Watching the swine ‘flu drama unfold is not a pleasant experience for me. Especially living overseas.
I know that this strain of ‘flu is milder than the usual seasonal ‘flu that is passed around every winter, so I get irritated that healthy people in wealthy countries are panicking about dying but fail to follow the simple hygiene procedures that could protect those most at risk.
Everyone who has died from swine ‘flu in Europe has been suffering from a serious long-term health condition.
Although Crohn’s disease could be included in this category, the advice from the UK Crohn’s and Colitis charity, NACC, is that people with Crohn’s who are taking immuno-suppressive medication should not have an increased risk of contracting swine ‘flu.
The NACC statement goes on to say that, if symptoms develop, people with Crohn’s should go through the same process as everyone else and that treatment with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu should not be problematic.
Every autumn, I have ‘flu vaccination as I am considered ‘at risk’ if I catch the normal seasonal ‘flu. That is because I have a long-term health condition and I am taking immuno-suppressive medication. I guess that I am more likely to catch the disease and less able to fight it.
I am working on the same assumption will swine ‘flu. So I am still a little anxious.
And that anxiety is raised by living overseas and still not quite understanding the way the health system works. However, the advice here seems the same and the public information seem clearer than in the UK.
If I get symptoms, I will phone my GP and do what he says. I will also rest, stay well-hydrated and eat normally. However, I am hoping that I will escape the virus until I get back to the UK in mid-August. By then there may be a vaccine ready.
In the meantime, I will carry on with life as usual. I always wash my hands when I get home and before I eat. I carry an alcohol handwash with me when I am out too. And I have developed over the years an instinctive response to avoid people who look like they are about to sneeze or cough in my direction.
Of course, if this does become a full-blown pandemic I may stay indoors for a while – especially if the virus seems to become more virulent and the disease more serious.
