Will the Swine Flu become pandemic?

[Bridgette]

I think it pertinent that people are contagious and infecting others before they even know they themselves are ill. Coughing and sneezing and dirty hands etc can spread it before someone even has a fever.

I am not an hysterical person but am a high risk person. If I were to be on a cruise ship, contract this flu and not have access to appropriate meds, it could be bad. That is not hysteria. It is careful planning in advance to take the best possible care of myself.
If at the time we are preparing to leave there are still cases being reported, I probably will ask one of my doctors for a Rx to bring along.

Is that a reasonable request of one's doctor or would they consider it unnecessary, do you think?

You could always postpone your cruise or even cancel it if you are really worried.

 

[Jkm7]

We've already made our final payment and would lose all our money. DH has scheduled this vacation into his very busy calendar. His office is extremely busy as his specialty is much in demand. He needs this vacation.

I'm not obsessively worried but a 'healthy' caution.
Thanks for the suggestion, though.

 

[kfay]

They are having press conferences on the news channels right now as we speak Kimmie & they are discouraging travel to Mexico & now to the US as well.

Is there anyway he (your husband) can postpone or cancel his travel to Mexico? It is concernng for him but also very much for you due to your present state of health.

It's very concerning anyway you look at it!

Norma, he is actually headed to go fly fishing in a certain country in the caribean that Americans aren't supposed to travel to...SHHHHH. He has been planning this trip for over 6 months. He has to fly to Mexico to change planes to get there. There is no way he will cancel unless that country stops letting flights from Mexico in? Who knows, we shall see!

I'm really not worried about him...he is as strong and healthy as a horse and he has spoken to the Dr's travelling with him and they are bringing enough drugs to keep them all healthy for a while. I just won't let him near me when he gets back.

Kimmie

 

[nearyneary]

I am with you on this one & if I were embarking on a cruise, I would definitely ask my doctor for an Rx for an antibiotic to take with me.

Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections. They have no effect whatsoever on viruses or viral infections. If you want to take anything with you for reassurance, bring an antiviral drug (Tamiflu or Relenza).

 

[Kathy McCain]

I certainly think that ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS ARE WISE, but how about doing something about our open Mexican border, and illegal immigration. Americans have been demanding it for years, especially our border states. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Ross]

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 27, 2009 1:00 PM ET) State # of laboratory
confirmed cases
California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 28 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 40 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization

CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the agency's response to this emerging health threat and yesterday the Secretary of the Department Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, declared a public health emergency in the United States. This will allow funds to be released to support the public health response. CDC's goals during this public health emergency are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to assist health care providers, public health officials and the public in addressing the challenges posed by this newly identified influenza virus. To this end, CDC has issued a number of interim guidance documents in the past 24 hours. In addition, CDC's Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak. Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

 

[kfay]

Does anyone know exactly how the flu kills people? Does it attack organs, cause respirtory failure? Just curious, have always heard that it is a killer but never exactly HOW it kills.

Kim

 

[Jkm7]

I certainly think that ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS ARE WISE, but how about doing something about our open Mexican border, and illegal immigration. Americans have been demanding it for years, especially our border states. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

Without commenting about politics......

So far as I have heard on the news, most of the cases in the U.S. are Americans/residents who traveled to Mexico and came home infected.

They (mostly) traveled on airplanes with the stale air we all breathe. What a breeding ground to pass it around to all aboard.

Our local news this evening said two persons in Lowell, MA are ill and they are conducting tests to see if these are the first two cases of swine flu in the Northeast part of this country.

 

[Christina]

I believe it's all media hype.

I believe it's all media hype.

I believe that the media is hyping this swine flu thing like crazy. I listened to Dennis Prager (conservative talk show host) this morning and he had Michael Fumento on the show. Michael Fumento is a best selling author and investigative journalist specializing in science and health issues and he said that in 1976 more people died or got very, very sick from the vaccine rather than the swine flu. He also said that if this would have happened 4-6 months ago no one would've written about it because the flu would have been "in season".
And because of this scare our economy will be hurt even more because the Europeans have been told not to visit the US so the tourism numbers will be down this year so less money for the already cash strapped retail businesses.

 

[njean]

I believe that the media is hyping this swine flu thing. I listened to Dennis Prager (conservative talk show host) this morning and he had a scientist on his show and he said that in 1976 more people died or got very, very sick from the vaccine rather than the swine flu. He also said that if this would have happened 4-6 months ago no one would've written about it because the flu would have been "in season".
And because of this scare our economy will be hurt even more because the Europeans have been told not to visit the US so the tourism numbers will be down this year so less money for the already cash strapped retail businesses.

and too, I heard on the news that some countries are not importing pork products made in the US which will hurt our economy also.

 

[njean]

Without commenting about politics......

So far as I have heard on the news, most of the cases in the U.S. are Americans/residents who traveled to Mexico and came home infected.

They (mostly) traveled on airplanes with the stale air we all breathe. What a breeding ground to pass it around to all aboard.

Our local news this evening said two persons in Lowell, MA are ill and they are conducting tests to see if these are the first two cases of swine flu in the Northeast part of this country.

our own president just got back from Mexico after meeting w/the Mexican president.......how do we know if some of the virus didn't come in that way!!

 

[sue943]

There are a couple of confirmed cases in the UK now.

 

[CThrock]

I'm with Kim, how in the world does this flu kill people. Nobody has addressed this problem or the news. All I heard was to wash your hands and food but nothing else. So what exactly happens. Can somebody feel me in. ???

 

[Kathy McCain]

I believe that it attacks the lungs causing fluid buildup, causing pneumonia. My mother, if she was alive today, would be 95. She contracted pneumonia in the great Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. She was four years old. I remember her telling me that my grandmother had the priest come to the house to administer the "last rights". (Catholic Church) It was a scary time, but somehow she pulled through.

Maybe we should all pray, VERY HARD.

 

[Christina]

I'm with Kim, how in the world does this flu kill people. Nobody has addressed this problem or the news. All I heard was to wash your hands and food but nothing else. So what exactly happens. Can somebody feel me in. ???

Crystal... Sorry to have to tell you this but every year thousands of people die because of the flu and the vaccines that are being manufactured but don't work because there are simply too many different strains to be effective but this is not being reported by the media.

 

[geebee]

I, for one, would rather be embarassed by assuming this is not a media hype than be sorry for ignoring a real danger. I have worked way too hard to stay on this earth to take chances with something I could avoid.

 

[Mike]

How the new swine flu kills the young and healthy...

How the new swine flu kills the young and healthy...

I thought this was interesting---especially as an "older" diabetic married to an "older" husband with a repaired heart. They lecture us sternly about the annual flu occurences with the possibilities of pneumonia and other bacterial infections, but this is something new...

http://newsblaze.com/story/20090427092841mcco.nb/topstory.html

Diana

 

[zipper2]

when i had my endocarditis i had some stupid influenza
along with all the stuff to cause endo.....Rough,rough
And i kinda agree with christina so much normal flu can
done me in!and does just that with so many people every year

Gotta luv our immune systems,mine anyhow is already (blah)
so swine or any kind...........God just hears more prayers from me again

hubby says it's been here already he is sure when he got his
pnueumonia it was Swine he had,he's tough as a horse,but if hes
convinced he had it what the hell,my flushot musta helped,cus he
doesn't get one,says it will weaken him (PFFFFFTTTTTT) i have a hard
time believen him either way,so we disagree with his analysiss.I tell
him thats why he got sick (no flu shot)


zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Ross]

The WHO lifted its pandemic alert to phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country. It also indicates the risk of a deadly global outbreak.


What's cracking me up is that by WHO phases, it should be Phase 5 now. It's seen in multiple countries.

The WHO ventured no predictions about how long the pandemic alert will remain at phase 4. "As further information becomes available, WHO may decide to either revert to phase 3 or raise the level of alert to another phase," the agency statement said.

When Fukuda was asked why the WHO didn't move the alert to phase 5, he indicated the committee had some doubts about the extent of community outbreaks. Phase 5 is defined as a situation involving sustained community outbreaks in two or more countries within one WHO region. Phase 6 means sustained community outbreaks in more than one WHO region.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/apr2709phase.html



World wide map of outbreaks

http://www.fox8.com/sns-swine-flu-map-html-page,0,5513006.htmlpage

Don't get to reliant on Tamiflu to help:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-02-fluvirus-Tamifluresistant_N.htm

Now the question is, was this thing created in labs and turned loose on society?

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/jan1404hybrids.html

If you're of the opinion that the government is acting in our best interests, then you believe that this study was to help formulate flu vaccine...which is based on predictions of how the genetic material can rearrange to form new types.

If you're of the opinion that the government is controlled by corporate interests...then this study was employed to create a bioweapon that benefits the same corporations that help fund our elected officials.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

It's nowhere near as bad as a regular flu season......yet. I'm still thinking this is the media whipping us into a frenzy. The latest is that old people and children don't have as much to worry about as healthy people, whose healthy immune systems will go into overdrive and kill them - Cytokine storm. It's always something.