Swine Flu - General Discussion and how it affects Disney

[famsen]

You certainly have to make the decisions that are right for you and your family. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, or with the doctor. However, my opinion is that a doctor who treats people coming in sick from Disney every day of his life may have a slightly better knowledge of possible swine flu infection at Disney than a pediatric surgeon in another state. I would, of course, expect your neighbor to have a better grasp on the situation in your area than this doctor would.

I think a lot of people on this board are hiding their heads in the sand, and acting like Disney won't still be there in a month or so when this thing blows over. But I'll defend to the death their right to their opinion. I won't, however, be accused of fear mongering for sharing information that comes from a reliable source.

I understand a Dr. cautioning against someone with conditions such as your dad from putting himself at unnecessary risk, but to tell people to stay away from big cities is irresponsible. Does the Dr. expect everyone to head for the hills? I view Disney as being a large city and I can't avoid the flu in Chicago, I can't avoid it in a small town, and I can't avoid it at Disney.
Maybe the Dr. would suggest I lock myself in my home and duct tape the windows and doors.

 

[Orangeandwild]

We leave one week from today to drive to Florida and we are surely going. As usual we are bringing hand sanitizer and plan to use it and wash our hands just as we always do before we eat anything at WDW.

See ya all there

 

[JLTraveling]

I'm done arguing. Like I said at the beginning of this thread, I write about phobias including health anxiety for a living. I'm well versed in which sources are and are not reliable. I've been trying all week to put out fires where my own readers have freaked out. I started this thread largely in response to the "Conflicting reports" thread, to attempt to give accurate information from a trusted medical authority on the ground in the Disney community.

You want to read it? Fine. You don't want to read it? Skip to the next thread. You find it helpful? Great. You find it unhelpful? That's fine too. But the snarking and snide comments because someone said something you didn't want to hear? Way unnecessary. This isn't a slam on anyone in particular, just getting sick of this thread being turned into a platform for those who have decided that swine flu is nothing at all to snark on those who are simply trying to share information.

Peace out, and enjoy your trips.

 

[billnang]

10 days to go and we will be there!!
As a nurse practitioner in primary care I probably reduce the risk and ,therefore my family's, multifold by getting out of the office!!!!

I have been getting multi phone calls of people asking for Tamiflu- just in case. The answer is absolutely not!!! We get twice daily briefings from the CDC and DOH (Dept of health) asking not to do just that. THese drugs need to be available for the confirmed sick or confirmed exposed. Do not think for a moment the the current supply of Tamiflu could not dry up in days! There is no where near enough for everyone! That is not what the stockpile is intended to do.

The same type of calls happened with the anthrax scare. Does everyone remember the rooms of plastic everyone made?

Do not put your head in the sand. If you want reliable info go to the CDC's website. They update often and are your best bet at reliable info- not your local doc making a knee jerk advisory.

There is a Flu pandemic every year. Thousands die. Let's all keep cool heads!

Great info and advice
Angela

 

[MelissathePooh]

BTW - I'm only talking about meds like antibiotics/allergy etc... - nothing controlled.

 

[monana]

were going! i have better chances there then at work as nurse. i can not wait to go.

 

[Orangeandwild]

Everyone has been warned and knows that this could spread, so I think it is up to each individual family or group to decide knowing the facts if they still want to go to WDW or not at this time.

DH and I are choosing to still go, we drive down to Florida in our car in a week, so plane air is no consideration for us.

Both of us are out in public all the time, and we use hand sanitizer before we eat anything if we are not home to wash our hands.

I hope everyone has nice trips if you choose to go

 

[XYSRUS]

Not to my knowledge. We keep one every year for regular flu. Its a nasty copay, but a script same as any other. I guess I'm kind of surprised more folks don't do this. I always have a script for antibiotics on hand when we travel. We certainly don't over use anything - I'm completely aware of those implications, but why waste time on visits or calls when you're on vacation? It must just be my being used to working with the health care setting - you tell the docs what you want/what's going on and they write a script for you.

I respect that you're a nurse as I am an RN too, but disagree with the statement about telling the docs what you want and then expecting them to write a script for you. That's part of the problem with healthcare-the public thinking they know what they need for an illness/symptoms. If you're sick, then go to your doctor so he/she 1. knows what is your current state of health and 2. can keep record of remedies tried. I would hope doctors arn't just handing out scripts like it's nothing.

 

[Otter49]

I won't impugn the OP, I have no basis to do that. His/her posts have been reasonable and unemotional - an attempt to offer information from contact with someone in the local medical community.

That being said - one of my neighbors is a doctor - with a practice in Celebration. We're going to Epcot tomorrow with he and his wife.

It's a pandemic or it's not. I'll get it and die or I won't. Or I'll go to Walgreen's tomorrow to get my mask and get run over by a Lynx bus.

C'est la vie.

 

[Disney-Kim]

Everyone keeps saying...oh just cancel until later....disney will always be there....but....

getting time off work, airline tix change costs, hotel cancellation fees, inabiliity to rebook trip because Disney is booked up, etc.

there is a lot of planning involved in travel and its not easy to just "change" your trip. As far as I know the airlines/hotels are not allowing changes without fees unless its in Mexico....and from what I have seen its only for up to 2 wks later.

We have time, money, and anticipation built up in this trip. We are going unless Disney closes the doors and doesn't let us in.

This is Disney and the flu. the flu. not the Ebola Virus in a 3rd world country with no running water.

doesn't anyone care that that 16000 people have died this year from the regular flu and yet no canceled their trips then the media has contributed to making people scared and paniced.....like its armageddon.

 

[ColinCodyMom]

I won't impugn the OP, I have no basis to do that. His/her posts have been reasonable and unemotional - an attempt to offer information from contact with someone in the local medical community.

That being said - one of my neighbors is a doctor - with a practice in Celebration. We're going to Epcot tomorrow with he and his wife.

It's a pandemic or it's not. I'll get it and die or I won't. Or I'll go to Walgreen's tomorrow to get my mask and get run over by a Lynx bus.

C'est la vie.

Thank you. I swear, after reading these threads I will die of a heart attack before the swine flu ever has a chance!! I worry by nature, but some of the things being said are enough to scare someone to death all on their own. I appreciate all information and hearing both sides. I just think that creating a panic is not beneficial to anyone. We are at risk everyday, whether at home in schools or at disney.

 

[ms mouse]

To the OP thank you for the information, after all this is an information site. Everyone should make their own decision, and she never said you should not go. For the sake of the economy, please go and spend lots of money. I am a nurse, and not afraid of germs, but I am getting information that has made me consider postponing our trip. We go in July, so I have some time, but I would not go now. That is a personal decision, and if you decide to go be informed, you can clean all day long and wash hands all day long, but if you are standing within 6 feet of someone who is contageous you can catch it.

 

[disneybridetobe]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I did call my Dr. today and asked if we should go or not. I work in Boston. I take public transportation into the big city every day - she agreed that my chances are just as great getting this at home as they are in Disney and to bring purell and wash our hands often. She told me not to worry- to go and have a wonderful vacation and that is what I am going to do!
Maybe more people will decide not to go and the 8 crowd levels will drop to a 4!!

HAHA that's what I'm hoping... I said to DH earlier: "I wonder what this is going to do to the crowd calendar!!"
We'll just sanitize the crap out of ourselves and go from there.

 

[MnMomW3Boys]

Well my husband's, uncle's, brother's, half sister's, husband is the chief of medicine at Seattle Grace Hospital and he told me to go and have a great time.

I am just kidding....I have to say that its amazing all the health professionals that are Disney lovers on this board

OP Thank you for your words of advice, you had the best of intentions in relaying what the good Dr. told your dad, and I am sure that there is a lot of truth to what he said.

As I said in another post I have a much better chance of survival if we head to WDW in 10 days as planned b/c if I cancel now my boys would "kill" me.

 

[CarolA]

Personally I think the OPs MD has issues!

I work in healthcare and this was an irresponsible response to a question. Did he have any FACTUAL basis? Probably not, this was just his "gossip" response. His logic on "how long you are exposed" etc... is also kind of bizarre! The person who should be accued of Fear mongering is a doctor who would give that as a response. Without a basis in fact as to where it's spread, extent etc. this is "fear mongering" and just becuase he's an MD doesn't make him an expert.

Should you go, that's up to you, but the OPs Doctor's response should probably NOT be the deciding factor.

 

[mamalle]

That is a personal decision, and if you decide to go be informed, you can clean all day long and wash hands all day long, but if you are standing within 6 feet of someone who is contageous you can catch it.

exactly. anyhow, people will do what people want to do come hell or high water regardless.. thank you for your post and what you have encountered. If it was my father I would feel the same way.. I did lose a grandparent to Influenza A back in 2000 and it was a long month on and off the vent for him. It started out they thought as a simple bronchitis.. 3 months later my grandmother died of broken heart literally-she had a heart attack so if they were alive today- no I would not drive them up to disney where its the perfect place for this to spead like wildfire.. You can bet if there are positive samples that come from Orlando that our florida economy will take a hard nose dive right before summer seasoning travel and that is worrisome... Viruses as a mother and nurse bother me more than bacteria excluding meningitis that is. My kiddos are healthy and the flu knocked them down for 2 weeks in Feb. Its not the initial swine virus that is concerning but with underlying respiratory compromise that becomes the issue..

 

[BellesFavoriteBook]

I talked to my sister today (its my nephew's birthday and she got him and my niece DSs for the trip) and she's sort of freaked out about this swine flu. She says its spread by droplets, like sneezing. She also said a local hospital system is quarantining their workers, not letting the ones who have travelled return to work for at least seven days.

I don't want her to have to cancel the trip. I already got personalized autograph books for my niece and two nephews. I have my snacks and most of my other supplies. I really hope we can get this under control before the trip. I would hate to miss out on the ADR Princess Lunch in two weeks (I am so looking forward to that lunch!).

I told my sister the best preparation right now we can do is take vitamin C and drink lots of fluids.

 

[famsen]

I was thinking that maybe an inquiry directly to a hospital or clinic that cares for patients who would come from Disney might be in order(Celebration hosptial, etc). I'm thinking that advice from them whether it's "safe" to be at Disney right now would put some minds to rest. I was also thinking that maybe thy would also be able to share any contingency plans that tourists should make should they get sick at while at Disney.

 

[BridetobeDisney]

I called our pediatrician today and he said to go and have a good time. He said to make sure we wash our hands and use hand sanitizer. No, he doesn't live near Disney but goes at least twice a year and understands the close proximity to others for what that's worth. Our 2 year old is healthy and had all his immunizations so, hopefully, we'll be fine. We can't cancel because DH only has two weeks of vacation a year and you have to pick which weeks in Jan. his next week off is in Dec. I'm not waiting that long! LOL

 

[JLTraveling]

I was thinking that maybe an inquiry directly to a hospital or clinic that cares for patients who would come from Disney might be in order(Celebration hosptial, etc). I'm thinking that advice from them whether it's "safe" to be at Disney right now would put some minds to rest. I was also thinking that maybe thy would also be able to share any contingency plans that tourists should make should they get sick at while at Disney.

Sigh...sometimes it's nice to actually read the posts before responding. That was the entire purpose of this thread--to share information that came directly from a clinic that cares for patients that come from Disney. Had the information been different, I would have shared that as well. I give up.