I love the smell of a pandemic in the morning (official swine flu thread)

[katerpillar]

Actually, regarding Tamiflu - definitely get it if you can. Go to the doctor as soon as possible once symptoms begin to show, as it's only effective if started in the first 48 hours of symptoms. Onset is very rapid, you go from fine to a headache, body aches, fever, running nose etc within hours.

My mother got Tamiflu and could go back to work after 7 days, as could all my other friends who took Tamiflu when they caught swine flu. It also reduces the length of time that you're contagious. However, those I know who didn't were ill for weeks... and much sicker too, in terms of severity of the symptoms. One of my mum's best friends, who didn't get Tamiflu when she had swine flu, ended up with pneumonia and monitored in hospital for a while because she was struggling so much to breathe. She doesn't even have any underlying health issues, I don't think.

The median age for normal flu fatalities in Australia is 83 but for swine flu, it's 56. As of yesterday there have been 161 confirmed deaths out of 35,474 Australian cases. http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/in...ile/060909.pdf

If you do the maths that's a case-fatality ratio of 0.45% (compared to 0.1% for regular flu). It doesn't sound like much more but it's about the same mortality rate as the Hong Kong flu, which killed 33,000 in the US. In that case, most of them were elderly - not the median fatality age this flu has.

Of course, it's not going to wipe us out on a Spanish Flu-type scale - but don't go thinking that because it isn't some apocalyptic plague scenario, then it's nothing. Don't freak out but don't think it's just a glorified bad cold, either. If nothing else I'd recommend people get Tamiflu because whatever the cost of the medicine and doctor's appointment, it's still got to be cheaper than missing work for the better part of a month.

[A*O]

That's true, although I would only take Tamiflu on doctor's orders, not because I think I might have Swine Flu. It's not a preventative, it just alleviates some of the symptoms once you have it. If you are otherwise fit and healthy Swine Flu actually produces much milder symptoms than some of the other flu strains out there so lots of people have had it and didn't even know! But the media doesn't tell us that because it's not a dramatic headline.

[Annika]

I believe that asymptomatic carriers account for 40% of cases.

A nurse in California who was very healthy and active died. She actually was found to have a co-infection of MRSA. So if anyone has that they should take care, even if they feel healthy.

I kind of laugh at the media though. It's funny that one second they are saying that it's nothing and very mild, then print stories with sensational headlines. There was confusion about an article released about a week ago where they said that this strain was settling in deep lung tissue as opposed to upper respiratory like normal flus, therefore making it deadlier than seasonal flu. This has been true since the first cases in Mexico were discovered, but it was 'confirmed' last week. Well many media outlets were reporting it to look like it had mutated into a deadlier bug. I saw many people on several forums panicking because of this.

This method of reporting is bad in two ways. It scares the hell out of people making it look so much worse than it is (and conspiracy sites go nuts), and it also makes people who are wary of the media start believing that it's all made up and overblown.

When I read about deaths daily I sometimes joke that it would be more interesting if they reported every car accident, heart attack or cancer death. We would have many more deaths and imagine how scared people would be about driving drunk, trans fats and smoking.

[A*O]

Absolutely. It's all about perception and perspective. And then you die LOL

[AliceInWonderland]

[Annika]

The thing that concerns me most about this flu actually is not death, but overwhelming the hospitals with flu patients. There are communities that are not ready to handle so many people in intensive care. So when the actual flu season 'starts' in the northern hemisphere and people get sick, the ones who get really sick, and might need mechanical ventilation etc. will be filling up the hospitals. hospitals already run pretty full as it is, can you imagine how crazy it will get with this on top of it?

it's gonna be a busy winter. it was pretty busy in australia. they had to fly people to other hospitals with proper equipment. luckily in our times we have the technology to keep you alive but when a crapload of people get sick then it sucks to have to think they might need to start picking and choosing who gets the help and who has to be let go. i hope it doesn't come to that.

[McJag]

Did you all see that one woman who lost her 16 & 18 year old in no time? Both died of Swine flu. THAT is scary.
I have yet to see anything but fair reporting around here-The doctor from CDC was saying in effect-so far so good & it hasn't changed any. Just that the potential is there & have a back up plan. They suggested having a 2 week supply of water,etc,just in case you get it & can't go out. I have never seen one person in a mask around here either. We have a lot of cases,no remote panic.

[BBDSP]

Since this whole thing started, one of the unfortunate byproducts (at least here in the US) is that if you have symptoms similar at all to swine flu, some doctors won't see you and will make you go right to the emergency room. Once there, you might be separated from others but made to wait forever till they get to you and give you a swine flu test...while you might otherwise have been seen and sent on your way.

My husband's primary care doctor, for example, would not see him when he was sick. My 18 year old daughter just had to go to student health services at her college and it was pretty much the same.

I guess we will have to see how hard it hits this season and whether the hysteria is justified.

[Novice]

Originally Posted by BBDSP

Since this whole thing started, one of the unfortunate byproducts (at least here in the US) is that if you have symptoms similar at all to swine flu, some doctors won't see you and will make you go right to the emergency room. Once there, you might be separated from others but made to wait forever till they get to you and give you a swine flu test...while you might otherwise have been seen and sent on your way.

My husband's primary care doctor, for example, would not see him when he was sick. My 18 year old daughter just had to go to student health services at her college and it was pretty much the same.

I guess we will have to see how hard it hits this season and whether the hysteria is justified.

Its the same in the UK, if you think that you have flu you're not to go see your dr, you have to phone a special hotline. Its not a brilliant solution however its better than sitting in a Dr's surgery coughing all over the Drs & other patients, plus it means that the Drs can get on with treating "normal" illnesses.

[katerpillar]

Originally Posted by A*O

That's true, although I would only take Tamiflu on doctor's orders, not because I think I might have Swine Flu. It's not a preventative, it just alleviates some of the symptoms once you have it. If you are otherwise fit and healthy Swine Flu actually produces much milder symptoms than some of the other flu strains out there so lots of people have had it and didn't even know! But the media doesn't tell us that because it's not a dramatic headline.

Australia you can only get it by prescription, so a doctor would have to diagnose probable swine flu before you could get Tamiflu, anyway.

Tamiflu works by stopping the virus cells from spreading within the body. Not only does it shorten the length of the illness and contagious period, but it significantly reduces the chances of complications. I'd estimate about half of the people I know who've had swine flu and didn't get Tamiflu ended up with upper or lower respiratory tract infections or full-on pneumonia. All of them are in their 20s and healthy. My mum's friend who was in hospital for a bit with pneumonia is 50 and otherwise fit and healthy. Just because it probably won't kill you doesn't mean you want to end up risking a longer bout of sickness than necessary, or a stay in hospital.

The Federal health minister keeps saying it's a "mild virus", blah blah blah but it would be an error to assume that means it's predictable. Two of my friends I've known with confirmed swine flu only found out because they're a nurse and a paramedic and thus got tested; if they hadn't they'd have put it down to a bad cold for about 4 days. Others I know who got it but no Tamiflu, as I've said, were utterly WRECKED by it. In their case it was mild in comparison to typhoid or malaria. It's a strange one and although it'd be stupid to panic, it'd be daft to underestimate it too. Especially if you or anyone in your house is overweight, pregnant, asthmatic, diabetic or anything else.

Personally, I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to drawing smiley mouths on my ventilator masks and having uni cancelled for a while. Hear that, you lame excuse for a plague? I could sure use a month or two of uni being closed thank you...

[celeb_2006]

At first I thought this was all typical hype and fluff, but it looks like it might actually be something fierce later this year. Stories of infections are coming out left and right now.

[A*O]

When all's said and done you will either get it or you won't. If you do then take Tamiflu or whatever or just ride it out. For most people the symptoms are so mild they put it down to a bad cold. I don't underestimate how bad flu can make you feel. I've had it twice and both times I felt like I'd been hit by a truck but lived to tell the tale. I guess my gripe is with the media who blow things up into huge headline-grabbing dramas instead of reporting the facts objectively so people can make up their own minds.

[katerpillar]

Originally Posted by A*O

When all's said and done you will either get it or you won't. If you do then take Tamiflu or whatever or just ride it out. For most people the symptoms are so mild they put it down to a bad cold. I don't underestimate how bad flu can make you feel. I've had it twice and both times I felt like I'd been hit by a truck but lived to tell the tale. I guess my gripe is with the media who blow things up into huge headline-grabbing dramas instead of reporting the facts objectively so people can make up their own minds.

I don't think that for "most people the symptoms are so mild they put it down to a bad cold". Almost all those I've known who've caught it have definitely recognised it was a flu of some kind. It's not necessary to underplay something to ressure others that we don't have a Black Death situation on our hands. It's not what the medical profession are doing, although they're not jumping up and down in a fit of fear either.

Overhyping it and being all "OMFG WE'RE GONNA DIE" is ridiculous but don't fall for normalcy bias (basically, people's natural tendency to underestimate the possibility and potential effects of something happening because it's "never happened before"), either. Dismissively shrugging something off, due to cynicism towards the media or a defence mechanism or whatever, can be as dangerous as blind panic.

This goes for everyone. Sometimes there needs to be a calm, rational medium between desperate optimism and hysterical pessimism. Instead of deliberately (albeit usually subconsciously) jumping on any chance to interpret media reports as evidence of looming disaster or baseless scaremongering, just keep your eyes and ears open to everything and adjust your reactions accordingly.

Out of the three, who is more likely to survive: those who live by the saying that it's better to be safe than sorry, the ones who end up in such a fit of panic that by the time things actually seem dire they can't functionally respond, or the schmucks who think "it won't happen to me!" and refuse to evacuate even when there's a gigantic bushfire or hurricane on its way?

Logic, people. Don't let emotions of either sort get in your way and influence your ability to cope, be objective and prepared.

(Meanwhile, I'm trying to avoid writing an essay on Jonathan Swift...)

[A*O]

Fair enough but I don't see any evidence that this flu is statistically any more deadly than all the others that have come and gone without all this media hooplah. Of course there will be exceptional cases of otherwise healthy people who die, just like with other flus. Once the dust has settled and the numbers are collated I'd be extremely surprised if the overall death rate of this one is any higher (or lower) than in previous years.

Perhaps the problem is that people don't think that influenza (any kind) is a serious and potentially life threatening illness. It is and always has been. If people are more aware of the threat and prepare for it that's probably a good thing. But this "we are all going to die" and the emotive language the media use to stir up widespread panic and anxiety about something that happens every year is unfair and unnecessary.

[ConstanceSpry]

Hmm, I have asthma and get flu vaccine annually, but I am just not sure about the swine flu vaccine. They say it "seems" safe, which sounds like they aren't sure and are trying to cover their butts. I've had flu before and it's never turned to pneumonia, I was just sick for a couple weeks. I guess I'll have to talk to our doc and see what he thinks.