From parties to panic? Latest swine flu news worries parents

News on Saturday that schools could stay closed after summer raises the pitch of a feeling out there among parents: panic. It’s not full-blown, but there’s a creeping sense of anxiety, with news that children are the ones most likely to be affected by swine flu.

Figures issued by Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England, suggest that the under-14 age group is being hit hardest, with a further surge in cases possible as early as late August or September.

We’ve gone from rumours of parents throwing swine flu parties to catch the virus early to news that a seemingly healthy six-year-old died suddenly from it. It has made all the parents I know that much more jumpy about headaches, coughs and sniffles. NHS Direct has been swamped by calls. We won’t know for certain until the last week in August whether schools will reopen on time.

Yet this is no time to panic, as the saying goes. In some ways, it seems the summer break couldn’t have come at a better time in terms of keeping H1N1 from spreading. At our house, we’re trying to stay healthy (after a bout of shingles) and keeping our fingers crossed that we adults don't pick it up at the office (where every fifth person seems to be staying home as a precaution when they feel under the weather). But that doesn’t mean being complacent.

One Alpha Mummy’er reported a less than ideal response when she took her sick child to hospital. With the health system struggling to keep up, you have trust yourself and your own assessment of your child. It's up to parents to be vigilant.

Are you taking precautions or doing anything different to avoid swine flu at your home? 

Update: The Royal College of Midwives and the National Childbirth Trust have issued advice regarding swine flu: that pregnant women shouldn't ride public transport at peak times and couples shouldn't try for a baby now, respectively. Ministers have distanced themselves from the pronouncements, calling them extreme. Which is either very commonsense or very sanguine, depending on your point of view.