Breaking News: Flu deaths continue to increase

News just in from the BBC:

Thirty-nine people in the UK have now died with flu-like illnesses this winter, figures show.
All but three of them were infected with the H1N1 swine flu virus, while the remainder had influenza B, the Health Protection Agency data shows.

The figures were published as the government announced it is to re-launch an ad campaign to raise awareness of how to guard against flu.

Earlier this week GPs said cases had risen to 124 per 100,000 people.

The latest figures for Scotland, released on Thursday, showed 55 cases of flu per 100,000 - up from 45.8 per 100,000 in the previous week.

The HPA figures show 12 people died in the UK last week.

They also reveal that, out of the 38 cases for which information is available, 23 were people in "at risk" groups.

All except one were aged under 65, and four were under the age of five.

Only two are known to have had this season's flu vaccine.

www.bbc.co.uk...

How does this relate to last year, and the year before? Are the number of deaths below average, average, or above average?

Average so far in general, yet high for this early on, it's still well below pandemic levels, they think it's the cold snap thats responsible for the early highness.

Originally posted by woogleuk
Average so far in general, yet high for this early on, it's still well below pandemic levels, they think it's the cold snap thats responsible for the early highness.

Germs and bacteria cannot survive in below freezing temperatures... H1N1 is a government created virus... I don't know, you do the math.

This is the part that you guys, and the media, keep not getting.

The general numbers are for ALL flus. Not just ONE flu. These numbers are for ONE flu.

The people it is killing are not in the the normal parameters for people who tend to die from flus.

It may not be a pandemic. It is still something which is not normal.

I'm hearing there are now over 450 critical flu cases in Britain and most had the flu vaccination. What does that tell you????

And the kids go back to school next week... that'll ratchet up the infection rates.

Tho everything seems to be low key this time, which is much better than the fearmongering last time round.

Tho it'll be worth keeping an eye on when the kids go back to school

reply to post by thoughtsfull


It will spread faster than the Black Plague when those kiddies go back to school

Originally posted by bluemirage5
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

It will spread faster than the Black Plague when those kiddies go back to school

exactly my thoughts... my kids are like super infectors catching just about everything going and then sharing it with the world.. (my kinds are very sharing)

I hope tho, this does not turn into anything really nasty... tho this time round I have a feeling it might.

Whatever the virus is, 'regular' flu or piggy flu, our family have all had it.

Started with my eldest son, then my youngest, then me, then my wife.

We are all *fine*.

In fact, although it was a weird type of flu inasmuch as the symptoms went and the duration, it is probably the least severe flu i/we've ever had.

It's more like a bad cold than flu.

Symptoms;

Started with projectile vomiting, and galloping diarrhoea which lasted about 3 days. (although i escaped the vomiting part)

Then about a week of *very, very* runny nose, sneezing and streaming eyes (like you're crying almost), and a hacking cough. Went though 3 rolls of toilet roll on just my own runny nose! , next was two days of feeling low and very tired, and spent them pretty much in bed asleep, and then a few more days of the returning runny nose...feeling low for a while, then after about 3-4 weeks start to finish, we're back to normal.

My kids seemed to get less severe symptoms than my wife and i did, apart from the vomiting and diarrhoea which was worse for them.

If you do get it, and you don't have asthma or some other respiratory or immune illness, you will probably be fine, just get plenty of fluids and salts, and paracetamol.

If this was *the dreaded swine flu* it wasn't any worse than a bad cold / light flu.

The number of deaths, while very sad on an individual level, is quite normal for winter here in the UK.

I remember hearing a number of years ago, during a breakfast news show, that up to *30,000* people (mainly pensioners) had died due to cold and flu related infections the previous winter!

Even now, i cannot get my head properly around the sheer amount of people that regularly die each flu season...it's mind boggling really.

reply to post by havenvideo


While i firmly believe H1N1 is a partly manufactured virus, virus' in general thrive in the cold.

That's one of the reasons cold and flu virus' are more prevalent during winter time.

It's the heat they don't like. Bacteria on the other hand don't like the cold, but prefer the heat.

I'm 60 and I suspect swine flu is what friends and I got recently, though not sure as 'standard' symptoms aren't always present.
First the worst head cold ever. Even my eyes were streaming. It moved quickly to my throat and chest and my ribs are hurting with the coughing. Started to feel queasy but not actually sick.
Still not as bad as the one and only time I had 'real flu'. Was absolutely powerless to stir then for at least 3 days.
That said, one or two younger fitter people I know are still having some symptoms on the second week. Maybe it pays to be an old crock!

reply to post by starchild10


Look at my post a couple up starchild10...almost the same symptoms, the runny eyes were like i was crying.

Wasn't too bad really, just like a bad cold i thought.

Hope your mates are feeling better soon...if they're like me and mine, the symptoms suddenly seem to go as quickly as they arrived.

I went down with this on the 16th of December and am mostly fine but still have a slight bit of stuff on my chest. Swine flu went round my workplace like wildfire. I was in bed 4-5 days and am a healthy adult. My mother who is in her 70s had it and was in bed a week and not able to leave the house for three weeks. She needed antibiotics too.

Remember, you will know it is swine flu by the flu symptoms AND a deep chest infection. Other flu does not penetrate as deep into the lungs as swine flu.

I'm glad I've had it and now have the antibodies but feel sorry for whoever else is going to catch this as it is nasty.

Originally posted by spikey
Whatever the virus is, 'regular' flu or piggy flu, our family have all had it.

Started with my eldest son, then my youngest, then me, then my wife.

We are all *fine*.

In fact, although it was a weird type of flu inasmuch as the symptoms went and the duration, it is probably the least severe flu i/we've ever had.

It's more like a bad cold than flu.

Symptoms;

Started with projectile vomiting, and galloping diarrhoea which lasted about 3 days. (although i escaped the vomiting part)

Then about a week of *very, very* runny nose, sneezing and streaming eyes (like you're crying almost), and a hacking cough. Went though 3 rolls of toilet roll on just my own runny nose! , next was two days of feeling low and very tired, and spent them pretty much in bed asleep, and then a few more days of the returning runny nose...feeling low for a while, then after about 3-4 weeks start to finish, we're back to normal.

My kids seemed to get less severe symptoms than my wife and i did, apart from the vomiting and diarrhoea which was worse for them.

If you do get it, and you don't have asthma or some other respiratory or immune illness, you will probably be fine, just get plenty of fluids and salts, and paracetamol.

If this was *the dreaded swine flu* it wasn't any worse than a bad cold / light flu.

The number of deaths, while very sad on an individual level, is quite normal for winter here in the UK.

I remember hearing a number of years ago, during a breakfast news show, that up to *30,000* people (mainly pensioners) had died due to cold and flu related infections the previous winter!

Even now, i cannot get my head properly around the sheer amount of people that regularly die each flu season...it's mind boggling really.

With the greatest respect, I really don't think you or your relatives had the swine flu. The defining pathology of this illness is a bad chest infection combined with two other flu symptoms (variable) - in my case, aching limbs, temperature, extreme hot and cold spells.

You sound a little unsure yourself, judging by your wording. It sounds to me as though you and your family had the winter vomiting bug, which I have also had. Swine flu is somewhat worse.

In response to my earlier question, the answer:

Dr Brian Smyth, Consultant in Health Protection, at the Public Health Agency said the agency had seen a "continued significant rise" in the number of seasonal flu cases.

"Despite the recent rises, our current flu activity is less than the peaks noted in the past two years. As we expect the flu viruses to continue to circulate for the next few weeks, it is vital that at-risk individuals get vaccinated."

reply to post by bluemirage5

I'm hearing there are now over 450 critical flu cases in Britain and most had the flu vaccination. What does that tell you????

For once I agree with you !

I have many friends and family members who get the shot every year against my advice, and they get very sick every year. It certainly is cause for some concern.I never get sick (since I stopped getting shots when i was a young teenager) and I am surrounded by sick people all the time.

For the better of the people in the UK I hope these numbers are just a scare tactic by the medical establishment versus this being true. If there has been a new deadly strain of flu virus unleashed then it is bad news for everyone.

Please hear me out.

Virus or bacteria do not like the cold. They do not thrive in it. The cold will not make you sick. EVER!!!

The cold will make you be inside the house more. It will cause you to leave the windows closed and the central heating on tropical temperatures.

So you will be inside more with more people that are their with you in temperatures viruses and bacteria thrive in and they are not even at risk from the cold outside since people don't open up the windows and replace the warm air filled with germs by fresh air germ free air from outside.

reply to post by Sinter Klaas


Influenza thrives in cold, dry air, hence why it is more common as a winter virus.

Yea, we have all had something bad for a month, can't shake it, but I think the worse is over.

Scratchy throat dry cough, for weeks, then the laryngitis and head cold,

blah