Kids worried about swine flu? This may help...

As fears of swine flu rise, and it's confirmed as a global pandemic, children are amongst those most worried about the illness. It's the little things they catch from the news which worry them, or the headlines in the newspaper (yes, it's good they can read, but it also opens up a scary world). My daughter went through a few days when catching swine flu was all she could talk about (now it's the school show; I guess time moves on...)

She also enjoyed a video made by the clever people at BrainPOP UK. They created the above animated clip and it's well worthy showing to any concerned youngsters.  So far 4,000 people (teachers, kids and parents) have viewed the video on the BrainPOP UK site and almost 3,000 have viewed it via YouTube. Take a look at BrainPOP UK's own explanation of why they made the video, but basically they wanted to dispel some swine flu rumours (you can't get it from eating bacon) and help to educate. They also offer some practical advice, in a non-scary way.

Read School Gate:

The teenager suspended from school for taking the contraceptive pill

Should schools tell you what to put in your child's lunch box?

Comments

[Wendy V]

My daughter, who's teaching English at a primary school in China, has been laid off three weeks early along with all the other TEFL teachers in her school, due to fears about swine flu (she's not ill, and the school hasn't closed). I'm not sure yet if it is a local decision or whether it's affecting TEFL teachers in China generally.

[Cece]

I have just told my son that it's all a big silly fuss, and that it's just a bug that makes people a bit poorly, like having a bad cold. It really is that simple.

[Ashley S]

If only it were real! and not just another scare tactic of the government!

[G Rennie]

I am never ceased to be amazed by the ammount of paraniod conspiracy theorists use comments on news articles, suc as the oe by Ashley

[Frank Upton]

If it's a pandemic it must be global. If it's global it must be a pandemic.

[Gloria]

SWINE FLU WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD !!!!!
lets all prepare to die :)

[JORGE DALZOTTO]

I'm from Argentina and just want to drop a line in these reliable news website. Here people are panicking and do not know what to do. i think it's due to the fact that government seems to be conceiting rates and some other statistics. We listen to friends talking about somebody who has died of the flu and others who overcame it easily. Classes have been suspended but shoppings, cinemas, theatres and football is still going. Is this all about economy?

[Rita]

Swine flu is, of course 100% fatal to some - the poor bloody pigs. Roy Porter pointed out years ago that humans started picking up a lot of infectious diseases when they started domesticating animals - so in that sense, bacon DOES give you swine flu.

[Helena]

"If it's a pandemic it must be global. If it's global it must be a pandemic."

Pre-Columban pandemics weren't global, were they? Is there any evidence Black Death, say, reached the Americas?

[Dave]

I'm more concerned about the possibility of a flesh eating robot!

[Sérgio Freitas de Lima]

It is a important idea to teach to kids about this problem. Here In brazil there some school where students (kids) are learning more about it. My niece asked me about the swine flu, that she see at school...

[HANNAHANNAH :)]

im so scared of getting it :L
is it the black death all over again but diffret symtons?
scared ... i might die :(

[Joe]

Swine flu has very similar symptoms to plague maybe its a strain of some kind of plague. Example, both swine flu and pneumonic plague penetrate deeply into the lungs and onset of death is about 4 days with both illnesses and people have been dying quickly (chloe buckley). Not saying that is what we are dealing with but when healthy people start dropping like flies it does make me wonder if the government has anything to hide.
Tamiflu is ONLY effective when first symptoms if flu appear, after 48hrs its pretty much useless and by the time the vaccines are ready the virus might have mutated again. What can you do though, nothing. Just keep clean and keep your kids out of sch if you have to.
One other thing about bubonic plague. Headache and chills occur suddenly at the end of the incubation period. From this point the infection is either resolved or lethal. Could explain why some poeple aren't dying.

[lordtorpedo]

Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection. It is transferred by fleas. It is not a threat in the UK.

Swine flu is not a bacterial infection, it is a type of virus, like the flu that we see every year.

On 18 July, in the UK there were 55,000 cases of swine flu last week and to date there have been 30 deaths. That is a very low probability of fatality, far less than crossing the road. The press is dramatising the situation to get your attention, there is no need to be afraid.

To lessen the chances of infection, wash your hands before you eat and after you go to the bathroom, and don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth unless you need to.

If you have the flu, stay at home, catch your sneezes with a tissue, and throw it away. All you need is lots of rest, fluids, the recommended dose of painkillers and healthy food when you're able to eat.

Relax. It's called a pandemic because people over a large area have the flu, not because it's the end of the world.

[John]

This is a scare developed by the very same corporate interests that created it and will benefit in the trillions from it. There is no concrete reason to label this a 'looming catastrophe' unless those who bark this have clear prior knowledge or an induced opinion through monetary gratification. Google: Terminator Seeds, for a clear example of corporate backhandedness. Plus: "In 2006 it was revealed that Bayer Corporation had discovered that
their injection drug, which was used by hemophiliacs, was contaminated with the HIV virus.
Internal documents prove that after they positively knew that the drug was contaminated,
they took it off the U.S. market only to dump it on the European,
Asian and Latin American markets, knowingly exposing thousands,
most of them children, to the live HIV virus. Government officials in France
went to prison for allowing the drug to be distributed.
The documents show that the FDA colluded with Bayer to cover-up the scandal
and allowed the deadly drug to be distributed globally.
No Bayer executives ever faced arrest or prosecution in the United States."