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Digital age to revolutionise pandemics

There's been a noticeable change in the way information has been shared and collected during the swine flu pandemic, when compared to past outbreaks: familiarity with the internet, and the ease with which members of the public can contribute their own information, through facilities such as Facebook and Twitter, means that there's masses of information available, from all sorts of sources. In some ways this is a great thing - important information given by users of the UK flusurvey, for example, was speedily fed back to the Health Protection Agency to allow them to adjust their assumptions about people's behaviour in the face of the epidemic; and people can contribute to and access detailed information about what's going on in their area and adjust their behaviour accordingly (at least in theory). On the other hand, it's now far more of a challenge for the authorities to control the flow of information and, importantly, to counter false claims (such as those that led to the slaughter of Egyptian pigs). Whether good or bad, it's here to stay, and making effective use of these novel media should form a big part of future pandemic planning.

digital

Other recent swine flu stories

31st March

Flu pandemics challenge health experts (ChicoER.com) [An epidemiologist's thoughts about the challenges of responding to a new flu]

30th March

WHO's swine flu response examined (Press Association)

Swine flu jab for at-risk groups (North-West Evening Mail)

Why hand gel is a waste of money (Daily Mail) [Oddly, the headline appears to disagree strongly with the article]

Only 24 hours left for swine flu vaccination (Daily Echo)

Bulgarian minister resigns following charges of mismanaging vaccine contract (Reuters)

29th March

Young mum who died of swine flu helped save three lives by donating her organs (Daily Record)

If we're well we simply don't need medicine (Daily Telegraph) [In many instances, people recover naturally, so drugs aren't needed. The trouble is, how can we identify, before it's too late, those cases where drugs are necessary?]

25th March

Swine flu: independent review announced (WebMD) [Now that it's over (for the time being) the government's response will be looked at]

24th March

"Man flu" may be all a matter of evolution, Cambridge scientists say (Times)

20th March

Swine flu spread by jet-setting private school children, expert claims (Telegraph)

19th March

Swine flu vaccine uptake figures (BBC) [About 40% of people in priority groups and frontline healthcare workers have been immuised. Is this a) Impressive; b) Depressing; c) About what we should have expected?]

18th March

Swine flu: World Cup supporters 'should have vaccination' (Telegraph)

15th March

Next pandemic "likely to be worse": Chief Medical Officer (WebMD Health News) [Not a scare story, but a quote from Sir Liam Donaldson's explanation of the UK's response - in summary, that an overreaction was less risky than an underreaction].

14th March

Killer swine flu "is still a threat" warn doctors (YourThanet) [Cases are infrequent, but it's not yet over]

13th March

Stress: why are we anxious amidst our plenty (Times Online) [Only peripherally connected to swine flu, but an interesting read...].

9th March

Research offers new hope for flu sufferers (BBC) [Apparently, that rubbish, fed-up, feeling we get when we're ill is caused by the brain's response to illness rather than by the infection itself. This might provide cold comfort, but explains why, whatever it is we've got, we always feel grumpy and tend to seek refuge in toast and marmite]

3rd March

Is working from home the new calling in sick? (Associated Press) [The difference being that no one brings you nourishing broth]

Farewell to era of panic (Herald Sun) [The refrain being that we've all been duped into overreacting]

Ben Goldacre on science and the media (Socialist Worker) [An alternative attitude]

2nd March

Health minister accused of swine flu "overreaction" (Belfast Telegraph) [And an overreaction costs money, of course...]

1st March

Demand for swine flu jab hinders measles campaign (Irish Independent) [Vaccinators can only do one thing at a time]

23rd February

WHO scientists decide if flu pandemic has passed its peak (Associated Press)

NHS cuts feared after flu speading (Associated Press)

19th February

Vaccine jabs for swine flu to continue in summer (News Scotsman)

Poorly Stacey causes chaos (Sun) [An Eastenders actor may have flu, which has thrown the live episode into chaos!]

17th February

Flu jab for the elderly may be a waste of time: review of evidence (Telegraph) [Part of the ongoing debate on the effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccine in the elderly. Most experts believe it to be very beneficial, but there is a lack of high quality evidence]

12th February

Poland swine flu threat remains (BBC) [Reaction to Poland's decision not to buy vaccines. Damned if you do..]

9th February

AH1N1-flu afflicts 14 in Senegal (Jellofnews)

Swine flu delays "tragic", MPs told (Pulse)

8th February

Cleveland Cavaliers remove water fountains over health concerns (Player Press)

4th February

Flu-stricken Simon Cowell forced to miss another day of Britain's Got Talent auditions in Birmingham (Daily Mail) [Even Simon Cowell is human.., perhaps]

2nd February

National Pandemic Flu Service to close (DirectGov)

National Pandemic Flu Service to stand down as swine flu declines (OnMedica)

1st February

Search for stand-in as Jonathan Ross suffers swine-flu (Hello Magazine) [There are other viruses around, but it is very unlikely that he has swine flu..]

Was swine flu ever a real threat? (Telegraph)

27th January

Drug firms 'drove swine flu pandemic warning to recoup £billions spent on research' (Mail Online)

So is there any point in giving the swine flu jab to children? (Scotsman)

26th January

WHO defends its swine flu warning (BBC)

21st January

'Two thirds' of London nurses without swine flu jab (BBC)

Half of schoolchildren in some areas had swine flu: government scientists (Telegraph)

19th January

Swine flu preparations cost £1bn (Health Service Journal)

Swine flu jab for children rolled out across Wales (BBC) [Better late than never ..(?)]

17th January

GSK braced for low sales of flu drug (Financial Times)

14th January

Did UK get it right on swine flu? (BBC)

Swine flu was as elusive as WMD. The real threat is mad scientist syndrome (Guardian)

12th January

If pigs could fly just imagine the flu predictions (The Austalian)

11th January

Swine flu 'false pandemic' claim (Sun) [Various papers have picked up on this claim, which was first reported by PharmaTimes]

Drug companies face European inquiry over swine flu vaccine stockpiles (Guardian)

Swine flu shambles: Drunken call centre staff run riot, says ex-worker (Daily Mail)

9th January

Swine flu: Ministers 'preparing to offload millions of unwanted vaccines' (Telegraph)

Swine flu promises GlaxoSmithKline a £1bn revenue boost (Observer)

Unused swine flu vaccine could cost NHS millions (Times)

4th January

Under 5s in Weymouth and Portland to be vaccinated against swine flu (Weymouth People)

EU to probe pharma over “false pandemic” (PharmaTimes) [It seems the recriminations are starting..]

3rd January

France sells off surplus swine flu vaccine (BBC)

1st January

'At-risk' Scots face swine flu vaccination programme backlog (Telegraph)

22nd December

Under fives swine flu vaccination a 'waste of resources', say most GPs (Pulse, the GP's magazine)

Will swine flu be kiss of death for festive snogging? (Scarborough Evening News) [Apparently sales of mistletoe in Scarborough are as high as ever, despite the global pandemic]

Flu warning as one in two Scots admit to poor hygiene at Christmas (Scotsman) [Apparently a fifth of Scots admit that they would touch a canape at a party and then put it back if they change their minds!]

17th December

Fall in swine flu cases continues (BBC)

16th December

Swine flu: giving young children one dose of vaccine 'may not protect them' (Telegraph)

Chief medic to retire if flu spread eases (Evening Standard) [Shouldn't be long then before he picks up his pipe and slippers]

Santa in Formby swine flu ban (Champion)

15th December

Why swine flu could kill you... (especially if you haven't got it) (Daily Mail) [Misdiagnoses are always likely to occur, unfortunately, particularly as flu has such non-specific symptoms]

12th December

GPs, swine flu jabs and reimbursement (Times) [A GP puts the case as to why they should get an extra item of service payment for delivering the swine flu vaccine]

9th December

£500m flu drug ‘has little effect’ (Metro) [A study suggests that Tamiflu may have little effect on serious outcomes of flu like pneumonia]

Commuters should sleep on the train to beat swine flu threat (Evening Standard) [Our own results suggest that this is probably an unnecessary precaution, as there is no evidence that travelling on public transport is a risk]

Pattinson poster sparks swine flu fears (Indian Express)

80% told they had swine flu DIDN't really have the bug (Sun)

8th December

GPs refuse deal to deliver swine flu jabs to under-fives (Guardian)

Swine flu: the pandemic that ended with a whimper (Independent)

Girl fights for life as Tamiflu 'burns face' (Sun) [Sad case of a potential adverse reaction to tamiflu]

7th December

Mums-to-be slow to have swine flu jab (Evening News)

5th December

Midwives who refuse to give swine flu vaccine'irresponsible'(Telegraph)

4th December

Only two thirds of swine flu vaccines are getting to GPs (London Evening Standard)

No major problems with swine flu jab so far (The Independent)

3rd December

Rate of swine flu infection falls again (Guardian)

Change in swine flu virus is my biggest fear: Liam Donaldson (Telegraph)

2nd December

Swine flu top of the Google searches (Irishtimes.com)

1st December

WHO approves Glaxo's swine flu shot (Associated Press)

28th November

Mother taken to court for refusing to allow daughter to have swine flu vaccination (Telegraph)

27th November

Swine flu: shutting schools 'would cut cases by one fifth' (Telegraph)

26th November

Doctors 'need to speed up swine flu vaccinations' (BBC)

25th November

US Santas demand priority swine flu vaccine (Independent)

23rd November

How to share a mistletoe moment... without catching swine flu (Daily Mail) [It had to happen..]

21st November

Swine flu kills four in Saudi Arabia on Hajj pilgrimage (BBC)

20th November

Young children to be offered swine flu vaccination (BBC)

Millions of healthy children to be given swine flu jab (Telegraph)

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu spreads 'between patients' (BBC)

19th November

Surge in swine flu among UK children may lead to intensive care bed crisis (Guardian) [As we are near or past the peak, such a surge is unlikely]

18th November

Pregnant women refusing to take swine flu vaccination, say doctors (Times)

17th November

How to beat the winter bugs (Independent) [A well-informed Q&A piece]

Brace yourself for swine flu 2 (Scottish Sun) [Whilst drug resistance is a concern, this report is rather alarmist]

WHO says swine flu samples from Ukraine showed no significant mutation (Associated Press) [For those of you following the Ukrainin saga it seems that the virus is likely to be no more severe than anywhere else]

16th November

'Miracle cure' for swine flu girl, 4, saved from the brink of death (Daily Mail) [Claims like this need to be treated with some caution]

Let down by the reality of swine flu (Independent)

14th November

Swine flu vaccinations and expectant mothers: the facts (The Times)

13th November

Eighteen mothers-to-be admitted to Welsh hospitals with swine flu (Wales Online)

How do I protect my child from swine flu? (BBC)

12th November

No extra payments for GPs who give out swine flu jabs (Leicester Mercury)

Swine flu cases drop in England (BBC)

11th November

GPs to get bigger bonuses if they meet swine flu jab targets (Daily Mail)

Swine flu could be over by Christmas (Wales News)

Swine flu vaccine could be standard next year (Wales Online)

Ukraine flu fatalities rise, government warns of 'battle' (Earth Times)

10th November

Swine flu cases 'levelling off' (BBC)

Santa and Swine flu (Fox Charlotte)

9th November

Everything you should know about the swine flu vaccine (Times Online)

UAE begins swine flu vaccination drive (Maktoob News)

5th November

Young 'must have swine flu jab' (BBC)

4th November

Weymouth school hit by swine flu as 50 pupils fall ill (Dorset Echo) [As was the case in the summer, swine flu is spreading very effectively in schools]

3rd November

Swine flu scare tightens borders around Ukraine (Associated Press)

Royal tour flops as swine tour keeps Canadians at home (Daily Express)

Cut red tape to help GPs tackle swine flu (Belfast Telegraph)

2nd November

Hospitals "running short of intensive care beds for swine flu patients" (Daily Mail)

Enough swine flu vaccine for everyone (Wales Online) [Lots of facts for everyone interested in swine flu in Wales]

Nonchalent reaction to swine flu threat risks lives (Youngstown Vindicator) [Grumpy piece from a newspaper in Ohio]

1st November

Swine flu fears grip Ukraine (Wall Street Journal) [A valuable lesson: even if drugs such as Tamiflu only make a small difference, the absence of them can lead to panic]

40 holiday children held over swine flu fear (Metro) [Egyptian airport officials take the heavy-handed approach]

31st October

People will die after swine flu vaccine - but it's just coincidence (Telegraph) [An excellent piece: an adverse reaction that follows a vaccine is not necessarily caused by the vaccine]