Please do NOT go to Disney World if you (or your children) are sick

[kmk1180]

Wow, where did you get your medical degree. There is no way I would drag my sick children around the park to harm them and infect others. I feel sorry for your kids.

I was about to be as mean you were here, but will take the high road.
But wanted to note unless you like people to criticize your parenting you should watch how you phrase things. Attacking someones kids seems out of line to me.

 

[littleelvis]

Wow, where did you get your medical degree. There is no way I would drag my sick children around the park to harm them and infect others. I feel sorry for your kids.

I think it is shameful that you would infer I would harm my kids or willfully infect others. I choose to not live my life in fear nor teach my children that. If they were seriously ill obviously we wouldn't go.

I'm sure you have never went anywhere with a cold, mild flu, strep throat......Give me a break.

 

[C.Ann]

I can't imagine wanting to drag your kids around Disney World while they're sick.. How much fun could that be?

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I canceled my trip. You can too. You have no idea who you might infect, how they will react to the same illness, or if your family will cause another family to go through a great tragedy. There is no amount of money lost that can justify that. Wouldn't you give everything you own to someone if you knew it meant your child (or loved one) wouldn't get sick??

Seriously, do the right thing.

Perfectly stated....

There will always be a select group that just doesn't care about others. That being said I believe it's the minority...

 

[luvmyhubby]

I think people are extremely judgemental on this thread. I don't think there is anything wrong with people going to disney if they are mildly sick...You spend months of planning and only have certain times during the year to go on vacation! Obviously, if your child is very ill that is a different story. Only you as a parent can make that call and know what your child can tolerate. As far as spreading germs....No matter if everyone appears healthy, you have no clue what germs or viruses they are carriers of.

 

[Withacy]

I also work for a "well known insurance company" and we received a memo a month or two ago saying if you are exhibiting flu symptoms you must leave the company premises immediately.

I work for a little known federal agency (we fund & oversee Medicare & Medicaid...but no one knows who we are).

There are signs on all our doors that list a bunch of symptoms, and say "if you've got these, go home & stay there". We get free flu shots a work (though they only have the seasonal ones so far). We have generous sick leave, and people can donate their regular leave to other employees to use as sick leave.

We also have a plan, which we've practiced, that would allow us all to work from home in case of an outbreak in our office.

And they gave us all a super-sized bottle of Purell.

So you see, even a pandemic can't shut down the bureaucracy.

 

[Wall-E1]

I work for a little known federal agency (we fund & oversee Medicare & Medicaid...but no one knows who we are).

There are signs on all our doors that list a bunch of symptoms, and say "if you've got these, go home & stay there". We get free flu shots a work (though they only have the seasonal ones so far). We have generous sick leave, and people can donate their regular leave to other employees to use as sick leave.

We also have a plan, which we've practiced, that would allow us all to work from home in case of an outbreak in our office.

And they gave us all a super-sized bottle of Purell.

So you see, even a pandemic can't shut down the bureaucracy.

How many tablespoons of Purell are you supposed to drink each day?

 

[Withacy]

How many tablespoons of Purell are you supposed to drink each day?

I'd have to refer to the regs for that determination. It's a highly technical, multi-stepped process involving at least two team meetings and one or more interagency teleconferences. I'll get back to you with an answer within 45 days.

 

[caroline1851]

How long is this thread going to go on with everyone insulting each other?

Okay, some will go while they're sick.
Some will cancel if they are sick.
Everyone has a different view of what "sick" is.

Shouldn't this thread be closed by now?

 

[kate_wdw]

I think people are extremely judgemental on this thread. I don't think there is anything wrong with people going to disney if they are mildly sick...You spend months of planning and only have certain times during the year to go on vacation! Obviously, if your child is very ill that is a different story. Only you as a parent can make that call and know what your child can tolerate. As far as spreading germs....No matter if everyone appears healthy, you have no clue what germs or viruses they are carriers of.

Yes, but the same virus that makes you or your child mildly ill could make another person seriously ill (H1N1 is a perfect example of this). Of course everyone has the potential to be carrying germs or viruses unaware, but that's no justification to knowingly expose others to your or your children's viruses, particularly when it is well-known that the virus currently circulating has the potential to kill.

 

[RMulieri]

I think people are extremely judgemental on this thread. I don't think there is anything wrong with people going to disney if they are mildly sick...You spend months of planning and only have certain times during the year to go on vacation! Obviously, if your child is very ill that is a different story. Only you as a parent can make that call and know what your child can tolerate. As far as spreading germs....No matter if everyone appears healthy, you have no clue what germs or viruses they are carriers of.

Perhaps if it were one of your children or your spouse on a ventilator in a hospital right now,you would feel differently.It is very easy on all sides to say "you shouldn't do this" or " I wouldn't cancel my trip".But until you see how it effects people firsthand, you simply do not know.We have a large number of kids in our PICU with H1n1 right now.We also have a large number of adults in our ICU right now, for H1n1 .These people are someone's husband,wife, mother, father, son , and daughter.Some of them had an underlying medical history , Most do not.I think we need to be considerate of others besides ourselves.These people are fighting for their very lives.One persons Sniffle could be another's Fight for life.

 

[disneycountrygirl]

Nicely put. Karma.

What goes around comes around. You can't live your life with disregard for everyone around you and have it end up being a good life.

 

[onetoescape]

I canceled my trip. You can too. You have no idea who you might infect, how they will react to the same illness, or if your family will cause another family to go through a great tragedy. There is no amount of money lost that can justify that. Wouldn't you give everything you own to someone if you knew it meant your child (or loved one) wouldn't get sick??

Seriously, do the right thing.

Totally disagree. With this sort of mentality you wouldn't leave the house. I would only cancel my holiday if my kids where unfit to travel.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Let's be honest here, and I know I'm not alone since I've seen PPs...

If I'm sick, I'm going to Disney regardless. Until I cannot physically go to Disney, I'm going!

A lot of planning goes into Disney trips for me and a simple bug isn't going to stop me. It certainly wouldn't stop me from going to Target and getting medicine for my illness and I have the same chance of running into someone who cannot handle the flu as I do at Disney.

But if you're really scared, think about this:

Going to the store... restaurants... do you REALLY think those people who get paid by the hour and who do NOT get any sick leave can really afford to take time off because of a little cough and sniffle? More likely than not, they'll take some DayQuil suck on cough drops and go to work. Getting paid $8/hour for 35 hours/week doesn't allow much room calling in sick.

 

[fan1080]

See...

THIS is precisely the reason I am becoming a doctor, people!: because the general public cannot keep themselves healthy unless they are given the FACTs (and understand them!!).

Now... with that said, lets look at the FACTs (and not whatever our ears decide to filter out...):

As of October, H1N1 flu has caused approximately 100 CHILDREN to die (with 9 of those occurring this week). This is in comparison about 80 kids who die throughout the ENTIRETY of the average flu season. So, what does that mean (... those of you who think H1N1 is no worse than the "average" flu, listen up)? It means that more kids have already died from H1N1, as opposed to the number of kids who die from the "average" flu (and it's only October!). The reason is this: More people develop pulmonary complications from swine flu than the "normal" flu strain... There's something about this H1N1 that causes some peoples' lungs to go psycho. It's when the lungs fill with fluid that people begin to present with the pneumonia symptoms that the scary side of H1N1 rears it's head. And the scariest part is that we know relatively little about this virus (they only isolated and reconstructed the virus for lab study in 2005)-- we don't know why some people are getting sicker than others. This is the same strain of flu that killed so, so many people during the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918 (don't remember it in History? Look it up). It is DEFINITELY more serious. Guys, we are talking about a global pandemic influenza. In the words of Ming Ming, This is serious.

Now... on the other hand, do we need to all spazz out and coop ourselves up in a bubble till Spring? No way! Just get your facts straight and exercise COMMON SENSE. If you or your child begin to present flu-like symptoms, for God's sake don't take them out somplace and infect others!... get them promptly treated and then keep them isolated (or relatively so), until at least 2 days after fever disappears without Tylenol. Some people choose to get the vaccine and that is fine if that is your choice (I am still on the fence about it). I can say for myself that I will be watching my 3 year old like a hawk and taking some extra precautions this year (but not going overboard).

So I guess my rant is for this reason: I don't CARE how much MONEY you sunk into this trip!!-- There is FAR more at stake than a 5-thousand-dollar family vacation, people!! This flu spreads like wildfire and PEOPLE ARE DYING. Mothers and fathers are dying and leaving their kids confused and grieving. Parents are burying their children. Please please exercise some common sense. If you think you have the H1N1 virus, please stay at home until you are better.

(Sorry to get all worked up, but someone neeeded to...)

Thanks for listening to my over-the-top rant session.

Yeah, that! /\/\/\/\/\/\

Way over the top, and yes, it was a rant.

Fact: the health care system here is saying, stop going to your doctor or emergency room with simple flu-like symtoms requesting testing for H1N1. Why? Because it's a gross misuse of the health care system.

Alot of people are over-reacting, and taking steps that can be more detrimental to their health; wiping everything down in sight, etc. Over use of these products can be very harmful.

Unless you are diagnosed and then tested positive for a deadly, infectious illness, there is no reason not to go out in public or cancel a vacation.

The fear mongering is getting out of control.

 

[fan1080]

Perhaps if it were one of your children or your spouse on a ventilator in a hospital right now,you would feel differently.It is very easy on all sides to say "you shouldn't do this" or " I wouldn't cancel my trip".But until you see how it effects people firsthand, you simply do not know.We have a large number of kids in our PICU with H1n1 right now.We also have a large number of adults in our ICU right now, for H1n1 .These people are someone's husband,wife, mother, father, son , and daughter.Some of them had an underlying medical history , Most do not.I think we need to be considerate of others besides ourselves.These people are fighting for their very lives.One persons Sniffle could be another's Fight for life.

????

The poster you responded to specificly said "mildly sick". How does that translate to a deadly infection?

If someone has a cough, sneeze, etc, but it is not a "H1N1 cough, sneeze, etc", are you saying that others can get H1N1 from a none "H1N1 cough, sneeze, etc"?

 

[ryley26]

Folks were done here Thanks Rich