Swine Flu - General Discussion and how it affects Disney

[Melora]

Swine flu virus starting to look less threatening

ATLANTA – The swine flu virus that has frightened the world is beginning to look a little less ominous. New York City officials reported Friday that the swine flu still has not spread beyond a few schools. In Mexico, very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught the virus.

One flu expert says there's no reason to believe the new virus is a more serious strain than seasonal flu. And a federal health official said the new flu virus doesn't appear to have genes that made the 1918 pandemic flu strain so deadly.

Dr. Peter Palese, a leading flu researcher at New York's Mount Sinai Medical School, said the new virus appeared to be similar enough to other common flu strains that "we probably all have some type of immunity."

"There is no real reason to believe this is a more serious strain," he said.

Also Friday, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the new swine flu virus lacks the genetic traits that made the 1918 pandemic strain so deadly.

CDC flu chief Nancy Cox said the good news is "we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus." Nor does swine flu virus have the virulence traits found in the H5N1 strain of bird flu seen in recent years in Asia and other parts of the world, she said.

 

[pennymom]

Here's the link if you want to sign up for CDC emails with current information:

http://www.cdc.gov/emailupdates/index.html

 

[Crisgw]

Swine flu virus starting to look less threatening

ATLANTA – The swine flu virus that has frightened the world is beginning to look a little less ominous. New York City officials reported Friday that the swine flu still has not spread beyond a few schools. In Mexico, very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught the virus.

One flu expert says there's no reason to believe the new virus is a more serious strain than seasonal flu. And a federal health official said the new flu virus doesn't appear to have genes that made the 1918 pandemic flu strain so deadly.

Dr. Peter Palese, a leading flu researcher at New York's Mount Sinai Medical School, said the new virus appeared to be similar enough to other common flu strains that "we probably all have some type of immunity."

"There is no real reason to believe this is a more serious strain," he said.

Also Friday, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the new swine flu virus lacks the genetic traits that made the 1918 pandemic strain so deadly.

CDC flu chief Nancy Cox said the good news is "we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus." Nor does swine flu virus have the virulence traits found in the H5N1 strain of bird flu seen in recent years in Asia and other parts of the world, she said.

That is awesome news

 

[maroo]

Well, it hit my son's school yesterday. I got the call last night that our entire school district is closed because of a confirmed case of the swine flu. The student, who has not travelled to Mexico, is in some of my son's classes. Now i am WORRIED.

Oh...don't worry!!!

Many, many of the cases have been very mild. Even if your son actually does get sick, it should be minor. Does he have other co-morbid conditions that could pose a problem?

Hang in there!

 

[maroo]

Well make sure to wash his school bag in hot water and let it sit out in the sun (the sun is a GREAT sanitizer for books and stuff too!)

Then make him wash wash wash those hands! Do not let him put hands to face (or anyone in the house...)
Make sure the clothes he wore to school the past few days are all washed in hot water and dried on high heat.

I know it seems like a lot but honestly if you don't want this crap sticking in your house you need to think about those things.

If he gets it ~ no biggie its just the flu but honestly who wants the flu

This is very good advice!

 

[jamstew]

Yeah it is weird. When you get chicken pox again it is usually called shingles. But it is the Chicken pox virus.

When I had shingles a few years ago (after having had chicken pox as a child) my doctor said that the chicken pox virus can lay dormant in your system for years, then you do something to p*** it off and BOOM--shingles.

 

[maroo]

One of our Make a Wish kids on another thread is going to Disney next week and they were able to get a last minute ressie at Chef Mickey's! She has been calling for a while and figures folks are canceling from the flu! So...it has a silver lining for this sweet family!

 

[praline3001]

My daughter is 7 (will be 8 this month) and she is entering a contest for Worlds best mom

I am in the computer room listening to her read it to her daddy (I am not supposed to hear it)

What I heard

My mom is the best mom in the whole world because she bought all the hand sanitizer at walmart. She makes me wash my hands so I don't get the swine flu. She takes me on all girls day out and we went to the mall and bought good smelling anti bacteria soap.

The things kids come up with
no mention of our best Disney trip ever for her birthday ~ or me helping her with homework or loving on her or sitting in the rain for cheer practices

 

[Coll0610]

We just flew back from WDW this morning. We heard nothing in the parks and didn't see any extra precautions. There was one person on our flight who had a mask on, but that was the only one we saw in the Orlando or Atlanta airports.

I had a message when I got home to call my boss. He said that my company is cancelling all business travel for the month of May. Originally, employees who had been out of town were to stay out of work for 7 days but they have backed off on that and I can come to work as long on Monday as I'm not sick. Oh, darn!

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

My daughter is 7 (will be 8 this month) and she is entering a contest for Worlds best mom

I am in the computer room listening to her read it to her daddy (I am not supposed to hear it)

What I heard

My mom is the best mom in the whole world because she bought all the hand sanitizer at walmart. She makes me wash my hands so I don't get the swine flu. She takes me on all girls day out and we went to the mall and bought good smelling anti bacteria soap.

The things kids come up with
no mention of our best Disney trip ever for her birthday ~ or me helping her with homework or loving on her or sitting in the rain for cheer practices

OMG that is just too funny haha! how cute!

 

[wheatenwalker]

this is minor but - dont wash your hands till they are red, cracked and bleeding- that leaves a great opening for germs-

 

[praline3001]

With so much focus on hand washing and germs and educating kids I wanted to throw this out there:

http://www.glogerm.com/

This is to do with general health for kids ~ its a gel they put on their hands and then after they wash they can see where they missed and where germs could be hiding. It helps kids learn how to properly wash hands. I thought it was cool and thought I would share

 

[Crisgw]

With so much focus on hand washing and germs and educating kids I wanted to throw this out there:

http://www.glogerm.com/

This is to do with general health for kids ~ its a gel they put on their hands and then after they wash they can see where they missed and where germs could be hiding. It helps kids learn how to properly wash hands. I thought it was cool and thought I would share

Pretty cool!

 

[praline3001]

OMG OMG my DH and my DD posted that pic and write up on the internet contest ~ I am about to wet my pants over here
http://ulocal.wdsu.com/_My-mom-is-the-bestest-mom/photo/3680623/63267.html


I am seriously hurting my DH for picking THAT photo ..of all photos

 

[luvthemouse71]

this is minor but - dont wash your hands till they are red, cracked and bleeding- that leaves a great opening for germs-

Good point...when I was a scrub tech, I had to switch the kind of scrub brush that I used, because I'd get raw skin. The iodine scrub brushes really killed my skin. Purell has moisturizers in it and I use unscented Neutogena lotion.

 

[wehavesix]

With so much focus on hand washing and germs and educating kids I wanted to throw this out there:

http://www.glogerm.com/

This is to do with general health for kids ~ its a gel they put on their hands and then after they wash they can see where they missed and where germs could be hiding. It helps kids learn how to properly wash hands. I thought it was cool and thought I would share

Hey thanks! I can use that when school starts again in August. We always do a health and hygiene study in the first couple of weeks of school. A big part of that is proper handwashing technique. I've used glitter in the past but this product would be better.

 

[wehavesix]

OMG OMG my DH and my DD posted that pic and write up on the internet contest ~ I am about to wet my pants over here
http://ulocal.wdsu.com/_My-mom-is-the-bestest-mom/photo/3680623/63267.html


I am seriously hurting my DH for picking THAT photo ..of all photos

Aww. I think it's adorable. Y'all look like you are having so much fun. I love your daughter's essay too!

 

[maroo]

Brook - your pic is perfect! How cool you guys got your face painted! So cute!

 

[CandyMandy]

I would advise any parent planning on taking their children to WDW in the near future to read the posts below the news story in the link below. The one I just read at the top was quite disturbing. It is as follows:

"I'm sitting in our hotel room right now in Orlando. My 4 year old has a rash, has been vomitting all night, and has a 100 temp. We've been at Disney for the past 4 days."

http://www.naturalnews.com/026152.html

 

[Colleen27]

I would advise any parent planning on taking their children to WDW in the near future to read the posts below the news story in the link below. The one I just read at the top was quite disturbing. It is as follows:

"I'm sitting in our hotel room right now in Orlando. My 4 year old has a rash, has been vomitting all night, and has a 100 temp. We've been at Disney for the past 4 days."

http://www.naturalnews.com/026152.html

I would suggest that anyone reading that article spend a few minutes poking around other parts of that site and decide for yourself how credible you feel the source to be.

Also, take that comment for what it is - a parent concerned about a child who is exhibiting symptoms that do NOT fit the pattern of this particular flu.