View Full Version : Aussie Flu discussion
Mindprison
08-01-18, 14:03
Hello everyone
I've just been to the local shop and couldn't walk 2 steps without seeing a newpaper plastered with "news" about this Aussie Flu thing that has been circulating the past few months.
As the health anxiety board is by far the most read and posted on I thought it would be a good idea to discuss this so called epidemic and offer some reassurance and points of view to counteract all the negativity in the media.
I have a pet peeve with the media when things like this happen as it's already hard trying to get over health anxiety without every newspaper having "KILLER FLU AFFECTS EVERYWHERE BUT TWO TOWNS" or some other variation.
For a start, don't all Flu viruses have the potential to be killers? From what I can gather this new flu targets children, elderly and people with long term conditions. Just like any other flu. The symptoms are the same but "more severe". It's contagious just like other flu. So how the hell is it any different to all the other flu viruses?
It's like when the whole swine flu thing was going around. 3 of my friends in school caught it and we all thought they were going to die the way the media was scaremongoring it all.
I'm all for freedom of the press but it really annoys me when they start circulating stuff like this when there are people out there suffering from health anxiety.
I'd be interested to hear other people's thought on this or media portrayal of health issues in general!
I have read more about it on here than I have read or heard in our local media. I’m in Sydney Australia. lol
Mindprison
08-01-18, 14:11
It is a bit ridiculous. As far as i'm aware Australia have said that apart from the spread it's no worse than the previous year.
Weird how putting "Aussie" or "swine" in front of it suddenly makes it out to be a world ender. Our newspapers are mostly trash over here, it's just that there are so many of them it's hard to avoid.
Our newspapers are trash too. lol
Catherine S
08-01-18, 14:23
I think we're all Daily Mail readers here lol, not my fave newspaper but its more user-friendly online compared to others.
But regards to the flu...I agree with you absolutely about sensational headlines, and we read about someone dying from a flu virus most years. Ocassionally somebody previously fit, healthy and young can succumb but that's a rarity. It's bad enough coming down with flu without panicking that it's going to kill us off!
Stay healthy folks, keep warm x
lol Catherine
It’s summer here!
Catherine S
08-01-18, 15:48
lol Catherine
It’s summer here!
I know, ive been watching the Brits melting watching the cricket :D
Mindprison
08-01-18, 15:51
Here in scotland anything above 0 degrees is summer to us :D
ankietyjoe
08-01-18, 15:58
Fear = Insecurity.
Insecurity = People spend more money.
People don't go out and buy as much crap they don't need when they're happy.
I remember the same nonsense with swine flu a decade ago.
Mindprison
08-01-18, 16:23
Indeed Joe, the swine flu epidemic was mad. I was still in high school and you know how it is, rumors spreading to each class about how if you catch swine flu your skin falls off and you grow a snout :D
The media attention was crazy too, telling us all about the deaths and how doctors were apparantly clueless.
A round of tamiflu and 2 weeks later my friends were back to normal like it never happened.
I am in an hysterical mess with this flu thing at the moment. i have asthma and my husband has a serious heart condition. I work in in a large hospital and am terrified of bringing it home to him. So much so over the last few weeks I've considered moving out so I dont give him it and resigning so I can stay in!
After talking to a consultant (I'm a ward manager), here's some of the things I was told today. Hope it helps.
Most of the articles in the newspapers are rubbish. Apparently there was a story in the Daily Mail the other day so full of misinformation and contradiction medical staff have lodged a complaint. If you have to bother with the media only read the BBC Health pages.
The flu red map that screams INFECTION, is a survey tool. It doesnt record actual diagnosis. People sign up to it and every week complete a survey of how they are feeling. That is what the figures are. You only need to look at the pages on here to see how many folk misdiagnose themselves to know how inaccurate it could be. Apparently it is only really useful after flu season as a guide but the media have jumped all over it as red looks fierce.
If you want figures about how many people actually have flu the the Public Health (England) and Health Protection (Scotland) issue flu reports every week. These contain the exact number of diagnosed, hospital admissions, vaccine reliability and also give last years figures for comparison. Read these not headlines.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/weekly-national-flu-reports
Flu is a real threat not just to you but to others you have contact with. Everyone who is eligible for a vaccine should get it.. If you're not eligible, I'd buy it. But that's only my opinion,I'm not a clinician.
Oh boy, the news had me freaking out over the flu... To the point I was washing and sanitizing my hands every 5 minutes. They were so dry that I ended up with a burning pain on the tops of them. My 3 year old got sick last month and it was pretty bad for her, I guess because she is so young.. I took her to the ER and when the doctor came in with the results and told me she had flu type A, I bout had a heart attack. My poor baby was looking to me for comfort and I was afraid to touch her :lac: I had read on the news a few days before about a 20 year old healthy mom of 2 dying the day after being diagnosed and thats what freaked me out. In the end it was like the domino effect, one by one we all got it but it was no different then any other flu.
You are right, the media hypes everything up. I live in Florida and they do it every year with hurricanes as well.. Drives me nuts...
Mindprison
08-01-18, 18:55
Theres no escaping it sometimes. Flu is something we tend to forget about until we get it. The papers realise this so they attach a word to it to make it sound worse than it is. They love using words like "new" and "deadly" as well
I actually stopped watching the news or reading it apart from the sport... Anxiety levels dropped instantly!
I’m from Sydney and the only time I heard about this “Aussie fly” was recently when it hit UK and US. Apart from heaps of people getting it, I don’t think it was THAT serious overall
Mindprison
08-01-18, 22:01
That was the impression I got too. It all of a sudden became a problem the minute it went overseas. If anything its an interesting social experiment
MyNameIsTerry
09-01-18, 01:45
It's ideal clickbait. Just as the same media who poke at Trump really love him...he's increasing their profits!!!
Bird flu, swine flu, Aussie flu, flu flu...
I've had a cold the last day so I will look out for signs of Aussie Flu...saying "G'day", tendency towards a string vest, craving for shrimp with BBQ sauce...:winks:
ankietyjoe
09-01-18, 09:45
The Daily Mail and it's ilk are disgusting rags written by irresponsible morons who wish to illicit fear and panic with barely researched (or in some cases simple lies) articles designed solely to misinform, anger and divide people.
Terry is correct, it is because fear = profit.
The Daily Mail and it's ilk are disgusting rags written by irresponsible morons who wish to illicit fear and panic with barely researched (or in some cases simple lies) articles designed solely to misinform, anger and divide people.
Terry is correct, it is because fear = profit.
You sound like Russell Brand!! He hates the Daily Heil and always bases a lot of his show material around some of their outrageous articles..and also their dubious "journalists".
The daily star tomorrow says it’s worse than swine flu so I’m worried now
ankietyjoe
10-01-18, 22:54
The daily star tomorrow says it’s worse than swine flu so I’m worried now
Come on dude, the Daily Star?
And worse than swine flu how exactly? Stubbing your toe on the bedpost is worse than swine flu, because swine flu was a non event.
The Flu, regardless of the strain is not fun at all. While it totally sucks to get it and you'll feel like death warmed over for a while, rarely if ever is it fatal.
Due to my health issues, I have to get the shot. I know, I know... it doesn't protect you from everything BUT... getting the shot and using common sense will definitely lower the chances substantially.
I caught a "crud" last week. Probably picked it up at Urgent Care when I went for the gout in my wrist. It's pretty sucky :weep: No fever but it's a nasty one and to top it off, I woke up around 4AM and couldn't open my right eye! Yep... pink eye... Lovely :lac:
I do get it, it sucks but just get the shot and use common sense. That's all you can do :shrug: and if you do get it? You'll survive I'm quite sure :D
Positive thoughts
I thought the Aussie Flu was a night of drinking XXXX and was a hangover the next day.:shrug:
MyNameIsTerry
11-01-18, 01:54
I thought the Aussie Flu was a night of drinking XXXX and was a hangover the next day.:shrug:
Hmm...now being XXXX that's makes this choice of flu a tough one :winks:
I thought the Aussie Flu was a night of drinking XXXX and was a hangover the next day.:shrug:
lol Lola :roflmao:
I recently got over one hell of a vicious flu, literally ate only handfuls of food for five days straight, couldn't even swallow without wincing for a couple days, high pulse rate and got a decent fever going in early stages of it, terrible thing! Doubt it was the aussie one but it was a very bad strain of flu, thought I might develop pneumonia my chest was rattling so bad! Wouldn't wish flu on anyone, not had it for years, on the mend now and not dying just yet, so relieved I can chomp down and walk around again haha.
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