It will be business as usual if Swine Flu returns

Jamie MacDonald • Published 11 Sep 2009 14:26 0 Comments

IT will be business as usual in Clackmannanshire if swine flu makes a return to the county during the winter months.

Schools will stay open and services are expected to carry on unchanged if the H1N1 virus remains in its current format.

NHS Forth Valley's public health consultant Dr Graham Foster told the Advertiser that swine flu was a relatively minor illness for most of those who have contracted it, but immunisations are likely to take place in October for everyone in the 'at risk' category.

He said, "The knowledge we have of H1N1 flu varies as we go along. It is a virus most of us don't have antibodies to, so we are more likely to get it.

"It has spread through various countries and Forth Valley was the first place in Britain to get it. We tried to run the containment phase to start with and we did very well in stopping it in Forth Valley.

"The Government moved in July from containment to treatment. It has become clear there are groups at risk - pretty much all the deaths in the UK have been people with underlying health issues."

School closures, which took place in other areas earlier in the year, will not happen in Clackmannanshire now containment is no longer a priority - providing there are enough healthy teachers to safely staff the school.

Those with underlying health conditions - including asthma - who would normally receive a flu jag or pregnant women should still contact their GP or NHS24 if they believe they have the symptoms for swine flu.

Symptoms include feeling flushed, having a temperature whilst shivering inside and aching limbs.

Those in the at risk group will receive a course of two jags to immunise them from H1N1. Older people, who normally receive flu jags due to their age, appear to have a higher tolerance to the disease and are unlikely to need the immunisation. A separate general winter flu jag will still take place.

Tolerance

Children also seem to be more tolerant of the illness with those in the age range from 20 to 50 judged to be most susceptible.

As of Friday there was no one from Forth Valley being treated in hospital for swine flu and there have been no deaths.

In the two months since July a total of six people from Forth Valley have been treated in hospital for H1N1.

In the past week there has been a sharp increase in the number of pupils at Clackmannanshire's high schools off sick reporting to have "flu like" illnesses.

Dr Foster said, "People who suspect they have swine flu should rest at home and take lots of fluids. If you have the symptoms don't go to work and spread it. If it is a flu you will want to stay at home for the week anyway.

"For 90 per cent of people it is not a big deal but for a small number of people it is a risk - as is any other illness."

A sign of an epidemic is when there are 1000 consultations of an illness per day by GPs per 100,000. At the moment the figure stands at 40 consultations.

The advice on the best way to stop the spread of swine flu is extremely simple and one that is almost as old as the practice of medicine itself - wash your hands.

Dr Foster said, "It can't pass through skin. The way it gets into your system is through your nose. If someone has sneezed and the germs are on a surface you touch it gets into your system if you don't wash your hands and then touch your nose.

"Soap and water is the best thing to stop the spread."

Local councillor George Matchett said people can protect themselves from the illness very easily.

He continued, "We can't sell short the need for wider hygiene attention, there are self help issues there.

"The plan carried out here has been picked up throughout Scotland. It provides me with comfort and reassurance.

"With Forth Valley having had the first case in the UK we have been at the forefront of the UK response. We are well prepared but we are not complacent."

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