Swine Flu Dilemma!

Hello people, it would be greatto hear some of your advice on a dilemma I have at the moment, I know know I can count on you lot!
Here it is, will try to be as short as i can.

I live in Norway and Norway has not yet been hit as hard as England regarding Swine Flu. In two weeks I am due to fly to Derbyshire to attend my sisters wedding. This would not be a problem for me even with the threat of the swine flu. The problem is I have a 2.5 year old son and a 8 month pregnant wife here in Norway. Norway says Pregnant women are high risk and advices them to stay away from crowded areas etc etc. Both wife and son are not coming to the wedding. Her doctor says that it is ok for me to go to England but I must be careful when I return in case I have got it, so i should stay away from the missus and little un' for about a week. In which time the wife could be dropping the new baby.

It's all over the news here, and the top bod from medical uni today adviced everyone against travel.

Am i being well over the top here and getting my knickers in a twist for nothing, or do I air on the side of caution and not go?!

Thanks for listening.

Am i being well over the top here and getting my knickers in a twist for nothing,
yes

I suppose it's your call, and if you have medical advice not to travel then it would seem silly to do so. As an adult in good health it doesnt even cross my mind, but with a child and pregnant wife to return to I think I'd definitely be considering not going, or at least organising to have some sort of quarantine when I returned (can you stay with a friend for a week after returning?)

We were all going to die of SARS. NHS was put on an emergency footing and we were all given dire warnings about how to behave to minimise the risk to ourselves. Nothing happened.

Earlier this year we were told that we would be having the mother and father of all heatwaves this summer. Everyone was going to be dropping dead form heat exhaustion, and anyone over 60 might as well book their burial plot. NHS was put on an emergency footing and we were all given dire warnings about how to behave to minimise the risk to ourselves. Nothing happened.

Now we've got swine flu. If the new helpline was receiving 2000 hits per second, then everyone in the country must already have swine flu. NHS has been put on an emergency footing and we've all been given dire warnings about how to behave to minimise the risk to ourselves.

Spot a trend here?

I think it's been massively hyped over here. Still don't know anyone with it, loads of people have had it and didn't know it was swine flu. Thing is it's a relatively mild bug (at the moment) there's loads of nasty things floating around all the time, but because they are normally in the population we all ignore them. We don't all stop trevelling or going out each winter due to seasonal flu, and that kills thousands every year.

Pregnant women do appear to be at higher risk (although the risk is still low) so imo no, you're not 'being over the top'.

It's difficult because it's your sister's wedding, but I would consider not going. I believe that the two 'hot spots' for swine flu are Birmingham and London, so if guests come from those areas, and you combine that with lots of people in a confined area, touching plates, glasses, toilet door handles, etc. then I reckon there is a reasonable chance you might pick up the virus.

The chances are that you won't catch it, nor pass it on to your wife, and if you did, the chances are that she would be fine. But I doubt that I personally, would take the risk.

Several people at my work have it, several people at my previous place of work have had it. While I agree for a normal healthy person its no risk at all, for a young child and pregnant lass I'd say you'd probably want to take a few more precautions. Just because people are over-cautious doesnt mean they're wrong to be so.

We were all going to die of SARS………… Nothing happened.

Lots did happen. Precisely because it was taken seriously, SARS was kept under control.

as the news says a normal healthy person its no risk at all, for a young child and pregnant wife thay are at risk.
I would not risk comming to england with a small child and pregnant wife at home because you will be with them on your return…. and remember swine flu can KILL !!!
after all your sister will understand

and remember swine flu can KILL !!!
so can staying at home, of course.

Bird flu killed me. As did SARS.

30 people have died of it in the UK.
100,000 caught it in the last week, several hundred thousand have had it in total.

it's so mild, that the risk of serious illness from it is counterbalanced by your reduced risk of injury on the road by staying indoors.

I'd go.

Go.

All flu can kill and all flu spreads fast, numbers have increased because they have changed how it's diagnosed no longer done by blood test but by the very scientific process of being done by phone.

Drac you cynic. Are you trying to tell me that someone on the end of a phone asking someone if they have a runny nose isn't as good a way of confirming flu as a blood test?

No not all I trust our government.

my 73 year old father has just had it,
he was in bed for a couple of days now he is fine.

I agree with the the thoughts here, its been very over hyped. But……

As someone who has had a one in a million happen during the birth of our first son, I would have to say if my wife was 8 months pregnant at the moment i would be working from home and having sainsburys delivering the food for next few week.

Over the top, probably (deffinatly), but i'm affraid i wouldnt take the risk. unfortunatly a 1 in a million probability doesnt mean **** all when your the 1……

Note: I am now very over cautious when it comes to health issues and my family.

Go.
Carry some of that handwash stuff (Anti-bacterial) with you.
Don't kiss anyone at the wedding and after shaking hands, go and wash them.

Yes this swine flu would be mild for healthy people, for others there will be health problems. So please don't go into work if you have it and spread it around.

In any event, 'Put your own family first'… your decision.

after shaking hands, go and wash them.

LOL ! that always goes down well at social events ……

😉

This strain of flu is worse for people in their 20s and 30s and people who have other health problems. It could be worse for pregnant women because their immune system is having to work extra hard as it is. It is thought that older folk can cope better with this flu having been exposed to a similar strain years ago and therefore have better immunity against H1N1(swine flu).

I could be wrong though. 🙂

Flu kills oldies every year.

Am i being well over the top here and getting my knickers in a twist for nothing

With the current attack rate and mortality figures, yes; absolutely.

OP, be careful. Last year it was Avian flu. This year the UKs biggest killer is Swine flu.

Actually where does it stand in the table for causes of death? I bet top 20 max?

Actually where does it stand in the table for causes of death? I bet top 20 max?

Influenza is one of the top 10.

Influenza is the general classification though for flu.

Is it a Lady Gaga or is it Yeah yeah yeahs

Influenza is the general classification though for flu.

No it is flu.

Run away! Run away!
.
.
.

some friends went to turkey this week and were swabbed at the airport on leaving the uk.

I know a few people who've had it. They were healthy people (apart from the swine flu). Few days off work and then back to normal. Bit like normal flu really.

I agree that the wife, toddler and unborn move the goal posts a bit. Double check what the incubation period is, I was told it was only 24hrs. That would mean one night somewhere away from your family when you get back. Just remember that if it's a reasonably sized wedding in Debryshire, there may be people from Nottingham and we've been listed as a hotspot.

HTH

Incubation period is up to 4 days an average of 2.

I wouldn't go despite my wanting to be there. Stay with your wife, she needs you more than your sister.

Incubation period is up to 4 days an average of 2.

If thats true and the timelines mean you would know then arrange for your wife to stay with friends/relatives for the first few days of you back?

I wouldnt avoid your sisters big day because of something that might happen. The risk is there but then again surely your wife would have encountered far bigger risks to get to this point in the pregnancy and life in general?!

Your hardly flying into the land of Zombies or the land of AIDs.

It is completely overhyped.

Everything is under control and things are really quiet here…

Credit: http://www.best-horror-movies.com

If my wife was eight months pregnant I wouldn't be leaving the country, swine flu or not. She could give birth any day. What would you rather miss, your sisters wedding or the birth of your child?

100,000 people got it last week – British population is 65million – so low chance of getting it….. or so I thought until this week.

I have it at the moment – was diagnosed today.

I feel generally run down and its like a mild cold – nothing like the normal flu I got at xmas which made me want to curl up and die on several occasions.

my wife is symptom free despite sleeping in the same bed etc. so you might be fine – but then again if she was pregnant I'd also be paranoid and would have moved out for a week to keep her safe.

Up to you

I think I would be more worried about my wife giving birth on the plane coming over.

I am sure I know what answer my Mrs would give if she was asked to travel that distance 8 months pregnant with a 2.5 year old in tow as well 😉

delay the wedding.

I think swine flu weakens your ability to fight other infections.

If I did have swine flu it lasted about 5 days and wasnt the worst flu I've had but now drinking my home brew upsets my guts and gives me the shytes.

I had the vomiting-thing at Xmas- walking to the carpark from work and threw up 4 times. got home, through up into the bin then laid in bed for 20mins smelling the waft of cooking thinking 'I cant miss tea'. Got straight up and had tea. GF then must had had it from me- she was in bed for FIVE days throwing up 😆 err…..oops 🙄 8)

If my wife was eight months pregnant I wouldn't be leaving the country, swine flu or not. She could give birth any day. What would you rather miss, your sisters wedding or the birth of your child?

Bingo. That's the one (and only) reason not to travel.