I was searching for information today about long-term side effects of flu infection and came across a great resource.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK has a great swine flu FAQ posted on their website.
The questions on the NHS site range from ‘what is swine flu?’ to detailed information on antivirals and swine flu vaccines, including which vaccines contain egg-products and pork-products. There’s even a special section on what to do if you have travel plans and come down with the flu.
As an epidemiologist, I’m particularly interested in the system the NHS has set up to provide antivirals and advice to people with flu-like symptoms. They’ve established a telephone and internet service where people can call in (or log-on), report their symptoms, and get an antiviral prescription. Even better, this prescription consists of a pin-number that a friend or family member can use to collect the antivirals for you. So, you can confirm that you have the flu, get a prescription and get someone to pick it up for you without ever having to leave the house yourself.
Although the comments on the NHS’s FAQ page indicate that the telephone/internet system is a bit buggy, after being bed-ridden for a week with the flu myself, I have to say that sounds like a fantastic idea – by the time I was able to drag myself to the doctor, antivirals were out of the picture. I wish we had that system here.
thaks to your information
Swine flu could pose a serious threat this winter as the number of people contracting serious symptoms continues to rise. Keep up to date with the latest developments Swine Flu