I think it's a big conspiracy as well. I think they've all been poisoned by that Russian guy when he mistook Saints players for some others who used to be big during the Cold War era.

Its around every area though tbh.

And I doubt Flannery and Eastmond had it, as both were only out for one week so unless it was caught very early and treated or they were very lucky to both get mild cases!

Flannery only played for 20 minutes at the Stoop, didn't he? It's reported on the Saints website somewhere that he couldn't manage any more than that. He had lost weight apparently as a result of his illness.

it's no secret its in the area, and other clubs like bradford have admitted it. The only reason i can think of for hiding it is that the team could be quarantined which would be bad news all round

I really don't understand the hysteria around swine flu. All the medics are consistently saying that it is mild. It's now been in this country for a few months yet it's only managed to kill 29 people, only one of which had no underlying health problem, and yet 'ordinary' seasonal flu kills 3000 to 4000 people in this country every year but where is the hysteria about that?

It's just plain stupid.

Rant over.

Why would they have to do that when it has been said many a time that it is now the case that if you have been in contact with someone with swine flu as long as you are asymptomatic you don't have to be quarantined and you can go around your day to day life as normal.

If a player had it wouldn't the employers be liable for duty of care for other employee's and public? so I could see a complete lock down happening.

It's already whizzing around the country. This area seems to have been largely untouched until recently. But it only lasts about a week, the vulnerable people being those with underlying lung conditions and also young children (the elderly are not vulnerable because it appears to have similar features to the Asian flu of the 1950s and many elderly people caught that so have some immunity). It's no worse or better than regular flu, which is passed around in exactly the same way as swine flu - through sneezes and coughs and people's lack of hygiene.


Not laughing. The mutation is a feature of viruses which has everyone nervous but there are no signs as yet and until or unless there are such signs then I say it's a load of hysterical hype over nothing very much. Had it been killing hundreds as it went through in some kind of plague like fashion then I'd be the first one to give up work and stay indoors! No sign of that though. Just a nasty virus for a week. So, what's new?

Excuse me! but I'm quoting from a doctor on Radio 2 on Friday luv.
As an employer if you are proven to have ignored the well being of employee's and the public you are leaving yourself wide open.

Strange as when I myself and others I know where diagnosed we were all told that we were the only ones who had to take any sort of quarantine action and that work places - other than obviously accepting sickness until fit to return - didn't have to do anything out of the ordinary.

I know a lot of places have started providing hand gels and promoting the "catch it, kill it, bin it" and vigilance but they certainly don't have to go into lock down just because someone with swine flu has been in.

For legal action you mean? Surprise, surprise! We're more into litigation than the States these days. However, duty of care extends only to having a policy and ensuring staff have an opportunity to clean their hands. Beyond that, it's up to individual members of staff to look after themselves. My workplace has alcohol handwash dotted all over the place and has emailed their policy - namely, if you've got it stay off or you'll be sent home - to all staff members. That's their duty of care done and dusted.

The only reason there is anyone commenting on swine flu anywhere at all is because the WHO gave it pandemic status.

Hey hey don't you two be jumping down my throat, I'm only relaying what was being said by some doctor on the bloody radio.

But as you said your work has put into place a procedure that shows duty of care. What happens if say half of the team get diagnosed with it? would the team be forced to play or would it be a duty of care to call the game off so as to not cross infect the oposing team etc?

You are Brian Noble and I claim my fiver.