Worried about Swine Flu? Don't Panic...
Even amongst those who catch swine flu, the survival rate is estimated to be around 99.9%. This is the same as for normal flu.
The newspapers are devoting a lot of attention to swine flu, but so far there is very little evidence that swine flu is any worse than normal flu. Whilst any death is tragic, all indications to date are that Swine Flu in the UK is a mild strain, comparable to normal seasonal flu. The initial data from Mexico was exaggerated, and the death toll figures were later revised downwards. As we have seen in the UK so far, out of thousands of cases, less than 0.1% of them have been fatal, and most of the fatalities have been in people who have been weakened by other conditions.
At Express Chemist, we don't recommend that you purchase any additional products in preparation for swine flu. As far as scientists know so far, it's just another strain of flu. The World Health Organisation has just declared a "global pandemic", but we feel that this term is misleading as it does not necessarily mean that the flu is particularly dangerous. Rather, it just means that lots of people are going to get the flu whatever happens. But this happens every year anyway!
Other points to note:
- The current strain of swine flu (H1N1) is far less dangerous than the bird flu (H5N1) that first hit the headlines in 2004.
- There was an initial panic about swine flu when death toll figures were first released from Mexico. However, these death tolls were guessed at, and the initial figures were misleadingly high.
- The current swine flu strain is now considered to be no worse than normal flu. At worst, this type of flu can be expected to kill around 0.1% of people who get it, and this is generally in developing countries where they don't have much of a health service.
- Face masks are of limited usefulness. No conclusive research has been done as to whether they can prevent the spread of viruses. In fact, they are uncomfortable and will lead to a lot of touching of the face, which will actually spread infection.
- Hand sanitation can be of use for those who are unable to wash hands frequently. However, correct hand washing is usually enough. Note, however, that flu is also air-borne, so in all honesty, none of the sanitisers are likely to significantly stem the spread of swine flu.
- If you currently take vitamins, then keep taking them, but no dose of vitamins will prevent you from getting the flu.
- If you do catch swine flu, the symptoms are likely to be far less severe if you are healthy. To this end, it's important to take care of your health. Giving up smoking and being a healthy weight are significant ways of improving your health.
At Express Chemist, we believe that it's more important to give correct advice than to panic people into buying Tamiflu or stockpiling tins of beans. We are decent people, and will not try to sell you things that you do not need. If in doubt, visit the NHS Direct website or call them on 0845 46 47.
Further reading is available here news.bbc.co.uk..., here news.bbc.co.uk/swineflu... and here news.bbc.co.uk/.../8030365.stm.
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