Why do we come tops in the wrong things?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/18/sw ine-flu-china-quarantine-british

The UK has registered 66% of all swine flu cases in the EU � an estimated 55,000 cases � and has had 29 deaths.

Should we have taken a leaf out of China's book in the first instance, by quarantining those early travellers that arrived from Mexico?

[Gromit]

The outbreak was too quick. The people that first got it in this country had contracted the virus and come home before anyone knew there was a problem.

The World Health Organisation first issued a notice about it on the 24th April. The first British cases were on the 27th April and the victims had been home for a few weeks. Many traveller from Mexico had been mixing with the general public for weeks and had passed on the virus before it was detected..

The Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel to Mexico on the 28th April and travel agents cancelled all flights.

[rov1200]

We did have time to take action AOG but we blew it. Now we are looking at 60,000 deaths. If you remember China impounded a flight into Hong Kong and put them in quarantine. Soon after that a flight arrived here from Mexico with some suspected cases. The instructions were then to ask the passengers if they felt OK. No checks. Then they let them through. Flight after flight from Mexico was treated similarly.

I've said it on a previous posting:
They allowed the few the freedom to come and go at the expense of the 60million here. The principle is the same as quarantining animals to stop rabies virus but with humans its just for a few days. The 15 soldiers killed seem to pale into insignificance of this mass self imposed slaughter.

[Gromit]

rov1200

The Chinese quarantined the plane in Hong Kong on the 1st May.

We already had confirmed cases here then, and had thousands who had returned from holiday in the weeks prior to that running around spreading their germs. It was too late to keep out swine flu. It was already here.

[patrickstar]

We report things and do it by the book, the rest of Europe make the rules then ignore them. They probably have high amounts too but just control the info to the media etc a bit tighter.

[coccinelle]

I know lots of people from UK going on holiday to Mexico, cos it's cheap. I know of none going from France!

[Gromit]

Coccinelle,

315,000 UK Residents visited Mexico last year. Probably for the sunshine. The French and Italians and Spanish have decent weather in their own countries, so are less inclined to travel abroad.

[anotheoldgit]

The French and Italians and Spanish have decent weather in their own countries, so are less inclined to travel abroad.

What a pathetic excuse, because they have decent weather the French, Italians and Spanish, are less inclined to venture into the great outside world. Perhaps Napoleon shouldn't have ventured into Egypt. Columbus who was Italian liked to get around? And it was the Spanish who conquered Mexico.

How World history would have been different if they had not travelled abroad.

[anotheoldgit]

No mention of the UK in this report, That is why we are where we are now.

Other governments have taken or threatened similar quarantine actions: In Hong Kong, an entire hotel was quarantined with 240 guests after one person staying there was found to have swine flu.

The government of Australia ordered a cruise ship with 2000 passengers to stay at sea because of a swine flu threat;Egyptians who went on the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca risked being quarantined upon their return.

At the end of April 2009, when the outbreak began, Russia and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus, and in Southern California, a marine confirmed to have swine flu was placed in quarantine along with about 30 other Marines. In early May, Japan quarantined 47 airline passengers in a hotel for a week after three travellers who arrived on the same plane from Canada tested positive for H1N1 swine flu, and Mongolia quarantined 109 Russian airline passengers in Ulaanbaatar.

Cont:

[anotheoldgit]

In India, after four airline passengers from London tested positive, the government ordered that all the 231 passengers of the flight should be administered the anti viral drug oseltamivir. Health authorities also asked that all the passengers not move out of their homes till further orders and quarantined at least one of the infected passengers. And in Egypt, a foreign students' dormitory for the American University in Cairo, with 140 students, was put under quarantine after two U.S. students were diagnosed with swine flu. According to the BBC, police wearing face masks "stood at barriers outside the elegant seven-floor AUC dormitory in Zamalek," and pizzas were delivered to the building during the day but none of the residents were allowed in or out.

Other governments have given health officials the "increased power" to order people into quarantine to control the spread of swine flu. The government of New Zealand, for instance, gave medical officers the power to order people to be quarantined at home if they have been in close contact with someone who has swine flu.

[anotheoldgit]

Wouldn't want to lumber other countries with our swine flu victims would we?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/19/sw ine-flu-british-airways-virgin

Passengers who catch swine flu abroad, are also being advised not to travel home until they have recovered.

Advised not ordered, so come into Britain if you must.

All so very British.

[Gromit]

AOG,

When you have finished running down Britain yet again, this time for something that is beyond our control.

65% of Britons holidayed abroad last year compared to just 20% of the French. 44 million of us went to foreign destinations.

Swine Flu was first detected in Mexico in March. 25,000 Brits visited Mexico and returned before the World Health Organisation issued a warning in April. By that time Swine Flu had come back with them. It was here. It was too late to keep it out.

Blaming the Government for the spread of a Virus is one of your more bizarre claims AOG.

[rov1200]

AOG we had the same knowledge as China when it quarantined visitors to Hong Kong. We could have taken the same precautions by putting them into quarantine. But we failed to act! Why is it they always put the needs of British citizens last?

[Gromit]

No we didn't Rov1200

The Chinese quarantined the plane in Hong Kong on the 1st May.

We already had confirmed cases here then, In the previous month 25,000 had returned from Mexico. It was too late to contain it here.

Still, don't let the facts stop you from running down Britain yet again.

[rov1200]

Nothing to do with the expected needless loss of up to 6000 lives that could have been prevented then Gromit? Maybe you are waiting for them to increase from 29 to the expected figure. We pay people high salaries to get these things under control.

You have got your facts wrong. The Mexican swine flu was well publicised before the first carriers arrived. With an incubation period of just a few days there was ample time. In fact I can quite remember British officials saying it was a mild disease and not prove to be a problem. We even upped the requirement for Tamiflu thinking that would cure the problem. We now know its not a panacea.

[rov1200]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8099832.stm

The first reported death in the UK was circa 15 June as this report shows. There was ample time before this to take action.

[Gromit]

rov1200

here is the timeline:

18th March. Mexico first notices new Flu like virus
28th March. First US victim
12th April. First Mexican victim dies with Swine Flu.
12th April. World Health Organisation (WHO)notified.
21st April. First US victim confirmed
24th April. WHO issues first outbreak notice.
27th April. First UK cases in Scotland

28th April. Major travel agencies and tour operators cancel flights to Mexico and arrangements begin to bring British holidaymakers home after the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the country. The FO also advises British citizens living in Mexico to "consider whether they should remain".

30th April. Cases confirmed in Ireland, Holland, Canada.
1st May. Chinese quarantine plane in Hong Kong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic _timeline

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/26/sw ine-flu-outbreak-timeline

Between the virus being first report in mid March, to the WHO warning at the end of April between 25,000 and 35,000 returned from holidaying in Mexico.
Quarantining planes after the WHO warning on 24th April would have been pointless.

This situation is not needless because it could not not
have been prevented. We did not know there was a problem until tens of thousands had already returned and had been free to spread their germs. We have been hit more by this virus because more British people visited Mexico than from other European countries.

As I said before, blaming the Government for the spread of this virus is barmy.

[anotheoldgit]

12th April. First Mexican victim dies with Swine Flu.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

27th April

The virus is also confirmed in two Scottish newlyweds who returned from their Mexico honeymoon last Tuesday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They returned on the 21st April, 9 days after the first Mexican died, if that honeymoon couple and subsequently all others returning from Mexico had been quarantined when they arrived back to Britain, who knows?

I repeat,

Should we have taken a leaf out of China's book in the first instance, by quarantining those early travellers that arrived from Mexico?

[Gromit]

AOG

The Mexico death on the 12th April was not attributed to Swine Flu at the time, it was recorded as regular flu.

The US first diagnosed Swine Flu in their victims on the 24th April, and the Mexicians only then subsequently confirmed on the 23rd, that the victim on the 12th died of swine flu.

The First British cases was on the 27th. They had returned from Mexico a couple of weeks previously.

But hey, if you want to throw people into quarantine for no good reason, let's do it.

[anotheoldgit]

But hey, if you want to throw people into quarantine for no good reason, let's do it.

No good reason? I think a World Wide pandemic is a pretty good reason.

I think if you look back at posts on this site you would see that at this time it was the practical action to take.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question75 0970.html