Am Loolah

Well it seems to be taking a hold now, here in New Zealand.

I've just had my first cancellation for a planned party in 2 weeks as they have an 8 month old, so are avoiding "social" get togethers.

Another friend has just sent me a text, a work colleague of hers, just back from Melbourne, has had her husband diagnosed with it.

Christchurch has a seafood processing plant closed and, I believe, some childcare centres and a school?

What's the general feeling from others? Are you stocking up with food and waiting for it to strike or figuring you didn't get salmonella when you ate eggs, didn't get mad cow disease when you ate beef and never got bird flu for that matter?

lardyl

We stocked up a while ago as some "medical" friends tipped us the wink on the original arrival of the flu in NZ before the world really knew that it was a "mild" influenza strain - just as the news of the Rangitoto College kids was breaking.

At the time we supplemented the disaster kit with some extra supplies for rehydration, sanitation, and plenty of pain meds that my mum had brought over for her arthritis - lots of paracetamol, etc. Also added more dried food and ways to purify water as we are on the town supply and have a very large roof area.

Buying a 5kg sack of sugar and plenty of salt along with bulk baking powder and other stuff from NW seemed odd but at the time no-one really knew what the effects of the virus could be. If it had been more deadly and transmissible then things might have gone badly wrong pretty quickly, although if infections reach 1 million and it knocks you off work for a week then things could still get bumpy. Maybe this is just someone being overly cautious. Hope so.

I also hope that my footie doesnt get cancelled over the next few weeks as I need my regular fix of endorphins

And that I can put the sugar to use baking in 18 months time rather than making up rehydration mixture in the meantime.

P2L

Have stockpiled on most stuff tbh, such as bread, milk powder, pasta and freezer pretty full too

Lots of Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and fresh lemons and honey too.

We have 3 kids so think it's only a matter of time....... had our first 'scare' today with a friend who has flu, fingers crossed it is nothing, cos that WILL be interesting.

crap coffee

Yeah, a few people do have swine flu at work, so what?

I don't care and I don't bother about it any more. and I wouldn't stock up with food and other sh*t etc apart from some candles. If that happends, then happens. Oh, I would probably stock up loads of beer then..

eddie_nz

Tis quite amusing as lots of people note NZ distance incase of global health issues, as one of the reasons to move there....

Bit like the couple I know who moved to the falklands in feb 82 as they were worred about nuclear war in europe...

Also as a note of entertainment the biggest outbreak in the UK so far is in a Muslim school in Birmingham.LOL

Perry Groves

I was sick as a dog last week, or maybe a swine. Lasted 5 days.

alanmacc

Nope I have not stocked up on anything, I was also tipped the wink a few months ago as my OH is a nurse and was informed that there was an imminent pandemic, apparently NZ may also be running low on paracetamol due to the mass buying of these.
In general any real Flu can be deadly, most people if they catch the A strain are pretty unwell but do recover, its more the sick, elderly and very young who are most as risk as with any viral infection.

Rather that stock pile food I just have a handy list of take away numbers who deliver ...... hells, pizza hut ...... and some beer, so Im pretty much covered

Wiz'n'Ton

Well T is at home in isolation after teaching one of the infected kids on Friday, at the school that was shut yesterday. She is on that Tamiflu stuff, and should be all clear by Friday so long as no floppy ears and a curly tail start to appear.

It has suddenly got very close to home!

P2L

Sorry to hear Toni is stuck at home, probably NOT where she wants to be right now, with your gaff being ripped apart.

Hope it all comes to nowt

Charismatic

You could have a doctors/nurses themed party, just get everyone to wear a mask/goggles and you should be fine. A divers type party could work as well .

It's just a cold.

Persephone

Well we haven't stockpiled anything. I reckon if I'm going to get it then I'm going to get it. So far there is a very low mortality rate so I should get over it without any problems Only need to worry if it mutates into something far more virulent.
Whoever gets it first in this household gets breakfast in bedthough starting to think we should have gone for something far more extravagant

CarolineSwan

we havnt stocked up anything..to be honest didnt even think about it... plus i have had flu the last week..is it swine flu ? who knows? probably half nz has it just not seen a doctor yet as same symptoms anyway

i heard more chance of dying with normal flu so not really worrying about it? as previous poster said , i survived all the other epidemics so fingers crossed we all good

caz

pricklykina

I think that you ALWAYS need a stock pile in NZ. think flood, earthquake, volcano I alway have a stocl of water food, meds etc...I rotate things so that they don't go out of date...

Wellington Will

We have a modest level of stockpile and plenty of painkillers.

It's just a matter of time, 2 kids at school, and a wife that works in a surgery. If the house hasn't already seen the bug, then I'd be surprised.

Current thinking is that actual numbers are over 10 times the reported cases.

Batty

I had a cold last week, hubby this week. Who knows? We have actually got a packet of Tamiflu from when it first hit the news and I had a sinus infection but the doctor gave me a prescription anyway. Hubby wanted it this week because of course he had FLU I made him do an inventory of his symptoms and then refused treatment