What would you do?

[Shade]

Here's the scenario:


You're in a class.
Another student who's been sick with diagnosed Swine Flu, walks in.
Teacher questions student as to his health status.
Student says he doesn't know as he hasn't been to the doctor.
Teacher asks why not.
Student says it takes too long to see one.
Teacher says well, you've got to come back with a certificate of clearance.
Student walks out, gets a senior teacher.
Senior teacher overrides class teacher.
Student is issued with mask and allowed to sit in class.
Says mask is a load of shit and takes it off.
Adds that so what if he's got it, it's no big deal.
Teacher asks the class for objections.
Students raise hands, one of whom is pregnant.
College officer is called.
Affected student is ask to leave class.
He lodges complaint.
Objecting students are told by college that they are overreacting.
Two days later, he's back in class and no reason is given.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

This week alone two people with no underlying health complications are dead due to swine flu. Given the above scenario, I'd ask you this:

What would you do?

[Di Nana]

I really don't know, here the Dr's are no longer testing for swine flu as it is every where and the demand is to much, I have heard that you are contagious for two days before and two days after , so after that I guess you cant be forced to stay home
we have all had it here in our village, I still have it been 19 days now

[becca]

I Would Leave There Is No Way I Would Stay And How Wrong And Rude Is He To Risk Other Peoples Health Like That!

[Perfectly Precious]

I would leave or at least go see my doctor about possible infection!

[Cherie]

I would take a week of school ..and go back when he was better.

[Sunny]

I think the crucial part of the question in if he's been diagnosed, you said he had but he said he hadnt been to se ethe doctor? if said student is feeling well enuf to sit in class then i do have to wonder just how sick he was, i mean was he just sniffley and coughing but ok otherwise, it could just be a cold then?

Personally if i feel sick i usually stay home and rest and i do feel annoyed when i sick people cough and splutter near me....that said i dont see how you can quarantine people over it, for the pregnant woman she would still have to go to the doctor for check ups through the pregnancy, she will still be exposed to it in the waiting rooms???

[Rachel]

It would depend if he were coughing and spluttering all over the place, if that were the case then I would probably just leave but if he appeared healthy I probably would just avoid contact with the person and not get too close, with the amount of people being diagnosed with swine flu lately there is a chance of getting it anywhere.

[miss kiki]

i'd do the same as rach. :yes:

[lucyloo]

if i was the pregnant lady, I would take a week off school.

[Issi]

If I was pregnant I would leave and take time off but otherwise I'd be annoyed and complain because the student ignored the rules given and nothing was done about it.

[Heather]

Who diagnosed him with a case of Swine Flu if he hasn't been to a Doctor?

[eLL85]

Id be angry. Particularly if I was the pregnant woman. And when the college officer tried to tell me I was overreacting I would inform them that there are people in this classroom who are in the high risk category and that if they get swine flu because of it and die or loose their baby the college will be to blame and you will be making sure they get the blame.

[Stormy]

I get exposed to around hundreds of people a day, all who potentially could have swine flu and many who are confirmed swine flu infected. So one more snotty, feverish, headachy individual wouldn't really bother me to be honest. :dk:

[Melinda]

It would be more strange if it was winter and someone wasnt coughing and spluttering....
you could come into contact with someone in the bank queue or you could use a trolley in the supermarket after someone has used it with swine flu....

swine flu is a strain of the flu and you would need a comprimised (spelling) immune system for it to be fatal.....
the doctors have stopped testing in my area for swine flu as they feel its nothing to be worried about.

my daughter has had the worst hay fever this week sneezing all day....we didnt even go to the doctors....

i would say sit there and avoid close contact with the infected person....
you cant treat people like lepers.....

unless you want to lock yourself up you are going to come into contact with people carrying flu virus and other viruses....

[CathyOne]

I agree with Melinda, you are always going to come into contact with germs & viruses unknowingly. If I was pregnant, I would just take more care about contact with obviously sick people.

And if he hadn't been to the doctor, how did anyone know it was swine flu? In saying that though, I don't like being around anyone with obvious symptoms of cold or flu, only cause it makes me feel icky, we need a certain amount of contact with germs to build immunities. Just take care.

[Shade]

Thanks for all of your responses.

As swine flu has now killed people who have had no underlying medical conditions, I'm with the pregnant woman who complained and had the student thrown out. He had been diagnosed, along with his family and had been told that in order to return to school, he needed to have a clearance. He didn't do this. What's more, he felt he didn't have to.

Interestingly enough, that student is now taking legal action against the college for 'denial of access to education' and the students are grouping together to sue him for endangering them and the college for 'failure to elicit duty of care'.

To my mind, all this could have been avoided if the school had a health protocol in place.

With regards to isolating yourself from people who are sick, if people are diseased and that disease in infectious you can treat people like lepers (for want of a better phrase) and personally I encourage that people do so.

Political correctness doesn't really work when you're dead or on life support.

[Melinda]

Shade how did people know he had swine flu had he told people....
i thought you said he said he hadnt been to the doctor and thats what i based my answer on....that it was a rumour.

[eLL85]

I just got over the swine flu. It might be "just a flu" to most people but it was nasty. Really nasty. I have just got over spending a week not being able to walk to the toilet without panting at the end of it and I am not even in one of the risk groups. I couldn't sleep the whole time, I still have a chest infection with a cough over a week later even though I feel good.

[miss kiki]

sounds horrible ell. :(

[Shade]

Shade how did people know he had swine flu had he told people....

The college announced it.
He was away for a week during which he was directed to attend the doctor again but didn't go.

I just think the whole thing is laughable considering 'swine flu' is nothing to be blase about.

[Melinda]

The college announced it.
He was away for a week during which he was directed to attend the doctor again but didn't go.

I just think the whole thing is laughable considering 'swine flu' is nothing to be blase about.

what right did they have to speak about someone else medical condtion...isnt there privacy laws.....

[Stormy]

Melinda when the pandemic first started, it was a notifiable disease. So anyone diagnosed was reported to public health. Schools were also told if a student had tested positive so that they could give a reason for closing schools to limit exposure to other people. I do think with notifiable diseases that people have the right to know, particularly when it is highly contagious. I may not bat an eyelid around people with swine flu because I'm exposed to it day in and day out at the moment at work but I can understand the risk it poses to others. I'm fine with taking chances myself and I do the best I can to protect myself (good hand hygiene, using masks at work). But I think you should be allowed to make an informed decision about managing your own level of risk. :yes:

I do think it's interesting that the majority of people that I have seen admitted with possible swine flu have tested positive to Influenza A or nothing at all. There might be a swine flu pandemic out there but there's also an extremely high incidence of Influenza A and that can beat you about just as badly if you get a bad dose of it.

[Melinda]

Stormy but at the start of this it does say that the person hadnt been to the doctor....also if they had i didnt think the school would be allowed to announce it to everyone i thought it would be dealt with between the governing body and the student....

[Cherie]

Another student who's been sick with diagnosed Swine Flu, walks in.
This was said first, before it was mentioned he hadbn't been to the Dr..

Teacher questions student as to his health status.
Student says he doesn't know as he hasn't been to the doctor.

Are you talking about the same person here?

[Stormy]

From what I gather, the student has been to the doctor initially and has been diagnosed with swine flu. The same student has then represented to school without first being medically cleared by a doctor. That is my understanding of the situation from Shade's subsequent posts.

Melinda they don't state individual names, they just say that an individual has been confirmed as being positive for swine flu. But in small communities like schools, colleges and universities, word soon gets around. But that was way back in the beginning phases of the pandemic when the aim was to contain it....now that we have moved to protecting vulnerable people, the approach is different. Most doctors aren't even screening for swine flu unless the individual is in a high risk group.

I have to wonder...is this example a hypothetical situation or is it a real occurrence? It doesn't change my opinion either way, I'm just curious. :dk:

[Melinda]

Thanks Stormy i was confused whether the person had been to the doc....

i actually thought it was hypothetical......

[Nicole83]

If I read correctly I think Shade said that someone in the family was diagnosed with swine flu.. so maybe he hasn't and it was presumed that he had it.

not sure..

[Ruby Lou]

Normal 'flu' kills some people with no underlying medical illness as well.
If the person has been back to the doctor and swabbed and he is clear then it is OK.
3 days on Tamiflu and if you are not coughing you should be fine. The majority of people are not given Tamiflu, only the ones who have underlying health conditions.

About 50% of people with flu at the moment have swine flu, diagnosed or not.

[Mesmereyes]

wow ,, just read this from start to finsih, and this is IMO

I got that this kid had not been disgoned with S.F, nor had he been to the doc.

So My reply to this is going to be

WTF? Get the story right the first time.

[Shade]

Okay, let's just recap:


You're in a class.
Another student who's been sick with diagnosed Swine Flu, walks in.
Teacher questions student as to his health status.
Student says he doesn't know as he hasn't been to the doctor.
Teacher asks why not.
Student says it takes too long to see one.
Teacher says well, you've got to come back with a certificate of clearance.

Student was initially diagnosed by a doctor but had not been back to a doctor to obtain a clearance. If this wasn't clear in the first place, my apologies. And no, he's not a member of my family. I know one of the people in the class so yeah, it's a real situation. A situation that has now gone to Court. I relayed it here because I thought it might interest you all. Mes, if you have nothing better to do than continually attempt to lynch me, then just don't comment, k? Thanks :)

If you read Stormy's comments, she's right - it's a notifiable disease and yes, they do have a right to name the afflicted person although, as pointed out, it's usually a foregone conclusion when the person is missing from class. As part of the condition, you cannot (depending on where you are) return to work/class/whatever until you have a medical clearance.

Yes, seasonal flu can be just as nasty. Recent stats (as published) point swine flu as being 65% deadlier. Not everyone can have Tamiflu and, in addition, Tamiflu isn't working which is why there's a race on to obtain a vaccine. However, according to the weekend paper, this program is now being halted due to threat of litigation.

Either way, I just thought it was an interesting situation in that it raised some intriguing questions in my mind.

[StarDoll]

I'd stay far from him, then I'd either take time off school or go get myself a script of tamiflu. Anyway, he is just plain silly, so many have died from the swine flu.