swine fever.

[lettie]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Interesting to know Lettie but is there no out of date to things like this? Not that I am worried about the threat, as far as I'm concerned "what will be will be" but would have thought these things would have a shelf life.

There will be an expiry date Bernadette but most expiries on drugs are years into the future. If Tamiflu was stockpiled in the last 2 years, the expiry will be somewhere around 2010 or 2011.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by lettie

There will be an expiry date Bernadette but most expiries on drugs are years into the future. If Tamiflu was stockpiled in the last 2 years, the expiry will be somewhere around 2010 or 2011.

That's the case with Tabs lettie, but what about jabs I'm sure the shelf life is far shorter than that. Mind you having listened to doctors talking on the issue on TV they seem to think that swine flu is no worse than the normal flu which comes round every winter and most people will cope with it like they normally do, but as with the winter version the vulnerable are just at the same risk, the elderly, people with heart, chest and diabetes problems, but I don't have the flu jab anyway

[BERNADETTE]

Originally Posted by lettie

There will be an expiry date Bernadette but most expiries on drugs are years into the future. If Tamiflu was stockpiled in the last 2 years, the expiry will be somewhere around 2010 or 2011.

Thanks for that Lettie but is Tamiflu going to be as effective with this particular strain?

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Thanks for that Lettie but is Tamiflu going to be as effective with this particular strain?

As far as I know Bernie Tamiflu isn't a cure for flu, just helps get over the effects of the virus more quickly.

[lettie]

Originally Posted by jaysay

That's the case with Tabs lettie, but what about jabs I'm sure the shelf life is far shorter than that. Mind you having listened to doctors talking on the issue on TV they seem to think that swine flu is no worse than the normal flu which comes round every winter and most people will cope with it like they normally do, but as with the winter version the vulnerable are just at the same risk, the elderly, people with heart, chest and diabetes problems, but I don't have the flu jab anyway

From what I can make of the media muddle that is Swine Flu, our normal Flu Vaccine will not protect against it. Scientists are working on a specific vaccine for Swine Flu but it may be months before it is ready. Chances are Swine Flu will have run its natural course by then anyway.

By far the best ways to protect yourself are to wash your hands frequently, sneeze and cough into a tissue and disposed of the tissue in a lidded bin and keep frequently used surfaces clean eg, door handles, toilet chains, tables etc.

Face masks will not protect you. I remember tons of studies into surgical facemasks coming out in the late 80's/early 90's. These studies showed that as an infection control measure, face masks were next to useless. There are gaps around the sides of them that allow germs in or out and they become damp very quickly rendering them useless. The only thing a face mask will do is protect the user against splashes of bodily fluid into the mouth or nose........hence the use in operating theatres where facemasks protect the Surgeon, not the patient.

[Stanleymad]

Problem is its hard to determine & even tho the health advisory is at its best atm, its still very vague, got a cold atm usually put it down to change of weather & wouldnt bug the health service as been the hardline over the past few years, is to get on with it & see pharmacy for medicines for it. Now its the dread lurgy, someone sneezes with tissue & dispose lately people suddenly disperse from u with immediate presumsion of swine flu, now as the symptoms are same as normal flu/cold like, other than the fact of not been to mexico/us or contact as such again not aware within the general public.

So that causes panic & confusion within itself - other than media hype making it worse, does one with a cold or beginings of what would be normal flu not travelled or known contact [tho another hard bit when working with gen public as who has or hasnt] quarantine oneself - just in case or get on with it as normal advice - thats the confusing bit

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by lettie

From what I can make of the media muddle that is Swine Flu, our normal Flu Vaccine will not protect against it. Scientists are working on a specific vaccine for Swine Flu but it may be months before it is ready. Chances are Swine Flu will have run its natural course by then anyway.

By far the best ways to protect yourself are to wash your hands frequently, sneeze and cough into a tissue and disposed of the tissue in a lidded bin and keep frequently used surfaces clean eg, door handles, toilet chains, tables etc.

Face masks will not protect you. I remember tons of studies into surgical facemasks coming out in the late 80's/early 90's. These studies showed that as an infection control measure, face masks were next to useless. There are gaps around the sides of them that allow germs in or out and they become damp very quickly rendering them useless. The only thing a face mask will do is protect the user against splashes of bodily fluid into the mouth or nose........hence the use in operating theatres where facemasks protect the Surgeon, not the patient.

Totally agree with everything you've said lettie, as some one who already has poor health little things like washing the hands has come second nature to me, as is cleaning work surfaces for food prep ect. I think we are seeing the same reaction to swine flu as we did with bird flu a few years ago, I think its just a matter of keeping people on their toes, more than anything else

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Stanleymad

Problem is its hard to determine & even tho the health advisory is at its best atm, its still very vague, got a cold atm usually put it down to change of weather & wouldnt bug the health service as been the hardline over the past few years, is to get on with it & see pharmacy for medicines for it. Now its the dread lurgy, someone sneezes with tissue & dispose lately people suddenly disperse from u with immediate presumsion of swine flu, now as the symptoms are same as normal flu/cold like, other than the fact of not been to mexico/us or contact as such again not aware within the general public.

So that causes panic & confusion within itself - other than media hype making it worse, does one with a cold or beginings of what would be normal flu not travelled or known contact [tho another hard bit when working with gen public as who has or hasnt] quarantine oneself - just in case or get on with it as normal advice - thats the confusing bit

not to worry ya have obviously contracted it from dave, after all he is a dingle.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by lettie

Face masks will not protect you. I remember tons of studies into surgical facemasks coming out in the late 80's/early 90's. These studies showed that as an infection control measure, face masks were next to useless. There are gaps around the sides of them that allow germs in or out

Surgical masks are useless. Industrial half masks are fit tested to make sure there are no leaks.

Whenever I wear a mask I always do a face fit test to make sure there are no leaks before I will carry out the job.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I'm not sure what the population is in Mexico, but there have been 159 deaths so far........it is not recorded how many of these were as a direct result of the virus H1N1(swine Flu).......the percentage of deaths per population is very small.

it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, the vaccine makers and the makers of the anti-virals will be raking it in......fuelled of course by media whipping up fear and scaremongering.

[cashman]

think i heard 130 million margaret.

[Royboy39]

Mexico..............National Stats

https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat.../print/mx.html

[Margaret Pilkington]

so it is a very small proportion of the population who have succumbed(and their deaths may not be directly caused by the H1N1 virus) and while this is no reason to be complacent, I do think that we have to get the risks into some kind of perspective.

[Tealeaf]

What a shame we can't have a vote on this on the lines of how many people in the UK will fatally succumb to this, i.e. a) 0-1 b) 1-10 c) 10-1,000 d) 1,000-1m e) 25m+.

I remember when the AIDS business started 30 years ago and within a short time the experts were saying that Britain would lose half it's population by 2000. Well, with the exception of those unfortunates who got the wrong blood transfusion, plus a few bandits, druggies and the usual ne'er do wells, we are still here.

So when the AIDS scare turned up to be just that, what did we get? nvCJD. This time, the same experts were talking of a minimum 100,000 dead within 10 years and an unquantifiable number after that. Total deaths so far - no more than 150.

I, for one, will not be playing at silly b*ggars, wondering around with a blue surgical mask over my face. After all, how can a man do his drinking wearing one of those? So take my advice - ignore the experts and listen to me.

I do private consultations at quite a reasonable fee.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

so it is a very small proportion of the population who have succumbed(and their deaths may not be directly caused by the H1N1 virus) and while this is no reason to be complacent, I do think that we have to get the risks into some kind of perspective.

my thoughts entirely, don't know the figures fer normal winter flu deaths in britain, but wouldn't mind betting that its a bit more than 1 in a million.