Square Eyes

We've sadly had our first death from Swine flu here in my hometown, a little girl of 6 years old with severe disabilities.

On tonights news an expert from where ever (I forget ) assured us that eventhough there were a rather high number of swine flu cases in this region, only people already seriously ill with other illneses or disabilities were at high risk of the virus becoming fatal, and, there are many more deaths in the UK each year from 'seasonal flu' than swine flu so far!

The chaps comments were quite comforting until I began to wonder how many people die from 'seasonal flu' a year then? If this is the case, is swine flu as terrible as the media are making it? The numerous deaths in Mexico has already been said to be so high because of the poor conditions the victims lived in, so, has the swine flu 'pandemic' been blown out of all porportions?

On a lighter note....

My nephew came home from school and told us a boy at school may have swine flu. We listed the symptoms and my nephew said no to them all. We asked him then why he though the boy at school might have swine flu and he told us the boy had come out in rashers.

When I rang NHS direct to ask advise about swine flu I got no answer, just a lot of crackling on the line.

My friend rang her husband and told him she was scared. She was almost out of petrol and was scared to go into a garage because of swine flu. He told her not to worry. The outbreak was in Mexico not Texaco.

Swine Flu seems to be rabidly gaining momentum now. I've known people who have had it

It will probably get worse before it gets better, those poor doctors.

We called up our Docs to make an appointment for our little 1 year-old and they asked "do you think its swine flu?". we said "No, she's just got a sore throat or a chest infection." Right now you could probably call up to say you've cut yourself and they'll say: "Do you think its swine flu".

oh well.

I'm still not convinced that Swine Flu is as threatening as the media are making it.

Out of hte thousands of cases reported, there have been a handful of deaths. sad, but true. Compared to the Spanish flu epedemic of 1918, and if, like me, you have seen grave yards with whole families wiped out by Spanish flu, the phrases scare mongering and sensationalism come to mind.

The only valid reason I can see for blowing the swine flu 'pandemic' out of all proportion is to stop people with the normal mild case of the flu from coming into contact with those that may be more at risk.

Having seen almost an entire office emptied (just me and one collegue left to run an office of normally of 150 ) when one person contacted Summer Flu and spread it round because they were terrified of having time off sick due to management threats, I can see that scare mongering and senationalism may be the only way to contain swine flu. Sad but true. The manager spent the week at HQ by the way, to ensure he didn't catch flu, or have to roll his sleaves up We still had to keep the office open to the public

David Mitchell's Mom wrote: My friend rang her husband and told him she was scared. She was almost out of petrol and was scared to go into a garage because of swine flu. He told her not to worry. The outbreak was in Mexico not Texaco.

Classic!

I'm with you on this one, Mrs M. I think this is one of those stories the media like to grab hold of and hang onto like a dog with a bone until they've squeezed every last drop of, umm, hyperbolic bone juice out of it!

And all it really achieves is to scare the populace into thinking they're all doomed if they so much as venture out of the front door. Meanwhile the economy's going to hell in a handcart, the government's as weak as gnat's piss, bankers are still fiddling while Rome burns, the royal family are costing the taxpayer tens of million pounds every year to keep (despite having about half the world's treasures and priceless antiquities stashed away in their various palaces and vaults) and the News of the World are getting away with illegally tapping people's phones. Ah well!

*atchoo*

Im sick of swine flu hogging the headlines.

Talking of scare mongering and sensationalism, as I was earlier, I've been watching Mock the Week (on Dave so the news topics are around two years out of date) this week and many a joke seemed to involve the topic of bird flu What ever happened to that I ask.

Only 27 people have died from swine flu in the UK so far (sad enough I supose) but compared to the numbers that have been tested positive (at one school in my region alone 480 kids and 19 teachers) it has to be said, and I'll say it again, scare mongering and sensationalism by the media.

I'm not one for Conspiracy Theories but some nutters just thrive on them don't they. In our local paper a 'person' is calling for Gordon Brown to admit Swine flu was deliberately manufactured and released into the world on his orders I'm sure old Gordon doesn't have that kind clout in his own party let alone the world.

I thought 30 had died? Anyway Ive got some news.

I might actually have Swine Flu!

Not kidding guys. I've got all the symptoms, although it could be a viral infection.

I have been quarentined by the wife so she nor the kids get it. So the up side I guess to having it is a Queen size bed all to myself tonight.

The Head wrote:I thought 30 had died? Anyway Ive got some news.

I might actually have Swine Flu!

27 anounced on the news just as I was looking through the posts on S.E.

My sister-in-law had swine flu last week. This week she has a cold. How some people manage to catch all these ailments without leaving the house is such a mystery.

My mum sneezed the other day. So I shot her. Sorry mum!