Swine Flu Risk

[Donski]

Hi

We have just received an email in our work saying three people in the building have been confirmed with having the virus. All we have been told is to be vigilant and continue washing our hands. Shouldnt they send us home until the risk is over??? Since the flu started i have not been at all worried but I am now in a total panic as it is so close to home.

[Stressed32]

Hi sweetie, I am so sorry u are in a state! Frist of all, please relax. It is just a flu. It has not killed many and the ones it is killing are those with weakend immune systems. Even if u get it, u will just be sick for 7 days....just like the other flues we get. This is NOT a death sentence so please try to relax and just keep your hands, computer, phone, etc. clean. Clorox wipes are better than Purell b/c they kill the flu virus.

[miss diagnosis]

apparently the normal flu is much worse then the swine flu.
Its just the media blowing everything out of proporation as per usual.
Sky news in paticular like to run a new health scare every week.

remember this..bird flu was gonna kill us all as well. how many people do u know who died from it?!

Just be extra vigiliant like the last post said.but its not going to kill you even if you do get it. that woman in the UK who died from it had asthma and all sorts of other health problems.

[Trixie]

Hi

We have just received an email in our work saying three people in the building have been confirmed with having the virus. All we have been told is to be vigilant and continue washing our hands. Shouldnt they send us home until the risk is over??? Since the flu started i have not been at all worried but I am now in a total panic as it is so close to home.


Don't worry about it. That lady that died had other health problems that made her more vulnerable.

A doctor on the news said she had, had it and she was fine.

[MandySlade]

Ditto what others said. The flu viruses we see every flu season are MORE lethal than the swine flu has been. From what I understand (aside from in Mexico) the people who have died from the swine flu were either infants, elderly, or had compromised immune systems... just like the "regular" flus. I know you're in the UK, but every year the regular flu season kills 36,000 Americans. It kills hundreds of thousands worldwide.

That being said, getting -ANY- flu sucks. So, wash your hands before touching your eyes/nose/mouth and before eating. Be mindful of your surroundings, but don't go overboard. Just know that if you DO catch it, you'll be fine after about a week.

And for the record:
the real "issue" with the swine flu is not what it is at the moment, but what it has the potential to become years down the road. All of this talk about studying it/creating vaccines/etc is mostly to get "ahead" of the virus should it BECOME something more severe in years to come. Which, may or may not happen... as is true with any virus.

[Donski]

Thanks for your replies. xx