Ok, I am posting this here for informational purposes only. Not to create more panic. I know there are all types on this board (obviously!) the naysayers and the we're all gonna die people. I am writing from one of the hardest hit areas. Our city created precedent yesterday by closing all of the local school districts. I posted their link earlier. Now I received this forwarded email from an ER doc at our local hospital. While I cannot vouch for his accuracy I can state he treated me for an infection 4 years ago and does not seem to be someone who would sensationalize this problem. Here is the email with some good homeopathic tips included:
Thought this was very good information for you and Jim to have. This is
beginning to look very serious.
Governor Perry had a press conference mid-day and updated the level of
response to pandemic.
The last couple of bullets below suggest some homeopathic and supplement
information that we are all starting on today.
I will keep you updated as Marc sends me information.
Although he is not at the Hospital today, Heather said he has been in
constant contact with the doctors on duty and will probably have to go
back in they are so overrun. They have confirmed 80 cases today. The
CDC alerted them to classify any A positives on the flu test as H1N1
swine flu.
C
Good morning! I have questions about this...wondering if you know the answers to any of these....They will be in pink.
Begin forwarded message:
After I returned from a public health meeting yesterday with community
leaders and school officials in Comal County, Heather suggested I send
an update to everyone, because what we are hearing privately from the
CDC and Health Department is so different from what you are hearing in
the media. Some of you know some or maybe all of this, but I will just
list what facts I know.
- The virus is infectious for about 2 days prior to symptom onset
So, healthy people can be walking around infecting people? Is that correct?
- Virus sheds more than 7 days after symptom onset (possibly as long as
9 days) (this is unusual)
What is the normal shed for a virus or a flu virus?
- Since it is such a novel (new) virus, there is no "herd immunity," so
the "attack rate" is very high. This is the percentage of people who
come down with a virus if exposed. Almost everyone who is exposed to
this virus will become infected, though not all will be symptomatc. That
is much higher than seasonal flu, which averages 10-15%. The "clinical
attack rate" may be around 40-50%. This is the number of people who show
symptoms. This is a huge number. It is hard to convey the seriousness of
this.
I noticed this on the news reports...groups of 13 came back and 11 were sick...group of 5 came back and 5 are sick. This makes sense to me.
- The virulence (deadliness) of this virus is as bad here as in Mexico,
and there are folks on ventilators here in the US, right now. This has
not been in the media, but a 23 month old near here is fighting for his
life, and a pregnant woman just south of San Antonio is fighting for her
life. In Mexico, these folks might have died already, but here in the
US, folks are getting Tamiflu or Relenza quickly, and we have ready
access to ventilators. What this means is that within a couple of weeks,
regional hospitals will likely become overwhelmed.
I assume this is the same 23-month-old that died?
- Some of the kids with positive cases in Comal County had more than 70
contacts before diagnosis. What is considered a contact?
- There are 10-25 times more actual cases (not "possible" cases --
actual), than what is being reported in the media. The way they fudge on
reporting this is that it takes 3 days to get the confirmatory nod from
the CDC on a given viral culture, but based on epidemiological grounds,
we know that there are more than 10 cases for each "confirmed" case
right now.
So, theoretically, we should have 900+ cases "reported" by Friday or Saturday? Is that how this will work...we are just days behind what is truely there?
- During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a
WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our
lifetimes so far. We are in uncharted territory.
Does he say this based on what he witnessed in the US OR is he referring to what is happening overseas?
- I expect President Obama will declare an emergency sometime in the
next 72-96 hours. This may not happen, but if it doesn't, I will be
surprised. When this happens, all public gathering will be cancelled for
10 days.
This would really, really surprise me. Seems like it would make more sense to shut things down regionally? Didn't they already declare an emergency? Or is there another level to that?
- I suggest all of us avoid public gatherings. Outdoor activities are
not as likely to lead to infection. It is contained areas and close
contact that are the biggest risk.
I am not sure "all" of us have to. I, for one, live in Mississippi and we have no confirmed or suspected cases anywhere near me. That could change.
- Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will
have to be carefully managed, as it is not enough to treat the likely
number of infections when this is full-blown. I don't think there is a
big supply of Relenza, but I do not know those numbers. If I had to
choose, I would take Relenza, as I think it gets more drug to the
affected tissue than Tamiflu.
This seems like an extreme statment? Does he mean that the drug stores are running out? Because nationwide we have enough to treat 25% of us.
- You should avoid going to the ER if you think you have been exposed or
are symptomatic. ER's south of here are becoming overwhelmed -- and I
mean that -- already. It is coming in waves, but the waves are getting
bigger. What do we do instead?
- It appears that this flu produces a distinctive "hoarseness" in many
victims. The symptoms, in general, match other flu's; namely, sore
throat, body aches, headache, cough, and fever. Some have all these
symptoms, while others may have only one or two.
This seems easily verifiable. I wonder how many cases he has seen personally? Is that a true separate symptom that we can look out for?
- N-Acetyl-Cysteine -- a nutritional supplement available at the health
food store or Wimberley Pharmacy, has been shown to prevent or lessen
the severity of influenza. I suggest 1200mg, twice a day for adults, and
600mg twice a day in kids over 12. It would be hard to get kids under 12
to take it, but you could try opening the capsules and putting it on
yogurt. For 40 pounds and up, 300-600 mg twice a day, for less than 40
pounds, half that.
- Oscillococinum, a homeopathic remedy, has been vindicated as quite
effective in a large clinical trial in Europe, with an H1N1 variant. You
can buy this at Hill Country Natural Foods, or the Wimberley Pharmacy. This is great information, thank you!!
I will try to keep everyone posted if I have any new information.
Meanwhile, don't be afraid just avoid infection. The fewer people
infected the easier it will be for our public officials to manage it.
Here's to some less crowded parks though!!
