The normal course for a virus or bacteria to take hold is a susceptible host. In the case of H1N1 it can be for example

  • Inflammatory conditions like asthma allow colonisation
  • Weakened immune systems eg elderly, young, immune suppressed
  • Pre-existing illnesses that are already straining the immune system


you don't always need to be symptomatic to be a risk of transmitting the virus. This is where the greatest risk of viral spread occurs. You might just have cough and a snuffly nose yet you are spreading the disease just as well as the person laid up at homecwitj a fever and body aches as well.

I tend to talk about responsibility rather than the fear based approach. I have a responsibility to prevent myself from spreading the viruses out there to other patients and my family.

I think chickenpox falls into the " well I haven't seen it fir a while so it can't be too bad" box. However you'd be surpised to see how many turn up with the adult manifestation of shingles and how debilitating it can be( these age groups didn't get vaccinated).