Enough already!

As a Health Care Professional, I am really sick of Swine flu.

All we hear about is "There's been a new confirmed case of Swine Flu" "Stocks of antibiotics are being bought on-line to protect people" "Immigrants are responsible for Swine flu". Ok maybe the last one is in my head but it's only a matter of time before the Daily Mail makes the link.

But please, reasonable, sensible people, please listen. Swine Flu is just a type of flu. It's no worse than any other. In fact it's probably safer. Look at the stats. So far there have been a few hundred cases of H1N1. Each year between 250,000 and 500,000 people die of seasonal flu. Let's get a a grip.

Seasonal flu is the sort that we have every year. No fancy, sexy prefix. Just flu. The problem is that most people think they have flu when actually they have a (granted a bad) cold. When I was a baby tech we learnt this basic method of diagnosis.

You're in bed feeling under the weather and there's a tenner on the floor. If you can get out of bed to pick it up, you have a cold. If you cannot leave your bed, you have flu.

Please remember that whilst Swine flu has claimed lives, it is still rare for people to die. If you have suspected symptoms, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and rest. Chances are you'll feel rough but will get better.

Antibiotics are optional.

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