Swine Fever - any thoughts?

Blue Peter · Post by **Blue Peter** » 23 Jul 2009, 12:02

My impression is that there is quite a bit of variability in effect that swine flu is having.

The person whom I know who is involved with the swine flu treatment says that they are now randomly testing people, and finding that a number of people have had it, without knowing it.

I also saw the BBC news on Sunday concerning British people being quarantined in China. The people who had flown obviously did not have strong flu symptoms, and when you heard them talking from their quarantine, they did not sound unwell, yet, they had supposedly been tested and found to have the H1N1 virus.

Of course, other people are suffering more significantly,

Peter.

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 23 Jul 2009, 13:21

My girlfriend and I were on holiday recently, and cut it short as she became ill, then when we returned I also became ill. Dizzyness and sneezing, with temperature of 38.5C and loss of appetite for a couple of days, then coughing for weeks. Fought off by staying in bed, taking echinacea, Berocca and pure orange juice, and spitting out everything coughed up. It's the worst I've been ill for a long time, normally I shake off coughs or flu in a day or two.

On the plane back, it was funny seeing people covering their faces as my girlfriend walked up the aisle coughing. She said she might as well have painted a black cross on herself.

I guess it could have been swine flu; I heard something on R4 the other day that it's like other flu symptoms but the coughing is prolonged.

Blue Peter · Post by **Blue Peter** » 23 Jul 2009, 13:47

Bandidoz wrote:I guess it could have been swine flu; I heard something on R4 the other day that it's like other flu symptoms but the coughing is prolonged.

That's interesting. I've got "prolonged coughing"; but then I've had "prolonged coughing" at other times in my life,

Peter.

Eternal Sunshine · Post by **Eternal Sunshine** » 23 Jul 2009, 14:13

Ludwig wrote: I just think the whole thing has got totally out of hand. How are we going to get through Peak Oil if this is how people respond to an illness that in only a tiny minority of cases is fatal?

This is a very good point.

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 23 Jul 2009, 14:16

BBC are reporting that the exponential doubling is still happening each week - 100,000 cases reported in one week.

However, Scottish cases have peaked. Perhaps the combination of the warmer weather and the school holidays have finally ended the first wave.

Perhaps only a small percentage of the population is highly susceptible to this strain, and it will take a few months for the virus to evolve a bit before it can lay siege to the massed ranks.

However, if it keeps doubling every week, the entire population will have had it by the end of September. About the time that the vaccine becomes widely available...

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 23 Jul 2009, 14:28

Bandidoz wrote:
On the plane back, it was funny seeing people covering their faces as my girlfriend walked up the aisle coughing. She said she might as well have painted a black cross on herself.

A relative of mine recently got challenged to a fist-fight in the office, because he sneezed a couple of times and refused to go home.

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 23 Jul 2009, 14:35

Blue Peter wrote:
Bandidoz wrote:I guess it could have been swine flu; I heard something on R4 the other day that it's like other flu symptoms but the coughing is prolonged.
That's interesting. I've got "prolonged coughing"; but then I've had "prolonged coughing" at other times in my life,

Peter.

One should bear in mind that the "nocebo" effect is very real: you really can develop symptoms of a disease you don't have, if you're utterly convinced or worried that you have it. People have even been known to die from non-existent cancers. (Now there's something to worry about: "What if I don't have swine flu, but die from thinking I have?"

)

gug · Post by **gug** » 23 Jul 2009, 14:38

Just like flared trousers, it was bound to come around again.

Vaccine killed 25 and paralysed many more.

Not sure i'll be in line for a shot.

http://thenewsjunkie.com/2009/04/flashb ... the-1970s/

Videos here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP_uTg_VzVQ

Blue Peter · Post by **Blue Peter** » 23 Jul 2009, 14:38

Ludwig wrote:
Bandidoz wrote:
On the plane back, it was funny seeing people covering their faces as my girlfriend walked up the aisle coughing. She said she might as well have painted a black cross on herself.

A relative of mine recently got challenged to a fist-fight in the office, because he sneezed a couple of times and refused to go home.

Crikey! I'm glad that I don't work there. I'm coughing like mad, but no one's told me to go home yet (must cough more), or hit me,

Peter.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 23 Jul 2009, 19:36

Apparently England has got it far worse than Wales where I am at the moment. Unfortunately I should be back in England tomorrow, and I'm going to be confined to a field with 20,000 other people for 5 days next week!

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 23 Jul 2009, 20:53

It's a mild flu which seems to be killing far fewer than the annual seasonal flu. Try to get some perspective http://warmwell.com/ (Swine flu July 23 and Seasonal flu July 20) also http://warmwell.com/aboutfmd08.html#tam

Eternal Sunshine · Post by **Eternal Sunshine** » 24 Jul 2009, 11:34

JohnB wrote:Apparently England has got it far worse than Wales where I am at the moment. Unfortunately I should be back in England tomorrow, and I'm going to be confined to a field with 20,000 other people for 5 days next week!

Chill out John, look on the bright side - I'm sure you're much more likely to die in a car crash driving back to England than of swine flu.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 24 Jul 2009, 11:37

Eternal Sunshine wrote:
JohnB wrote:Apparently England has got it far worse than Wales where I am at the moment. Unfortunately I should be back in England tomorrow, and I'm going to be confined to a field with 20,000 other people for 5 days next week!
Chill out John, look on the bright side - I'm sure you're much more likely to die in a car crash driving back to England than of swine flu.

You're always such a ray of sunshine Eternal Sunshine!!!

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 24 Jul 2009, 22:16

Eternal Sunshine wrote:Chill out John, look on the bright side - I'm sure you're much more likely to die in a car crash driving back to England than of swine flu.

You'll be delighted to know I made it in one piece

Will you be at Ken's do this year? It's a very long way for you to travel

Eternal Sunshine · Post by **Eternal Sunshine** » 24 Jul 2009, 22:17

Why thank you Andy.

John - no, can't make it this year unfortunately.

But I appreciate your concern about my journey.