Swine flu/normal flu

[jennyjen02]

Right, I'm a bit confused!

How is that you can go to your GP with flu symptoms and they can differentiate between swine flu and normal flu?

Also, why is swine flu more dangerous than normal flu?

If anyone could show me an article I'd really appreciate it!

x

[stonekicker]

they can't and you probably won't be able to either. currently, it is probably as dangerous as normal flu, only lots of people will get it - i.e. an epidemic. therefore, more people ill = more people die. but people die of normal flu too, only no-one gives a hoot. also, this kind of virus which originates in an animal could potentially mutate in the future to a more dangerous type of virus, but there is no evidence of that happening yet. don't panic - its probably not worth it (yet)! x

[jennyjen02]

Haha, not panicking at all, don't worry! Just interested cause it's closely related to my degree. Thanks for the answer.

I just don't see how someone can go to a GP and be reassured it's one rather than the other.

[lilacben]

I am glad you have asked this as I was thinking the same thing myself. They say not to go to the doctors ,which you wouldnt be able to anyway if you had any flu. As everyone knows you cannot hardly get out of bed if you have real flu.So what tells us this flu is different to the swine flu.?

[dot.haukes]

I've been reading up on it tonight and apparently the NHSdirect line and your GP will base therr diagnosis on your phoned in symptoms and then give you a voucher for the any-viral medication for a 'well' relative to collect from your nearest allocated chemist. It does make sense to not have to go into the GP's surgery, but if the symptoms seem so close how can the GP be sure it will be swine flu?

[stonekicker]

they can't it made me smile when i saw on the news today that gp's would be left with the responsibility of diagnosing swine flu. i wasn't aware that along with all their medical training they had also become soothsayers/visionaries too and were able to distinguish between viruses with a good glance! basically, anyone with flu-like symptoms will be given tamiflu or similar, until there are so many cases its not worth it any more. i just hope i had it on the monday the news broke (woke up feeling crap with the worst flu i'd ever experienced, and then had to phone work and try to convince them i was being serious - i'm a nurse!). if not, i'd rather get it sooner rather than later. we'll see how all the hype pans out. if the government had got off its butt and quarantined people getting off planes from mexico at the start, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess, eh?

[jennyjen02]

Yeah that's what I don't understand. The symptoms seem to be exactly the same, except that in some cases there is more diarrhoea and vomiting for swine flu, but not all. Very complicated! I bet it's a common question.

[lilacben]

Snap!!

[jennyjen02]

Just saw your post stonekicker, just want to clarify that my first sentence wasn't about quarantining Mexican Flight passengers, although I see where you're coming from!

[stonekicker]

yarp. as ever - the government waited until after the horse had bolted to do something about it. really hope it doesn't turn out to be really bad. life's hard enough as it is! take care and good luck with your course x

[Pigletion]

They swab test you and the tests are rushed through, so you get the results quickly. Well that's what happens where my Mum works. Though this has normally been for people who had something else, so that's why they were at the doctors, and the swine flu happened to be picked up. They see whether its H1N1 or another strain. The H (haemagglutinin) and the N (neuraminidase) are just two proteins on the outside of the flu that are classified by a number based on their type. It is these two proteins that are used to identify the strain (probably the antigens that we produce antibodies against).

I think the diagnosis over the phone, is because they are trying to limit the spread and if you are an otherwise healthy person taking tamiflu and staying away from other is the best treatment (doesn't really matter if you have what is known as regular flu). They don't need to waste time testing you, its quicker and easier to just give you the drugs based on your symptoms. Obviously this is for normally healthy people who would usually fightoff flu on their own anyway.

There is nothing to say swine flu is more dangerous, it's spread around the world has just been noticed as it killed a lot of people in Mexico. Without those deaths, it may have just passed everyone by, as people who get really ill with it have some underlying health issue e.g. immunocompromised, have respiratory issues, just like 'regular' flu. The only thing is it is an animal flu and therefore relatively unknown with regards spread, treatment etc.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ scientific article database, there'll be loads on flu.

Enjoy

[jake-the-peg]

The Government didn't quarantine people coming from Mexico because thousands do.

You would need to establish holding areas for huge numbers of people and probably military enforcement because many wouldn't stay voluntarilly.

Such action would also induce panic causing even more hype and unless every country did it you'd have to quarantine those coming from other countries too.

And all for Flu!

Actually the Government has provided huge quantities of anti-viral drugs like Tami-flu and Relenza on a scale never before seen and is working on innoculations for this winter when things are likely to get really bad.

I really don't think you can bash the Government on this one!