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[LuvOrlando]

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[golfgal]

Um, sorry but this information has been all over the news and if you don't know what precautions to take with asthmatic kids you need to read more news reports. The only way to totally avoid this is to pack yourselves into your house and never go anywhere. The problem is that you are contagious before you have symptoms so there is no way to know if you have infected people until you become sick. Also, yes, asthmatics are at higher risk but if the come down with symptoms, call your dr. In the mean time, wash your hands frequently, don't touch your eyes or nose with your hands when you are out in public. Scrubbing the coworkers work place when he has been gone 5 days isn't going to do anything as the virus is long dead there.

 

[Explodo]

We had our first confirmed death in Minnesota today. All kinds of people coming down with it. I think I know at least 6 people confirmed with the disease.

My workplace however has put out all kinds of information on what to do if you get ill. If you get the slightest bit sick, you are to leave work and not return until you can provide a clean bill of health from your doctor.

 

[Crankyshank]

Perhaps it is just your area? There has been a plethora of information about the swine flu here. I honestly don't know, short of town crier, how they could do any more in Southern New England to get the information out to people.

 

[SaraJayne]

Um, sorry but this information has been all over the news and if you don't know what precautions to take with asthmatic kids you need to read more news reports. The only way to totally avoid this is to pack yourselves into your house and never go anywhere. The problem is that you are contagious before you have symptoms so there is no way to know if you have infected people until you become sick. Also, yes, asthmatics are at higher risk but if the come down with symptoms, call your dr. In the mean time, wash your hands frequently, don't touch your eyes or nose with your hands when you are out in public. Scrubbing the coworkers work place when he has been gone 5 days isn't going to do anything as the virus is long dead there.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

The precaution is no different than the ones you would take for any other strain of the flu. The only difference is you cannot be vacinated against this strain as of right now. The information for high risk patients for flu comes out every year. It is not the media's job to tell high risk patients what they should or should not do. That is something you need to bring up with your healthcare provider.

H1N1 at this point does not appear to be any more serious than any other A strain of the flu. It is getting the attention it has because it is a brand new strain for which we do not have vaccinations. But it does not appear to be any more serious than any other flu strain and your normal precautions should suffice. Now, if it mutates or becomes more serious, there may be more information later. But again, that is something to take up with your doctor.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[Eeyores Butterfly]

Here is hte CDC's info for specific groups.

Here is the CDC's guidance page with links to specific scenarios. This information is widely available.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[Eeyores Butterfly]

So your well thought out advice is to pack ourselves into our house and not go anywhere. As helpful as I am sure you are trying to be, it's not.

SO have you you walked a mile in my shoes? I think people who have not should count their blessings and not provoke people who are different. Then again, there is Karma and you might just find yourself in my shoes soon enough. I always find it interesting how that tends to happen.

Obviously there is stuff out there about this Flu, I do read and I am informed. But it is vague and directed at everyone. My whole point is that HIGH RISK GROUPS are not being addressed so I'm not surprised people who do not fall into this category couldn't care less.

Chill out. How do you know we are not in a high risk group? I fall under the definition of high risk ,have for years. But I take it upon myself to be informed. I do not expect the media to do my job for me. And let's face it, every "high risk" individual is different. For a person with absolutely no immune system, the doctor's advice may very well be to stay home or wear a mask. For another person it may be frequent hand washing and simply staying away from areas with known outbreaks. Another person may be given anti virals to keep just in case. What you do in your specific circumstances is not something the media needs to address- nor should they. This information is on pretty much any medical website you care to go to and I'm sure your doctor can give it to you as well.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm not talking about the media. I am talking about all the Acronym laden health care organizations set up to protect the population.... or who are supposed to be doing so in theory.

As for my health care providers, I don't think anyone is telling them any more than I get from the news. If they did have directives I am sure at least one of them would have let me know by now.

Do you really think that they are going to call every single patient and tell them waht to do? Most likely they are assuming that you already know the precautions because it is the exact same precautions you should take every flu season. If you are concerned, call them. They are not mind readers!

These "acronym laden health care organizations" do not come to you. You have to go to them. I don't know what you expect from them? The information is out there and readily available.

 

[Liz]

My daughter is high risk and I care very much about the swine flu. We've had the 6th death in our state now. Last week my daughter got sick and the doctor's office said it was probably swine flu because it is "everywhere". She was tested and it came back negative (thankfully). What we learned from this scare was if she gets sick again to contact the doctor ASAP to start Tamiflu after being tested. If she started Tamiflu before the test the results might not be accurate. Also they said if anyone in our house comes down with it they will start her on Tamiflu as a precaution. We are avoiding going places where we would be in contact with large groups of people as much as possible.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Here is a Google search using the phrase "high risk groups H1N1". There are many links with good information. Hopefully this helps you.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Nothing

 

[Christine]

LuvOrlando,

My son is a high-risk individual--he has moderate to severe asthma. I guess I'm not understanding your angst in this situation. It is a strain of flu, it doesn't even appear to be as serious as some of the "regular" influenza strains we've had. All asthmatics, under the care of a doctor, are always informed about influenza and any of respiratory illnesses. My son's doctor has told me each winter what to do. Quite honestly, my son's asthma is well controlled by many medications and he weathers illnesses as well as anyone else. I know that before he was properly treated for his asthma, he ended up in the hospital a few times with every respiratory bug he got. We finally got proper treatment and he reacts like anyone else now.

Perhaps the boy with asthma they succomb to the flu was not properly treated. I know lots of parents who don't take their kids asthma seriously.

I guess I'm just not seeing what's got you upset here.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[golfgal]

So your well thought out advice is to pack ourselves into our house and not go anywhere. As helpful as I am sure you are trying to be, it's not.

SO have you you walked a mile in my shoes? I think people who have not should count their blessings and not provoke people who are different. Then again, there is Karma and you might just find yourself in my shoes soon enough. I always find it interesting how that tends to happen.

Obviously there is stuff out there about this Flu, I do read and I am informed. But it is vague and directed at everyone. My whole point is that HIGH RISK GROUPS are not being addressed so I'm not surprised people who do not fall into this category couldn't care less.

Asthmatics have Asthma Action plans.

I am to follow a prescribed course of treatment/behaviors/protocols if or when one of my kids gets sick. One of those prescribed courses of treatment is a Flu Vaccine. In the absence of a Flu vaccine what do we do? Do we simply wait for catastrophe to strike? Is it really unreasonable to expect some form of modified protocols to come out of some organization that might address this gaping hole in treatment? Early detection attempts? A well defined directive that would increase the chances of survival? A protocol for people to follow that differentiates them from the general population? This is off the top of my head. We're not all the same so why isn't that being addressed... that's what got me upset, and I've been upset about it pretty much since this showed up in April. I am frustrated nothing has changed since.

My advice was not to stay in your house that was simply the ONLY way to avoid this completely. As for walking in your shoes, been there, done that for longer then you with my 3 asthmatic kids. I just don't know what kind of information or advice you are looking for. There isn't anything different you can do with your kids that the general public should be doing to prevent this other then not being exposed to anyone else in the world right now. There is no vaccine because it takes TIME to produce it. In a normal flu year that process starts in March for the fall/winter outbreak. They ARE working on a vaccine but it takes TIME. Again, what are you looking for, what else can you possibly do to avoid the flu that hasn't been suggested to everyone already??

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Did you look at any of those links I gave you? The very info you are requesting is on there. No, they may not all say "asthamtics look here" but they address the high risk populations and the protocols they are to take.

 

[HelenePA]

My dd is high risk as well (congenital heart defect repaired at 6months old) Besides not going out in any public places EVER. there isnt much else we can do.