First day of school -- First day of Swine Flu

[Minnie_me]

When my DD had swine flu in June, they did not swab her. They told me that the seasonal flu was GONE, and so that all flu cases at that point were to be considered swine flu.

I'm sure it's the same now, since the "regular" flu season isn't here yet.

I'm a teacher and I absolutely hate it when parents send their sick kids to school. I love it when we call to tell them that their child is sick, and they say, "But I don't have anyone else to watch him -- can't he stay in the nurse's office and ride the bus home?"

If you're going to have children, you have to realize that they're going to be sick sometimes. And you have to have arrangements in place for your children when they're sick. I can sympathize when parents can't take time off work. DH and I get into that bind as well. But we have like 5 backup people that we can call. And NONE of them are relatives, because our family lives too far away.

 

[ontariomonkey]

I think that while we give lip service to 'stay home when you are sick', it is still not culturally acceptable. How many of us would roll our eyes if a colleague called in sick because of the sniffles? Well it could end up being a cold or the flu but only time will tell so you really should stay home but do we accept that? Some yes and some no. Are parents supported to stay home and care for their ill children? Not always. Part time workers especially are under a tremendous amount of presure to be at work for every single scheduled day of work. Or once your 5 sick days are used up, then what?

Its all well and good to say 'stay home' but we need to have the support systems in place.

 

[Mskanga]

I think that while we give lip service to 'stay home when you are sick', it is still not culturally acceptable. How many of us would roll our eyes if a colleague called in sick because of the sniffles? Well it could end up being a cold or the flu but only time will tell so you really should stay home but do we accept that? Some yes and some no. Are parents supported to stay home and care for their ill children? Not always. Part time workers especially are under a tremendous amount of presure to be at work for every single scheduled day of work. Or once your 5 sick days are used up, then what?

Its all well and good to say 'stay home' but we need to have the support systems in place.

I have to wonder what would those parents do if faced with a serious situation ?

 

[Poppinsme]

I work at a Children's Hospital here.

Our ER has been standing room only and packed with kids sent home by the schools. They tell the parents it could be swine flu. So of course the parents freak out and instead of going to there Pediatrician they come to ER which take up valuable space we need for the REALLY sick children. We are not even testing for swine any more because we have had so much of ALL the flu strains.

ITS JUST THE FLU!!! Edit to say: unless you have a pre-existing condition!

The media has turned this into a nightmare. From what I have heard from the Docs in other hospitals locally were out of Tamaflu vaccine. Because so many are demanding this.

Last week I got the flu. For 5 days I was sick. Was it swine? Who knows?
I stayed home of course and did what you always do for the flu. I'm 53 and still alive! Oh and I had the flu shot this year.

 

[Poppinsme]

I think that while we give lip service to 'stay home when you are sick', it is still not culturally acceptable. How many of us would roll our eyes if a colleague called in sick because of the sniffles? Well it could end up being a cold or the flu but only time will tell so you really should stay home but do we accept that? Some yes and some no. Are parents supported to stay home and care for their ill children? Not always. Part time workers especially are under a tremendous amount of presure to be at work for every single scheduled day of work. Or once your 5 sick days are used up, then what?

Its all well and good to say 'stay home' but we need to have the support systems in place.

Boy do I agree with this.

True story: One of my colleagues at work has been absent more then 7 days in a year. She got the flu and was out a week. She had a Dr's. note. My department has suspended her for 3 days. If she calls in sick one more time she is FIRED!!!

WE WORK IN A HOSPITAL!!!!!! On the front lines for gods sake. Do you the public want to be treated by a sick RN because they cant be sick???

Madness.

 

[luvwinnie]

I work at a Children's Hospital here.

Our ER has been standing room only and packed with kids sent home by the schools. They tell the parents it could be swine flu. So of course the parents freak out and instead of going to there Pediatrician they come to ER which take up valuable space we need for the REALLY sick children. We are not even testing for swine any more because we have had so much of ALL the flu strains.

ITS JUST THE FLU!!!

The media has turned this into a nightmare. From what I have heard from the Docs in other hospitals locally were out of Tamaflu vaccine. Because so many are demanding this.

Last week I got the flu. For 5 days I was sick. Was it swine? Who knows?
I stayed home of course and did what you always do for the flu. I'm 53 and still alive! Oh and I had the flu shot this year.

I just want to ask if you realize young, healthy people have died from this "just the flu"? The last number I read was 40% of deaths were in previously healthy people. The other deaths were in people with conditions such as asthma (me), diabetes, etc. It is killing younger people, not the usual "over 65" as the seasonal flu, which makes it scarier to the parents of those children. Average age of hosptilization is about 20. Average age for death is 37. Doctors are reporting a severe form that goes attacks the lungs and requires serious care in ICU.

 

[luvmy3]

I just want to ask if you realize young, healthy people have died from this "just the flu"? The last number I read was 40% of deaths were in previously healthy people. The other deaths were in people with conditions such as asthma (me), diabetes, etc. It is killing younger people, not the usual "over 65" as the seasonal flu, which makes it scarier to the parents of those children. Average age of hosptilization is about 20. Average age for death is 37. Doctors are reporting a severe form that goes attacks the lungs and requires serious care in ICU.

I'm thankful that the docs and nurses in our peds office and at the pediatric urgent care are taking things a little more seriously than the people in the Children's hospital where the pp works. And yes you better believe that if my ds who has asthma has flu like symptoms I'll be taking him to whatever medical facility that I feel will help him the most

 

[Poppinsme]

I'm thankful that the docs and nurses in our peds office and at the pediatric urgent care are taking things a little more seriously than the people in the Children's hospital where the pp works. And yes you better believe that if my ds who has asthma has flu like symptoms I'll be taking him to whatever medical facility that I feel will help him the most

You know thats a really mean thing to say. We take things very, very seriously. But people get the flu every year and die from it. Every year. Swine flu is just as dangerous as ANY flu. Maybe YOU don't realize that.

And yes I know all about the severe form of this flu. I was not talking about children with other PREEXISTING decease states, that is a whole different story. I also have asthma and take any sickness as serious.

If you had read my post you would have seen that I am talking about children that can be seen by there Pediatrician, but choose to come to ER because of teachers and media.

Over the years many , many children have been put in PICU because of severe complications from the flu. This flu is nothing different.

Get a handle on your anger.

 

[Sparx]

sorry to be everyone's pet peeve, but i went to school sick many a time.

with the attendance policy my high school had, i just couldn't afford to miss a day. if i missed more than 9 days in year long classes, i'd fail, no matter if i had doctors notes or not. and if i missed more than 5 in semester classes, i'd fail.

so yeah, sorry i might have given someone a runny nose, but i went to school sick, because graduating was more important to me.

so instead of wondering why sick kids go to school anyway, why aren't the overly strict attendance policies blamed?

 

[luvmy3]

You know thats a really mean thing to say. We take things very, very seriously. But people get the flu every year and die from it. Every year. Swine flu is just as dangerous as ANY flu. Maybe YOU don't realize that.

And yes I know all about the severe form of this flu. I was not talking about children with other PREEXISTING decease states, that is a whole different story. I also have asthma and take any sickness as serious.

If you had read my post you would have seen that I am talking about children that can be seen by there Pediatrician, but choose to come to ER because of teachers and media.

Over the years many , many children have been put in PICU because of severe complications from the flu. This flu is nothing different.

Get a handle on your anger.

No anger, just stating the docs and nurses here respect parents decisions to treat their child the way they see fit. They (at least the ones I've interacted with when my dd had swine flu) realize that a kid with the flu symptoms of any flu, can be/become REALLY sick. When I read the bolded (by me) parts of your post it really doesn't seem like you share the same feelings and attitudes as the medical professionals here. Sorry you see that as mean, but I won't apologize for being thankful for the docs and nurses I have here that don't share your feelings.
Oh and I'm one of those parents who *demanded* a script for Tamilflu from my pediatrician for my kids to take at the first sign of flu symptoms. Of course he was more than willing to prescribe it, so maybe you should realize that those docs have the power to say "no" to those demanding patients of theirs. the blame for the shortage can be blamed on them as well, not just those who want the Tamiflu.

I work at a Children's Hospital here.

Our ER has been standing room only and packed with kids sent home by the schools. They tell the parents it could be swine flu. So of course the parents freak out and instead of going to there Pediatrician they come to ER which take up valuable space we need for the REALLY sick children. We are not even testing for swine any more because we have had so much of ALL the flu strains.

ITS JUST THE FLU!!! Edit to say: unless you have a pre-existing condition!

The media has turned this into a nightmare. From what I have heard from the Docs in other hospitals locally were out of Tamaflu vaccine. Because so many are demanding this.

Last week I got the flu. For 5 days I was sick. Was it swine? Who knows?
I stayed home of course and did what you always do for the flu. I'm 53 and still alive! Oh and I had the flu shot this year.

 

[luvwinnie]

Poppinsme, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I really want to know if you are being told something different: I'm reading that 40% of deaths are in people with NO pre-existing conditions...even children and young adults.

 

[sbell111]

No anger, just stating the docs and nurses here respect parents decisions to treat their child the way they see fit. They (at least the ones I've interacted with when my dd had swine flu) realize that a kid with the flu symptoms of any flu, can be/become REALLY sick. When I read the bolded (by me) parts of your post it really doesn't seem like you share the same feelings and attitudes as the medical professionals here. Sorry you see that as mean, but I won't apologize for being thankful for the docs and nurses I have here that don't share your feelings.
Oh and I'm one of those parents who *demanded* a script for Tamilflu from my pediatrician for my kids to take at the first sign of flu symptoms. Of course he was more than willing to prescribe it, so maybe you should realize that those docs have the power to say "no" to those demanding patients of theirs. the blame for the shortage can be blamed on them as well, not just those who want the Tamiflu.

You make a good point. Doctors should be refusing to write scripts for medications simply because parents demand them. This has been a problem with antibiotics for years. Since there was no individual harm in prescribing the meds, doctors would write the script to get the parent out of their face even though the medication was completely unnecessary.

 

[maroo]

Poppinsme, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I really want to know if you are being told something different: I'm reading that 40% of deaths are in people with NO pre-existing conditions...even children and young adults.

Where are you getting this information?

 

[maroo]

When does your State start back to school?


Here in MS we started back in early August and now they are reporting "regional" swine flu - where we were hardly "local" last week. Of course, our numbers are a week behind.

We have over 200 college students at one school in MS with the swine flu.

We lost a 7 yr old with other health issues last week and 2 other children (12 and 15) died - they are still trying to see if it was swine flu, but they did have flu like illness.

 

[maroo]

I thought this was an interesting article.

reference: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090829/hl_afp/healthfluwho

Sat Aug 29, 9:23 am ET
PARIS (AFP) – Swine flu spreads four times faster than other viruses and 40 percent of the fatalities are young adults in good health, the world's top health official warned in an interview appearing Saturday.

"This virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard of speed," World Health Organisation Director General Margaret Chan told France's Le Monde daily in an interview.

"In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover," Chan said.

"Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Chan said. "This means that 40 percent of the fatalities concern young adults -- in good health -- who die of a viral fever in five to seven days.

"This is the most worrying fact," she said, adding that "up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected."

Chan's warning came a day after the WHO said the virus had overtaken others to become the most prevalent flu strain.

"Evidence from multiple outbreak sites demonstrates that the A(H1N1) pandemic virus has rapidly established itself and is now the dominant influenza strain in most parts of the world," the UN agency said in a statement.

"The pandemic will persist in the coming months as the virus continues to move through susceptible populations," it added.

Chan underlined that emergency and healthcare services in several countries had come under strain and stressed that resources allocated for cancer patients and those suffering from heart disease should not be diverted.

"One must not rob Peter to pay Paul," she said. "All governments must prepare for the worst."

She said the most important thing in the battle against the virus was "political leadership."

More than 2,180 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged in April, according to the latest WHO figures.

Chan also said that it could be months before sufficient vaccine is available to combat the pandemic.

She put world production capacity at 900 million doses a year, for a global population of 6.8 billion people.

Even if this was an unprecedented effort, and authorities were speeding up procedures for getting vaccines to the market, there should be no question of compromises on their safety and effectiveness, Chan said.

Britain and France received their first batches of swine flu vaccine this week. Australia on Friday said a massive swine flu vaccination programme would start in October and Turkey hopes the first supplies of the vaccine will come by that time.

While 90 percent of severe and fatal cases occur in people aged above 65 in seasonal flu, most of those who die from swine flu are under the age of 50.

A "very severe form of disease" affecting the lungs and causing severe respiratory failure among young and healthy people was being reported, WHO said Friday, adding that highly specialised care was required.

Large numbers of such patients could therefore "overwhelm" intensive care units and disrupt the provision of care for other diseases, it warned.

In the southern hemisphere where the flu-prone winter season is tailing off, the WHO said cities in several countries had reported that nearly 15 percent of hospitalised cases required intensive care.

 

[HunnyPots]

sorry to be everyone's pet peeve, but i went to school sick many a time.

with the attendance policy my high school had, i just couldn't afford to miss a day. if i missed more than 9 days in year long classes, i'd fail, no matter if i had doctors notes or not. and if i missed more than 5 in semester classes, i'd fail.

so yeah, sorry i might have given someone a runny nose, but i went to school sick, because graduating was more important to me.

so instead of wondering why sick kids go to school anyway, why aren't the overly strict attendance policies blamed?

Thank you! ITA!

Now that my kids are out of school I am so glad to be done with the contradictory attendance policy of our district! On one hand, keep your sick kids home. On the other hand, if you keep them home they won't pass or will end up in summer school or heck we'll just take you to court!

A couple of years ago, I got a call from the high school nurse. She says, "your son is in my office and he's thrown up twice in the last half hour. Since our attendance is really low this week with so many sick kids, we'd like you to bring him some Pepto so we can get him through the day"...

And yet, they wonder why so many kids are sick!

 

[luvwinnie]

Here is one article with the info:

Swine flu spreading at 'unbelievable' rate: WHO
(AFP) – 2 days ago

PARIS — Swine flu spreads four times faster than other viruses and 40 percent of the fatalities are young adults in good health, the world's top health official warned in an interview appearing Saturday.

"This virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard of speed," World Health Organisation Director General Margaret Chan told France's Le Monde daily in an interview.

"In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover," Chan said.

"Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Chan said. "This means that 40 percent of the fatalities concern young adults -- in good health -- who die of a viral fever in five to seven days.
"This is the most worrying fact," she said, adding that "up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected."

Chan's warning came a day after the WHO said the virus had overtaken others to become the most prevalent flu strain.

"Evidence from multiple outbreak sites demonstrates that the A(H1N1) pandemic virus has rapidly established itself and is now the dominant influenza strain in most parts of the world," the UN agency said in a statement.

"The pandemic will persist in the coming months as the virus continues to move through susceptible populations," it added.

Chan underlined that emergency and healthcare services in several countries had come under strain and stressed that resources allocated for cancer patients and those suffering from heart disease should not be diverted.

"One must not rob Peter to pay Paul," she said. "All governments must prepare for the worst."

She said the most important thing in the battle against the virus was "political leadership."

More than 2,180 people around the world have died from the virus since it emerged in April, according to the latest WHO figures.

Chan also said that it could be months before sufficient vaccine is available to combat the pandemic.

She put world production capacity at 900 million doses a year, for a global population of 6.8 billion people.

Even if this was an unprecedented effort, and authorities were speeding up procedures for getting vaccines to the market, there should be no question of compromises on their safety and effectiveness, Chan said.

Britain and France received their first batches of swine flu vaccine this week. Australia on Friday said a massive swine flu vaccination programme would start in October and Turkey hopes the first supplies of the vaccine will come by that time.

While 90 percent of severe and fatal cases occur in people aged above 65 in seasonal flu, most of those who die from swine flu are under the age of 50.

A "very severe form of disease" affecting the lungs and causing severe respiratory failure among young and healthy people was being reported, WHO said Friday, adding that highly specialised care was required.

Large numbers of such patients could therefore "overwhelm" intensive care units and disrupt the provision of care for other diseases, it warned.

In the southern hemisphere where the flu-prone winter season is tailing off, the WHO said cities in several countries had reported that nearly 15 percent of hospitalised cases required intensive care.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

[luvwinnie]

oops, Maroo, I see you found that article!

 

[maroo]

oops, Maroo, I see you found that article!

I did! But we sure are on the same wavelength!

Are you concerned about this? I would not say I was worried, but I am not concerned and very interested in the whole thing.

 

[Terry36]

My dd started suffering from a very painful headache, chills, fever and a cough all of a sudden last night so I took her to her pediatrician this morning where they diagnosed her with Swine Flu . The nurse swabbed her nostrils and pricked her finger for blood. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu for her..I contacted the school and notified them of this as well as that the docter feels she will be ready to return to school on Wednesday. I will assess her symptoms before I send her to school.

I must say I am in the camp of not sending my child to school if she is ill. There was only one confirmed case of SF at my dd's school before now and numerous other kids staying home due to fever..I am sure it is being spread around without anyones knowledge.