Swine Flu Just Closed My School!

[MG]

My school has just been shut down for a week by the NHS due to a suspected case of Swine Flu. The infected person is in Year 7 (ie age 11/12). This is going to play havoc with my AS level public exams!

Anyone else have any experiences like this yet?

[Manny In England]

That's exactly what's happened to my school. One student in year 7 came back from Mexico, got tested and went to school before getting the results. When they got them, they'd been back a week. I, like everyone else am not concerned with swine flu, especially here with the inconclusive results, it's more to do with asking teachers about any uncertainties in the courses. Anyway, they closed for a week and are reopening tomorrow. This week I've only got general studies so it wouldn't be disastrous if we were closed this week instead. I got a week of revising how I prefer out of it though so it's all good for me, don't know about when your exams are timetabled, they'll sort something out.

[Franc]

In one of the schools here in Montreal, two students were diagnosed with Swine Flu, but the school won't close, which created a big controversy. Parents are not happy about this whole situation.

[netdvn]

Schools here haven't closed yet....

 

Everybody's blowing this swine flu thing out of proportion. It's just a regular case of the flu, but it comes from pigs.

[mwm1444]

My family were quarantined at home for a few days two weeks ago, since my sister had just returned from Mexico, and felt a bit ill.

[spaceace12]

It isn't Swine Flu...it is H1N1. Don't want anymore pork farmers getting mad.

[astroworldfan1]

Everybody's blowing this swine flu thing out of proportion. It's just a regular case of the flu, but it comes from pigs.

 

Uhh...you do know that a couple people (and an innocent baby) have died from the Swine Flu? I don't recall people dying from the common flu.

 

-Tatum "My dad's currently working in Mexico"

[netdvn]

^ Ummm... Actually people die from the regular flu all the time! It just doesn't get as much coverage as the pig flu because the regular flu is commonplace.

 

EDIT Included article...

January 7, 2003

 

Using new and improved statistical models, CDC scientists estimate that an average of 36,000 people (up from 20,000 in previous estimates) die from influenza-related complications each year in the United States. In addition, about 11,000 people die per year from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a virus that causes upper and lower respiratory tract infections primarily in young children and older adults.

 

Source:

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r030107.htm

 

As you can see, a study conducted in 2003 states that an average of 36,000 people die from the flu and even before that, 20,000 people died from the flu on average. So the media IS blowing swine flu (like they blew up avian flu, SARS, West Nile, and Mad Cow Disease) out of proportion.

[coastrfreak2000]

Everybody's blowing this swine flu thing out of proportion. It's just a regular case of the flu, but it comes from pigs.

 

Uhh...you do know that a couple people (and an innocent baby) have died from the Swine Flu? I don't recall people dying from the common flu.

 

Google is your friend:

 

"The Centers for Disease Control estimates 36,000 people die annually in the United States from the flu."

 

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Common-flu-far-more-deadly-than-swine-flu-in-U-S/SYwVqQF_3Umy0qY3qhp9zQ.cspx

[netdvn]

Here's another article which expands on what I said earlier complete with stats...

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/f/flu/deaths.htm

 

And another article which claims that flu deaths are overstated, but the number of deaths listed still remains in the tens of thousands of people compared to the small handful of people dying from pig flu....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-12-11-flu-deaths_x.htm

[astroworldfan1]

^ You don't get it.

 

Would you like Swine Flu? Would you think it's over rated if you die from it?

 

-Tatum

[King of Ka]

^I would probably think Swine Flu was overrated if I died from the 'normal' flu, or any of the other of thousands of diseases that don't have constant national attention.

 

Really, Swine Flu has not killed a huge amount of people. Surely, any death is bad, but by the same token a few people die on roller coasters each year.

 

Anyway, I think we have a bigger problem to deal with when it comes to overattention in the media: Susan Boyle.

 

I do wish your dad luck though.

[kamikazewatermelon]

Wasn't there some official statement saying it wasn't necessary to close the schools if someone got swine flu? Was it renounced or is your school district just being overprotective?

[DiSab]

I know there have been a few cases back home in Columbus, but they haven't affected me. I haven't heard about any here in Dayton or at UD, so sadly no closures yet. Besides, the Snoutbreak wouldn't affect me either way right now, since the only summer classes I'm taking for the next month and a half are online. Unless you can catch it via online web conferences, I won't be out of classes anytime soon.

[MG]

^^In the UK the Health Protection Authority advises the schools on what to do and can force them to close if necessary. The general advice being given to schools in the UK at present, like mine, is to close if there is a risk of the infection spreading. Whilst I think the situation has been overeacted, I think the NHS are right in making sure that no chances are taken.

[netdvn]

^ You don't get it.

 

Would you like Swine Flu? Would you think it's over rated if you die from it?

 

-Tatum

 

If I had swine flu, I'd probably just stay home, sit in bed, and hang out on TPR where I can't get anybody else sick... And if I die, I probably wouldn't have a problem with it... It can't be any different than dying from the regular flu. I would still think it was completely overblown like Mad Cow Disease, SARS, Bird Flu, and West Nile Virus, which were diseases that the media completely blew out of proportion.

 

It's just a form of the flu that comes from pigs!!

 

Hope your dad is okay...

- Dan

[Yankee cannonball]

Teachers in my school are telling people to wear gloves and open doors with paper towel over your hand. At the same time. It's pretty obvious that the nurses in my school have the brain capacity of corn bread

[crispy]

I work at a hospital in Albuquerque, we are somewhat close to regular mexico, being in New Mexico

 

There are additional hand sanitizers and stuff, but it presents in healthy adults as a mild flu, the mortality rate is less than a regular flu, which is estimated to kill 500,000 people annually

 

It is/was a good test of how we would handle a pandemic, but this was not it, they most likely will include a vaccination in next years flu shot for this strain of flu.

 

I have no problem with the reaction, but thank GOD it was not the killer we thought it was

[terrancew_hod]

Schools here haven't closed yet....

 

Everybody's blowing this swine flu thing out of proportion. It's just a regular case of the flu, but it comes from pigs.

 

1. It's a type a flu that we naturally don't have defenses against. Only two types of drugs help lessen the symptoms and it has to be prescribed from a doctor; you just can't go to the local pharmacy and ask for it like other flu medications. I'm guessing so many people died in Mexico because they don't have access to any real type of health care.

 

2. Don't complain about the "overreaction". Consider what would have happened if there was a slow response. People would be complaining that the government didn't do enough if more people died or got the flu. I would rather have the government doing what they did to reduce the chances of mass infection than they wait until it's out of control and we all have to wear masks and restrict our movements... don't you?

 

Terry

[netdvn]

1. Its a flu that we don't naturally have a defense against, but there are many strains of the flu that people don't have a defense against. This version of the flu just happens to come from pigs... Keep in mind, the regular flu constantly mutates to defy any sort of medication people throw at it.

 

2. I'm glad for the government's quick reactions, but the media totally took this situation and escalated it to a whole new level. Everybody claimed that this would probably be the virus to destroy the human race and as a result, pig farmers are suffering. I believe if more people died, the world would plunge into total chaos. Luckily fewer people than expected actually died from the swine flu.

 

3. Could the government react quickly without causing chaos? Yes. Did the government react quickly? Yes, but there was chaos as well...

 

Dan - If sanitizer is antibacterial, how will it protect against the swine flu?

[terrancew_hod]

1. Mind you the potential threat was it mutated from another animal, not just the human virus mutating. (Who was doing naughty things with the pigs? )

 

2. You have to keep in mind that the media struggles for news because everyone is getting information from the internet... they have to blow everything out of proportion to get you to watch.

 

3. It was the media creating the chaos, not the government. It would have been different if the government sat on their hands and waited.

 

And as far as antibacterial soap, I think it was the fact that people were actually washing their hands helped. You know little kids will touch everything in sight, then put their fingers in their nose or mouth.... and other people are just plain nasty.

 

terry

[MG]

Just to update my school has now been CONFIRMED as having Swine Flu. Visiting school today for a French Aural exam was like visiting Fort Knox.

[Manny In England]

^ So you guys are still allowed in for exams? Good to hear it.

[MG]

Yeah, were allowed in but the rules are just rudiculous! Only aural exams today so not many people in the school, the place was deserted!

[Chris Benvenuto]

There's confirmed cases near where I am...I'm near Detroit, and my town doesn't have any cases. But there's about 5 cases in downtown Detroit, but it is contained!