Dunoon Grammar School

One more post about living in ‘the swine flu capital of Scotland’ (a title bestowed by the Times newspaper- here.)

Although there are now cases on the Island of Bute, and in Oban, Dunoon still remains the centre of the largest out break of the H1N1 virus in Scotland. As of Friday, there were almost 70 confirmed cases. Fortunately, most cases seem to have had mild effects on those infected- vomiting, aches and pains, dry cough- but two people have required hospital treatment. One person suggested that a recent hangover was worse!

The official response to this has been changing too. Initially the hope was that we could contain the spread of the virus by keeping those who had direct contact with infected people separate, and using prophylactic medication. It is safe to say that this does not appear to have worked very well! The concern of those of us that work for essential services is that if enough staff are infected, then we will not be able to maintain essential care to vulnerable people. However, at present, this has not been a problem. Services are managing fine.

The service under most pressure is the local hospital- and this seems to be at least in part because of the very many ‘worried well’ who are turning up for tests and seeking medication.

The current advice is that if infected, keep away from work and people. If in contact with those infected, but you are not symptomatic, then carry on as normal.

Community services (Social Work and Education) have been given clear instruction to ‘carry on as normal’, and not to get into a pattern of canceling things, and therefore increasing the sense of crisis in the locality.

I was surprised then to hear that Dunoon Grammar School is now closed for a week. My daughter, who is in year three, was already off all last week in an attempt to control the spread amongst people who had contact with a confirmed case of infection. I wonder whether the decision to close the school was more in response to the fact that so many people were simply not sending their kids to school. I heard that on one day last week, there were only 35 kids in the school (the normal intake is more than a thousand.)

The effect on the community has been interesting. Some are fearful and withdrawn- suspicious of sniffles and sneezes. But mostly the effect seems to be rather positive on peoples relating and interacting. After all, communication in small towns can often be very incestuous and gossippy- and swine flu gives us such great material. The chance to compare notes on who-knows-who, and to inquire after the wellbeing of the new local celebrities- those infected. I have found people to be almost universally good humoured about the whole thing.

Perhaps the ultimate expression of this is that I heard yesterday that some of those who had been infected were gathering together at a ‘Swine flu barbecue’- a social event for those who had been quarantined from others.

A hog roast you could say.

Where the swine flu ham is fully roasted.

Good for them!