Swine Flu from Britons in Crete

[Ray]

I didn't know about this until I found it on Google news. It is from today's UK Daily Mirror. In a larger article about the children in quarantine in China the following is quoted:

19/07/2009

Another 11 British teenagers are thought to be suffering from swine flu in the Greek resort of Malia on Crete after contracting it during a post A-Level holiday there. One is thought to be in a serious condition in hospital.

The 11 Brits in Greece, all aged 18 and from Southend, Essex, were on holiday in Malia celebrating the end of their A-levels when they were struck down with swine flu. They caught the bug following an outbreak at their hotel and are all still in hospital after doctors ruled they were not fit to travel home yet.

http://tinyurl.com/nqo3gt


It shows how careful we all have to be here in Crete.

Ray

[Kathleen]

Biggest risk is when flying, which is why it has spread so rapidly by all accounts....but don't bother with the face masks!

Kathleen

[Ray]

Yes, I have heard this, Kathleen, from others. Also, now that smoking is banned on aircraft, I understand that they use the air filtration less than before, so that infectious sneezes or coughs may spread more easily.

Ray

[filippos]

Mmmmmmmmmm. Bottled up in a flying cigar tube breathing recirculated air for hours. Excellent for health.

Is Swine 'flu significantly more dangerous than any other 'flu? Oh, don't worry, bird 'flu and SARS will soon be back. What a fuss about b****r all. Yes, of course it's sad when the vulnerable are affected but they'll tend to be adversely affected to many things.

[Kilkis]

Yes, I have heard this, Kathleen, from others. Also, now that smoking is banned on aircraft, I understand that they use the air filtration less than before, so that infectious sneezes or coughs may spread more easily.

Ray

It's not really filtration that is the problem but fresh air make up. All recirculating air systems, as used in aircraft, have a certain percentage of fresh air make up, i.e a proportion of the circulating air is expelled and fresh air brought in. In the case of aircraft the fresh air is extremely cold, e.g. -50 C and energy has to be used to bring it up to cabin temperature. The bigger the percentage of fresh air the more energy is used. Companies used the banning of smoking to drastically reduce the percentage in order to save energy and this concentrates anything breathed into the cabin including germs. It also raises the carbon dioxide content which tends to lead to more air sickness.

Warwick

[SatCure]

One of my business partners (age 30) acquired this Mexican 'flu while flying back from a weekend in Mallorca. Silly girl went to her GP and was immediately asked to leave. Her sister collected the "Tamiflu" from the Pharmacy and she was back at work within 2 days. (She had one day in bed with a fever.)

I expect that some unsuspecting sod will bring the virus onto the plane when I fly to Crete in September.

[paulh]

Its not only that it is catchable on the plane but that for some they are here to burn their candle at both ends for 2 weeks and so their immunity and general resistance to any bugs is significantly lowered

[SatCure]

Looking on the bright side (excuse pun) the presence of vitamin D in the body, plus sunshine, is said to augment the immune reaction.

(Not that it helped the poor Mexicans. But maybe there's no Vitamin D in tortillas.)

[Eleni13]

My other half managed to catch an easyJet cold in June. That was bad enough. The effects lasted two weeks and he passed it on to me. Swine flu sounds marginally less persistent.
Inerestingly, my 88 year old father was unaffected. He hasn't had a cold in many years.

[filippos]

Inerestingly, my 88 year old father was unaffected. He hasn't had a cold in many years.

There is a theory that everyone only has xx colds in a lifetime and once that quota has been used up that's an end to them.

[Part time Skopi resident]

Interestingly enough, over here in the UK, the Health minister says the Swine flu pandemic is a greater threat to the UK than terrorism. Just after that the Terrorist threat alert was lowered to its lowest level for 3 years!

[Eleni13]

]There is a theory that everyone only has xx colds in a lifetime and once that quota has been used up that's an end to them.

An end to the people or the colds, Filippos?

[filippos]

Dunno! That wasn't made clear.

[paulh]

that is why I am wary of products with a lifetime guarantee

if it goes wrong they kill you and the guarantee holds good

[Carolina]

The first 'serious case' of swine flu in Greece is in all the national news today, including the front page of the Haniotika Nea which identifies the patient as being a 33 year old Greek man from Malia, being treated in isolation in intensive care at Heraklion hospital.

There is also a report in English here GR Reporter