Swine Flu Common Courtesy??

[ICF]

OP is correct that people should care more about those around them. My 4yr old daughter is in the very high-risk category of dying should she get H1N1. There are many others like her in this world. Would it really hurt anyone to realize this and do their own part in reducing the spread instead of thinking "it's not my problem"?

It's probably is a lot easier to make sure you take precautions for your daughter to not be exposed than expecting the rest of the world to do it so as not to expose her.

 

[C.Ann]

If an employee is sick - and able to take time off without losing their job - they should stay home.. If they're not sick themselves, I think their employer would have an issue with them staying home just because others are sick in their household..

 

[GabbyJacobsmom]

Just thought I would post this. It looks like you are contagious before you have symptoms and for a few days after your fever breaks.

Doctors here are saying as well, not to come into the office to be tested unless you have an underlying condition.

Thanks for the chart

I honestly wasn't trying to tick anyone off, I just wondered if you personally would tell your friends/family/co-workers if you tested positive. I know they don't know as they just now went to doctor and maybe they didn't need to - but it will be nice to know how the results come back.

Have a great day!

 

[MariDisney]

I think at this point we can assume that many many people walking around without symptoms that have been exposed to the flu. I would just assume that anyone we come in concact with could potentially be a carrier. So, we should all probably be washing our hands well several times a day and avoid touching our eyes and mouth. For the one person that does mention their family has it there will be 10 others that don't because they don't know yet or whatever.

 

[turkeymama]

The doctor's don't want to see you unless you have underlying medical conditions-they are not going to give you anything unless you do. There is no reason for them to go to the dr. Are they sending the kids to school sick? Is your co-worker sick? If not, yes, you are over reacting. If they are coming to school/work sick then no, you are not over reacting.

Is this standard procedure for everyone right now, or is it specific to certain areas? I'm asking because my son got the flu about a month ago. The doc told me to bring him in right away (and he had only been running fever for a couple of hours at the most) and they gave us Tamiflu scrips for the whole family. None of us have underlying conditions. I'm just curious, because you're not the first person I've seen post something along those lines. As far as know, pediatricians here are still seeing all kids with flu symptoms. Not sure about adults though.

 

[luvmy3]

Thanks for the chart

I honestly wasn't trying to tick anyone off, I just wondered if you personally would tell your friends/family/co-workers if you tested positive. I know they don't know as they just now went to doctor and maybe they didn't need to - but it will be nice to know how the results come back.

Have a great day!

I would tell those I work with (if I worked) that I had family members who were sick with the flu. I wouldn't have them tested just because I had to think of others. If I felt that their symptoms were bad enough, I would contact their doc and do what he recommends.
I have a son with asthma and I do worry about him getting it so I won't lie and say I wouldn't want someone to tell me if they were exposed, I just know that I wouldn't expect them and their family members to get tested so they can tell me its a confirmed case or not.

 

[maroo]

Just thought I would post this. It looks like you are contagious before you have symptoms and for a few days after your fever breaks.

Doctors here are saying as well, not to come into the office to be tested unless you have an underlying condition.

This is a very good point.

There is no way to totally stop the spread of any virus but the OP is correct that people should care more about those around them. My 4yr old daughter is in the very high-risk category of dying should she get H1N1. There are many others like her in this world. Would it really hurt anyone to realize this and do their own part in reducing the spread instead of thinking "it's not my problem"?

Very true.

And unfortunately the latest numbers indicate 46% of the people who have died have NO underlying conditions. Which should give every parent pause.

Is this standard procedure for everyone right now, or is it specific to certain areas? I'm asking because my son got the flu about a month ago. The doc told me to bring him in right away (and he had only been running fever for a couple of hours at the most) and they gave us Tamiflu scrips for the whole family. None of us have underlying conditions. I'm just curious, because you're not the first person I've seen post something along those lines. As far as know, pediatricians here are still seeing all kids with flu symptoms. Not sure about adults though.

I think this totally varies by location and even by doctor. And what the doctor does last week may not be what he does this week.

We are in MS and when there were lots of folks sick with presumed swine flu - they gave Tamiflu to the child that was sick AND his older sister that is very compromised. It probably saved her a major hospital stay.

I think it just depends. But I wonder what others think?

 

[daughtersrus]

Chances are if you've gone anywhere, that you've already been exposed to it.

Since most doctors are even testing for it (unless there's a problem), what would the point be to going to the doctor's office? If it is H1N1, the chances of spreading to kids that are already sick at the office(or even those there for well check ups) is pretty high. When we go to the Ped, I usually wait in the hall because if my DD isn't already sick, she's sure to pick something up there. Sure, they have a "sick waiting room", but you still have the kids standing by their parents in the "well waiting room" waiting to be checked in or out by the receptionist.

That's just my 2 cents coming from a parent of a child that is considered to be high risk (she has a rare genetic disease).

 

[goofy!]

Is this standard procedure for everyone right now, or is it specific to certain areas? I'm asking because my son got the flu about a month ago. The doc told me to bring him in right away (and he had only been running fever for a couple of hours at the most) and they gave us Tamiflu scrips for the whole family. None of us have underlying conditions. I'm just curious, because you're not the first person I've seen post something along those lines. As far as know, pediatricians here are still seeing all kids with flu symptoms. Not sure about adults though.

My son is home right now with H1N1.

Our pediatrician told us to keep him home, gave us a list of symptoms to watch for and said only if he had those symptoms should we bring him in to the office.

Not only did he not want others in his office to exposed to it, he did not want DS exposed to other illnesses when his immune system is already fighting H1N1. Apparently, it is the secondary infections that are worse than the actual H1N1.

He also did not get Tamiflu. Around here, this is a more recent development. The doctor told us that it is no longer helping as much, it is extremely harsh for the kids, and it is being found that kids are actually doing better without Tamiflu than with.

Our daughter is in the extremely high risk category. Even with her at home, we didn't get Tamiflu. We are to call if she shows signs and only then will they prescribe tamiflu for her.

I did have her in the ER on Tuesday night because she had an asthma attack (and she doesn't have asthma), and even with her high risk situation and having a brother with H1N1, they didn't test her. They did a chest x-ray and an ekg, made sure her pulse ox was ok and sent her home, telling us to just watch for symptoms and call if she develops a fever or cough. ER doc told me that there are way too many false negatives and the doctors are just scrapping the tests because they are not very reliable.

My older son got it about a month ago on his college campus and even just a month ago, they tested for influenza A. As the doctors learn more and see more, they adjust the way they are diagnosing and treating.

My daughter also volunteers in a local hospital. They just implemented new rules.

Children under 18 are not allowed in the hospital at all, except at patients, and anybody showing any kind of flu symptoms are not allowed in except for the ER.

There are now nurses and volunteers screening at every door to keep kids and sick people out of the general hospital.

So, back to the OP - around here, the medical community is highly recommending staying away from doctor's offices and hospitals if you are sick for 2 reasons:
1) you don't want to infect others
2) the infections you can pick up in the office can be dangerous when you are fighting H1N1.

So, your coworker was prudent not to go in to get tested.

My husband is not showing any signs, we have not been tested and he definitely went to work.

I understand about having high risk kids since I have one, but I wouldn't wouldn't expect anybody, if they are not sick themselves, to tell everybody they come in contact with that they had a child at home with H1N1.

 

[james'mommy]

I had the H1N1 2 weeks ago. I went to the doctor the day after I got sick only because I wanted Tamiflu and I knew you only have a short time to sart taking it. The only reason the doctor tested me was because myself and my whole family are asthmatic. My DH told people at work that I was sick. Most people avoided him and he used tons of hand sanitizer. But no one expected him to stay home just because I was sick.

 

[golfgal]

Is this standard procedure for everyone right now, or is it specific to certain areas? I'm asking because my son got the flu about a month ago. The doc told me to bring him in right away (and he had only been running fever for a couple of hours at the most) and they gave us Tamiflu scrips for the whole family. None of us have underlying conditions. I'm just curious, because you're not the first person I've seen post something along those lines. As far as know, pediatricians here are still seeing all kids with flu symptoms. Not sure about adults though.

This is something that is pretty standard across the country but most dr's have only changed to this within the last month or so. During the early stages of the outbreak they were giving Tamiflu to everyone like you saw but changed so the bug doesn't become resistant to Tamiflu.