Swine Flu

[rov1200]

Do you think it would be a good idea to catch Swine Flu now that its fairly mild so giving immunity for a more serious outbreak later?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8125191.stm

[jake-the-peg]

Is this real ?

What do we have here?

A story about a doctor who has heard a report of this happening!

You have to ask yourself is this really journalism or rumour-mongering

[Gromit]

A cull on very stupid people is a great idea and should be encouraged.

[BertiWooster]

Apart from anything else , even if this idea could work - surely any immunity you could possibly gain , would be against this particular strain .

Any future outbreaks of swine flu , would be different , wouldn't it ?

[sqad617]

Yes, The H1N1 changed it's antigenic structure (mutated) and apparently one case of H1N1 in a Scandinavian country has done just that.

[jake-the-peg]

Can we start our cull of stupid people with stupid journalists.

Hopefully that way we can contain the outbreak and stop it from becoming a pandemic.

[Gromit]

To be fair to the journalists, they are merely reporting what has been said by the British Medical Association expert Dr Richard Jarvis.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-119645 3/Parents-organising-swine-flu-parties-ensure- children-contract-virus-winter.html

[jake-the-peg]

But have they made even the slightest effort to determine if what he's told them is reliable?

Who he heard the report from for example?

Have they made any attempt to find someone who's participated in these alleged parties?

This is simply lazy journalism mindlessly reporting what someone's told them.

The Mail's similarly full of unsubstantiated rumour. Reporting what some people have posted on some site.

What next? "The Daily Mail has learnt from posters on a site called ChatterBank....."?

[Gromit]

jake

The US health department issued a warning about these on 7th May.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/A LeqM5i-VB_9IP5TEVmozh2Ua58D_6miqQ


As with most bad ideas, it has come from across the Atlantic.

Reporting that the health professionals are advising this is a bad idea, is not lazy journalism.

[rov1200]

I have not plotted the graph of infections but the virus has initially affected just a few only 2 months ago to now affect more than 4000 in the UK and rising exponentially. Therefore those susceptible will highly likely be unable to avoid it during the next 6 months.
So whether you self induce the virus may make no difference in the final outcome. The advantage of early infection is of course the hotter climate and Winter flu is always worse.

[rov1200]

As you say the lucky ones are probably those that contacted it in the first wave. If they were protected by the second wave they had a lot to be thankful for,

Is the thinking behind wanting to have a Swine Flu party no different from this scenario. If it mutates whether they have some resistance to the new strain is questionable.

[sqad617]

"If it mutates?"....one strain of H1N1 already has.

[rov1200]

I thought they were developing a flu vaccine that latches onto the proteins making it a general catch-all protector so it can handle mutations. When it finally arrives it may set all our minds at rest. But when?

[DaisyMae]

End of July is the latest prediction.

[LazyGun]

The virus might mutate between now and the winter - indeed, it would be suprising if it didn't - but having a prior exposure to a milder variant is still likely to confer some protection. One of the notable features of this particular pandemic is the age range of those most seriously effected - mostly young.
It is thought that this is because older folks have been exposed to a variant of this particular H1N1 which has offered them some protection this time around, but has been absent for the last 40-50 years or so.
For the same reason, a vaccine made to combat this particular version of H1N1 will be effective against any mutation, although not 100%.

So, on the surface, the idea of having a "swine flu party" now whilst it is thought mild has some attractions - The reasoning being that it will be useful like chicken pox parties were.

There has been a lot of anecdotal chatter on bulletin boards discussing holding this sort of party, so it is probably worth offering a warning against - principally because it will aid the spread of the virus,.'Flu (not common colds, which most people typically confuse with 'flu) has some serious effects which no one should wish on their kids, and can be fatal - so on balance, not a good idea.