Oink Oink - no swine way!!!

[DangerMouse]

Nightmare. At home with possible Swine Flu - grrrrrrrrrrr

Have brought some work home though. Can't not work, even with a temperature.

Have a course of Tamiflu but have decided not to take them. Not even entirely sure if it is the dreaded flu strain. If you match a few tick boxes they say 'maybe'.

I'm alright actually... apart from the temperature and the chest pains and breathing, wheezy probs.

You lot are just going to have to put up with me on this board a lot more for a few days!!!

Tell me a joke - need some laughs

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, if you think there's a chance, you should probably go to a doctor.

 

[DangerMouse]

^ If you think you have swine flu you're not allowed to go to the doctor. Cause you could make very vulnerable people ill.

 

[RoJoHen]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

There's no reason to go the ER or anything, but you're definitely allowed to go to your own doctor.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I had a friend who thought hse had swine flu too but it turned out it wasn't. Hope you feel better soon

 

[DangerMouse]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

There's no reason to go the ER or anything, but you're definitely allowed to go to your own doctor.

Not really... for most people (in England) swine flu has shown little more than mild flu symptoms in sufferers. But sat in a doctors waiting room are people with illnesses already that would make a case of flu much more serious for them. Why would someone like me who - if I have swine flu - will get over it in a few day (like I would flu) want to make other people ill. The best thing is to stay and home, not give it to others, and rest till I'm better.

Thanks Trekkie

 

[Deckerd]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

There's no reason to go the ER or anything, but you're definitely allowed to go to your own doctor.

For what purpose? Apart from exposing everyone in the surgery to the virus, that is.

 

[Miss Chicken]

When my son had the flu, and it most likely to have been swine flu, I was advised that he should not go to the doctor as his symptoms were only mild.

however I was told that if I showed any flu-like symptoms to contact the Swine Flu Hotline and I would be given the location of the testing centre as I have underlying health problems and if I was positive treatment would be arranged.

Luckily I didn't catch the flu from my son.

 

[DangerMouse]

^ yeah I've rang the helpline and they've told me ring my doctor who will come to my house if he thinks I'm a risk to other patients.

But I'm worried about wasting his time so I'm gonna see how I go.

I'm ill but I could be worse.

 

[Deckerd]

Push fluids, as my sister would say.

 

[RoJoHen]

Most of the cases around here that I've heard of have been extremely severe and have put people out of commission for 1-2 weeks. One of my regular customers' sons caught it and went from healthy to vomiting to unable to remain conscious in less than a day.

 

[Miss Chicken]

My son was vomiting, his joints ached and he had a very bad headache but he recovered quickly.

However he stayed home from work for a whole week and in the end his employers didn't insist on a doctor's certificate which usually has to be provided for more than one day's absence. His employers didn't want anyone sick from turning up as their workforce was already depleted (about 1/4 of the staff were off sick) so their waived the need for doctor's certificates.

 

[cultcross]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Erm no, it's common sense. The doctor can't do anything except prescribe Tamiflu, which DM already has, so why risk infecting the doctor, the staff, and everyone in the waiting room for nothing?
Doctors' Surgeries here have big signs out front, IF YOU HAVE FLU SYMPTOMS DO NOT ENTER.
If you're worried, phone NHS Direct or the Flu Helpline. If symptoms become very serious, call an ambulance. Otherwise, stay home and rest.

And hope you feel better soon!!

 

[RoJoHen]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Erm no, it's common sense. The doctor can't do anything except prescribe Tamiflu, which DM already has, so why risk infecting the doctor, the staff, and everyone in the waiting room for nothing?

Well, for one, I would be fired from my job without a doctor's note.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Tell me a joke - need some laughs

Well, not a joke per se, but if you've seen District 9...

 

[1001001]

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

Erm no, it's common sense. The doctor can't do anything except prescribe Tamiflu, which DM already has, so why risk infecting the doctor, the staff, and everyone in the waiting room for nothing?

Well, for one, I would be fired from my job without a doctor's note.

That's true (although not for me personally).

Many employers in the United States require medical documentation after so many sick days in a row (usually three).

 

[cultcross]

There's no exceptions being made for Swine Flu? That seems... retarded. And hardly conducive to containment or management of the disease.

 

[1001001]

There's no exceptions being made for Swine Flu? That seems... retarded. And hardly conducive to containment or management of the disease.

I imagine it depends on how reasonable your employer is, and what instructions they've been given from their health plan and your local county public health department. My employer does not enforce that rule at all unless it's a disciplinary issue (missing too much work).

 

[Deckerd]

If you have a pandemic, which we do, there must be rules in place so that people who might be infectious can get a line from their GP to their work without putting an entire surgery at risk.

 

[1001001]

If you have a pandemic, which we do, there must be rules in place so that people who might be infectious can get a line from their GP to their work without putting an entire surgery at risk.

I imagine that would be the case in most places. We receive instructions from local public health on what to do in the workplace, and we get advice from our health insurance carriers. I would think most employers would understand this current situation, and do what's right. But not all of them would. This is America, damnit. Time is money!



All I was trying to say was that what RoJoHen said was correct as far as much of the United States is concerned.

Probably the best option is telemedicine. Many health plans have an advice nurse available by phone 24 hours a day. In the case of my plan, there are physicians available as well. If they documented in your file that they told you to stay home, you could have that released to your employer, and you'd probably be fine.