swine flu concern

[newfiegirl]

just wondering if this is still an issue in the united states? this is my only real concern about visiting disney with small children.

 

[allboyzz]

just wondering if this is still an issue in the united states? this is my only real concern about visiting disney with small children.

Yeah, it is still an issue in VA. Two kids at his school were confirmed to have it a couple of days ago.

 

[RMulieri]

WHO upgraded to a global pandemic .So yes it is still a concern. Right now though the US is not in its prime flu season.That starts in OCt. So I am sure that unless they develop a vaccine that will be ready for our flu season, that there will be plenty of more cases. Nothing really to overly stress about though.

 

[tnd]

There are still cases of it, but I wouldn't say it's any more major than any other flu during the winter. My husband works in a very large urban emergency room (not in FL) and they are seeing some cases, but treating it exactly as a normal flu. I'm sure it's unpleasant if you get it, but I wouldn't really be worried about getting it at Disney. Just wash your hands as normal. And have a great time!

 

[Deb & Bill]

WHO upgraded to a global pandemic .So yes it is still a concern. Right now though the US is not in its prime flu season.That starts in OCt. So I am sure that unless they develop a vaccine that will be ready for our flu season, that there will be plenty of more cases. Nothing really to overly stress about though.

I read yesterday that a vaccine was already developed using non-egg technology and should be available soon, hopefully by flu season in the Northern Hemisphere.

 

[Maybelle]

I hadn't thought much about it recently until it re-surfaced on the news yesterday due to the upgraded status of the virus. So yes, it is still around. Am I overly concerned...no.

 

[disnut8]

The swine flu is just one strain of flu. There are many, many other strains and some do have a bad effect on people. But those strains have been around for years - they just haven't been in the news. There are many, many other things to be concerned about than swine flu.

 

[hildarumpole]

As long as you take common sense precautions, such as frequent hand washing and/or hand sanitizer, there should be nothing to worry about. Given the large crowds and visitors from all over the world, there always seems to be something going around Disney, whether it's the common cold, a stomach bug, or a variety of flu. Make sure everyone eats well, stays hydrated and gets plenty of rest to keep the immune system healthy.

 

[TillyMarigold]

The swine flu is just one strain of flu. There are many, many other strains and some do have a bad effect on people. But those strains have been around for years - they just haven't been in the news. There are many, many other things to be concerned about than swine flu.

Right, and I'd like to add, H1N1 flu as it currently exists [and they're pretty sure it's *not* really "swine" flu at this point] causes much *less* severe symptoms and kills *fewer* people (both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of people who got it) than this past winter's regular flu. As far as I know, all the US deaths have been people who had other health problems that compromised their immune system or their breathing.

The concern is that there's no vaccine yet, but if H1N1 flu does not get any worse than it has been (which of course it always could, but so far it has not) it is not much more severe than a really bad cold.

 

[poohfan]

Our doctor told us not to panic. The H1N1 virus is like any other flu and if someone has it they would treat it like they would any other flu. But it seems that this strain doesn't die down in the warmer months like other do. He said the best advice he could give is to keep washing our hands, get plenty of sleep and take vitamins to keep our immune systems healthy.

 

[fla4fun]

Right, and I'd like to add, H1N1 flu as it currently exists [and they're pretty sure it's *not* really "swine" flu at this point] causes much *less* severe symptoms and kills *fewer* people (both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of people who got it) than this past winter's regular flu. As far as I know, all the US deaths have been people who had other health problems that compromised their immune system or their breathing.

The concern is that there's no vaccine yet, but if H1N1 flu does not get any worse than it has been (which of course it always could, but so far it has not) it is not much more severe than a really bad cold.

So true! I'd be more worried about catching a Norwalk virus than the Swine flu at Disney. Practice good hygeine, and utilize Fastpass as much as possible so you aren't standing in crowded stand by lines, and you should be OK.

They were talking about the vaccine on the local news last night and said it might be ready as early as September.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Yes, I believe they closed a few schools in NYC this past week and a school here in NJ was closed last week (or was it 2 weeks ago?)too.
We went to the world 2 weeks after the virus was making headlines, I was a nervous wreck. Just use common sense, use purell often, wash hands often, don't put hands by your mouth, ears, eyes, nose. And I disinfected my room well while there and did not receive mouse keeping services while there. I kept reminding DD before hand that hands do not go near mouth, eyes, nose, etc. I was actually showing her clips on the computer, she really enjoyed one called crawford the cat. If you google it, he has a website with a few videos and games about the subject. We washed hands more often before leaving so while in Disney she continued with this.

I kept saying I could catch it at the supermarket, but now the threat REALLY is here, as the school that closed here in NJ is only a few miles away from me.

 

[Goofy4]

Last week the subject did not come up once at Disney. But now that I think about it, yes, we should have been washing our hands more.

 

[newfiegirl]

why would you not want mousekeeping...wouldnt that keep the room cleaner?

 

[sweetmama]

Well my theory on this is wash hands, sanitize hands and realize that you could get this stuff in your own hometown since it has now gone global

 

[RMulieri]

We have 15 cases of h1n1 in our hospital right now. It is still rampant, the media just has no interest in it.We should have the vaccine for Fall when Northern Hemosphere enters its flu season

 

[CathieArms]

just wondering if this is still an issue in the united states? this is my only real concern about visiting disney with small children.

Yes, it's still a concern; however, I think you can worry yourself to death over it, or you can just live your life and move forward. The WHO has declared it a pandemic, I believe, but I think the severity of the cases are far less than they'd predicted.

Go and enjoy yourself. Take reasonable precautions like washing your hands frequently. That's the best you can do.

 

[lesliejmorris]

Its a problem all over the world, less on a whole in the US as it is leaving flu season, Austrailia is having a bigger problem now as it is winter and virus spread more in winter, just wash your hands, you will most likely be fine.

 

[Mary T in PA]

We leave in 5 days and as a germaphobe, I am not too concerned about swine flu.

I have always been an obsessive hand washer, especially before eating.


As a doctor friend told me.. get plenty of sleep, eat a good well balanced diet, and wash your hands.. it's the best you can do to stay healthy, not just trying to avoid the flu going around.

It would be nice if the world was germ free though,


Here's hoping we all stay healthy and have great trips!

Mary

 

[toodycat]

I work in a suburban school in NY. We had over 550 students absent in one day last week and about 70% had flu symptoms, but we kept the school open and it swmore or less stayed out of the news. While the swine flu is nasty, there is not much that can be done apart from frequent hand washing, not drinking out of the same cup as a friend or sharing a cigarette (things my teen students tend to do) and staying home if you are ill. Everyone I know who had it is now back to normal. The worst thing I saw was people coming to school while coughing and feverish because they had to prepare for exams. I am sure Disney is excellent at keeping things clean---I was on the Disney Magic a week after the Norovirus problem and the ship was impeccable---so my advice would be to wash hands or use Purell before eating and otherwise use common sense. Otherwise, don't worry.