Is anyone worried about the swine flu hitting Ireland? Just thinking of foot & mouth and how ill prepared we were. The amount of people holidaying in Mexico and coming back into the country with no emergency plan in place is mental.

Apparently there are 6 people being tested for it in Ireland at the moment. Heard it on Newstalk this afternoon… gulp!

It’d be a nightmare if it hit. Things are depressing enough at the moment without this!

I’m watching Sky News now and wondering should I stock up on Echinacea???!!! Would building up mine and my childrens immunity help I wonder… must go off googling….

I try not watch the news or listen to the radio - too depressing. I nearly walked onto Tara Medical Centre in our business park today to get the flu jab. Like that would help.

Swine Flu has taken it’s first Irish victim, God love her family http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0808/1224252232770.html Is anyone scared about this virus, imagine the schools in September, a walking breathing ground for virus.

Hey,

I’m terrified of it, there’s another 2 cases in a Dublin hospital and one of them is very very ill. It’s very scary. My little one is six and only getting over the chicken pox, that wasn’t too bad but I’d be very upset if she got swine flu.

Also - what do you think about this?
My sister is in HR and works for a large supermarket chain, she is being faced with a huge dilemma as one of their security staff has a very bad flu for the last week but they cannot force the man to take sick leave and he keeps coming into work every day. They also can’t demand that he be tested for the swine flu (though if he had any cop on he’d be on the phone to his GP). Now she is getting complaints from the other staff who have to work with him (I can’t say I blame them) especially as there are 7 pregnant women in the store but the company’s hands are tied.

Surely it would be better for everyone if the employer had the right to request that a member of their staff be tested specifically for swine flu?

How would you cope if it was one of your staff?

Also just a note for the employers out there, a person can only get swine flu once (like the chicken pox) I heard tell of some people in the UK claiming that they have had it a few times.

Regards,

Michelle

As an employer surely you have the right to a doctors cert, certifying employees are fit & able to work? The mind boggles. Anyone know anything about this? I’m pumping my son with vitamins to give his immune system a boost.

Hi Tara,

I checked this with her, employer’s are entitled to a doctor’s cert but only where an employee has been absent from work for more than 3 days, otherwise you have no right to query a staff member’s health.  Although if the employee is diagnosed with a medical problem or is on medication that may impair their ability to do their job they do have to notify their employer.

It’s all a bit mad.  I’d love to hear what anyone thinks of the situation or if anyone has any suggestions they would be gratefully received.

Regards,

Michelle

Some people are so selfish, they just don’t think!  We’ve alcohol gel at reception in our office and I’ve been washing my hands the whole time.  I wish you could compel someone who is sick to stay away from work, but then they’d probably be able to say you’re restricting their right to earn a livelihood.  You can’t win.

In the meantime, I’m stocking up on veggies and healthy food!

Hope you’re all well,

Laura

Hi

I think if we all take sensible precautions, we’ll ride out the storm. Have to say, I do think members of my own profession have to take responsibility for eeding puublic hysteria about the illness.

It’s a bad flu; that’s it. And with the foot and mouth, precautions were taken and it wasn’t nearly as bad in this country as it could have been.

Re the employee, I must say I hadn’t thought of it like that before. I would have thought it showed commitment on the part of the employee to come in even though he’s sick.

Hope I don’t have reason to eat my words.

Keep well.

Derbhile.

Anyone going to get the vaccination? I’m on the list as being in danger and I am not rushing to my GP to get the jab. I’ll take my chances with my immune system, not enough testing of this vaccine has been done so yeah I’m at risk but I’m hoping amongst hope that I can beat it through my own immunity.

Hi Tara,

Not getting the jab myself, for some reason the women in my family have a history of allergic reactions to the flu jab so not taking the chance.  I’ve stocked up on my Eccinaecha and Super One supplements though. 

In saying that, if I wasn’t worried about allergy I still don’t know if I would get the vaccine.  Has anyone gotten it yet?

I’m in the danger zone and so is my eldest child my youngest is borderline and none of us will be getting the jab.  As far as I’m concerned it’s just the flu, and I don’t normally get the flu because I eat healthy and do my best to keep my immune system boosted (naturally - not into taking supplements).  My son sees it as another money making scam and refuses to pay for it or the normal flu jab.  I’m not tipping my youngest into the category of requiring jabs to help build an immune system that a healthy lifestlye will do anyway.

Mairéad

P.S.  Look who benefits from this - the pharmaceutical companies.  The flu is the flu is the flu and every year a certain percentage of the world’s population dies from the flu and despite “jabs” being available for years this hasn’t changed. Unfortunately we live in a herd mentality society and we “scare” ourselves silly over things and expect our leaders (plonkers in our case) to sort it out for us instead of taking responsibilty for it ourselves.

Interestingly the SFA announced recently that up to 80% of SME’s have little or no contingency plans for an outbreak within the working environment.

Many large companies have purchased face masks and hand gels etc to try to prevent the spread of the virus and to be prepared in case of a number of employees contracting H1N1.  However many small companies have done very little to promote hygiene in the workplace.

Source Medical stock the proper EN95 FFP2 Mask along with the various hand gels that are on the market.  There will be a shortage of these products over the coming weeks, as manufacturing simply cannot keep up with the demand.

Education and protection is the key to help prevent loss of working hours for any SME.

I was watching a report on the vaccine last night and over 80% of the medical staff - nurses and doctors - are refusing to take the H1N1 vaccine, even the manufacturers staff are refusing to take it because it can (not always) have some very serious side effects.  That is a really bad indictment on their product, it really should be withdrawn.

Mairéad