only bona fide citizens will receive drugs or masks. Any extra cases of infection should be of interest to various government agencies.

Alan Brainsby ● 6363d

Are they working on an oinkment?I heard a scientist was trying to cross bird flu with swine flu...Yeah right...and pigs might fly!A few years ago SARS and more recently Bird Flu was going to kill us all off within days am I correct or am I just being pig headed?G

G Lord ● 6362d

There you go then, the press is always telling us porkies.

G Lord ● 6362d

Whatever happens the government will make a pig's ear of it.

Alan Brainsby ● 6362d

They almost probably will, they'll tell us to use loads of oinkment and we'll end up streaky.

G Lord ● 6362d

You should only apply the oinkment if you have rashes.

J Smith ● 6362d

Apparently there was a girl from Essex who went phoned up NHS Direct to check whether it was OK to go to Chiquitos.

Peter Chadburn ● 6362d

If she was from Pitsea I could well believe it!!!!

J Smith ● 6362d

On a more serious note i see that there is a link between the flight taken by the victims in Scotland and Devon. Given the air re-circulation and thin oxygen on most planes now to save money. It would appear that the real Danger is from flying as with TB and other diseases. Makes me nervous about the Heathrow Connect!! The alternative of the Picadilly is even worse!!

Peter Chadburn ● 6362d

Don't you mean PIGsea?G

G Lord ● 6361d

I could do without being told not to panic by TV reporters all the time. Do I look like I'm panicking?Alan, even in 1918-19 only 40% of the British population caught flu, so the 50 million doses of anti-virals should be more than adequate.

Susan Kelly ● 6361d

No reason to panic at all but I have just phoned West Mid and I could hear all this crackling.

G Lord ● 6361d

Reminds me of a sketch in a TV special written by some of the Monty Python crew. Not seen it for maybe 20 years so this might not be entirely accurate:Cockpit crew of a passenger jet flying the plane as usual. Nothing unusual happening. One addresses the passengers via the tannoy:"Ladies and gentlemen, there is absolutely NO cause for alarm".a few seconds pass."I repeat ladies and gentlemen, please stay calm, there is NO cause for alarm"And so on. Needless to say this results in panic in the cabin and the passengers end up leaping out in an attempt to save themselves.An interesting article from Ben Goldacre yesterday: http://www.badscience.net/2009/04/parmageddon/

Max Duley ● 6361d

Its obvious why - they've not received their delivery of oinkment.

J Smith ● 6361d

There is one way I have thought of to be safe on the Heathrow Connect or the Tube. Wear a Sombrero and big false moustache and no one will come near you!

Peter Chadburn ● 6361d

In Response To: There is one way I have thought of to be safe on the Heathrow Connect or the Tube. Wear a Sombrero and big false moustache and no one will come near you! And don't forget to sneeze every so often.

G Lord ● 6361d

Plus make sure you have a newspaper in front of you when you sneeze as you know that catches all the germs!

J Smith ● 6361d

Re  This conclusion is based on the premise that only bona fide citizens will receive drugs or masks.        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        which means those of ethnic origin are 50% of the population, an exageration maybe but one worthy of thought.

Tony Price ● 6361d

"even in 1918-19 only 40% of the British population caught flu"...... but if the current strain of H1N1 is not identical to the 1918/1919 strain then the results could be entirely different.

Alan Brainsby ● 6361d

On the serious side of this there is this we could read and think about just in case:http://www.nhs.uk/AlertsEmergencies/Pages/Pandemicflualert.aspxhttp://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_098685

Philippa Bond ● 6361d

Did anyone see the advert on tv last night about swine flu - or in reality any type of flu? Took place in a lift and there were two different scenarios.Also, on a totally different note there was an advert for the "morning after" pill which can be bought over the counter now at chemists.

J Smith ● 6360d

But we're going to need to repopulate the planet!

Susan Kelly ● 6360d

Peter Wright ● 6355d

Latest update from Barnet PCT ends with,"All reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure no viruses are present in this e-mail. However it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus free."

Graham Weeks ● 6326d