Flu...

Of course it is a worry and concern to anyone who becomes ill or has family or friends that become ill and lose their lives.

However, once again the media does seem to have difficulty deciding whether to inform or be alarmist.The newspapers tend to be full of headlines that could worry and speech radio presenters that do more than read the hourly bulletins over emphasize or ask questions in a way that comes across as scaremongering.

Lots of the news is peppered with speculation and stating the obvious like it could become a pandemic...it has the potential to become etc...Even a popular newspaper itself says that straightforward reporting of the flu outbreak does not sell newspapers so coverage and the way the story is reported though true is done in a certain way and that compared to many countries the treat to the UK population is perhaps smaller than some.

For now it is a case of trying to make the story more larger than it needs to be. That's not playing down the seriousness of the story and the need for the public to be informed.

Sadly, on a radio phone-in most who called in were more worried about having to cancel a holiday to Mexico and wondering about refunds and compensation of money already paid or that will be. I would have thought personal helath would be far more important and to be thankful that I was well.

The human race has always been threatened by viruses and diseases and always depended on the scientific community identifying and hopefully finding a cure for possible unidentified or mutated biological problems. Sometimes a scientist can be ready for whatever nature throws at us, sadly other times people have to suffer or die or be used to test the cure to see if it works.

Or Humans adapt and survive offering scientists a helping hand in finding a cure.

So now we have Swine Flu.It is said to have started in Mexico...but that is questionable especially with the ease of travel these days. It is much harder to contain such outbreaks. In recent years Asia has been seen as the place the threat would be from and birds were getting the blame. Already, America is even questioning whether it is right to attribute the current strain to pigs and thinks it should not be called Swine Flu any longer. Also, too many people because of it being associated pigs are worried about eating pork products. But it is highly unlikely anyone will catch anything and if there was a chance, if it is cooked properly any possibility of this would be killed off.

So your bacon sandwich should be safe. However, at the end of the day it comes down to personal choice.

All we can do for now is put ourselves in the hands of those who have been designated to look after us and advise us how to try and avoid catching it and look for a cure as many viruses and deceases could have wiped out the Human Race already and could in the future.

Without becoming obsessive about the situation all you can do is try and avoid events where there are large crowds, if you feel really unwell yourself don't go to work, use public transport or go into Dr's surgeries etc...where you can pass your germs onto others. Contact the appropriate medical services for advice, if they think you have it, they will come to you.

Wash your hands reasonably frequently and thoroughly as the germs(though they don't survive very long out of the body)can survive on door handles, worktops etc...and try to avoid sneezing on people. Use tissues and be careful again how you dispose of them.

Eat well. Drink plenty of liquids so you do not dehydrate. Take paracetamol or something similar to ease aches and pains. And get plenty of rest if possible. And hope for the best.

Update:Other programmes have happened on the radio and the question has been asked is the media being alarmist or scaremongering and overall most people think that is the case. I like the way some of the media talks about itself as though it is a third person or not part of the problem. And though it's not scientific people I have talked with about this story are unconcerned or think that it is being overplayed in the media.

I understand a helpline has been launched that you can phone for advice, a series of adverts will appear on the television(I assume the radio too)and next week every home in the UK will get a leaflet through the door.