Flu concerns

Flu concerns

summed up a parallel that many health officials and journalists had noted: " Disturbing echoes of the great 1918 flu pandemic. " " The main danger of a new flu virus emerging from pigs is that it would not be recognised by the human immune system and so would result in severe infections that could quickly spread from one person to another, " The Independent noted. And there was no denying that ...

Reassuring and managing patients with concerns about swine flu: Qualitative interviews with callers to NHS Direct

BACKGROUND During the early stages of the 2009 swine flu (influenza H1N1) outbreak, the large majority of patients who contacted the health services about the illness did not have it. In the UK, the NHS Direct telephone service was used by many of these patients. We used qualitative interviews to identify the main reasons why people approached NHS Direct with concerns about swine flu and to ide...

H7N9 flu

Aquatic wild birds are the reservoir of more than 100 influenza viruses whose subtypes (HxNy) have never been responsible for sustained infection in humans. As a matter of fact, humans are usually not infected by avian influenza A viruses. However, sporadic cases of avian influenza virus infection are observed every year, mostly in Asia. By subsequent adaptation these emerging viruses may resul...

'The flu'.

Flu Days

Shivering, you drag yourself, as if gun-shot, to the living room, to the old movie channel, to a Bogart festival, your mind fogged over (like the street on the screen) edging toward feverish sleep when Bogey snarls at Ida Lupino: “Of all the 14-carat saps...” Hours later when you wake, he’s smacking Peter Lorre: “When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it!” And as if cuffed, you black out,...