Swine Flu - General Discussion and how it affects Disney

[maroo]

I've been following both sides of the debate. For me, I've decided to err on the side of caution. For you who've decided to ignore the warnings...

Be my guest, be my guest,
Put your idiocies to the test,
Tie a mask around your face, cheri'
The flu will do the rest..

Feel free to add verses as ya'll see fit...

Oh no...we are going downhill fast. But it is pretty funny.

 

[LilMommyBug]

I've been following both sides of the debate. For me, I've decided to err on the side of caution. For you who've decided to ignore the warnings...

Be my guest, be my guest,
Put your idiocies to the test,
Tie a mask around your face, cheri'
The flu will do the rest..

Feel free to add verses as ya'll see fit...

Wow, you joined to show us what an awesome poet you are?

 

[msce2]

I am so bummed, I just want to cry
I have a little countdown calendar on my fridge and this morning I was not at all motivated to remove the number 15 from it....I actually got a little sad thinking to myself "if this trip even happens" THEN I hear Biden saying he would not have his familu get on a plane...I am thinking about rescheduling but if I did not it would probably just be til the 2nd week of June and I would be taking summer classes and I don't know if fiance would be able to get off from work....
This just stinks, since January I have been looking forward to this vacation and I am just planning for the worst since I think this stupid flu is taking a turn for the worse

We have been planning this for 6 years. 6 YEARS! And the kids and I made a chain of rings started at 120, and have been cutting one each day. I'm sick to my stomach. The joy of going has been taken away, and if we do go, I'm going to spend the whole time being a maniac telling them to clean their hands, don't touch that, don't put your hand in your mouth. I'm so disappointed.

 

[dizzymomx4]

Wow! I have been following this thread now for about an hour, there is so much being said. I live in Arizona, there have been a total of 3 schools closed now. One is in the Phoenix area, the other two are in the east valley once is located less than 5 miles away....starting to get close!

We are planning for our trip, we leave in 37 days...got our Magical Express vouchers in the mail today...I do not like flying for many reasons, but we are still going....will everyone look at me crazy when I show up in a full body bubble?

 

[gribbanies2]

To WeLoveLilo05:

We're bummed that we have to postpone... but for us, that is the key...
We understand that Disney is allowing people to reschedule without a change fee, so we're gonna take adavantange of that... better a little late than not at all...

 

[maroo]

We have been planning this for 6 years. 6 YEARS! And the kids and I made a chain of rings started at 120, and have been cutting one each day. I'm sick to my stomach. The joy of going has been taken away, and if we do go, I'm going to spend the whole time being a maniac telling them to clean their hands, don't touch that, don't put your hand in your mouth. I'm so disappointed.

I am so, so sorry. I really, really hate that. 120 chains. I am honestly in tears for you guys that have been planning and planning.

Wow! I have been following this thread now for about an hour, there is so much being said. I live in Arizona, there have been a total of 3 schools closed now. One is in the Phoenix area, the other two are in the east valley once is located less than 5 miles away....starting to get close!

We are planning for our trip, we leave in 37 days...got our Magical Express vouchers in the mail today...I do not like flying for many reasons, but we are still going....will everyone look at me crazy when I show up in a full body bubble?

I would not look at you crazy! This thread is quite a piece of work, isn't it! We have some pretty varied opinions and lots of real people living real life...ya know.

To WeLoveLilo05:

We're bummed that we have to postpone... but for us, that is the key...
We understand that Disney is allowing people to reschedule without a change fee, so we're gonna take adavantange of that... better a little late than not at all...

The fact that Disney is not charging people...should give us all pause. Frankly.

 

[luvthemouse71]

We have been planning this for 6 years. 6 YEARS! And the kids and I made a chain of rings started at 120, and have been cutting one each day. I'm sick to my stomach. The joy of going has been taken away, and if we do go, I'm going to spend the whole time being a maniac telling them to clean their hands, don't touch that, don't put your hand in your mouth. I'm so disappointed.

I'm one of the group that thinks people need to realize that this is somewhat of a problem..But, I think with some preparations and common sense behavior, there is no need to cancel your trip. Stress can wreak havoc on your immune system, so I know it's hard but just take each day as it comes. Really, at this point, this thing is pretty much everywhere so now it comes down to hygiene, making sure you and your family eat well, get rest and try to live as healthy as possible. This will help the immune system.

Also, they are working on a vaccine. It may take a couple of months, but it may be ready by the time you guys are ready to leave.

Hang in there...

PS..a PP was worried that people would look at them funny if they showed up in a bubble. I say, do whatever you have to do!(kidding) I just picked up a few more boxes of N95 masks at CVS today..saving one box for my trip in September. Most of us here realize that our trips are precious-so if I have to show up there in a Hazmat suit, fine!

 

[carissanboys]

That is strange? Was the student sick when he was at the school? That is odd...

I don't know many details as I just found out this morning that we even had probable cases here in MD.

What I got from the news report was that the student had been home the entire time he/she had been sick. But, since a person is contagious for at least 1 day before syptoms begin...

They said they cleaned every inch of the school last night.

 

[C.Ann]

Everyone keeps talking about washing their hands, not touching their face, etc... Well I find it VERY HARD to believe that all the hundreds that are sick right now are filthy handed people that could not stop licking their fingers and picking their noses. So wash your hands all you want b/c yes it will not only help you not get the flu if you touched something that was just coughed on but it will also help reduce your risk of getting other sicknesses. Now I have a question that maybe one of you that are going can help me out with. So I just wash my hands and sing the ABC's 3 times, 1 extra time just to be sure there clean and then go and say what the heck let me use some purrell to. So my hands are CLEAN. I fold my arms as I get in line for ToT to be sure not to touch the railings. When all of a sudden the person infront of me coughs. Now since the flu can be spread through inhaling the "infection of an infected person" am I now supposed to stand there and hold my breath until I think the air is "clean" again? What if the person behind me sneezes? If this goes on long enough between the one infront and the one behind me I will probably pass out from holding my breath. So I am not sure how to handle the infection when it is being coughed/sneezed into the air around me. BUT, my hands are clean. If it was only that easy. I have also read that you should not shake hands, touch objects, etc... Well I am going to seem like the friendliest Disney guest when the concierge CM goes to shake my hand and I pull away. When he walks us to our room and before I let DH touch the door handle I tell everyone to step back so I can lysol the handle. When we go to tip the bellman we will have to be careful not to touch hands as we pass the money. Forget about being in the bus and I have to stand. I guess I should not hold on to the bar. Now this is just me but lysoling my room everytime I return, CONSTANTLY telling my kids not to touch ANYTHING, trying to figure out a way to scratch my noses if it starts to itch, seeing someone at the pool or in the line at a ride that looks and sounds sick turning my family around and saying we have to go somewhere else, getting on the airplane and during the flight the person infront of me tells the flight attendant that they are not feeling well and come to find out their neighbor had been sick with the flu and then having to spend my vacation worrying that my children have without a doubt now been exposed does NOT sound like a very relaxing vacation to me. But that is just me. I wonder if some of you are aware how many times you touch your face without realizing it. So to have to walk around the whole trip chanting in my head "wash my hands, don't touch my face, wash my hands don't touch my face" again is not a relaxing vacation for me..

-------------------

Very interesting read.. The only problem is unless you plan on isolating yourself in your home from now until - well - we don't know "when" - everything you are saying could be applied to your children going to school; your DH going to work; you going out to do the weekly grocery shopping; etc..

So is it that you don't want to take a chance on getting sick far away from home (understandable) or do you think that being in WDW is the only place that increases your chances of getting H1N1?? If it spreads far and wide - at a rapid pace - your own hometown could be equally as "dangerous".. I guess that's the part that I'm not understanding..

However, you do have to do what you think is best for you and your family.. That's the bottom line..

 

[Jonnygib]

I'm leaving on Sunday for two weeks at Disney in Florida. The reports on the analysis of the genome of the virus indicate that it is a pretty weak virus without the strong ability to attach to material in the lungs that past strong pandemic viruses have had. Most scientists believe that the death rate for this virus will be much less than that of standard flu viruses that circulate yearly. Remember, we have 36,000 deaths from plain old flu in the US each year. That's about 100 per day.

So, go, enjoy, remember that this virus responds to the antiviral medications. If you catch, you catch it...you are just as likely to get over this as you would be to get over any other flu virus that you might catch.

My two cents only!

 

[PirateD]

I do understand everybody's concerns, but I do have to say that I really don't think that the risk of catching this flu is any greater at WDW than it is in our own hometowns at at our local schools or grocery stores.

As a teacher, I am constantly surrounded by germs. With suspected cases just now breaking out in Washington state, I started to play the what if game today. What if someone is infected at our school. I wash my hands before lunch, get a tray that someone else may have touched. Go wash my hands again. Go back get my food and punch in my lunch number into the computer. Ooops! Everybody has to input their own number, now I have to go and wash my hands again. I go to get water or juice from the dispenser. Oh, no. Back to wash or Purrell my hands. We go to the computer lab, I have to wash my hands. I open the classroom door. I have to wash my hands. A student hands me their paper...And so it goes.

Try playing it out at your workplace or at the grocery store. It can get maddening if you let it. For now, I'm just telling myself that I can't live my life that way. There are germs and viruses and other types of risks everywhere and unless I put myself in a bubble, I'm going to be exposed to them. I'm planning to still go in June unless things significantly change for the worse. I may wear a mask on the plane and wash my hands every 20 minutes, but I don't think I am any more risk there than I am here on the frontline of germ combat in my own classroom.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Alcohol based hand sanatizers do work against viruses, but only to the extent that you get it before you've spread it to your mouth, nose, ears or a scratch in your skin. It's the same with bacteria - the hand sanitizer is only effective at killing the bacteria (or virus) when it's applied before you've touched the various parts of the body that bacteria can enter to do their nasties. All bets are off for the non-alcohol based sanitizers out there since many viruses and bacteria have mutated to be immune to the chemicals in them....I don't know if the Purell you looked at was a chemical based sanitizer or an alcohol based one?

Bleach wipes would be your absolute best bet for sanitizing objects (door knobs, handles, seats, tables, sink knobs in public restrooms, etc) before you touch them - take wipe out, wipe surface, touch surface to open or whatever...bleach kills everything....but you shouldn't use it on you -- but if you do, limit use to only your hands (NEVER around or on face) and only if you do not have an open cut anywhere on your hands!

Good post..
The hand sanitizer should be at least 60% alcohol..Purell kills most bacteria AND viruses(except for C.Diff). It's not meant to replace handwashing, however, and after about 3 layers, you should wash your hands the old-fashioned way.

And good ol' fashioned bleach is the best stuff out there..

 

[fla4fun]

Just a reminder that the seasonal flu is still alive and well in central Florida. They were mentioning on the news tonight that a group of SC students who came to Disney and got sick after going home all came down with the seasonal flu, not swine flu. Co-workers in my office have had the seasonal flu during the last three weeks. So there may be many cases of people coming down with the flu, but not swine flu.

I was at Disney for nearly two weeks and just returned home Saturday. I knew the seasonal flu was going around, and I'm always on the watch for the Norwalk virus as well. Yes, I admit that if I'm near someone who coughs or sneezes, I will turn my head away and hold my breath for a few moments. But I don't worry about what I touch in the parks, because I do not touch my face, and I do wash frequently, and use Wet Ones towelettes before eating. I was at Disney during the really bad Norwalk virus outbreak last December, and I did not get sick. I didn't get the seasonal flu either at work or at Disney this month. I have a Disney vacation scheduled for August and I'm going. Granted, I'm healthy, and I totally understand anyone with a compromised immune system may make a different decision. But I think Disney and Orlando as a whole is taking this threat seriously and doing everything they can to minimize it's impact. I'm not going to stay in my house and not go to work (I work in the tourist industry) - I'm just going to take reasonable precautions until the situation warrants something more.

As far as what happens if you cancel something such as the 4/3 deal - when people have had to cancel for things like hurricanes, there's no penalty for rescheduling, but they don't necessarily get the same deal as they did before. If they were traveling during value season and rescheduled to regular season, they had to pay the increased rates. If they were traveling during free dining, but had to reschedule for outside the original free dining period, they didn't get to keep the free dining. So if you have a really good deal, and wouldn't be able to pay more if you reschedule, I would really think twice about it. There will be some families that need to cancel for medical reasons, I know that. But I wouldn't cancel out of panic - make sure you get all the facts first so you can make an informed decision.

 

[Dina]

After Biden's interview, Today had Dr. Nancy Snyderman take viewer questions. One viewer said they were taking their family to WDW in a few weeks, and didn't know if they should cancel. Dr. Snyderman said to go--- don't know if that will make any of you feel better. We had decided not to cancel (since we live in Philadelphia, I work in healthcare, and have already cared for a "suspected" swine flu patient--- in time, we're gonna be exposed, and honestly, I'm not cancelling for the flu--- if we were talking Ebola, that would be a different situation--JMO.) I was glad to hear her take on the situation.

 

[maroo]

I'm leaving on Sunday for two weeks at Disney in Florida. The reports on the analysis of the genome of the virus indicate that it is a pretty weak virus without the strong ability to attach to material in the lungs that past strong pandemic viruses have had. Most scientists believe that the death rate for this virus will be much less than that of standard flu viruses that circulate yearly. Remember, we have 36,000 deaths from plain old flu in the US each year. That's about 100 per day.

So, go, enjoy, remember that this virus responds to the antiviral medications. If you catch, you catch it...you are just as likely to get over this as you would be to get over any other flu virus that you might catch.

My two cents only!

This sounds like GREAT information and great news! Do you have a link or source we can check out for more info?

 

[WaltD4Me]

I just thought I would share this because I think it is so weird......

I manage an answering service. We answers after hours calls for 100's of doctors. All kinds, pediatricians, general practioners and even a couple infectious disease specialists. And NO KIDDING, we have had a total of less than 10 calls about swine flu. Not 10 calls today, 10 calls total this whole time...well that I know of, but I'm at work now and we were all just talking and none of the operators are getting calls about it. Maybe people are all calling during the day when the doctor's offices are open, but they never do for anything else so I think it's really weird we've had so few calls about.

Still not seeing a run on hand santizer either as far as I can tell. I was at 3 stores today and checked out of curiousity, everybody had plenty. Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing!

 

[praline3001]

OK now that we have debated this flu for almost 80 pages, lets change the direction a bit to be more helpful and useful!
Handwashing is a huge plus
But what about house cleaning? What products are you using in the house ~ especially if you have more than 1 school age child?!

What are some commonly forgotten areas of the house we forget to germ kill?

Light switches, door knobs, handles on the sinks, remote controls ... but where else can those nasty little germs hide and breed we might forget about?

Also, what about bedding? Washing in hot water and drying in high heat will help. The same with all bathroom towels. HOT water and high dry heat. If they are white all the better ~ add some bleach to the wash!

Anyone else have any good cleaning tips to keep the flu out of the house and if it does get in the house, how to minimize exposure to the rest of the family?

 

[lovemyguys]

I may be entirely off base altogether, but I read this differently. I thought this was a well-written commentary on the reality of the "precautions" that posters plan to take. If you follow the planned precautions through to their logical extreme, this is where you get to. If you're not planning to be that extreme with the precautions, then how are you possibly mitigating your risks? And that seems like a heck of a bad way to spend a vacation.

Of course, I might be entirely wrong, and this might be a completely serious response, in which case I totally agree, the OP would be miserable right now.

JLTraveling~YOU read it correct!! Every time I read a post here about someone planning on going there are things from ~I plan to keep housekeeping out of my room and lysol it down everytime we return~ to I will clean my hands at least 2x an hour and not touch my eyes, nose or mouth AT ALL~to I plan on washing my hands and not touching any door handles, railings or shaking hands ~to as long as I keep my hands clean and don't touch my face I will be fine and many, many, many more. But yet everytime someone states how careful and cautious they are going to be and all the purrell and such that they are bringing with them on their trip, I just can not see how that would be a relaxing, carefree vacation. Maybe for some it is but for me it is not. But that's just me. Thank you for seeing what I was saying.

This is a perfect example of how the Swine flu is unmasking cases of previously undiagnosed OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). No disrespect, and I am certainly not judging you, but this is TEXTBOOK OCD behavior. Trust me - I have had first hand experience with it. Seriously, I reread this and I almost thought it was a bad joke, because that's how exactly how the OCD mind ruminates. I think you should cancel your trip, because if you really feel this way, you will be miserable until this whole thing blows over.

Hey Mex~
I hope your first hand knowledge is not b/c you are a therapist b/c I am sorry but you missed the point of my post by a mile! Maybe you just joined in the thread and have not been reading what some people have been saying. EVERY situation I wrote about was something that SOMEONE else on this thread has said. So thanks for the "hug" but you may want to start on page one and give your knowledge, advise about cancelling trips and hugs to the people that actually said these things. So no disrespect, and I am certainly not judging you but this is TEXTBOOK PRETENTIOUS behaivor.

 

[maroo]

Clean? We have to clean?



I am glad it is just me and my dog in this house! I can just get myself sick over and over! (not really...I clean. Sometimes.)

 

[dharbert]

I dont wan't to get involved in the flaming so please chill out a little, but I do want to respectfully throw my 2 cents into the discussion.

Today I went out and bought 80 face masks 4 boxes of latex gloves a case of hand sanitizer and a case of clorox dissinfectant wipes. I purchased all of this for my 25 employees (just in case). That being said I highly doubt that any of the stuff I purchased will be needed. Right now I'm taking a wait and see BUT be prepared approach. I'm not changing my everyday life but I'm ready too if need be.

We have no cases of Swine flu reported in my town (and none according to the only pharmacist in town). I'm only 28 but I remember a lot of things in my life that this is very very reminiscent of, namely:
West Nile, SARS, AIDS (when expected to wipe out the human race in the 80s), Anthrax, Smallpox, and the mellinium computer bug. So lets give it time before we start running around like chicken little with her head cut off.

I just saw a news article that said the face masks are worthless because the flu virus is smaller than the masks filters.