By Kenneth Bird
Although we have just endured a very long, wet and stormy winter, the prevalence of seasonal flu has been much lower than in previous years. Some observers think this was caused by our reluctance to venture out and socially engage during bad weather, and that staying at home might have prevented the flu virus from being more widespread. This spring, some residents of Rye were actively involved in some exciting new research investigating what the over-65s think about pandemic influenza. The research is being conducted by Mark Spreckley, a Rye resident and post-graduate student at the Institute of Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London. Although the research programme is currently ongoing, the preliminary response to a questionnaire and discussion forum have been very positive. In the autumn, the results and outcome of the study will be shared with the residents of Rye.