Swine flu in Scotland. What are your thoughts.(and now in Devon)

I am someone who panics and struggles with health related anxiety. This is just what will send me soaring. What do people think about it all? I am staying calm and being a little ostrich like.

On the other hand my eldest daughter is due to fly to the states in July for a 12 day trip to Boston, New York and Philadelphia!

Rach, sorry to hear this is causing you worry. I am a natural born worrier too (as you know!!) however I am surprisingly unworried about this! The way I look at it is there was a massive fuss and huge amount of worry about Bird Flu and yet in this country people were largely if not completely unaffected. We stock piled antibios and treatments all which are effective against swine flu should they be needed.

Governments worldwide are aware of this outbreak very early on and are already taking measures. I would have no hesitation in your daughter still going to the States and am sure she will have a great time. Of course if things change the government will intervene and the foreign office will advise against travel to areas they consider a threat as at the end of the day they no more want someone coming to the country to be infected than you want someone you know to become infected.
I know that is all very well for me to say but honestly Rach it doesn't worry me at all (and my friend works at Monklands!) Just keep an eye on updates but try not to swamp yourself with them ie no watching Sky 24 news to track the diseases outbreaks.

Huge hugs

I'm sure she will be fine Fudgeley.

From what I've read so far, it doesn't seem to be affecting Europeans/North Americans nearly as badly as the poor Mexicans. This may have something to do with the treatments available, but I wonder whether we have more natural immunity to flu in general than the Mexicans, who presumably don't get this type of virus as frequently as we do.

Plus, you have almost another 3 months to see how things go before her visit.

Try and relax and let your daughther look forward to her trip (lucky girl that she is)

We have all been worried sick about the bird flu which was going to be a big problem and it didn't happen . Now we have the recession to worry about . I live in Scotland and I refuse to worry any more . If it becomes a big threat then maybe I will change my mind but for the moment I'm not losing any sleep over it

The people in Falkirk who have been diagnosed with SF were recently in Mexico.
Currently SF hasn't spread beyond those who have actually been to the affected areas.

PCT's have access to anti-virals for SF, and there is lots of it stockpiled. I don't think anyone in the UK, US or Europe has died from it.

Please don't panic. I was speaking to our emergency co-ordinator today who was telling me that most of the Mexicans who have died lived in bad conditions, and also had an underlying virus (specific to Mexico) that, when combined with SF, meant that their immune systems were under huge strain.

The papers/media, have, as usual, blown this all out of proportion. SF has been active in Mexico for several months, but the CDC were only recently notified. It isn't a 'pandemic' or anything of the sort yet.

I would play it by ear regarding your daughters trip. If you are still worried, nearer the time, you can contact the Foreign Office for travel updates etc.

That's pretty much my view too. Try not to worry too much
Fudgely{{hugs}}}

Please try not to worry I was in Toronto towards the end of the SARS epidemic,and was told that the majority of the "fear-mongering" came from the media!!!!

Jeanette

I think it's been blown out of all proportions quite honestly Rach, just like we had with the other so-called epidemics. However, having said that, could this be a case of crying wolf maybe? Could we actually get a bit too blase about this one because of the outcome of all the others? Don't know really, coz I'm a big worrier myself! I almost wore a face mask to the supermarket the last time we had the big scare until my friend stopped me!!! I might wear one this time though if it reaches Alert 5!

I'm only a few miles from the couple who have it and I aint worried at all,everyones going about their business in the good old usual scottish manner.No point in worrying,guess I might think different if I had small kiddies though,xxxxx

Well swine flu reached Devon today with a 12yr old girl diagnosed and isolated and a south Devon school now shut for a week.

We have family in Mexico due back in a week or so and I can guarantee if I visit any of OH's family they will be in panic mode.

So what does everyone else think? I've read quite a bit about it and have to say I'm not that worried. Infact the thing that concerned me most was that it might be transferable to dogs!

Hate to say it but as with anything in the media these day it all seems a bit mountain out of a molehill.