Cold and flu virus spread by air travel
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Airlines should do more to protect passengers from viral infections. Practically every time I've flown recently, I have come down with either a really bad cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or a number of these symptoms. I was sick for a week with vomiting and diarrhoea after a recent trip from the US. My partner was sick both on the outgoing and incoming flight. It took me a month to recover the last time as I have medical problems. The time before that we both came down with sore throats, coughs and colds. I am convinced it's because we were in an enclosed place with other people coughing and sneezing etc. |
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There are currently cases of swine flu in Mexico which are proving to be lethal and there's every chance that viruses like these may spread quickly with the assistance of air travel, possibly even to the UK. I am seriously worried about my son and his wife who are flying from Mexico next week. I don't want to lose my family to this and hope to goodness that airlines will be responsible and take precautions, after all, they have their staff to protect too. |
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I really don't know how the airlines could help protect passengers other than making them wear a mask or gloves, but I think they have an obligation to do so to avoid potential epidemics. People may scoff at my concern but it doesn't take much for an airborne virus such as cold and flu to spread. Think about yourselves, your children and partners etc. Hygiene standards should be monitored and all passengers told to wash their hands before coming on board. If they are ill they should tell airline staff and be given masks or at the very least tissues and not be allowed to sit next to the elderly or young children. In the airline safety briefing they could remind passengers about the need to safeguard others by covering their mouths if they feel the need to cough or sneeze, and washing their hands after visiting the toilet. You would be surprised at the number of people who don't realise the importance of being clean and neglect basic hygiene. By: Mumwhocares |
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Comments from visitors
I don`t know anything about air travel experiences but I do know that on two recent coach trip journeys I had cold symptoms also the following days after travelling. Obviously an absolute haven for bacteria, little fresh air, etc and possibly inadequate cleaning around seating areas.
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MerseysideAlice - 16-Jul-10 20:25
arrawn
I am sure that you are right. The recent scare regarding swine flu etc came to nothing but if there is ever a really deadly virus then air travel will spread it around the globe in double quick time.
I am sure that you are right. The recent scare regarding swine flu etc came to nothing but if there is ever a really deadly virus then air travel will spread it around the globe in double quick time.
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True! and it also reared its head again in the 15th,but luckily enough the Great fire of London proved to be a blessing in disguise.Thanks though for putting me right,but my point was that air travel,or the speed of it could still cause epidemics,of some very nasty illnesses.
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arrawn
The plague arrived in Britain in the fourteenth century not the seventeenth.
The plague arrived in Britain in the fourteenth century not the seventeenth.
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It's clear to me that some travelers use those aircraft sinks as bidets. Think about that next time you are freshening up.
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I don't know much about air travel,but I certainly think that it would be possible to get on a plane with some dreaded illness that you may not even know you've got,and even walk around infecting everyone else,whereas in the dark old ages you would have died on the sea voyage and been dropped overboard.
And before you point it out to me about Bubonic plague,or any of the other deadly things that reached Britain in the 17th century,they are all now curable,I'm referring to modern maladies found in foreign travels that still cannot be controlled or cured.
And before you point it out to me about Bubonic plague,or any of the other deadly things that reached Britain in the 17th century,they are all now curable,I'm referring to modern maladies found in foreign travels that still cannot be controlled or cured.
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***** Travel filters - Veronica Whiteman (Cronulla, NSW, Australia)
Halo, I want to write and thank the person who invented breathe easy nose protectors, I travel heaps and always have a runny nose after flights and sometimes have had bad chest infections following a flight. I wanted to go to England for years but was so frightened because of my \"flight colds\" because I've actually ended up in hospital after one flight.
Well I decided to try Breathe ezy travel filters after reading about them on the net, I found they worked on a flight to Perth so I finally decided to see how I went using them on a flight to England.
Not a drop of trouble with sneezes or chest infections that usually follow the sneezes, I sing your praises that I can now go anywhere I want anytime
Halo, I want to write and thank the person who invented breathe easy nose protectors, I travel heaps and always have a runny nose after flights and sometimes have had bad chest infections following a flight. I wanted to go to England for years but was so frightened because of my \"flight colds\" because I've actually ended up in hospital after one flight.
Well I decided to try Breathe ezy travel filters after reading about them on the net, I found they worked on a flight to Perth so I finally decided to see how I went using them on a flight to England.
Not a drop of trouble with sneezes or chest infections that usually follow the sneezes, I sing your praises that I can now go anywhere I want anytime
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In other words : "I have no valid argument to put forward so I'm copping out of an argument I can't win."
Now who's throwing their toys out of the pram!
Now who's throwing their toys out of the pram!
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Mike P - discussion over as far as I'm concerned. I think you enjoy picking holes in everything.
Cheerio...little one!
Cheerio...little one!
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Over and out - 19-May-09 14:43
"You are too exacting and probably jolly annoying! "
I am exacting, I take pride in accuracy when writing and I find it hard to accept that others don't. If you find that annoying, I'm sorry (I'm not really, but it's a pleasantry to say sorry!)
"I am human and you are not! "
Good point. Nicely expressed.
"I do have a point to make having lived in places where racism still exists and it is not nice. ?"
It really all depends on what you mean by racism. Too many people throw down the race card as an excuse for their own deficiencies, using as a convenient barrier against reality.
"You've thrown your toys out of the pram....and don't we now it! "
If you say so.
"You obviously love yourself and will look under the carpet for an argument!"
If you don't love and respect yourself it's hard to expect those around you to do so. It's a common failing. There is nothing wrong with loving yourself, up to a point.
I still don't get your point about Australia. Are you saying that Australia hands out nationality willy nilly to new immigrants? If so, you are wrong. The criteria are very stringent, and anyway a gook or a black with an Aussie passport is still a gook or a black, and if you don't like me saying so, then call me racist (or rascist if you prefer) and deny reality.
I am exacting, I take pride in accuracy when writing and I find it hard to accept that others don't. If you find that annoying, I'm sorry (I'm not really, but it's a pleasantry to say sorry!)
"I am human and you are not! "
Good point. Nicely expressed.
"I do have a point to make having lived in places where racism still exists and it is not nice. ?"
It really all depends on what you mean by racism. Too many people throw down the race card as an excuse for their own deficiencies, using as a convenient barrier against reality.
"You've thrown your toys out of the pram....and don't we now it! "
If you say so.
"You obviously love yourself and will look under the carpet for an argument!"
If you don't love and respect yourself it's hard to expect those around you to do so. It's a common failing. There is nothing wrong with loving yourself, up to a point.
I still don't get your point about Australia. Are you saying that Australia hands out nationality willy nilly to new immigrants? If so, you are wrong. The criteria are very stringent, and anyway a gook or a black with an Aussie passport is still a gook or a black, and if you don't like me saying so, then call me racist (or rascist if you prefer) and deny reality.
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Apologies for spelling mistake! You are too exacting and probably jolly annoying! I am human and you are not! I suppose nobody is allowed to make a simple spelling mistake. And that rules out an intelligent response? I do have a point to make having lived in places where racism still exists and it is not nice. How can a spelling mistake be taken so seriously?
Anyway the debate was about viruses! You've thrown your toys out of the pram....and don't we now it! You obviously love yourself and will look under the carpet for an argument!
Anyway the debate was about viruses! You've thrown your toys out of the pram....and don't we now it! You obviously love yourself and will look under the carpet for an argument!
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SPELLING MISTAKE - so hang me! - 19-May-09 09:27
Rascalism, that's what's bringing this country down. You can't go round calling your MPs a bunch of rascals, which they so clearly are. Our anti-discrimation policies and reverse rascalism where a more than equal share of rascals get selected has now meant we end up with more rascals in Parliament than natural selection would oherwise produce. It's not at all black and white, but rather more bad than good. The Nation at large has empowered the rascals and we cannot now get rid of them.
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I am afraid I find it very hard to take anyone who talks about racism seriously when they can't even spell the word. As you've spelt both 'racism' and 'racist' wrongly, this rather rules out the possibility that it might be a typing error or just carelessness.
It implies a total lack of knowledge and research of the subject matter and as such your comments are not really worthy of reply.
I do know what I am talking about.
It implies a total lack of knowledge and research of the subject matter and as such your comments are not really worthy of reply.
I do know what I am talking about.
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MikeP I should have made it clearer - I wanted us to learn more about citizenship for immigrants from Australia. No, I was not trying to tell you that Australia was without rascism. I realise it exists, however, I am not a rascist and don't want to be one - ever.
By the way, do you know what you are talking about????
Your 3rd paragraph makes a logical point. I certainly don't want society to revert back to Hitler's way of dealing with people who didn't fit the mould of his Darwinian future; or the black and white divide that existed in Africa and in the US. I don't know what the answer is to this debate - I can only hope that we as a nation embrace each other as human beings.
By the way, do you know what you are talking about????
Your 3rd paragraph makes a logical point. I certainly don't want society to revert back to Hitler's way of dealing with people who didn't fit the mould of his Darwinian future; or the black and white divide that existed in Africa and in the US. I don't know what the answer is to this debate - I can only hope that we as a nation embrace each other as human beings.
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Without prejudice - 18-May-09 18:47
"Something needs to change maybe we could learn from other countries for example Australia.
Not prejudiced 15-May-2009 20:01"
Are you trying to tell me that there isn't racial discrimination in Australia? Officially, as in most places, maybe not, but wake up and smell the coffee. Have you ever lived there? Do you know what you're talking about? I didn't think so.
You may also not have woken up to the fact that most anti-discrimination policies end up as reverse racism and make the situation worse. You can call it affirmative employment, black empowerment, minority group equalisation, whatever other BS names you like, but the end result never changes.
Not prejudiced 15-May-2009 20:01"
Are you trying to tell me that there isn't racial discrimination in Australia? Officially, as in most places, maybe not, but wake up and smell the coffee. Have you ever lived there? Do you know what you're talking about? I didn't think so.
You may also not have woken up to the fact that most anti-discrimination policies end up as reverse racism and make the situation worse. You can call it affirmative employment, black empowerment, minority group equalisation, whatever other BS names you like, but the end result never changes.
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Talking about racism. I expect when I go to a petrol station, or a supermarket, or any service provider that the numbers and races of the staff serving you should be in exactly the same proportion and ratio as the number and races of the customers which use that store, service or establishment.
So if 80% of the public using a Supermarket are White then I expect 80% of the staff in the store should be White too.
Any significant difference exhibits a racism by the employer. And if it is due to the fact that the employer is only offering minimum wages then that employer must be forced to raise wages till the balance of staff is right again.
What this got to do with 'flus and viruses? Everything of course. We are importing all kinds of exotic diseases from far off lands.
So if 80% of the public using a Supermarket are White then I expect 80% of the staff in the store should be White too.
Any significant difference exhibits a racism by the employer. And if it is due to the fact that the employer is only offering minimum wages then that employer must be forced to raise wages till the balance of staff is right again.
What this got to do with 'flus and viruses? Everything of course. We are importing all kinds of exotic diseases from far off lands.
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Out of Balance - 17-May-09 14:29
I thought our society was beyond this sort of stuff and yes, I agree I've seen both sides of the coin. Remarks because I am white but have an accent; asians not wanting to associate with me because I am white. When we cut ourselves we all bleed the same way; our skin colour doesn't make us different we are one. Yes, it seems every culture under the sun have their respective organisations - foreigners living in the UK should be patriotic to England. I've noticed some people want nationality but retain their native ways - this is not intergration. Something needs to change maybe we could learn from other countries for example Australia.
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Not prejudiced - 15-May-09 20:01
I have also heard black people say that only whites can be racist.
DUH!! They are too stupid to understand that that is a racist statement!!
DUH!! They are too stupid to understand that that is a racist statement!!
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grumpyoldwoman - 15-May-09 07:58
PART 2
If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' our, Lives we'd be racists.
We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??
A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant.
If we had a college fund that only gave white students Scholarships. You know we'd be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' That would be a racist college...
In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.
If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us Racists.
You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it.
But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist!
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white Police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.
I am proud.... But you call me a racist.
Why is it that only whites can be racists?
If we had any organization for only whites to 'advance' our, Lives we'd be racists.
We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce. Wonder who pays for that??
A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant, but any color can be in the Miss America pageant.
If we had a college fund that only gave white students Scholarships. You know we'd be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US . Yet if there were 'White colleges' That would be a racist college...
In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.
If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us Racists.
You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it.
But when we announce our white pride, you call us racist!
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white Police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.
I am proud.... But you call me a racist.
Why is it that only whites can be racists?
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It's turned into a racist [please note the spelling of this much abused word so beloved by the PC brigade] debate because someone who calls himself Reno decided it was 'racist' to refer to the fact that people from the developing world are more likely to have infectious diseases than others. My referring to the Tube as the Jungle Express is also 'racist'.
There you have it.
There you have it.
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