Originally posted by alien
The last thing we want is for people to rock up with SwineFlu, sit around with other people in waiting rooms spreading it to all and sundry...but the reality is that many people are either too carefree, or don't feel they have it, just don't give a rats or a million other reasons and still keep a crowding right in there...

i imagine it must be terribly frustrating. i suppose it really comes down to fear making people behave stupidly.

keep up the good work, i really hope your team is back up to strength asap and that, although it's difficult now, they gain some immunity by being sick. it's a brave thing you're all doing.

I think theres a number of factors going here right now.

Presently we're in the Cold/Flu season of Winter anyway...and with the current caution/hype/whatever regarding the Swine Flu I think many people and many businesses are looking sideways at anyone who barely coughs.

I've had a few calls from friends who have Cold/Flu-like symptoms, asking me if I think they might have Swine Flu...my usual response is "Dude, I'm a psych nurse, go ask someone medical, call me back when your hearing voices or something".

Last year we had a few of the Team off occasionally with bad colds or flu...but generally the order of the day was unless you were totally laid up on bed near death with it you just hardened up, got your butt to work, and kept on doing your job.

Nowadays however the *orders from above* are that if you have any symptoms you stay home and get yourself checked out then once cleared you can return.

Though in comparison to the last 4-odd years I've been in this Team, this Swine Flu seems to have bounced a lot quicker from Team Member to Team Member that any other ordinary ol' flu did.
Perhaps thats due to it being a new thing...and also perhaps due to our Hospital giving free flu vaccinations each year to those Staff want them.

But yeah - from what we've seen so far in our team, Swines DO fly...

Monday update:

Arrived to work this morning. Our morning Team Meeting comprised of 11 operational Staff from a full team of 32.

2 are due back tomorrow, 2 more on Wednesday, so we'll be up to 15 operational (still less that half our normal complement) on Wednesday.

Directives from our Service Leaders are that there are to be NO home visits outside of Crisis Acutes. What few hands we have on deck are to remain on deck and only head out when necessary.

That to me seems to be completely contradictory to our core service...how can we provide a Community Service to clients if we are unable to actually venture into the community.

Effectively now all we can do until we are receive further directive is to remain on base and only respond when the shyte completely hits the fan. In those instances our response would simply be to see the person, assess and Section them to an Inpatient Ward.

Really feel for our clients, as many of them are shakey enough and struggling enough to cope without now basically being 'left in the cold' until they crash so much we have to jack them back into the Wards.



...again, for me its not about any hype around mortality...its about the overall impact its having on the wellness, wellbeing and recovery of our clients.



Peace.

in UK - And now to further overload the hospitals we are experiencing a heatwave. On BBC news now they are saying worst in the Midlands and expecting a lot of sunstroke, dehydration cases and of course with heat the pollution builds up faster too further exacerbating people with 'underlying conditions' of a respiratory nature.
Set to last for a few days yet and getting hotter.

John B-

we hada heat wave here in the states last week- 90+ degrees plus humidity, making heat inices of 115+

Mant people took ill and died. There is simpl no way to discern if the deaths were due to heat or to flu- and that is critical in a city of 3 M in its core and 10M including suburbs.

Heart and lung failure are hallmarks of heat stroke and of flu- and of the poor who are manouished.

Most Chicago hospitals are full; non-essential surgeries have been cancelled (even at the wealthiest suburban hospitals in the suburbs); one can't enter a hospital without screening.

We have rapid srep tests; rapid pregnancy tests- I worked on a rapid Anthrax test-we have the sequence- why can't we make a rapid flu test- that will id the strain in 3 minutes, so we can put people in isolation, on vents, etc., and not panic about those for whom a minor bout rhitis or seasonal fu is a small price to pay for being a first responed?

The clinicians would remain well, and the people who are truly ill will have a better survival rate!