The Echo reports here on 2 reported cases at Fitzwimarc School:
TWO teachers at a south Essex secondary school have been diagnosed with swine flu. Parents of children at FitzWimarc School, in Rayleigh, have been sent letters about the two confirmed cases and leaflets containing advice. The school remains open, but six families have taken up the option to remove their children as a precaution. Headteacher Jim Fuller telephoned the families of all children known to have conditions which could make them vulnerable. ….
More information on the school’s website here.
And government info and advice on Swine Flu can be found here.
Another local school has 2 students with the symptoms. Is there really any need for great concern over this? Are we all over reacting? Is it all media hype? Comments welcome especially from any G.P. who might read this. Not that I have anyone in mind.
Hi Bruce, unfortunately there has been a lot of unhelpful media hype about swine flu!
This means that we in the NHS are spending a lot of time re-assuring the “worried well” and the health service is being swamped with people who would ordinarily not contact them with only mild flu-like symptoms. This is not the fault of patients, in general most are very sensible but from what they see on the television they feel they are being responsible in seeking advice. This results in a lot of unnecessary anxiety for patients, extra demand on an already over stretched health service and the risk that amongst the large numbers of phone calls for advice the one or two serious cases may get missed.
Having said all that, it is very hard to predict how this virus will behave for any individual or in the population in the future. This uncertainty makes everyone (including us) over cautious. I would certainly recommend anyone with chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung, liver conditions, diabetes, immunity problems and anyone under 5yrs or over 65yrs seek medical advice if they have persistent fever with flu like symptoms. Otherwise most of the healthy population hopefully haven’t got too much to worry about!
The good news is we should be able to start vaccinating for swine flu later in the year, hopefully before winter strikes……assuming we have any staff left with enough energy to immunise everyone!
Deanne, thank you for your comments…..
Deanne
Thank you for your comments. Hope Mark has a good week in Rumania helping at the orphanage. It is tremendous taht members of the local community are giving their time in this way. It is Rayleigh Baptist Church that he is going with.