Thursday, 9 July 2009

Swine Flu in Amber Valley

It was only a matter of time before swine flu spread to every part of the country. If ‘normal’ flu is anything to go by, no nook or cranny will be exempt.


Every day more cases are reported and after reading my local newspaper online today, it confirmed that 4 secondary schools in Amber Valley have been added to the ever growing list.


Pupils from Ripley's Mill Hill School, Heanor Gate Science College, Aldercar Community Language College and Alfreton Grange Arts College have been sent home with symptoms.


A spokesman for Heanor Gate Science college says:


“This was a very minor incident. A letter has gone out to all students about the incident and what the Derbyshire Primary care Trust is saying. All parents should have received a letter on Monday. There was no need to keep anybody off school, it was a very mild case, there was no need to close the school or vaccinate any of the pupils.”


A spokesman for Alfreton grange Arts College says:


The pupil's doctor says he has only mild symptoms and that in his professional opinion there is no need for any special or emergency measures to be taken. The pupil is being treated as though he has 'ordinary' flu. We have spoken to the pupil's doctor and the news is that the pupil is 'on the road to recovery.”


The pupils should recover quickly because they are young, fit and healthy. But what of those they come into contact with daily, those not fit and healthy? One thing is for sure, it is no good putting someone into isolation once they have the symptoms. The damage has already been done.


New health guidelines now state that anyone with symptoms should still go to school or work, thus spreading the virus even more.


No longer will blood testing be carried out. It is to be assumed that anyone with flu like symptoms has swine flu and is to be treated accordingly. There are two options; antibiotics like Tamiflu, or ride it out. Personally I will try and ride it out as antibiotics, if used early enough, will make the flu last just one day less than if you hadn’t taken them.Of course if you have underlying conditions then you should choose the antibiotic route.


I thought I'd take a look at the NHS website for details on incubation period and symptoms.


At the moment they are not sure of the length of incubation. They think probably up to seven days but suggest that between two and five days is more likely.


http://www.nhs.uk/AlertsEmergencies/Pages/Pandemicflualert.aspx


Next I wanted to try out the online swine flu symptom checker. It timed out over and over again. My only assumption being that the site is very busy.


I know a lot of people will be worried by the spread of this virus, but we should try and remember this. Scare tactics are used every year when it comes to the flu season. Treat it as just another scare, but if in doubt, make sure you contact your doctor.


List of schools in Amber Valley with confirmed swine flu cases:


Ashbrook Infant School Borrowash
St John Fisher Primary School Derby
Landau Forte College Derby
Whitecotes Primary School Chesterfield
South Darley Primary School Cross Green, Matlock
Shirland Primary School Shirland
Mary Swanwick Primary School Chesterfield
Chaucer Infant School Ilkeston
Gamesley Early Excellence Centre Gamesley, Glossop
Heanor Gate Science College Heanor
New Bolsover Primary School Bolsover
Brimington Junior School Brimington
St Anne's Catholic Primary School Buxton
Speedwell Infant School Staveley
Staveley Junior School * Staveley
Henry Bradley Infant School Chesterfield
Heath Primary School Heath
Mill Hill School Ripley
Aldercar Community School Langley Mill
Parkhouse Primary School Lower Pilsley, Chesterfield
Glossopdale Community College Glossop
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School Long Eaton
Buxton Infant School Buxton
St Mary's Primary School Chesterfield
Cloudside Junior School Sandiacre
Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College Long Eaton
Field House Infant School Ilkeston
St John Horton Secondary School Ilkeston
Dunston Primary School Newbold, Chesterfield
Alfreton Grange Arts College Alfreton
Stretton Handley CofE Primary School Alfreton
Norbriggs Primary School Mastin Moor, Chesterfield
Tibshelf Community School Tibshelf
Cotmanhay Infant School Ilkeston
Sawley Infants School (Nursery) Sawley, Long Eaton
Brookfield Primary School Langwith Junction
Model Village Primary School Shirebrook
Alfreton Nursery School Alfreton
New Bolsover Primary School Bolsover
Old Hall Junior School Brampton, Chesterfield
Charlesworth School Charlesworth
Firfield Primary School Breaston
Dinting CofE Primary School Dinting Vale, Glossop
Deer Park Primary School Wingerworth
Wilsthorpe Secondary School Long Eaton
Stubbing Wood Special School Langwith Junction
Somerlea Park Junior School Somercotes
Cutthorpe Primary School Cutthorpe, Chesterfield
Howitt Primary School Heanor


1 comment:

Red Squirrel said...

I think that it is just ordinary flu. It seems to me that the global elite have got a team of dodgy biochemists fervently working to perfect a deadly virus to wipe out two thirds of the world's population and that 'bird flu' and 'swine flu' are just trial runs.
the thing is, if they did manage to achieve their aims they would die also.
well we all know what happened to Oppenheimer, he died of radiation poisoning!
Just having a rant LOL.

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