Having been away on holiday for two weeks in the sun, I must admit the fear of catching swine flu had temporarily receeded, although it still crossed my mind that catching the virus on the ferry crossing was a real possibility (being confined in a crowded place with other families) and could still have ruined our summer fun. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Flu Pandemic’ Category
Swine Flu: 2 weeks until children return to school
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009Swine Flu: Top Ten Tips For Employing Home Working During The Pandemic
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009As a home worker myself for many years here are my Top Ten Tips to help employers set up their employees with the ability to work from home or other location during the swine flu pandemic, produced in conjunction with ‘Pandemic Flu Guideliness for Business’: (more…)
Swine Flu: A greater threat than terrorism?
Monday, July 20th, 2009Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary has publicly stated that Swine Flu is a greater threat to the UK than terrorism. As always a certain amount of perspective needs to be added around this statement. In the National Risk Register, published by the Cabinet Office, the likelhood of an attack on transport, crowded places or via an electronic means is actually higher than that of pandemic influenza. (more…)
Swine Flu: Will your organisation survive?
Friday, July 17th, 200965,000 deaths due to swine flu. That is the assumption which Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson is working upon as reported in the press today, which could equate to 350 deaths per day. It is expected that around a third of the UK population will contract the virus and around 10% of the working population will be absent at any one time. Young, seemilgly healthy children are dying, the latest victim being a six year old boy from Kent. If ever there was a time to start panicking, surely it is now? (more…)
Swine Flu Pandemic: Would Your Employees Take Advantage?
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009In the Daily Telegraph on the 11th July Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent, reported that ministers are considering allowing workers to take two weeks off work without a sick note in a bid to minimise the spread of the swine flu (H1N1) virus. (more…)
Swine Flu claims its 17th UK victim and even knocks at the PM’s door
Monday, July 13th, 2009On a day when it is revealed that the swine flu vaccine will be available for the whole of the UK population, the illness also claims two more victims, a six year old girl, and a GP from Bedfordshire as reported on sky news. In addition the flu has also reached 10 Downing Street where an Aide has the infection. (more…)
Flexible working is key for organisations to survive flu pandemic
Thursday, July 9th, 2009Even though the severity of the current flu pandemic is not as everyone had feared, I am still hearing of increasing cases of the illness, and they are getting closer to home. Having spoken to people within business circles it is also starting to affect offices, and I heard of one man who was asked to stay at home because his wife had contracted the H1N1 virus. He was healthy and able to work, but was restricted from coming into the office. (more…)
40 people a day could die of swine flu, warn ministers
Friday, July 3rd, 2009The government is predicting that up to 100,000 new cases of swine flu could be reported each day by the end of August. New advice is being given that anyone suffering with symptoms should stay at home and nominate a ‘flu friend’ to go and pick up anti-viral drungs which should then be posted through the sufferer’s letter box. It is clear that the spread of the virus is gathering pace and it will not be long until major outbreaks within public gatherings cause mass absenteeism within the UK’s industry sectors. (more…)
Swine flu can no longer be contained
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009Andy Burnham, the health secretary for England, has just addressed ministers saying that the UK has officially moved from a phase of containment to one of treatment and projects that 100,000 new cases per day could ensue. The strategy now is for care to be given at home and for administration of anti-viral drugs where necessary without the requirement for clinical testing. This next phase has been predicted since the pandemic was declared and shows how quickly the virus can spread. (more…)
Is the swine flu pandemic a result of an accident?
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009In an article published in the Mail Online on the 30th June, it has been reported that the current swine flu pandemic could be a consequence of an accidental leak from a laboratory in 1977, suggesting that a re-emergence of a 1950 strain of the H1N1 virus may have been released as a worker became infected with the virus in a laboratory and then transmitted it to family and friends. Professor John Oxford of the Royal London Hospital has stated that the accidental release of the H1N1 virus is a ‘plausible theory’. (more…)
