Swine flu ‘may kill up to 140’
Friday 17th July 2009, 3:00PM BST.
Dr Rosemary Geller, the Medical Officer of Health.
UP to 140 Islanders could die during a feared mass outbreak of swine flu this autumn, the Medical Officer of Health warned today.
Dr Rosemary Geller said that up to 35,000 Islanders could be affected if a vaccine does not arrive in the next few months – and she admitted that Health officials were preparing for deaths.
She also revealed that the department was moving closer to joining the UK and Guernsey in abandoning attempts to contain the spread of the disease, and instead simply treat patients as each cases arises.
Dr Geller issued the warnings as the UK government revealed that 29 people have now died from the H1N1 virus, including those without underlying health problems. It is feared that the death toll in the UK could soar to 65,000 by the end of the year.
Dr Geller said that the close relationship with the UK could cause a surge in cases in Jersey. ‘We need to be prepared for some deaths,’ she said.
‘At the moment it’s difficult to say what age-group will be the worst-affected, but those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, chronic bronchitis, heart problems and kidney
failure are most at risk.’
Islanders requiring more information on the virus should phone the flu helpline on 445566 between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm from Monday to Friday.
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
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This needs to be put into context, how does 140 deaths compare with the seasonal norm for flu deaths?
In the UK the chief medical officer made a statement to the press saying that between 3,000 and 65,000 may die from the flu, no surprise it was the headline grabbing higher figure that was reported as fact.
We need clarification as to how potentially serious this may be – assuming that they know.
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News reports and official comment like this are just going to cause mass panic, the media need to be more balanced with sensible advice about how one can protect themself.
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PLEASE give your ridiculous scaremongering a break Dr Geller.
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Yes doctor Geller, 140 could well die from flu this year. Also 200 could die even tonight should a plane spiral out of control after take off. We could also get run over by a car, fall off a cliff, get kicked by a donkey, choke on a Big Mac, the list is endless.
Please stop this pointless job justification and scare mongering. All this will lead to is mass panic, the hospital overburdened with people thinking they have flu when it’s only a cold and thousands ringing in sick on Monday hoping for a two week quarantine sick freebie.
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I for one am sick of the way we are drip fed differing opinions and advice. She will tell us something else next week.
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PANIC !!!
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140 of 91,533? Thats 1 in 653 people. I really dont like the wording of that headline and who knows what to believe these days anyway.
Are we suppose to worry about this along with the doom and gloom economy and pay freezes?
Come on JEP, lets have something nice to talk about every day and put this on the inside page shall we? We have exhausted this topic.
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Er????? Does she want mass panic on her hands?! What a daft approach “Health officials are preparing for deaths” “may kill 140″. How about reassuring islanders not to panic and that less than 0.2% of islanders are expected to be killed by the virus. Not the best worded news article!! Makes me so angry!!
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Oh my word, what is one to do!!!
Talk about a gentle relief from constipation.
I dont know whether to breakdance or go and kiss my neighbour, well perhaps not,i dont want to catch there germs.
Im going to hide in my secret shelter & wait for Sue Lawley to anounce on my black and white tv that its all a terrible mistake & i can go on eating British beef! Hurrah for the weekend & the bringers of good tidings.
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Pure and simple scaremongering!!
How many people die each year in the UK and Jersey from “normal” flu?
How many will die this winter because they can’t afford heating??
Now that is something to be worried about and can be prevented!
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While this is a possibility, the continual scaremongering could create apathy, something which will make deaths more likely. There’s already an attitude of ‘well I might as well catch it now’, which is perfectly fine for some but most of us will have contact with people who fall into the very vulnerable category so it’s not just about one individual!
We should simply be reminding people that if they start to show any questionable symptoms they should quarantine themselves for the sake of those who can’t fight it and not be a martyr in any way, shape or form.
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I don’t believe it, she’s at it again…
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4. Jack
Of course we could all die due to other circumstances, but Ms Geller is just releasing potential figures and doing her job. It is the press that wish to glamorise this article.
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How much values Jersey a life? If high: cut the air and sea links to the UK till a vaccine is here. Dr Geller states that it is the “close relationship with the UK could cause a surge in cases in Jersey.” Cut it! Otherwise, you have personally contributed to the death of anybody dying from it.
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So Dr Rosemary Geller said “that up to 35,000 Islanders could be affected if a vaccine does not arrive in the next few months – and she admitted that Health officials were preparing for deaths”.
Yes the death toll for the swine flu outbreak is sadly rising, but not to the extent that Jersey will be the centre of the outbreak!
Before you know it she will start advising that the world will end in 2013 and she will more than likely start wearing a shell suit and make all manner of more outlandish predictions.
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well her scaremongering has worked am scared stiff for my very young son and pregnant wife and no one is really saying anything that the uk and jersey
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I can only say that I agree with ALL the above comments.
Scaremongering and media frenzy is not the best way to deal with this issue.
Swine flu is here, that is a fact. We really do not want to know that we could be one of the unfortunate 140?? people who may pop their clogs because of it.
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Pure and simple scaremongering!!
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Propaganda yet again from the States…..
well said Post 7,
If it’s not scare-mongering, it’s “how worse The UK is” type headlines…. do the media really think it’s viewers/readers/listeners are really that thick??
It’s time for real news delivered in an unbiased way & not all these “red-top” headlines…
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yes, it’s only people with chronic bronchitis and heart/kidney problems that are at risk of dying fron H1N1. certainly not people with compromised immune systems, the elderly, small children, and the working poor who cannot afford to miss a day of work or be signed of whilst ill. these baseless statistics are a much better way to reach the public as opposed to preaching awareness and preventative tactics for contracting the big deadly swine flu.
for the record, i’ve had swine flu recently, as did my husband who has a compromised immune system. neither of us died, an he should have been “on his deathbed” the way this “doctor” goes on about swine flu.
doctors don’t know the first thing about assessing or treating this. airlines are doing nothing to increase passenger awareness of spreading/contracting viral illness – i was on a flybe flight loaded with people coughing/sneezing all over the place, sans tissue or any tact/regard for infecting other people.
doctors know nothing and throw tamiflu at you, and the public doesn’t seem to care, because it’s being scared by numbers and death tolls, instead of being informed and reminded of ways to prevent the spread of this virus. dr. geller would do better in her post by habitually advising patients of ways to eliminate contact with/treat the virus, instead of dropping projected death numbers in an article for shock value.
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I’m sick of listening to this woman. I think she loves the attention of getting on the paper and this website. Everyone is a bit worried of the virus at the minute and this just adds more fuel to the fire.
I hope the next time I hear from her I hope she has figures that actually have something more good to say.
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Seems the whole island would feel better quickly if she was to take a week off……..
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Having just returned from the UK a few days ago, I don’t seem to have had any swine flu symptoms yet, but I did feel worried about travelling around and possibly picking up the virus.
I was rather surprised that there didn’t seem to be any checks done when I arrived back at the Harbour, although I was stopped by a lady at customs, who wanted to see my ID for some reason, but she didn’t mention anything about swine flu!
However, I really can’t see how we can stop the spread of swine flu, unless we all walk around in special spacesuits to protect ourselves! Ironically, it seems that Michael Jackson did have the right idea after all!
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Second time she has done this. This woman is dangerous and irresponsible and should not have a position of public importance
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I can’t do nothing but laugh. Oh well, let’s look on the bright side, at least the population will decrease with a 140. I know a lot of you think we’re too many on this island anyway…
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It reminds me of the Salmonella-infected egg scare in the UK a number of years ago.
I wonder if anyone will lose their job over this?
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With the panic that Dr. Geller is likely to cause, I suggest that EVERYONE creates their own quarantine at home. Until the danger passes NO-ONE should go to work, all children should not go to school etc., etc…..
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Dr Geller is damned if she warns the Island authorities (and its inhabitants) against the possible results of the H1N1 pandemic – and damned if she does not.
If (and I use that word with caution) there had been an increase in H1N1-related mortality, and the Medical Officer of Health had not done her job by warning us to take precautions to minimise those deaths, we would be screaming for her resignation and deportation.
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I find 140 quite an odd figure and very specific figure. How can she have come to this figure? Surely if she thinks it’ll be in the mid 100s, she should have plumped for 150? What’s next – Hundreds to die in old age outbreak?
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Swine flu! whats swineflu? ive just read of another one its called bird flu! I was just about to say i need to get out more, well i dont think i will now. Hang on wasn’t bird flu meant to kill just as many and its happened twice! we hear of mutations and new strains well until this happens whats the problem, we hear we can’t eat eggs because of salmanella and now were told we can eat as many as we want! you cant live in fear all the time and how does a doctor make his money! from selling drugs to people that they make think they need them! Infact the drugs can do you more harm than good, so dont believe everything thats told to you, the stress will kill you!
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oobunillaoo, it’s not just the conditions you’ve mentioned. Your husband not being greatly affected does not mean that others with a compromised immune system wouldn’t be, it just depends what the ‘compromise’ is really.
My dad doesn’t have a compromised immune system or any of the conditions mentioned on most public sites but he is also very high risk due to having had complications with flu in the past.
It’s also worth remembering that you can have many of the problematic conditions without having realised it yet, so while no-one should really panic it is wise to be sensible and maintain good hygiene practices.
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The comments regarding our medical officer doing her job are well made.
It is, however, equally the case that Dr Geller’s high public profile and her habit of dictating to the general public have lead to a position where I for one sometimes doubts what she says.
In short, it is now difficult to take any of it seriously.
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On the basis that my parents, in-laws, wife and son are only alive today through medical intervention, and that as I was concieved in ‘interesting’ circumstances in 1960 and put up for adoption, rather than being aborted, I can live with the risk that there is a less than one percent chance that someone near and dear to me MAY be taken through Swine Flu.
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Well my conspiracy theory is these viruses and diseases are all created by the massive pharmaceutical companies so they can sell their medicines.
They always seem to be able to pinpoint the initial outbreaks to a tiny remote village in a third world country as well….everytime !
What next? Fish flu?
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Good Afternoon Dr Geller.
Perhaps I could ask you to comment on my percieved headline –
“100,000 expected to die”
This is due to an asteroid that is on a possible collision course with the earth and the projected path puts it clearing the planet by as little as 10,000 miles (very close in terms of space). This is due around September 2012 and if it does hit the planet then it will end all life.
Tell me, is this likely to cause mass panic? I think it may be a little more newsworthy than your figure!
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28. Norman_point
I don’t think thats the point that people are getting at. It’s just the blunt statement that 140 odd will die instead of advising people that the virus can be contained so can take the certain procedures to reduce the risk of people having it. Swine flu will affect people but mainly children and elderly folk.
No one thank god has died yet of this disease in Jersey so until that happens she can keep those types of comments to herself.
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The next one isn’t even flu related it’s going to be drug-resistant gonorrhea. Given Jersey’s seriously high rate of young people with STDs I can’t wait to see what the media will make of it and the level of infertility it could bring.
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My family live in Jersey so Dr Geller’s statements are important for me. I must say that Doom writers are more reassuring, so much so that I cancelled my trip over in August. I did it to protect my family against swine flu arriving on their doorstep from abroad. However, after reading so many sensible comments, I’ve decided to postpone my worrying until September 2012 when the asteroid is due to hit the planet and will certainly destroy all life!
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If I cancelled a holiday everytime a threat of disease, terrorism or risk of other unpleasant things happening, I don’t think I would have left this rock for the past 10 years.
I take absolutely no notice whatsoever of any of this scare mongering, and to date, still alive and well with the added bonus of having got on with my life instead of stting around moping and fearing the worse.
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Can we now establish the facts of Dr Geller’s statement that 29 people in the UK have died of swine flu, “including those without underlying health problems”.The tragic case of the mother who died after child birth was highlighted thus, until it was later reported that she had been paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident two years ago.Let’s not dwell on this evening’s JEP business headline, “GSK expects swine flu boost”, which reports that the firm could make around £1.3 billion from its swine flu vaccine next year. Over to you Dr Geller, though I’m sure you are better versed in relaying UK Public Health pronouncements, rather than actually giving answers to an enquiring public.
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You’re quite right Mr. Bean-all-over, but as my name admits I’m a born worrier, it’s in my DNA. I cancelled my trip on the spur of the moment and I’m rather sorry I did now, but my sister’s not! You see she works with young babies and if I’d have carried swine flu over to them it wouldn’t have been much of a holiday now would it? But thank goodness for people like you that keep the tourist industry going…;)
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Dr Geller has stated that up to 35,000 will be affected if the flu vaccine does not arrive within the next few months. However, these people, and any person who actually gets the flu, will still be affected, as the vaccine can only be given when you develop symptoms and have been tested positive for this particular strain. Unless she plans to vaccinate the whole island just on the off chance…
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No more shaking hands in church but we can of course still kiss which is more fashionable today.
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