To Fly or Not to Fly?

From the Editors Desk...

Poor Leone is supposed to be heading off to Melbourne with the family this weekend. Up until yesterday afternoon she was still not sure if she was going due to the whole Human Swine Flu threat. Knowing Leone, waking up this morning to hear that the World Health Organisation has declared the first Flu Pandemic in the 21st century is really not going to be helpful for her LOL! I know we shouldn't laugh, as Swine Flu is serious, BUT, is anyone else getting a tad sick of all the confusion in regard to it? We enjoy our mini BrisVegas breaks with our Bronco's tickets, though the last 24 hours has been a see-saw of playing, not playing, playing, it is getting ridiculous. Some families are even talking about not going to the Sunshine Coast Annual Show this weekend due to 'crowds' and the higher risk of catching nasty germs...

Kids who have been in Victoria can't go to school for a week, OK for adults though? Obviously adults aren't as infectious as little kids, which is something I have always suspected! Many times our child has come home from school with a sniffle, bit hot that night, throws up maybe once, then sweet as the next morning, raring to go! Meanwhile one of us adults ends up catching whatever it was she picked up at school and is crook for a week UGH! Seriously though, if we are trying to stop the spread of something, which the World Health Organisation reckons will be 'Big', shouldn't we have stock standard rules Australia-wide?

I know if I was one of those parents where a kid has come back from Victoria, yet the parent has still sent the child to daycare, and now the whole centre is closed for a week, really inconveniencing a lot of people, I would be dirty! Then again, there don't seem to be any hard & fast rules that are easily accessible to people, so maybe that parent wasn't actually irresponsible, just ignorant? It still doesn't help Leone. We love her dearly, and with an office move, not to mention a big advertising promotion on at the moment, don't really want her nicking off down south for 10 days, BUT, as an office, we don't want her bringing an unwelcome friend back with her for the rest of us, OR even more importantly, god forbid, having one of her kids get sick.

Hype really sucks sometimes, I am normally very suspect whenever something is very 'big' in the news, regardless of what a lot of companies say, 'selling papers' or 'TV Advertising' is always a higher priority than actually 'informing the public' with any sort of integrity. I know not all media outlets are like that, though when it comes to 'health', even if you do think a lot of the news about it is hysterical, that rotten little thought still sits there in the back of your head, poking it's tongue out every now and then, making you doubt yourself Not pleasant if you have a 'normal snotty nose' either. I went to the races for a fundraiser a few weeks ago with the sniffle and a cough, man, felt like a rabbit in the headlights every time I coughed, the 'looks' were scary LOL!

So, do we assume it is all over-kill and Leone is sweet to travel down to Victoria and have a good holiday with her family or does she stay at home, wastes all that money spent on flights (that is not covered by travel insurance) and it just gets worse, and they don't get to visit her Father-in-law (who is very ill)? Does my mum fly to Mackay today for my aunts' 60th birthday now that another paper is blaming airplanes for spreading the flu further? Do we bother going to Brisbane for a football game?

I guess you can only make your own decisions. Queensland Health has a website "H1N1 Influenza A Response" that has quite a bit of info on it, doesn't make your mind up for you of course, but does give very good commonsense 'prevention tips'. So I guess, the best option is to do what wise people have 'always' done in the past when faced with uncertainty or adversity, 'Get Over It & Get On With it'! Don't put your life on hold, just take precautions, and enjoy your life!

Have a good holiday Leone... Say hello to the Rellies for us Mum, Happy Birthday to Aunty Betty and enjoy yourself... All who are lucky enough to have the Show Day off, take the kids, have a good day out, walk around in the sun having fun, and for everyone else, check out the Queensland Swine Flu Response site, read the prevention tips, take them onboard, and have a good weekend!

Cheers,
Noely
Community Site Operations Manager
community@mysunshinecoast.com.au

Permanent Link: To Fly or Not to Fly?
Publish Date: 12 Jun 09

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