It was not until a bus of Rangers football fans took centre stage in Scotland’s swine flu crisis that public concern turned away from travel-related cases.
Before then, Scots returning from holiday, especially Mexico or the US, worried about their exposure. Those heading approach asked if they would have to alter their plans.
However, with the supporters’ bus it soon became clear that the real threat was “community outbreaks”, commonly known as clusters. These fans were from Dunoon and the outbreak became known as the “Dunoon cluster”.
Two Rangers football fans told STV News how the bus, which took them to Ibrox side's SPL title-winning match away at Dundee United, had become a petri dish of the disease.
The supporters on board were from the Argyll and Bute town and 11 were confirmed with the virus.
Scott Macdonald said he and his 13-year-old daughter had been told they were probable cases of the bug. They had not travelled on the bus but had met up with members of the travelling party later in the day.
He said: "We phoned NHS 24 and said my daughter wasn't feeling well. They sent a doctor out and did the necessary tests.
"My daughter and I both have the flu. My wife is awaiting her results coming through. We got the results at around 6pm on Saturday night."
Fellow Rangers fan Fraser Whyte added: "On Monday I had a hangover - but on the Tuesday I was feeling unwell. I just stayed in bed. I just thought it was a cold or a flu at the time. Nothing made me suspect it was swine flu - but other boys got tested for it and told me I should get checked out.
"I received a phone call from the NHS asking questions and if they could send a doctor around. They came on Saturday to take a blood test and some swabs. A couple of people from the bus had mentioned swine flu - but we all thought it was a big wind-up.”
The following day Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon warned of a "very significant rise" in cases on the way. On June 2 confirmed 18 people in Dunoon were suffering from the virus.
This included a pupil at Dunoon Grammar School and consequently all third year pupils from the school were sent home with precautionary antiviral drugs. Dunoon’s Kirn Primary School, and Innellan Primary in nearby Cowal, were also shut down on June 4 after a primary five pupil at Kirn tested positive for swine flu.
First Minister Alex Salmond described the community outbreak in Dunoon as a "very large cluster".
Shirley Cameron and her ten-month-old daughter Hannah were two of the Dunoon residents to contract swine flu. She STV News reporter Sharon Frew of her joy at getting to leave her home after two weeks in isolation.
Ms Cameron said: “It’s great! It’s nice to be out again. I’m going to go shopping; my mum was doing my shopping for me – passing it through the window or leaving it on the doorstep.
“The pain that I was in was absolutely horrendous. My eldest daughter was actually dressing the baby for me. I just couldn’t lift my head at some points because I was getting dizzy as well.”
Her neighbour Kirsty Young has now contracted the virus too. She said: “I started getting the symptoms. My mum had them first and the doctors tried to fob her off with gastroenteritis but every symptom she had for that week, to me, was swine flu.”
However, clusters have not been limited to Dunoon. Glasgow and Renfrewshire have also witnessed community outbreaks, with four schools closed or partially closed in Renfrewshire and five schools closed or partially closed in Glasgow.
Parents in Johnstone were angry at a delay in closing St David’s Primary and Cochrane Castle Primary in the Renfrewshire town after a pupil at the campus-sharing schools had previously tested positive.
The emergence of clusters has demonstrated that swine flu has the ability to work its way through the population.
Schools closed or partially closed
June 4 Kirn Primary, Dunoon
Innellan Primary, Innellan, Cowal
Paisley Grammar (third year), Paisley
June 5 Update: Dunoon Grammar (rest of school), Dunoon
Lochgoilhead Primary, Cairndow
June 6 Update: Paisley Grammar (first year), Paisley
June 8 St David's Primary (primary 2/3 combined), Johnstone
Rosshall Academy (second year), Glasgow
Gleniffer High School (pupils who sat chemistry exams), Renfrewshire
June 9 Rothesay Primary (primary three), Rothesay
Dunoon Primary (primary six), Dunoon
Pollokshaws Day Nursery, Glasgow
Shawlands Primary School (primary five), Glasgow
Cochrane Castle Primary, Johnstone
Update: St David's Primary (rest of school), Johnstone
June 10 Lorne Street Primary (primary three, primary seven), Kingston, Glasgow
Port Glasgow High School (fifth year, sixth year), Port Glasgow
June 11 St Vincent's Primary (primary five, primary six), Glasgow
Carluke High School, Carluke, South Lanarkshire
St Andrews and St Brides High School, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
Calderglen High School, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
Craighead School (primary and secondary school), Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
(41 pupils in contact with a North Lanarkshire music teacher who tested positive)
