Pandemic?

[LuvOrlando]

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[tonilea]

Soooo you find my consideration of people who may not be able to keep up with you amusing somehow. WOW, that's interesting, but not at all funny so have a good laugh... I'm not even smiling.

I read that to mean she was laughing because you thought she wasn't in the States, not someone else's misfortune.

 

[Nancy]

I'm going to guess I've never had the flu then because none of those symptoms would make me go to a Dr, and I KNOW DH wouldn't go. I can totally see us sticking out at home, and that sounds like it would kill you in this case.

So what is THE thing with this strain that should make someone like me even think to contact the Dr?

here, I took this off the CDC.gov website..which BTW has some good stuff on there about this.

What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in San Diego County or Imperial County California or Guadalupe County, Texas and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting </li></ul><br />

 

[Planogirl]

Why so much emphasis on water? Wouldn't the water supply be fine?

This is getting downright spooky.

 

[flying_babyb]

Plan your right. What is with the emphisis on water? makes you wonder if someone knows more than us

 

[rie'smom]

Why so much emphasis on water? Wouldn't the water supply be fine?

This is getting downright spooky.

If there was a very tight quarantine, if someone at a plant got sick, the other workers would have to stay home too and no one could work. Most plants don't have lots of workers because there's a lot of automation. Far fetched maybe but not impossible.
Some people also live in areas when water is rationed and they might not have the opportunity to get out and get water under a quarantine order.

 

[Planogirl]

I guess that I can see a lack of water if this got serious. Actually, I'm starting to wonder if all of this conjecture might not start a panic and lead to shortages. Hmmmm... something to think about either way.

 

[rie'smom]

Usually I stock my hurricane supplies at the end of May, so all this means to us is that I will buy them a month early.

 

[ClareH37]

The UK steward has now been given the all clear, but there's suspected cases in France, 10 students have been tested positively in New Zealand but on a positive note all 10 are on the road to recovery, it seems at this stage that the deaths are only in Mexico.

I don't want to start a big debate but as this thing is now spreading to other countries (people travelling back home from Mexico after their holidays/business trips) wouldn't it be advisable to 'quarantine' Mexico and stop any travel to/from? I find it very strange that people who are contracting the flu but live outside Mexico are recovering, but the fatalities appear only to be in Mexcio itself?

 

[WDWBarb]

I'm going to guess I've never had the flu then because none of those symptoms would make me go to a Dr, and I KNOW DH wouldn't go. I can totally see us sticking out at home, and that sounds like it would kill you in this case.

So what is THE thing with this strain that should make someone like me even think to contact the Dr?

I'm with you in that these symptoms wouldn't normally make me go to the doctor.

Early March I was sick and had lethargy, sniffles, cough (bad cough) and just general BLEH. It went on for 3 weeks and then DD got sick. Of course, we take our kids to the doctor when they're sick (even if we don't go ourselves) and they tested her positive for the flu. Apparently I gave it to her But one of the main symptoms of the flu is a fever and neither DD or I ever had one.

I've never had the flu before (and if I have, I didn't know it).

I'm sure doctor's appointments will be hard to come by, with everyone afraid of this swine flu, but I'd say if you have any of the symptoms it's best to get in to see someone because Tamiflu may help.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[golfgal]

I'm going to guess I've never had the flu then because none of those symptoms would make me go to a Dr, and I KNOW DH wouldn't go. I can totally see us sticking out at home, and that sounds like it would kill you in this case.

So what is THE thing with this strain that should make someone like me even think to contact the Dr?

If you had influenza you would KNOW and you would probably go to the dr because you would think you were dying. Generally you have a high fever, 103+, body aches to the extreme, dry, hacking cough, etc. I had influenza once, it was the worst thing I ever had. My body hurt so much my hair hurt. I was in bed getting out to go to the bathroom only for a week.

Generally influenza is worse in small children, older adults and those with certain illnesses/conditions. It seems like some of those that have died were healthy, young adults--which is what happened in the 1918 influenza outbreak. Healthy adults were are more risk because it kicked your immune system into overdrive. Some people went to bed at night feeling perfectly fine only to die in the middle of the night.

 

[daisax]

If there was a very tight quarantine, if someone at a plant got sick, the other workers would have to stay home too and no one could work. Most plants don't have lots of workers because there's a lot of automation. Far fetched maybe but not impossible.

Another thing is that governments have become very streamlined in terms of maintenance schedules and keeping supplies. Oprah had a show on pandemics a year or two ago and one thing that really surprised me was that Chicago only had a 5-6 day supply of chlorine for the water supply on hand. They replenish it every week, and it works great, like clockwork. Except if there's nobody to work at the plant, and nobody to drive the trucks to deliver the chlorine to it, and nobody at the chlorine source to put it together and get it in trucks to go out... the water doesn't get chlorinated/treated in the way we've become accustomed. And then you need to start boiling water, and depending on the availability of power (and the cooperation of people who may or may not do it, or do it enough) you end up with secondary diseases like cholera, etc.

I'm not particularly paranoid, but in a true 1918 level pandemic situation, you really are talking about people trapped in their houses, putting bodies out on the front lawn for trucks to come around and pick up, etc. Pretty horrific sci fi stuff. Basically you'd be riding it out until it passed enough to get the hospitals operational again.

But we're a long, long, long way from that at present.

 

[Carys]

I see another poster has already noted it looks like it's made it to NZ too (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2364487/Swine-flu-likely-in-New-Zealand-teens). I will check in here again if/when I hear of it making it here to Taiwan - these things spread fast, I guess I'll be using my face mask this week!

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[xPrincessSmilesx]

SO how come in Australia and Japan they are testing people climbing off planes from potentially infected areas but none of that is going on here? Why not?

Yes, I know people can walk across the borders but wouldn't that group stay more localized. The people who fly seem to be starting little fires everywhere.

A businessman who just flew into London from Mexico yesterday has just been speaking on BBC news. He mentions that Mexican authorities were checking at the airport there but just for people with symptoms, with an incubation 7-14 days I'd wager there hardly going to stop it that way.

I personally think theres a good chance the virus is probably all across the globe now airborne just a matter of time waiting for symptoms to show in people.

The experts have come with some theories as to why it's been more virulent in Mexico, with animal-human transmission being the more virulent strain, where as human-human is less virulent so those outside of Mexico have had only mild symptoms.

 

[TheGoofster]

The UK steward has now been given the all clear, but there's suspected cases in France, 10 students have been tested positively in New Zealand but on a positive note all 10 are on the road to recovery, it seems at this stage that the deaths are only in Mexico.

I don't want to start a big debate but as this thing is now spreading to other countries (people travelling back home from Mexico after their holidays/business trips) wouldn't it be advisable to 'quarantine' Mexico and stop any travel to/from? I find it very strange that people who are contracting the flu but live outside Mexico are recovering, but the fatalities appear only to be in Mexcio itself?

They have a few different theories as to why it's worse here in Mexico City (unfortunately at this point, though, that's all they are, just theories).
One possibility is that there is another virus that is also being spread along with the swine flu virus that is causing the more severe reaction, and that this virus is more a local virus that isn't traveling with those who leave Mexico.

They say it could be because of a lack of nutrition in the diet. Mexico City has millions of people who don't get the proper amount of nutrition (let alone much food), and that could cause a lowering of the bodies defenses.

It is also possible that because the air here in the city is so contaminated (it's the most polluted city in all the world) that if this is an air borne virus that the contamination could be causing it to become a much stronger virus, and when it affects those who have cleaner air, it's not as strong.

Another possibility is that since the medical treatment here is so bad (It can take up to 4 months to get a doctor's appointment), and since there are so many poor people who never go to the doctor in the first place, that it's possible that there are thousands of more actual cases that have not been diagnosed, and yet the people have survived, and so you don't hear about it. You only hear about the ones who don't survive.

At this point they are still trying to figure out why it does seem so bad here. At least the government is taking this seriously, and have closed down pretty much everything for the next 10 days to try and get this under control.

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

Thanks for the update, Goofster.

 

[TheZue]

If you had influenza you would KNOW and you would probably go to the dr because you would think you were dying. Generally you have a high fever, 103+, body aches to the extreme, dry, hacking cough, etc. I had influenza once, it was the worst thing I ever had. My body hurt so much my hair hurt. I was in bed getting out to go to the bathroom only for a week.

Generally influenza is worse in small children, older adults and those with certain illnesses/conditions. It seems like some of those that have died were healthy, young adults--which is what happened in the 1918 influenza outbreak. Healthy adults were are more risk because it kicked your immune system into overdrive. Some people went to bed at night feeling perfectly fine only to die in the middle of the night.

Ya I agree, the one thing that made me sure we had the flu this spring and not a cold is you really do feel like you are dying. It's horrible, we just layed on the couch totally out of it for about a week. We didn't end up going to the doctor, mainly because getting dressed and driving was just more than either of us could handle, but I was watching our temps like crazy.

 

[Feralpeg]

Ya I agree, the one thing that made me sure we had the flu this spring and not a cold is you really do feel like you are dying. It's horrible, we just layed on the couch totally out of it for about a week. We didn't end up going to the doctor, mainly because getting dressed and driving was just more than either of us could handle, but I was watching our temps like crazy.

If it is anything like the Swine Flu I had back in the 70s, you would know. I don't think I've ever been so miserable. EXTREME body aches, high fever and the feeling that you were going to cough up a lung. I don't want to ever do that again. I've had the flu and other colds many times, but nothing like that flu.