I'm not being alarmist or an over protective mother, but my son goes to a school that has been closed for a week as there are a couple of kids with swine flu, one of whom sits next to my younger son in graphics, unfortunately on Saturday my eldest son became ill he has most of the symptoms, tired, has vomitted, headaches today he has a runny nose etc.

He doesn't feel particularly ill today but has done the couple of days before, I have heard that you may not always feel particularly ill even if you do have it``

Not sure what we are suppossed to do shall we leave it as being a common cold or take him to the clinic for treatment. Any nurses out there who can advise us.

Call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84)

I am sure they will advise correctly in line with current QLD policies on this.

thanks ABC will do

This swine flu doesn't seem to be much worse than seasonal flu - judging by the media reports.

Even if your son did have it he'll probably be over it relatively quickly.

Well living in ground zero, from an Australian point of view, I can say that there are a few people I know of with it. Its like every other internet or recent world scare.... The Millennium bug of Virus if you will. I think they have stopped testing for it in Victoria as of today, and just treating it as normal seasonal flu.

I know its hard not to be worried. However having seen people get through it down here, I now feel stupid for taking it seriously in the first place.

The main problems with it seems to be people who have underlying health issues anyway - lung problems and that sort of thing. They would have less resistance to seasonal flu just as they do to this. Fortunately it looks like not being as serious as originally thought......although its certainly given a few countries a wake-up call and chance to get pandemic plans aired and reviewed.

I suppose too it's probably better for the medical people to get in a fluster about something - then realise it's a false alarm, rather than not to anything about it and later find out that it's very serious.

Probably more the media's fault for their sensational headlines to sell more papers.

Has he grown a corkscrew tail yet?

You are about ten times more likely to die of the regular seasonal flu than you are of the swine flu. I would just treat as normal flu, bit of bed rest and fluids etc etc. I do understand your concern as a mother hwever. (DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional so my advice is based on what action I would take. If oyu are concerned - see someone).

This whole thing has gone way OTT in the media. The only concerning factor is the leap between species - if one virus can do it, how long until the next one (a more virulent fatal one)?

I know there is an overplay by the media thats why i'm so confused what to do i'm damned if I do and damed if I don't, he does have an asthma problem when its the hayfever season and here in Cairns its nearing time for the sugar season and theres lots of pollen in the air which has been affecting him.

Thought iut was best he had it checked out, thanks for the replies.

No but his bedroom sure does look and smell like a pig sty

Apparently its not this episode that concerns them, its the mutation next year that they are concerned about. It is affecting mostly the younger because they have little ammunity, people who have been sick a lot seem to be able to shake it off. (only what I have heard from hospital I work in).

Jo

From everything I've heard and read, pig flu is a lot easier than normal flu. Wouldn't worry too much, keep him off school and let him get over it as normal