Swine flu precautions

[Rob Allanson]

Suntory is closing its sites to the public because of swine flu. The order has come from the top management, which has decided to stop welcoming people for the distillery and plants tour for the time being to tackle the issue of swine flu.
A spokesperson said: "No one in Suntory has come down with the illness yet. However, our government and most of the cities prefectures are taking this issue seriously and have urges schools to close as a precaution."
It is understood that Yamazaki and Hakushu distillery have declined 100 groups and the company has had to turn down an impending visit by Swedish writers and French customers.
The company has said it is not clear when it will re-open the sites.

[Reggaeblues]

They should listen to Robin Laing, whisky bard(...or Lobin Raing in their parts)

"Whisky is a cure for which there is no disease."

i heard on the news that the reason it hasn't taken hold in England is that our nostrils are too cold for the bugs to thrive...

[Iain]

[quote="Rob Allanson"]the company has had to turn down an impending visit by Swedish writers and French customers.
[/quote]

It didn't have to. It chose to.

[Aidan]

Everyone needs something to panic about every now and again.

I bet £18 swine flu will not wipe out the world this time round.

[Muskrat Portage]

Honestly, I have a feeling that this 'Swine Flu" debacle will end up as over-rated as Y2K was. The number of Canadians that have been diagnosed with "Swine Flu" is dwarfed by the numbers that every year catch some other form of flu especially in the colder months.

Maybe there's not as great an impact due to the fact that the Government provides flu shots for free every year and many of us have built up a form of resistance over the years. I can't really say as I'm not in the health care field anymore.

I do recall the reaction to the SARs scare a number of years ago in Toronto. A conference had been planned with industry representatives attending over the long weekend. Apparently, one or two people from another country overreacted just a bit and caused a stampede of cancellations by both attendees and companies that were coming from outside Canada. When the dust settled, the conference went off without a hitch with Canadian suppliers stepped up to the plate and covered off the spots left vacant. Oh, and nobody attending got sick from SARs.

Fancy that!

Now is not the time for kneejerk reacting to the media incurred circuses. Yes it's a new strain of influenza, but this is not 1918, we have far better medical supports now. What can you do to counter it? Act in a reasonable and commonsense manner. Get your flu shots, keep up healthy personal hygene and seek medical care if warranted.

Closing businesses where no one has any signs of an illness strikes me as being a bit over reactive. Caution in protecting the public and the employees is to be commended but it must be tempered with a bit of practicality and a healthy dose of common sense as well.

Muskrat Portage

[pkt77242]

[quote="Aidan"]Everyone needs something to panic about every now and again.

I bet £18 swine flu will not wipe out the world this time round.[/quote]


Usually strains of the flu get worse in subsequent waves. Usually the first wave of a new flu is the least lethal, and it get more lethal each time around. So your bet seems pretty safe that this first wave won't be as lethal. Though maybe with our advanced medicine and research we can change that pattern by coming up with an effective vacine or maybe this won't get any worse and the next flu pandemic still hasn't happened.

Sean

[les taylor]

[quote="Aidan"]Everyone needs something to panic about every now and again.

I bet £18 swine flu will not wipe out the world this time round.[/quote]



Aidan, you must really want James's Ledaig. Go on you know it makes sense.