Swine Flu.

[englishangel]

The words "fit and healthy" are important, because if you go to work with it you don't know who you are going to pass it to, and who they are going to pass it to. So don't go to work, or even leave the house.

That is why these ads for winter flu symptom minimisers drive me mad, because they don't stop you passing the damn thing on.

By the way they work just as well on swine flu.

We had winter vomiting virus a few Christmases ago. Dad brought it with him and we got it one by one. I got it as we sat down to Christmas dinner, husband had been slaving over a hot stove and he was most unsympathetic.

[J.R.]

The words "fit and healthy" are important, because if you go to work with it you don't know who you are going to pass it to, and who they are going to pass it to. So don't go to work, or even leave the house.

That is why these ads for winter flu symptom minimisers drive me mad, because they don't stop you passing the damn thing on.

By the way they work just as well on swine flu.

Apparently, the side-effects of Tamiflu can be worse than the actual symptoms of swine-flu !

[DavebytheSea]

I've not met anyone who has had it - yet. But when I said to a friend, I knew a cast iron way to avoid it (see my thread on SATL), he said "Oh yes? .... Pigs might fly!". I, who am a little slow at times, (age, you know) replied,

"No ..... Swine flew"

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Dave-by- the Sea ---------
With that one --- YOU DESERVE IT !!!

[J.R.]

Just goes to prove that us older ones retain a warped sense of humour !

[kerrensimmonds]

Has anyone on the Forum actually had the piggy bug?
I was late for work on Tues. last week because I woke cold and shivvery and tried to throw it off with paracetamol but to no avail. I then wrapped myself in a big jumper and went to work, and did the same thing on Wednesday - when I was also extremely thirsty and drank about a litre of water. I threw up at 3.00 a.m. on Thursday and shortly afterwards suffered the opposite gut problem, which went on most of the day only broken up by periods of codeine effectiveness. I slept most of the day and was very achey, I seem to remember. Sadly I had to miss Singing Old Blues. There were still problems on Friday so I stayed at home then, too, and took things easy (though that included over four hours in one sitting, on the computer with work). On Saturday I researched the Pandemic Hotline and it said that if you had a fever and two of the subsequent list of symptoms, you were likely to have swine flu and should phone in. I didn't think I had had a fever, so I decided it was just a bug. By this Monday I was back at work again and firing on all cylinders.
I now discover that the Nursing Home I visited the previous Sunday has three members of staff off sick with swineflu; the person I had been visiting (OB, aged 98, very frail) died yesterday after contracting didgerydoo on Sunday, the day before yesterday. Who can say if swineflu contributed to her death? It's been suggested however that if I had taken my temperature when shivvery last week, I might have found that I had one and should therefore have done something about it. I also recall two or three days of 'dry' sneezes and an intermittent 'dry' cough over the previous weekend.
So on the final analysis am I one of the unreported cases? And was I generous with my bug on those two days last week when I came to work and maybe should not have done?
It all feels very vague!

[englishangel]

That's most of the problem, it IS vague, as is 'normal' flu, but aches are a sign of flu and you should not leave the house. A cold does not make you ache (except perhaps your sinuses and intercostals if you are coughing)

[Mid A 15]

My understanding of flu, be it swine or any other, is that if you have flu you wouldn't be capable of going to work even if you wanted to! If you can get to work then it is just a bad cold.

I think I had flu in February 2008 as I had a temperature of 103, aches and pains and struggled to get downstairs to get a drink of water which was all I felt like at the time. I didn't eat for 3 days which anyone that knows me will confirm is highly unusual and was off sick for 3 days too which is also unusual.

[anniexf]

Kerren, those symptoms you describe could equally be those of the "winter vomiting virus", which is also doing the rounds.

[kerrensimmonds]

Thank you Annie. That's reassuring! Tho I had begun to hope quietly that it might have been a mild dose of the piggy bug and that through having it I might be immune from future infection!
But I agree.. it was the fact that I WAS able to keep going to work, when I know of students who were completely struck down when they had it, made me think at the time that it probably wasn't....

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

THE WINTER VOMITING VIRUS !!!

My fertile imagination has conjured up a vision of a "Comic-Book" Monster, stalking the dark corners of Dorset, similar to the Exmoor Black Panther, but erect and giant-sized with drooling fangs, and a foul stench !!!!!

Nighty-- Night Children --- sleep well !

[englishangel]

I am "Home Alone" at work. Half -term so boss is in Cornwall with his kiddiwinks, Sales Manager (who doesn't work on Wednesday anyway) was off 1/2 day Monday and yesterday, and probably tomorrow too, with a seized up back, even the osteopath couldn't loosen it. My assistant, who should be in today is off with flu (what variety I don't know), her partner took his first day off in 12 years with it on Monday, yesterday, and still sounds dreadful today.

fortunately it is fairly quiet.

[J.R.]

Jan and I have just had our yearly inflenza jab and chatted at length to Sue, (our lovely practice nurse - She is qualified but still practises !) . Her husband, like myself has had the dreaded piggy-flu. It is now medically accepted that the severity can range from a couple of bad days right up to the need for hospitalisation. There is apparently no rhyme or reason to what type of person will be more badly affected than another.

It's also strange that one person in a family can be infected, and the rest remain totally fit and well.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Jan and I have just had our yearly inflenza jab and chatted at length to Sue, (our lovely practice nurse - She is qualified but still practises !) . Her husband, like myself has had the dreaded piggy-flu. It is now medically accepted that the severity can range from a couple of bad days right up to the need for hospitalisation. There is apparently no rhyme or reason to what type of person will be more badly affected than another.

It's also strange that one person in a family can be infected, and the rest remain totally fit and well.

It's all down to clean living ---- I tell everybody !!!

[Jude]

I have had the oink oink virus, took the Tamiflu - read all the stuff they give with it - you are not contagious until your symptoms appear - wow! Now how many folk did they infect to get that statement? For me it was pretty rough - Alot of sleep, pain killers, paracetamol, and touch and go as to the hospital - as I pointed out though, these days one rarely goes to hospital without getting worse, so I was allowed to stay home - but it was very lonely! I then got bronchitus - which seems to be one of the worse side effects of this virus - it heading to the chest. DD has also had it in Leeds (she is now a Graduate! DS hasn't but has set his date for the wedding 2012). The only ones not to get it are the felines! Now I don't understand how someone who is Jewish, has nothing to do with pork can get oink oink flu! (tongue in cheek). Don't know where it came from, Do know I Don't want it again - 2 weeks on and I am still rather pathetic, need as much sleep as a newborn, and everything I already have seems to be more accentuated. ho hum. Still have to have the flu jab and the oink oink flu jab, as having had it doesn't give you protection (in that case how doe the vaccine work??? It give's your body a small dose of the wretched bug, and if I was bad first time around, how bad could I be 2nd time around - I cannot get my head around this as I don;t have an immune system.......) answers on a postage stamp, as I am too tired to read anything bigger! LOL