OT.. Swine Flu, are you taking any precautions?

[Babette]

We just closed our first school. We're compiling a list of students suspected of possibly having swine flu. And in the past five minutes, two ambulances have come screaming past my office window....

My allergic cough is getting me NASTY looks from everyone. Can't help the mucus production, people. It's pollen season, dammit!

My typical response to all emergencies: I printed off some fact sheets on the flu and put them up on the office bulletin board.

I saw Road Warrior at too young an age. I don't want to live that long. Whimper....
B.

[JoyD.]

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This is SUPPOSEDLY from a Doctor in Texas who sent this out to all of his patients.

REMOVED by JoyD. due to a questionable resource. (Thanks, Rooster)

[DreamStalker]

Yep. We got an agency directive yesterday to cancell or reschedule all internal and external meetings for the next 2 to 3 weeks. Then this morning, we got a briefing for contingency plans for essential staff to telecommute from home over the next week or two.

[LinkC]

I'm avoiding pigs as much as I can. Not an easy task working for the government...

[Paul56]

I went to the mall food court and started coughing away... and gradually people started moving away. Sweet!

[LinkC]

I went to the mall food court and started coughing away... and gradually people started moving away. Sweet!

Now THAT's baaaaaad! I love it!

[BlackSpinner]

I was escort to the door at work on Thursday and told to take a taxi home at the companies expense. Now normally I would not have gone into work but I was told to be at a meeting with one of the VP's to have my project approved before boss went on paternity leave. So I came in and big shot didn't show .

I have a cold - no fever. My boss wanted me to go to a clinic to get a piece of paper saying I didn't have swine flu. I called my doctors nurse who assured me that my symptoms of drippy nose & no fever do not match so I told my boss there was no way in hell I was going to sit in a room full of sick people for 4 hours it would take to see some one to give a piece of paper saying I don't have what he is afraid of.

[bdp522]

Thanks Babs!
Yep, we have the same stuff going on here. Any kid with flu symptoms is sent home and needs a MDs note to come back. We do have cases of swine flu in the area so we have to be extra cautious.

Brenda

[LinkC]

I hear it's called "H1N1 Flu" now because pork belly futures were down today.

Ix-nay on the ine-Sway u-Flay!!!

[roster]

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This is supposedly from a Doctor in Texas who sent this out to all of his patients. I wanted to share it with all of you.

Joy

New Braunfels, TX

After I returned from a public health meeting yesterday with community leaders and school officials in Comal County and Hays County, Heather suggested I send an update to my patients in the area, because what we are hearing privately from the CDC and Health Department is different from what you are hearing in the media. Some of you know some of this, but I will just list what facts I know.

- The virus is infectious for about 2 days prior to symptom onset.

- Virus spreads more than 7 days after symptom onset (possibly as long as 9 days) (this is more unusual than ordinary flu)

- Since it is such a novel (new) virus, there is no “herd immunity,” so the “attack rate” is very high. This is the percentage of people who come down with a virus if exposed. Almost ever yone who is exposed to this virus will become infected, though not all will be symptomatic. That is much higher than seasonal flu, which averages 10-15%. The “clinical attack rate” estimation from CDC and WHO may be around 40-50%. This is the number of people who show symptoms. This is a huge number. It is hard to convey the seriousness of this to those outside of the medical fields.

- The virulence (deadliness) of this virus is as bad here as in Mexico, and there are folks on ventilators here in the US, right now. This has not been in the media, but a 23 month old in Houston is fighting for his life, and a pregnant woman just south of San Antonio is fighting for her life. In Mexico, these folks might have died already, but here in the US, folks are getting Tami flu or Relenza quickly, and we have ready access to ventilators. What this means is that within a couple of weeks, regional hospitals will likely become overwhelmed.


- Some of the kids with positive cases in Comal County have had more than 70 contacts before diagnosis as a minimum figure.

- There are 10-25 times more actual cases (not “possible” cases — actual), than what is being reported in the media. The way they fudge on reporting this is that it takes 3 days to get the confirmatory nod from the CDC on a given viral culture, but based on epidemio logical grounds, we know that there are more than 10 cases for each “confirmed” case right now.

- During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our lifetimes so far. We are in uncharted territory.

- They are advising President Obama to declare an emergency sometime in the next 72-96 hours. This may not happen, but if it doesn’t, I will be surprised. When this happens, all public gathering will be cancelled for 10 days minimum.

- I suggest all of us avoid public gatherings. Outdoor activities are not as likely to lead to infection. It is contained areas and close contact that are the biggest risk.

- Tami flu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will have to be carefully managed for law enforcement and first responders as it is not enough to treat the likely number of infections when this is full-blown. I don’t think there is a big supply of Relenza, but I do not know those numbers. If I had to choose, I would take Relenza, as I think it gets more drug to the affected tissue than Tami flu.


- You should avoid going to the ER if you think you have been exposed or are symptomatic. ER’s south of here are becoming overwhelmed today— and I mean that — already. It is coming in waves, but the waves are getting bigger.

- It appears that this flu produces a distinctive “hoarseness” in many victims. The symptoms, in general, match other flu’s; namely, sore throat, body aches, headache, cough, and fever. What is not too common in regular flu cycles is vomiting and diarrhea which seems to be associated with this, further dehydrating victims. Some have all these symptoms, while others may have only one or two.

- N-Acetyl-Cysteine — a nutritional supplement available at the health food store or Wimberley Pharmacy, has been shown to prevent or lessen the severity of influenza. I suggest 1200mg, twice a day for adults, and 600mg twice a day in kids over 12. It would be hard to get kids under 12 to take it, but you could try opening the capsules and putting it on yogurt. For 40 pounds and up, 300-600 mg twice a day, for less than 40 pounds, half that.

- Oscillococinum, a homeopathic remedy, has been vindicated as quite effective in a large clinical trial in Europe, with an H1N1 variant. You can buy this at Hill Country Natural Foods, or the Wimberley Pharmacy.
I will try to keep everyone posted if I have any new information. Meanwhile, don’t be afraid, stay informed and try to avoid infection. The fewer people infected the easier it will b e for our public officials to manage it.

If any of my patients become ill, or suspect infection, call the office, do not come without calling and DO NOT go to the ER. If one member in a family is identified all would be given the Tami flu or Relenza (that is normal course of action) if there is enough distributed to fill prescriptions. Public health stated that one family member identified or suspected to have contracted the flu it will require the whole family to be ‘quarantined’ in their own home until enough time has passed for the remaining household to have contracted it or be considered infection free ( 7 to 10 days per person). As another suggestion, if any member of the family is on routine medication- fill those prescriptions now. Have plenty fluids, Motrin, soups, etc available and make contingency plans in case your family is affected.”

 

That has been debunked by http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/swineflu.asp and the doctor has denied writing it.

[JoyD.]

Rooster wrote:
That has been debunked by http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/swineflu.asp and the doctor has denied writing it.

Thanks for the "debunk", Rooster. Serves as a reminder that I need to CHECK MY RESOURCES before passing them on!
Joy

[COVERER]

I live in Queens, N.Y. where s.f.p. students went to mexico and brought back the swine flu. I have to take the train and with all the people in the city it is hard to protect yourself from everything. I personally dont wear a mask and I have yet to see anyone in N.Y. wearing one. I think this swine flu will run its course and it will be history. In fact the swine flu will take a back seat to our new issuse which is " raccoon ringworm" It seems to be worse than the swin flu. check it out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30547570 I am more concerned about this than the swine flu.

[roster]

Rooster wrote:
That has been debunked by http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/swineflu.asp and the doctor has denied writing it.

Thanks for the "debunk", Rooster. Serves as a reminder that I need to CHECK MY RESOURCES before passing them on!
Joy

Sometimes I just do it the quick lazy way: Post it here and wait for members to slam it.

[kebsa]

Obviously it is still early yet but just my observations is that officials do not seem to be as worried as they did a week ago, they are screening people at airports here in Australia with thermal camera but from what i understand if they do pick someone up with a fever they just isolate them at home while they wait for swabs to come back- I think UK is doing the same thing. From what i have read it sounds like although it is a variant they have not seen before and they are concern about human to human spread- it does not sound as though it is making people as sick as the bird flu or SARS and that is obviously what the original worry was about- any flu is nasty particularly for certain at risk groups- i'm considered to be in an at risk group as i am a diabetic and have MS so i always have a flu shot early (had mine some time back now) and i still will avoid crowded public places and will carryone being more vigilant than usual handwashing- i note that they have run low on the alcohol hand gel in the local pharmacies- the only other slight concession i have made to the potential for flu out break, i have made sure that i have powdered milk, and 1 to 2 weeks worth of groceries at home (canned soups etc) but thats only because i think at the moment if a person gets a nasty dose of a cold and goes out in ppublic they are not going to be greeted very warmly! i sure way to clear a queue at the moment would be to clear your throat a bit! any way, if i get a cold or something i will jsut stay at home and at least i have enough stuff at home , as much as anything i have probably done more than is really necessary but if i do get sick i do not have family to help out

someone earlier mentioned face masks and pointed out they do not last long- that is true and it does not seem as though they are needed anyway but if you want to make sure you have face masks in the home for future use if they are needed- it is P2 masks that you need for this sort of thing and they do last as long as though they do not get contaminated by body fluids- even then they really need to be fit tested to make sure they seal ok (when they fit test them they put the mask on and then put this large hood over the persons head and spray this mist into the hood that is a saccarihin spray (from memory) and if you can test the sweet mist it means the mask is not a good enough fit to stop viruses such as flu)