After the initial excitement of swine flu hitting our office, everything calmed down pretty quickly. While I’m sure that there have continued to be new cases emerging on other floors, ours has remained clear. For now.
Of course the spread of the flu hasn’t stopped. Personally, I don’t think it’s spreading out in the community, but instead is being transmitted via twitter. One by one my twitter buddies seem to be going down with it and even if they haven’t got it, they worry about having what might be the starting symptoms. Very few of us have escaped.
Being pregnant, it’s nice to have so much concern from friends about dealing with the latest Department of Health advice to pregnant women. Of course that’s not the case in the office. The Wicked Witch of the West team leader hasn’t mentioned one thing about swine flu to me, not asked if I’m worried nor enquired as to whether I’d like to alter my hours to avoid the worst of the crowds on the tube. No, she’s walking around like both the pregnancy and the swine flu risk don’t exist.
I considered it. I wondered if it would really make a difference if I didn’t take the tube to work. At the moment my journey takes around an hour on a relatively crowded tube. If I were to go another way it would take around two and a half hours on a relatively crowded tube and an extremely crowded bus. Weighing the two options up, I’d take the tube any day. I could go in and leave later. The tube would still be crowded (although not as much so) but I’d bet the risk would still be there. According to the NHS, the swine flu virus can live on a hard surface for up to 24 hours (20 minutes on a soft surface). Bearing this in mind, there’s a good chance that travelling an hour later each day wouldn’t make a difference. It only takes one infected person to cough into their hand and hold on to that same handrail you grab an hour later…
For the moment I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It’s the best I can do. That and hope that my family and I don’t get the virus.
This reminds me of a time when I got scabes from an inmate. I had to get a prescription shampoo to get rid of the little buggers. My wife was bummed too, since she had to wash everything in sight. As for work, the promised me administrative leave only to backout on that promise. Something about my having to prove that the scabes came from inside the prison. I hope you stay healthy, and if need be, stay home.
.-= JR Thumbprints said IN SEARCH OF … =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 21st, 2009 at 11:39
As if scabies wasn’t nasty enough in the first place.
I still feel that if you wore a mask it would help but do realise that no one else in the UK seems to. When I lived in Japan, it was expected that if you had cold/cough symptoms you would wear a mask. Freaked me out initially but you soon got used to it. Quite civilized when you think about it.
The tube is so dirty in London. And they never properly clean it. Sure, the tube refuse collectors collect litter, but they do not CLEAN the tube itself, the hand rails and all those communal areas that have been touched by hundreds and hundreds of people each day. So it’s no wonder it spreads so fast.
.-= Milo said The sleep of the damned =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 21st, 2009 at 12:51
I don’t even know where I’d get a mask from in the first place (unless you count the boy’s spiderman one!). I’m surprised I wasn’t one of the first to get it, seeing as I usually come down with every little bug that does the rounds. Maybe I’ve built up some freaky immunity to the whole thing.
Oh phew – I thought this was going to be a post saying you’d got it!!
Still clear here, too… although a day on trains & tube & in Guildhall with over 500 people probably increased my chances of getting it
Glowstars Reply:
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:26
Fingers crossed for you too – we’re some of the only ones who haven’t got it yet!
Oh my — I was just on the tube a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t breathe down there it was so hot and crammed! Picture me with 3 kids, 2 suitcases and a buggy. The thought of swine flu did cross my mind several times!
Stay well!
.-= Karen @ If I Could Escape said Wordless Wednesday . . . Mini Monsterz =-.
Glowstars Reply:
July 23rd, 2009 at 07:23
Bet you miss it now you’re back home!