Pandemic?

[LuvOrlando]

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[praline3001]

I am going to hazard a guess that the CDC is quite over-worked right now and therefore it would take them too long to analyze every single sample.

I am sure they are! I am in no way blaming the CDC for this faulty reporting. They can only do so many tests and they only have the one lab in Atlanta to do it. when they list a case ~ you can be sure 100% that person has the swine flu.

Its all of the grey area that concerns me. The way our leaders are standing there and saying "NOPE no confirmed cases here" when they are sitting on huge piles of samples they are NOT sending to the CDC.
They don't bother stating that they will NEVER have a confirmed case until they send those samples to the CDC.

Its all a con game and THAT worries me... not the flu.
This could have been small pox or the plague and our state leaders could have been doing the same thing.

Texas had this flu in their state as early as April 13... most likely EARLIER but that is when this child was placed in the hospital. Don't you think the responsible thing to do would have been to have warnings about it THEN?!
Nope ~ all our leaders sat on the podium and said ~ nope no confirmed cases here. Listen closely to the double speak! They are not saying NOPE no swine flu ~ they are saying no confirmed cases of swine flu. BIG DIFFERENCE.

 

[praline3001]

Masks do not do any good as a 4 year old will not use one properly. It will also scare him more likely.

Just bring alcohol based santitizers and wash his hands.

Be careful he doesn't come into close contact with any other kids in the airport. This might make you seem like the bad mommy ~ but chances are if he is going to catch it he will catch it playing with a new friend while waiting for his plane rather than on the plane.

 

[DawnCt1]

Anyone else out there think this very realistic discussion has stirred a PANIC in those who are irrationally fearful about the start of a PANIC?

I haven't seen any panic in this thread. At the very least, this is an interesting discussion. As it evolves, it is interesting to note how different states and communities are handling it. Some schools are closed in Ct for a couple of days where children have been suspected of having it. Thats a precaution that isn't going to hurt anyone. If I recall, years ago, didn't winter February vacations originate in schools years ago to create a "break" during the cold an flu season? In parts of Maine, school used to start late to accommodate potato digging season.

 

[raven69david]

Masks do not do any good as a 4 year old will not use one properly. It will also scare him more likely.

Just bring alcohol based santitizers and wash his hands.

Be careful he doesn't come into close contact with any other kids in the airport. This might make you seem like the bad mommy ~ but chances are if he is going to catch it he will catch it playing with a new friend while waiting for his plane rather than on the plane.

Thanks for the info. She makes friends easy so it should be quite a challenge to keep her entertained and away from other kids. Found this little bit of info on air travel: http://www.newsweek.com/id/195296/page/2

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[pansmermaidzlagoon]

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/us_world/Swine-Flu-0428.html

Something just occurred to me.

When the powers that be talk about how changing travel won't do anything they are talking about an aggregate effect of the illness spread. They are talking about how it no longer can contain the illness from spreading from region to region.

What they are not talking about is how it can effect individuals AND they have not yet done anything to recognize those in high risk groups AT ALL... not a word.

As in if any given subway car or airplane can carry 24 people, then 24 will get it. They are not recognizing that people ABC who opt out of travel would stay healthy but people DEF would get sick in their place. They are dealing with numbers not people.

Since most of us are more concerned with ourselves as individuals not statistical data we have a different perspective. VP Biden recognized this and spoke out as an individual with a sense of moral obligation to the individual human beings he is charged with being an advocate for, an act that gives him an element of humanity but which will, no doubt, blow up on him.

valid points!

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[mommy*RN]

I guess I'm not getting this. The CDC works in accord with National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) who have collaborating labs all over the country. If they have the capabilities of testing for this type of flu and report to the CDC why does the CDC have to see the sample? I cannot find any information if NREVSS is testing for the swine flu, but Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is a participating laboratory in the NREVSS system.

See thier website here: http://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/

From the "old" information on their site it appears they do all the collecting and reporting for the regular influenza so if Children's Hospital here in Wisconsin is able to test for swine flu, why wouldn't the CDC be able to count those tests in their numbers?

There was a suspect case in another city here in Wisconsin on Tuesday and the doctor had the results of the swine flu test (negative) back on Thursday. I'm doubting that test was sent to Atlanta.

 

[Cindyluwho]

If I recall, years ago, didn't winter February vacations originate in schools years ago to create a "break" during the cold an flu season? In parts of Maine, school used to start late to accommodate potato digging season.

Completely off topic but my high school used to close for the first day of hunting season!

And I agree with you Dawn, this has been an informative discussion, I haven't seen any panic here. Just folks exchanging information and ideas.

 

[Planogirl]

I mentioned this in another thread but a huge local school district (Fort Worth) just closed for just over a week. That is every single campus!

They seem to have one confirmed case, three probables and some more being tested. Doesn't this seem like overkill? Why would a large school district close due to what seems like a handful of cases?

 

[mommy*RN]

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE53S92V20090429

Finally some news about someone lost to the new Flu. The poor woman, it must have been terrible for her. She knew something was desperately wrong yet she raised no eyebrows... sometimes Dr's need to talk less and listen more.

She probably would have survived if she had received appropriate care when she first went looking for it.... that's calming news to me.

That is just horrible, but unfortunately something that crops up now and then. I hope she rests in peace and her family is doing okay.

 

[paintnolish]

I mentioned this in another thread but a huge local school district (Fort Worth) just closed for just over a week. That is every single campus!

They seem to have one confirmed case, three probables and some more being tested. Doesn't this seem like overkill? Why would a large school district close due to what seems like a handful of cases?

They are probably just being cautious. Can you imagine the backlash if they did not close and the flu spread throughout the school? Besides, many parents would probably keep their children home.

 

[mommy*RN]

I mentioned this in another thread but a huge local school district (Fort Worth) just closed for just over a week. That is every single campus!

They seem to have one confirmed case, three probables and some more being tested. Doesn't this seem like overkill? Why would a large school district close due to what seems like a handful of cases?

I'm itching to get my hands on what information school districts are being given by public health depts on how to act if there is a suspected case in the individual schools. We've had four closings in Milwaukee for suspect cases.

 

[EMom]

praline3001 makes the point that has been bugging me. There is so much politics at play here that I have to read between the lines, behind the lines and read the lines backwards every time a new announcement is made by the CDC, WHO and President Obama or any other government official. I can't take it at face value, because so much of what is being said is pure BS. It's just not that hard to see. When you continuously catch them saying half-truths, part-truths and sorta truths, you lose any sense of trust. Couple that with being from a border state and knowing full well the US government will go to any lengths to avoid offending Mexico and it's a crapshoot as to how much of their info I can rely on.

Maybe this is a tempest in a teapot. Can't say. But when I hear Obama say that closing the border would be like shutting the door after the horses were already out of the barn, I want to scream. What a pathetic, defeatist, spineless attitude! And if a Republican was in office, I swear, they would have said the same thing. Furthermore, if this was some killer plague, their attitude would be the same. It sounds like Tony Soprano at this mother's funeral. "Whaddaya gonna do?"

Here's what you do.....Or at least CONSIDER doing if the need should ever become compelling....But do not dismiss something like closing the border as impossible or too difficult or not worth the effort. If that barn has 100 horses and only 5 have escaped, then you don't say, "Well, it's too late. Some of them are already out. Nothing I can do now." No, you minimize the consequences and say, "Only 5 have gotten out. If I close the barn door right now, 95 will still be inside. That's so much better than just sitting here on my hands and letting all 100 get out."

I certainly hope this flu stays mild. Because our government will never, ever close the border with Mexico. They could be waltzing over with the Ebola virus and we'd just say, "Too late now. It's already here and can't be contained." Apparently, MINIMIZING the risk is just beyond their comprehension. I told some friends yesterday that terrorists do no need bombs to get us. No, they just need to infect a few of their happy-to-die-for-the-cause folks with something deadly and let them cross over from Mexico. Passive surveillance, passive surveillance......Sounds like "doing precious little" to me.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[mommy*RN]

http://www.wftv.com/news/19311020/detail.html#-

What is going on in Florida?

I am distrustful of the whole State because I am getting the feeling there is a cover-up going on.

Yes, a great deal of money is on the line but I'd like to think people are more important. I wonder, do the conversations in that state go on like the one in Jaws where everyone meets in the town hall to decide too much money would be lost to be honest with everyone?

I think the article said it all:

TOURIST INDUSTRY COULD BE HURT BY SWINE FLU FEARS

 

[Planogirl]

I suspect that government officials are not telling the whole truth. Why I don't know. I'm not saying that the outbreak is worse than what it appears or anything but many officials seem evasive.

I think that fear of the unknown can lead to more panic than just being told the truth. Particularly if the truth isn't really that bad.

 

[Planogirl]

I think the article said it all:

TOURIST INDUSTRY COULD BE HURT BY SWINE FLU FEARS

A lot of industries could be hurt by this. I was listening to talk about the stock market reacting badly if the swine flu situation wasn't approached cautiously.

It's sad but inevitable I guess.

 

[mommy*RN]

I suspect that government officials are not telling the whole truth. Why I don't know. I'm not saying that the outbreak is worse than what it appears or anything but many officials seem evasive.

I think that fear of the unknown can lead to more panic than just being told the truth. Particularly if the truth isn't really that bad.

ITA! I told my DH that they are kind of between a rock and a hard place with this one. Act one way and people will interpret it another way...evasiveness might keep the panic at bay...not that I agree with it.