General Chat

Am I the only one terrified by whats being put in the news about Bird Flu ? On BBC news the headline is 'Tests find no new bird flu cases ' This cheers me up a little but then I look at sky news online 'FRESH FEARS OVER BIRD FLU!' 'Britains chief medical officer fears as many as 100,000 children could die if the bird flu virus moves into the human population'. Now im sitting here trying to be rational but its difficult. Im terrified for my kids. Elaine x :o((((

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Of course you are love, they are your whole life. But don't spend time worrying about 'maybes'. Just enjoy today. Elaine... if you knew ME... I'm the worlds greatest worrier.. LOL Chin up girl. Deanna X

Bird Flu did move into the human population in China and 80 people died over a few months. If you think about how manny die on the roads, of cancer, other accidents etc. per day, it may help to put it into perspective. They don't actually know it will hit the human population anywhere else and as one girl has actually recovered from bird flu, they should be on the way to making a vaccine. As for the cat who died in Germany and the disease being able to spread across species, when the tests were carried out on the cat, he had the bird inside him so it wasn't surprising he was showing signs of the disease! Don't panic Dawn. Just go on protecting your children as you do and act on any advise that may be issued at such a time as it is needed. Jacky :-)

Given that the number of deaths in south east Asia only numbers a few hundred, and this is amongst people who have infected birds inside their houses and beds, then it does sound a bit sensational to me. I think we are right to be concerned but lets keep things in perspective. The is still a greater chance of getting run over going to fetch the Sunday paper I only hopw the government are better prepared that they were for the foot and mouth outbreak .

Given that the number of deaths in south east Asia only numbers a few hundred, and this is amongst people who have infected birds inside their houses and beds, then it does sound a bit sensational to me. I think we are right to be concerned but lets keep things in perspective. The is still a greater chance of getting run over going to fetch the Sunday paper I only hopw the government are better prepared that they were for the foot and mouth outbreak .

It is just scaremongering. When humans have died from contracting bird flu, they lived in close contact with their poultry in their houses. That just doesn't happen in developed countries. There is more chance of dying from an AIDS related illness than from the human form of bird flu or even CJD. I think it is very irresponsible for the chief medical officer to report about plans like this, and for the newspaper to print it. I think we would all be amazed at any of the 'secret' plans the Government has decided we should follow. You only have to look at the documents released after the '30 year rule' to see that 'the Government knows best' - I don't think! Sue xx

Even if this flu does mutate [and that's a big if] Elaine ,then it's just a flu virus,and it doesn't mean your kids have to catch it,nor does it mean it kills all the time,,newspapers are full of lies and crap like this.Fred.

<Now laughing at the cat with the bird in its tum...serves the cat right lol > Seriously though, Ive been trying to put things into perspective, but sweeping statements from the media like that do panic me...even if its just for a while. I think because I know its out of my control. one minute im fine, the next feel very scared i just need to look for the positive but sometimes its difficult. <Bends over so GR members can kick me up the botty> NEXT !! E x

Media always go over the top...they exaggerate everything..they sensationlise to sell newspapers...its all about money.....my opinion. Hetty

*gives Elaine a gentle kick on botty.......

As has already been said Elaine, you have more chance of dying of aids related diseases or being run down by a bus than catching & dying of bird flue. There are so many more likely things your children could catch or do to themselves, please don't waste their lives worrying about something that is extremely unlikely to happen. Children survive allsorts of things, if they didn't you & I wouldn't be here now! Vivienne

i have lived through many, many such scares. (end of the world on Friday according to some old prophet'.) global warmings' ice age (we are in for another one according to todays telegraph); earth is drying up; global flooding' egg scares; mad cow; bird flu type epedimics on the way; etc etc Be happy; don,t worry Happy days

I felt like that years ago when there was that nuclear thing in Russia I think Chernoble is it? The reports then made it sound as if my kids were going to die from the fall out of all that but here we are today and they are all grown up and some with kids of their own. I wanted to wrap them in cotton wool for a while but you just have to get on with life

Harry me too...My Mum was pregnant with me and I was born during the blitz on London....how scary was that... .no wonder I jump at loud noises. Hetty.

Esther,-- Yes, how scary that must have been. We are the survivors. Happy days (to come)

' Scare Mongering' The people who appear so far to have caught bird flu have lived invery close contact or the same room as the birds or worked in factories and shared BLOOD. This being done by cutting them selves and getting the bird blood in the cut. So it seems we are all pretty safe!!

Yeah 100,000 kids could die if the desease mutates and is passible from human to human. At the moment, the HN51 strain is only passable from bird to human, and thats only if you inhale faeces, or lick it beak, bum or feet! And i've stopped doing that since bird flu has been in the media!

its the likelyhood of the virus mutating and affecting humans which is what is frightening me While bird flu is just that..bird flu, im not too worried but reading about kids probable deaths and mass graves fills me with horror :o(( Its the stuff nightmares are made of Elaine x

Elaine, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just remeber how many people were going to die IF the foot and mouth virus mutated. It never happened.