Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

http://www.cqnews.com.au/story/2011/08/ ... sses-told/

DON'T bother trying to bring home the bacon if you're struck down by swine flu, and bosses, don't be pig-headed and make rash sackings.

That's the advice of doctors pleading with employers to send sick workers home and stop the spread of an outbreak of the potentially deadly virus.

“Most people we're seeing with this flu are between 15 and 35 and there have been some very sick people requiring admission to hospital,” one Emerald GP told Central Queensland News.

“A recurring theme is employers demanding their sick workers come to work and run the risk of infecting others.

“I have heard of one person who has been fired for not turning up when ill with this flu and several have received criticism from their supervisors about absenteeism.

“We are also hearing of some concerns about mining camps with FIFO workers.

“It would be more sensible for employers to vaccinate all their workers early than wait for the flu season to hit.”

Although Queensland Health would not specifically acknowledge swine flu among the 224 lab-confirmed cases of influenza in the central region this year, most of the cases in the Emerald area are believed to be H1N1.

The alarming spike is more than 400% on last year's reported influenza cases to July (43) and double the number during the 2009 flu pandemic.

Emerald-based Queensland Rural Doctors Association president Dr Ewen McPhee said it was particularly important employers understood the importance of not insisting people attend work sites and work camps where the “potential was for transmission of the flu throughout the camp”.

Dr McPhee urged against panic in the community, saying flu sufferers should ring their GP or nearest hospital to make arrangements to limit contact.

“It is advised that people who believe they have the flu should stay away from work, school and social gatherings for at least seven days,” he said.

“For people who are very unwell with high fever, headaches, severe cough or rash they should contact their GP in advance so special precautions or home visits can be undertaken to limit the spread of the disease.”

Lots of reports now across Australia of 4X the rate of last year (which was really quiet). Google Flu Trends low.

Not hearing much anecdotally nor seeing many ill people on the streets.

New Zealand

Icy blast and flu cases fill hospital

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/a ... d=10745420

The icy cold and an associated increase in flu cases are being blamed in part for Middlemore Hospital being swamped with patients.

Hospitals in the Auckland region have been busy, but Middlemore in South Auckland has been worst affected by a surge that began at the weekend, leaving it with no spare beds on wards and longer-than-usual waits in the emergency department.

"Our occupancy is over 100 per cent [on the wards]," Dr Vanessa Thornton, clinical director of Middlemore's emergency department, said yesterday.

"We've got people just waiting to go into beds [which are occupied by] people that are leaving today from the weekend workload."

continues ....

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Praemonitus, Praemunitus..Forewarned is Forearmed.

Calling all the Aussies here!

Late May here in Sydney is damned cold (by our standards) and winter is upon us. Nothing much to report except the odd person who has had flu like illness had it hard. Including one who had had a flu shot.

Any reports from other parts?

Quiet in Brisbane. Just the odd sniffle.