How Do You Know If You Have Swine Flu?

Not that I think I have it...just a sore throat and a bit of a head cold and Clive also has similar symptoms, although his is far worse than mine of course

Clives son Daniel woke up with a heavy cold yesterday, his mum picked him up and broke the news to me that the lad he sits next to at school has confirmed swine flu. Then blow me if Clive does't tell me yesterday that our neighbour leaned over the fence to him and told him that she has it...although she told him that she rang the docs and they arranged for someone to collect the tamiflu for her...I thought only a blood test could confirm you had it.

I was a bit alarmed as I was in her house last week feeding the pup, then she called me in again to help her trim him up and we were chatting for a while...but I've been down to Essex visiting my parents and Settagirl Claire since then...do I mention anything to them or just wait and see if anything happens? I'm particularly concerned as both Claires and my dad have had heart attacks and are on medication, and Claire has been battling for months with severe tonsilitis so she could be badly effected if she were to catch something else.

Any ideas as to what I should do?

The thing is with Swine Flu now is that you don't actually see a doctor or get swabbed any more - it is just a tick list and if you tick the right boxes - hey ho - you have swine flu.

I was talking about this last night - the reason for the dramatic rise in numbers is that no-one is being formally diagnosed with it any more.
Plus with all the (totally understandable) panic about it - it is making people more aware of any symptoms they may have.
I felt under the weather on Tuesday and immediately I was wondering if I had it - normally I would have just thought bit of a bug and carried on. And I am fine now - but of course it is so worrying.

They do say that even if you have been in close contact with someone with "swine flu" unless you show symptoms you should carry on.
I am not entirely in agreement with that. I must admit I would not want to work in the same office as someone who had swine flu in their home. If I had to then I would not go and visit my elderly mum afterwards.

I think all we can do really is be sensible and perhaps if you do have any symptoms (whether it is confirmed or not) just keep to yourself for a few days. But I think that is common sense anyway.
Hope you and Clive are OK.

I feel this swine flu is getting out of hand. It is supposed to be a much milder form of flu to our usual seasonal flu which kills 3-4,000 people a year yet people never seem to panic about that.
As you have said, because it is now no longer being laboratory confirmed anyone with similar symptoms is being diagnosed with swine flu.
In the main it will not seriously hamper the vast majority of people who contract it so I would personally just carry on as normal. Many people have no symptoms at all!
Usual media hype and the publics panic.
Becky

Aww thanks for that...I haven't been keeping up to date with the news so didn't realise they just ticked boxes nowadays...I suppose the expense of blood tests and the delay in getting the results was proving to be not helping the situation.

Had I known now that the neighbour has it and that Daniel may have been exposed then I wouldn't have visited Essex last week..thankfully I haven't been anywhere else that involves being shut indoors with anyone other than Clive so, fingers crossed, if I was carrying the virus I haven't exposed too many people to it.

I agree in that I wouldn't want to knowingly come into contact with someone that had it...unless it was one of my family that was very ill and thought it may be a last chance to visit them.

I think I'll wait and see if my sniffles get any worse and then maybe ring the docs to see what they think...I really don't want to alarm my parents or Claire unneccessarily. xx

Thanks Becky..thinking about it, my parents always have the flu jab so would, hopefully, have some protection already against anything like this.

If someone in the house gets swine flu, do they keep everyone in quarantine or can other members of the family still go out?
I was wondering how we'd cope if we couldn't take the dogs out or even take them somewhere to be looked after.
At the moment I don't even know anyone who's actually had it but its bound to arrive sometime.

I'm fairly sure the ordinary flu jab doesn't give any protection against swine flu. Its a completely new strain.

On the radio yesterday a doctor said the symptoms are usually pretty mild and for most people like a heavy cold - so you could well have it. So unless you`ve got other health problems a few days under the duvet with the family waiting on you hand and foot are probably called for.

My OH is really worried, as today his manager is off with Swine flu.
My OH doesn't want to bring anything home - as I have a compromised immune system with me being on chemo.
I told him not to worry! lol

When they were doing the blood tests to confirm cases they were quarantining the inhabitants of the house, however I am not sure it is so strict now. My OH's father popped round yesterday to let us know that another of our neice's has now got it and he had to go and get the Tamiflu for them, so I assume they still advise people to stay at home.

The best test I heard for swine flu was on the BBC a couple of weeks ago.

If you were walking down the street and saw a £50 note on the floor and were able to pick it up, you don't have swine flu. If you really couldn't manage or be bothered to pick it up, you have swine flu and not just a cough/cold etc.