We had to deal with name calling for having swine flu (From Worcester News)

We had to deal with name calling for having swine flu

9:59am Wednesday 10th June 2009 in

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THERE is a great deal of pig ignorance when it comes to swine flu, as one Worcestershire mum whose teenage children contracted the virus will tell you.

Kenny Foster, aged 14, and 13- year-old sister Chloe, of Green Lane, Lower Broadheath, Worcester, were infected with swine flu while on holiday in Florida.

The teenagers have now made a complete recovery and have returned to Chantry High School in Martley where they have had to put up with a fair bit of playground stick from other pupils.

Their mum, 43-year-old hairdresser Allyson Wright, said: “My son has had to put up with jokes such as ‘Hey, swino!’ and ‘Oink! Oink!’ People have also been calling him names in town. He’s quite upset about it.

“It would be better if it had a different name. Fortunately, his friends are more intelligent and more understanding about it.”

It has even affected Mrs Wright’s hairdressing business, the unfortunately named Pigtails, but things are beginning to pick up again now following the family’s health scare which began as soon as they arrived at Birmingham airport after the children returned from the two-week break with their dad, his partner and their children.

Mrs Wright, who has never tested positive for swine flu herself, said: “I have had a little bit of hay fever and everyone is saying, “My God!

She’s still got swine flu!” I have to explain to them that I have never had it. People say to me, ‘Are you sure? You cut my hair and I’ve got a sore throat’.”

It was only thanks to Mrs Wright’s swift actions that the children did not go to school straight away where they could have potentially infected other pupils.

Chloe displayed fewer symptoms than her brother who had been suffering from fever, a sore throat, a cough, vomiting and asthma attacks.

If her mum had not alerted the authorities, Chloe would have returned to school as normal and many more people could have picked up the virus.

Mrs Wright drove the children to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester and was told by staff to go straight home and not even to stop for petrol on the way back.

The family had to stay indoors for two weeks and were given courses of the antiviral drug tamilflu.

Mrs Wright’s other daughter, Teigan Wright, eight, did not test positive but stayed away from Broadheath CE Primary School on advice from her headteacher.

In Mexico, where the virus originated in pigs, the death toll has been recalculated from 159 cases to 56. There are now 113 confirmed cases of swine flu in the West Midlands and 486 in the UK.

So have we overreacted to the threat of swine flu? Or is a more dangerous strain developing, ready to hit us this winter?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), swine flu is currently rated as a level five threat. A flu pandemic is declared at level six. This might sound bad, but Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading, says it’s not an indication of the flu’s severity.

“There is still confusion in the public mind about the word pandemic. It doesn’t mean severe infection, it simply means a very widespread infection, freely transmitting on a global scale.”

But health chiefs in Worcestershire are taking the threat very seriously.

John Rostill, chief executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worcestershire’s three main hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said it was “unacceptable” for anyone in the organisation not to plan for the worst case scenario.

This involves 30 per cent of staff being off work sick, which he described at the last board meeting as “a major potential crisis” and there are predictions the virus could return with a vengeance in the autumn and winter.

Predictions issued by NHS Worcestershire say a pandemic could kill up to 7,000 people in Worcestershire, which may seem wildly over-the-top but health chiefs have insisted they have to plan for the worst case scenario in order to cope more effectively.

Swine flu outbreaks have already forced several schools to close, including Eton College, and there are fears it could spread when children go back after the summer holiday. The return to school, work and university in September could give the virus an opportunity to become a pandemic, before a vaccine becomes available from October.

But Professor Jones believes it is more likely to spread in November, the start of our normal flu season.

“There’s no doubt that we can’t eradicate the virus and so the spread will continue and probably accelerate as we go into the traditional flu season.

“I don’t think there’s any evidence that it will be any more severe in its second wave.”

POX PARTIES

In the 1950s, before the days of mass immunisation, parents used to hold measles parties to infect their children with the disease so that they would then build up a natural immunity. Chickenpox parties also became popular.

While Professor Jones acknowledges the benefits of building up antibodies to combat future strains of swine flu, he agrees that pox parties are definitely not to be advised.

Children appear to be more at risk of catching swine flu because their immune systems are more naive, as well as the frail and elderly, who are more susceptible to respiratory conditions, says Professor Jones.

THE SYMPTOMS

IF you do catch swine flu, expect to have symptoms similar to a mild respiratory disease, such as a sore throat, aching joints, shivering and feeling cold.

If you suspect you have symptoms, seek treatment from your GP who might prescribe you with tamiflu.

While a vaccine to prevent swine flu is still being developed, those who catch it are being treated with the antiviral tamiflu.

It has mild side-effects, which include nausea and vomiting, but it’s generally ‘well-tolerated’.

“If it’s prescribed within two days of infection, it effectively stops the virus spreading as widely as it would otherwise do, both in the individual and to contact members,” says Professor Jones.

“One of the dangers if you raise concerns too highly is that everyone checks themselves into accident and emergency and everything gets clogged up when actually they don’t need to be there,” says Professor Jones.

SWINE FLU PRECAUTIONS

1. Practise good basic hygiene, wash hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of virus from your hands to face or to other people.

2. Clean hard surfaces frequently using a normal cleaning product.

3. Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue.

4. Dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.

ADVICE FOR TRAVELLERS

1. Travellers should continue to be aware of the risk of swine flu and anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms during a stay in a country affected by swine flu should contact a health professional and inform them of their symptoms.

2. Anyone who becomes ill on their flight home should alert cabin crew to their symptoms.

3. Travellers returning from a country affected by swine flu who become unwell with flu-like symptoms within seven days of their return should stay at home and contact their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

4. To access the department of health swine flu information line when abroad, call 00 44 207 928 1010.