what a nightmare, my poor son woke this morning had a bath got ready for school then at 8.30 im doing his pack lunch i go into him in the front room and he was huddled under my sofa throw over, and said he didnt feel well i felt him his forehead wernt hot but his back and belly were burning so called the school and kept him off  he managed a slice of toast and  some squash then i gave him some kids nurofen and he went to sleep when he woke this after noon he was very hot all over did his temp it was 38.9c and he had started coughing i called the docs and she said that as he had fever and cough he would be treated as a suspected swine flu case and iv had to go to the local hospital and pick up some tamiflu for him,

i gave him another does of nurofen before i left and when i got back he wanted dinner so i cooked him boiled eggs what he wanted and i did his temp again just know and its 37.6 now ,

i have not started the tamiflu yet as im not sure he has swine flu im a bit lost at weather to give it him as side effects are headache sickness and the runs,
are the docs being a bit over the top?
i dont want to give him drugs if he dont need them i found the staff handing out the pills very unhelpfull no one seemed to no how long i should keep my son off school for and i was refused a liquid form for him because he is 11 i tried to explain he is Autistic and their just no way im going to get him to swallow a capsule but they said i had to open the capsule and mix the powder with some jam and feed it him,

gosh i dont no maybe i should give him the tamiflu now he's just come in ands got a runny nose but it could be just a cold right ,
what would you all do if it your child i mean he seems okish now but is that the nurofen taking effect he's drinking and eating ok ands playing his game at mo kids being kids he'd go out on his trampoline if i let him, but as i did think he may have been pulling a fastone this morning trying to get out of school i warned him no school no trampoline later today,

isn't there a helpline you can call for more advice? i'm sure there is.

edited to add:

UK FLU INFORMATION LINE
0800 1 513 513 - (24 hour) Daily

they sould be able to help. i sincerely hope its not though. but don't worry, the majority of folk are fine.

Has there been any cases at the school or near you?  Find it very strange that the GP will just start him on medication without knowing a diagnosis.

yes their has been a lot of cases around my area and his scouts group sent letters home a few weeks ago as someone their has had it,
im going to call that number thanks for that A ,im on other sons laptop now and im not sure how the thing works

i called the number its an answer service dont really give me anyone to talk to just tells me what i read online today
think i will give doc another call in morning see what she says i dont like the thought of giving son the capsule powder, not if his fevers going down with the nurofen and he seems to have purked up a bit now just looks and sounds like he got a cold,

oh yes sorry ment to say the doc did say that as theirs so many cases in the area now they way they are dealing with it is if you show signs then they are just treating as swine flu i did read about this in local paper other day seems its ture they are no longer testing for it just treating

> just looks and sounds like he got a cold

they are going about as well. i don't know, i'd be pretty torn of it was me.

Try not to worry too much - my 11 year old grandson (in Connecticutt, USA) had it in May - and  my daughter said that if she hadn't had a letter home from school to say that there was swine flu in the school, she would just have treated it like any other 2-day thing - given him paracetamol, plenty of fluids and rest.    As it was, they took nasal swabs determine that he did have it, he had the last dose of tami-flu in Darien that day - was kept home from school for 2 weeks, and threatened to die of boredom!!   Daughter was quarantined as well, and DD's OH worked from home for a week.

Hope your boy's iillness runs the same course as Jared's.

thanks Lokis mum im not overly worried i think he'll be fine he's bored already and from when he has still been eaten and is drinking plenty i know his not that ill was his temp that worried me but thats gone down nicley with the nurofen ,
2 weeks off school he'll go potty he's only got 3 weeks before he leaves his primary school for good he'll be gutted missing so much and where he's in the Autistic unit they have really helped him so much in dealing with his issues im gutted he has to leave at all its been the best school iv ever known,  i hope its a 24 hour bug think i'll hold off giving him the tamiflu see how he is tomorrow,

im wondering if it is swine flu and you dont have the tamiflu could it get worse if not and its going to be just like it is now then i'd rather let him ride it out as he's not as ill as i was with the regular flu i had 2 years ago i can honestly say that i would never moan about a cold and call it the flu again i was SOOO ill only good thing about it was i lost nearly a stone in weight i ended up well pleased,
gotta say i have never been as ill in my life tho but the weight loss was a bounus,

sorry this Daughter was quarantined as well, and DD's OH worked from home for a week.

their was not a mention of me not going out i dont think its being taken that serious here , like you said its pretty mild i think its older people and people with other health issues more at risk,

I read if you get it you know you have it and it floors you. Can't speak from experience though.

well that sound much like when i had that bout of proper flu it floored me for real i was in bed for over a week couldnt eat and i hurt so much i then new what flu was, people get a cold and say "ohh i got the flu" i look at them and laugh and can say if you really get proper flu you KNOW you got flu, was my first time ever having it to,

the docs and the help line i rang say most times the syptoms are mild,

I only know what I've read, no personal experience, but it appears that it's a very mild for of 'flu and those who've had it have been looking great when talking on camera 2 days later!

I'm always a 'drugs are a last resort' person so I know what I would do! :) :)

My neighbour who's a GP tells me that swine flu a "mild, upper-respiritory tract infection, similar to a feverish cold". Avian flu, however, is a lower-respiritory tract infection, and can cause much more serious problems.

I had 'flu' once and it was just as you say.....horrible.....I was floored for a week and it took many more weeks to get my normal strength back, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
However her the doc at work says the same it is a 'man flu' type col,d upper resp infection, cold like symptoms.
The fact is I would rather me and mine had it now than in the second wave when it is likely to be a more ferocious attack.

Karen

>The fact is I would rather me and mine had it now than in the second wave when it is likely to be a more ferocious attack.

Ditto - especially when there will be other varieties as well to cope with in the traditional 'flu season', making this variety much more challenging.

The information around swine flu seems to be all over the map.  Only two days ago some doc on the telli said that tamiflu is only given when someone is very poorly with the flu, otherwise it's just the usual (bed rest, fluids, etc.)  

You would think that the govt would get their act together!  

well sons still ill not going to be a 24 hour thing thats a shame ,
he's more upset his missing school friends and he had an open day tomorrow where he was going with his ssa from his school to spend the day at his new secondary school and was going to meet his new class mates its really upsetting him as all this has been planned and we have all been preparing him for this for so long,
now to have to change that for him is a disaster i really feel awful for him poor love,

i was still unsure weather to give the Tamiflu or not as he seems same as yesterday not any worse,

just had nhs direct call me now they are saying i dont have to give the tamiflu if the fever is going down with the nurofen that it probley is just a cold or virus
honestly you really do get alot of conflicting info im starting to wish i had never even rang the doctors yesterday and just treated him like he had a normal bug as thats what iv been doing anyway ,

doctors and health officails have just confussed things even more ,
also she said that she had never heard of being told to empty the tamiflu capsules and mix them in a teaspoon of jam and spoon feed it, thats what i was told to do ,

im not going to give the tamiflu she said it would only make the symtoms last one day less anyway so as he's not that bad today think i will leave it

Got my son's OH in bed with suspected swine flu the doctor came to us and swabbed her we will know tomorrow. She had been home to her family in Rugby so that's why she has been checked she is also confined to home for 3 days. Seems like there are conflicting treatments for swine flu county to county.

yes i think their is im in central London and even the nhs direct confirmend on phone this morning that they are no longer swabing in my area just treating suspected cases im really not happy about giving him the drug anyway he seems a bit better now his temps been normal since after i last gave him nurofen that was around 9am and he does seem fine now his been out in garden on the trampoline before the sun moved round the back at 12ish he just got a little sniffle now thats it,

i dont think the tamiflu is needed, i would like him to be able to go to his open day tomorrow at his new school but have  to wait for the head to call me back to let me know if its ok i hope so as he really wants to go and meet his new class mates its going to be a real big change for him and to miss it could cause him to be very upset when they have to start in september being Autistic he needs a lot of time to adjust to the change and we all been working hard with him to make sure the change is a welcome one,

he's a very cheaky chappie in deed his just come in and informed me he would like to go to Harvester for lunch lol not sounding like a kid with swine flu to me is it :-)

a school near farnhan surrey as close it doors for the week i think they said on radio 9 case there.

Nope Helen was in bed for two days and sounded really rough. The GP said its not as bad as its press because "normal" flu (excuse the language) Kills off a few old people every year!!

He sounds as if he has a cold!!!

i think same just a cold,  schools around here are now not closing even with confirmed cases theirs been a bit of up raw about the fact that they staying open its been in local press

chelzeagirl,
Why have they not taken a swob. Don't overlook anything!! Most people recover with treatment fine. Just be carefull if anyone in the family has asthma or any other chest weaknesses. or any babies.
They have asked a lot of retired GP's to come in and help. The vaccinations program is starting tomorrow, for those on the front line.
It will not be long before it is there for all.

Denese

they are no longer swobbing anymore just treating suspected cases which i didnt think my son was one of as his temp did go down and he was fine after 2 days so i did not give him the tamiflu dont like the idea of giving him these drugs he's not that ill to warrent it,

Glad to hear your son is feeling better.  I do think that health officials/authorities ought to be a bit more precise and consistent with their information though.
If it's any consolation now, Tamiflu & Relenza and the like are used in Far Eastern countries such as China for 'every day' flu too as well as what are considered 'more serious' flu viruses.

> The vaccinations program is starting tomorrow, for those on the front line.
>

Hi Denese

Purely out of interest, could I ask where you found this information regarding vaccinations?
I was under the impression from the various world wide organisations that developing a vaccine could take up to 6 months at best, and even when and if a relevant vaccine is produced, the UK Government has only the resources to make it available to half the population.....
Bearing in mind the planning that has to go into your 'average' seasonal flu vaccines, I'm surprised that a program is under way already.
Anyway, would be interested to know your sources (as I said purely because pandemic planning used to be part of my job) particularly if it was on the 'news' anywhere.
Thanks
T

Tessies Tracey,

Sorry No.

Denese

>Purely out of interest, could I ask where you found this information regarding vaccinations?

Not really at liberty to say on a public forum how I know but I can also confirm that the vaccine is ready and vaccination of front line staff is due to commence in the very near future.

My sons GF had it. If your son has any other issues ie asthma or prone to bronchitus I would give it my youngest has asthma and has jabs every year for flu.
If fit and healthy its your call really, if you feel he is really "ill" rather than uncomfortable I would rather be safe than sorry. If he already feeling better after 24 hours dont!

The swabs are taking 5 days to come back by that time people are over the worst.

> Sorry No.
>

Fair enough!

> Not really at liberty to say on a public forum how I know but I can also confirm that the vaccine is ready and vaccination of front line staff is due to commence in the very near future.

Thanks for your reply ShaynLola, I have your pm and will message you back.  It will be interesting to exchange (some!) notes.

**************
My sources are telling me different things, so someone somewhere is not quite on top of it!
It does concern me that the virus very probably will mutate and become resistant to the current vaccines being put in place, being as they can only be developed over that period of time, it IS going to take time to keep producing and reproducing vaccines.  H1N1 is showing resistance to Oseltamivir (a prophylaxis) already. 

> they are no longer swobbing anymore just treating suspected cases

My children brought a letter home from school yesterday, saying "the health service is nolonger 'confirming cases' and they entered a 'treatment phase', which means people with flu-like symptoms should see a Dr. and they may be prescribed Tamiflu".

How is your boy doing chelzeagirl?

My two nephews appear to have had/got swine flu. One of their friends had it but doctors arn't checking now  and the schools arn't closing just sending our letters. My daughters school has at leaast one case.;we understand and the kids have not been bad at all just a couple of days under the wether with flu symptoma and a cough. Both a very healthy children. However i am staying away cos I don't care what it is I don't want to get ill for the summer holss !!

Out of interest what happened to this nationwide leaflet on swine flu so that we know the symptoms?

My county and also the one next to me have not received any such leaflets, is it only the inner London cities/towns maybe Surrey now, by the looks of it and perhaps the part of Scotland where the first cases were highlighted that have received these leaflets? I did think it was going to be a none hit, like bird flu until I heard the report the other day of hundereds of thousands predicted affected in August. Now I'm listening!!!!

I'm like Westcoast as in I only go to the doctor or take pills if I am almost dying so would probably pass swine flu off as just a cold or flu which I very rarely get as long as it is not that one from a couple of years ago that was a mild sore throat but made my head feel like it was going to explode, (I don't want that one again!!)

Can someone with the knowledge pleased write out the known symptoms of swine flu (guess I could go to the NHS website, but whilst I'm here...............) it seems most people recover after a few days unless unfortunate enough to have an underlying problem or weak immune system, but still I'd like to know as the government haven't sent any leaflets my way at all.

The typical symptoms are:

    * sudden fever, and
    * sudden cough.

Other symptoms may include:

    * headache,
    * tiredness,
    * chills,
    * aching muscles,
    * limb or joint pain,
    * diarrhoea or stomach upset,
    * sore throat,
    * runny nose,
    * sneezing, and
    * loss of appetite.

Leaflet

Online symptom checker

hi their my boy was fine after 2 days and went back to school , i didnt give the tamiflu as i didnt feel his symtoms were realy swine flu , but saying that everyone is saying that its pretty mild so if it was the swine flu i'd say that my son has most def had worst colds in the past,

Carrington ; i haven't recived any leflet either and no one i know in my area has and we are in London near the city their has been alot of cases around here  (so they say) but we have not seen any leflets what so ever,

i know this going to make me sound like a right dumb blonde :-D , but what does it mean when you say ,
the virus could mutate ,
i have my mum coming in November to stay and she suffers with high blood pressure i would be so worried about her geting it, also shes 64 and never had a flu jab and refuses to get one also,

> hi their my boy was fine after 2 days and went back to school

Thats good news then :)

My son was ill a few weeks ago, he was sent home after his SAT test in the morning as he started vomiting :( The headteacher asked if I could make sure he got to his SAT tests every morning and he could go home striaght away. I took him to the DR. becuase that evening he had a bad cough with chest pains, headache, aching limbs, the works. But Dr. said it was 'just a virus' and he could carry on going to school if he felt up to it, no mention of swine flu atall! So fo 1 week, he only did 2 hrs of school in the morning, bless him, he was very poorly but managed to go in for his tests.

It is highly unlikely that the virus would stay in a household that is "family clean" - by November it will most definitely have died in your house.

However, if you mum has high blood pressure and is considered "at risk" she will receive a letter from her surgery every September or so, inviting her to attend at the beginning of October for a free flu jab - I've had one each year for the past three years (ever since my high b/p was diagnosed) - and over 65s get invited regardless of health!  

Try and encourage her to go this year.

thanks Lokis mum she does get the letters about the flu jabs yearly but refuses to have it done, shes never had the flu before either and she thinks she will get symtoms just by having the jab (shes a hard women to talk to and wont take advice from anyone she does what she wants always has)

im not so worried about the virus being in my house i dont really think my son had the virus , im worried about any of us getting it while shes here with us and then passing it on to her,

she will not have the jab i know she wont i tried last year but she refused she was put off when my OH had his yearly one for the second year running and he ended up ill she blamed his flu jab, :-(

Thank you MM. :-)

Glad that your boy is now fine Chelzeagirl, I guess they must have changed their mind about us all getting the leaflets, to be honest out of the list I would probably only consult a doctor if I had a fever.

The saying is to starve a fever and feed a cold isn't it? So with a fever you need medical help to sustain the body and help it fight. The rest I would just go to bed, sleep all I could and make sure I ate to keep up the good fight.

Hope that anyone who gets it pulls through and is not too ill, fingers crossed I guess many of us will get it if the predictions are correct, no point in worrying though, what will be will be.

It is getting very bad, not all cases are recorded. Doctors are updated daily. It spreads more in closed environment than outside. Roll on the Summer Holidays. It will die down a little. Most doctors now have so many cases they are asking patients to remain at home take paracetamol. Only get in touch if they get worse.
Check on the Tamiflu on the net for side effects. Only take it if you have to.
Pregnant moms /breast feeding moms and children under one can't have the Tamiflu.
Do you know if there is soap in the childrens toilets at school as many havn't, if not Moms get together and ask the school to supply it.
All my Grandchildren carry hand gel, to use at school and especially before lunch. As the virus can live on desks and other equipment upto 2 days.  Don't rely on the health authorities to be truthfull to us. We all have to do our best!!

Denese

> Roll on the Summer Holidays. It will die down a little

Really??  with all the travel and days out people do in the holidays it could get a whole lot worse

> but what does it mean when you say ,
> the virus could mutate ,
>

in basic terms, a virus constantly changes to adapt to it's surroundings.  So for example if we found a vaccine that treated one particular strain of a virus, that virus could change itself so that it could still infect humans/animals, etc.
Hope that explains it a bit :)

I think people will have to stop shaking hands and greeting each other with a kiss,at least 'til this virus has run it's course.I read once'that all virus'take hold first in the nose and mouth.The warm moist conditions and the easy access to the body are an ideal ground for them to multiply.It's those who already have underlying medical problems that are seriously at risk.I'm worried about getting it because of my diabetes and heart problems.I have a flu jab every year,but there's no jab yet for this one.Maybe people who are at higher risk should be encouraged,or even ordered to wear face masks to get some protection.I would do so now,but feel I'd be on my own wearing one.

poppit,
Don't worry the next flu jab you have should be the one. As you know with any flu jab it will not stop you getting the flu, but makes it a lot less server. Yes, close, closed environments are the worsted. When we were grow up, we were taught to put a hand over our mouth when coughing, hanky over our nose when sneezing. wash our hands when going to the toilet. This in schools and some homes is no longer taught. this is why a lot of viruses spread. Use mouth wash. Try all things you would have done if there was just an ordinary flu epidemic

Denese

Freds Mum,
The school holidays will reduce it a little, as a lot of the children will be outside and less chance of catching it. Just like the chichenpox/mumps/measles was years ago.
We in England have not got immunity to a lot of these viruses coming from abroad. That is why we are at high risk. If we took measles to some of these other countries it would wipe them out.
I can't pretend it isn't a little frightening. My daughters have stopped taking there children to playgroups. Because one of my daughters was pregnant. baby is ten days now and we are all trying everything we can, to make sure he does not catch it, as there is no medication for breast feeding moms pregnant moms or children under one year. We would loose him.

Denese

>Try all things you would have done if there was just an ordinary flu epidemic

It is just an ordinary flu epidemic - if you're otherwise healthy it's no worse than a chesty, feverish cold, according to my GP.

Much better to get it now, in summer, when there are few other viruses about, rather than in the traditional 'flu season' when you stand a greater chance of other viruses at the same time. Some people are even organising swine-flu parties, the way we organise chicken-pox parties for our children. Get it over and done with at the time of our choice.

> Some people are even organising swine-flu parties

> Get it over and done with at the time of our choice.

So true.  I'm beginning to think now its not a case of 'if' but 'when'. Cant believe how crazy some people have got over this. Very few people are really at risk, so catch it, deal with it and move on. Just get it out the way :-)

> Don't worry the next flu jab you have should be the one

Thanks ever so much for your reply Denese.I agree with you thant people don't seem to use hankies anymore,tissue or cotton.I do most of my travelling on the tram and the occassional bus,and the number of people sniffing is ridiculous.If you subtract the number who sniff because they use cocaine,that still leaves a lot who have some kind of virus.It is worrying,being in the at risk category.I still get out and about,but i'm so aware of anyone near me who is snuffling,and i keep away from them.