Britain on verge of flu epidemic
Tuesday 28th December 2010, 8:00PM GMT.
Britain is on the brink of a major flu epidemic with the number of seriously ill people soaring and hospitals admitting more of those battling the virus.
Across the UK 18 adults and nine children are known to have died as a result of flu.
At Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital staff have been called back early from their Christmas break to cope with an increase in emergency admissions as a result of the flu outbreak.
Doctors are warning infections will increase in coming weeks when children return to school with the peak not expected until early to mid-January.
The Government has been criticised for scrapping a scheme to vaccinate children aged under five.
There are three strains of the virus. The swine flu strain has forced the closure of one ward at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital.
An epidemic is officially declared when the rate of people seeing their GP with flu or a flu-like illness exceeds 200 per 100,000 people in a week. The rate rose from 34.6 to 87.1 in the week before Christmas.
At risk groups including pensioners, can get a free flu jab.
Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health said today: “It is not too late to get vaccinated for your protection and that of your family.”
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I do sometimes wonder about the logic behind these so-called warnings. It’s winter, and I don’t mean any disrespect to the people that have unfortunately died; my heart goes out to them and their families at this time. It’s just that the figure mentioned is out of 60+ million, right? And we read words like “epidemic”..well, it’s winter, it’s cold, and people get the flu. Just stop for a moment and put it in perspective. In my opinion fear, panic and confusion is now an industry – look at the fiasco over the swine flu “epidemic” we were all told about..the one that never came. How about years gone by when people didn’t have access to better health services, or even decent heating. By those standards we seem to be doing much better as a whole.
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Here we go again, maybe if the nation got of its fat idle backsides went out exercised and mixed more then folk would become less vunarable, maybe its down to week immune systems thru watching to much tv and playing daft xbox 360 games 24/7!
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It has nothing to do with that, i am as fit as a fiddle and excercise daily yet still managed to get the virus. I caught it last week and was bed ridden for three days. My body seemed to chuck it out pretty quick though. I do feel for the elderly that have it. It knocks you about something rotten and i would definetly recommend getting vaccinated if you are at risk.
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Wish my weak immune system was down to little exercise and too much time on my backside watching TV instead of nasty disease and treatments I had to get me where I am today!
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To the comments above.
What the hell are you guys on about. There is no conspiracy theory or sinister motives. Just news telling people about the bout of flu that’s going around. I have had it since 24/12 and still got it strong on 29/12 and there are no signs its shifting. Now for me I can deal with it being 23 year old lad, but I would be scared for old and young people who contract this as it literally sucks the life out of you.
I am physically fit and I have contracted it from a customers at work, idleness has nothing to do with it. You pair need to A) get a life and B) get this stinking virus and then see what opinions you have…
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cary,
I never suggested a conspiracy theory..I was just commenting on the somewhat alarmist tone of the warning; it’s not only telling people about the flu that’s going around, it’s warning of an impending flu epidemic. And for your information I do have a life – and I have had flu in the past including very recently. You talk about conspiracy theories yet you seem rant and rave at me like someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I’m not going to play your game.
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I think you must have a ‘cold’ Cary, because if you really had flu you’d certainly NOT be on the internet and not be writing to forums about how ill you are!
The definition of flu is “you are in bed and a £50 note blows onto the front garden. You look at it, turn over and go back to sleep”
or in your case write to the Express and Star!
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Some cold aye, so much of a cold that the doctors at the Walsall walk-in centre instantly diagnosed it as swine flu (8 years to get a p.h.d so I think they know what they are doing).
F.A.O William; I didn’t mean to come across angry in that last post but I had only slept 3 hours after being folded over with vomiting and coughing phlegm to the point blood comes out now with it. The point I am making is that this flu bout is very serious. If a 23 year old roofer is bowled over I dread to think what an old woman would be like.
My motto is; ‘only have an opinion if you know all the facts’. Going from that all I can say is that this bout of flu isn’t just a headline seller and that its the real deal.
Hope you all enjoy the festive period and a happy new year. Till next time, keep well.
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Hear Hear Cary. I’ve also been laid up with flu, including vomiting (diagnosed as swine flu over the phone), since Xmas Eve. I didn’t get up until yesterday and still feel terrible. I cycle to work and keep fit, never owned an Xbox, so there’s your theory out of the window. Unfortunately I don’t get paid when off sick so have had to struggle in today. No doubt at the risk of spreading the virus around.
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So you’re commending someone who creates a straw man scenario in order to bolster their opinion, ascribing one view with all, and suggesting just because someone else doesn’t agree they don’t have a life? Well in reality I never suggested it was down to lazyness or having games consoles – what I was saying is that flu is natural at this time of year and that the last flu epidemic failed to materialize anywhere near the levels we were told to expect. Getting the fly myself didn’t change my opinion either in so far as putting things in perspective. Fear sells.
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William,
I misconstrued you post for that of somebody who was knocking the ‘express and star’ for printing headlines based on fear. Hence the get a life comment due to the fact this flu is the real deal and a comment saying otherwise would be grossly inappropriate.
As for fear sells, you are correct! But when did the papers write the truth? Julian Assange’s source for the documents on the ‘wikileaks’ website has been detained for the last 7 months in solitary confinement and being tortured till he confesses, instead of reading the truth like that we are fed drivel about Cheryl Cole’s love life and new choice of hair colour.
Anyway off on a tangent there. Thanks for replies to posts.
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If you really had flu, you’d not be able to go to work, whether paid or not
You’d be better calling your GP and asking for a flu jab if you’re concerned about ‘spreading the virus around’
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LL I’d suggest instead of struggling in to work, which if you really had Flu you’d not be able to do, go to your Practice Nurse and get a Flu Jab.
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There’s still lots of swine flu shots left over from last year, rather than bin them best to make money off them so line of like the good little guinea pigs you are.
As an asthmatic whom used to get vaccinated against flu every year up until 4 years ago, surprisingly when I used to get vaccinated I got flu every year then when I stopped vaccinations no more flu, not for 4 years now. The doctor used to tell me vaccination does not guarantee against flu but it will drastically reduce the symptoms if I do get it, I later found out the doctor gets paid per vaccination!
The mercury content in these vaccinations is very high indeed!
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If you think swine flu is bad, wait till horse flu comes out in a couple of years!
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I am 32, usually very fit and have no health problems. I got what i thought was flu mid december. I rested in bed and did what i thought best.. drank fluids, had paracetomol etc. I ended up being admitted to coventry walsgrave hospital on the 15th dec with pneumonia and pleurisy. I could’ve died. I was diagnosed with swine flu and isolated. I came out on the 23rd. I’m still unwell. I’ve seen news describing that there were 6 people in that hospital ccu . It said all had underlying health problems. What rubbish. I am a normally active healthy lady. I would urge everyone under the age of 65 to get the jab. What made me angry is that swine flu hadn’t even been mentioned this year so it never even crossed my mind that i had it or I would have got help sooner. More government cost cutting i take it.
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How many deaths from swine flu compared to death from swine flu vaccines?
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I’d like to know what percentage of cases/deaths occur in people who HAVE been vaccinated, compared to those who haven’t. I and my elderly parents all had flu and pnemo jabs, and yet we sadly lost my father just before Christmas to The Bug. Seconday infection following flu-like symptoms – death certificate states ‘pneumonia’, rather than ‘flu’….. but why, when he’d had the pneumo AND flu jabs?
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So sorry for your loss, in my personal experience I have not had flu in over 4 years, maybe it’s a case of my immune system strengthening on it’s own instead of taking vaccines which destroy peoples immune systems.
If you do a little research yourself into vaccinations, mercury content, the sudden rise of learning disorders since vaccinations were introduced, etc etc
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Vaccinations are extremely deadly and toxic, a baby is attacked from birth with these mercury filled vaccinations (mercury an exremely toxic poison), these vaccinations are big business, they make some people sick quickly, others sick slowly, sick people are good for the pharmaceutical businesses who’s number 1 priority is wealth (instead of our health), these pharmaceutical company’s want as many of us as is possible dependent on their medication.
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