Swine Flu News

To me, this is scarier news. I suffer from allergies pretty much all the time. I might not know if I get the flu. Therefore, I wouldn't know to stay away from my pregnant wife.

Will your pregnant wife (congrats, by the way :goodvibes) be getting the vaccine?

Just curious as last week or so, pregnant women in their second or third trimester were at the top of the list - priority wise - for getting the vaccine.. That may have changed now, but it seems to be hitting pregnant women very, very hard..

Hope you both stay healthy!! :goodvibes
 
Will your pregnant wife (congrats, by the way :goodvibes) be getting the vaccine?

Just curious as last week or so, pregnant women in their second or third trimester were at the top of the list - priority wise - for getting the vaccine.. That may have changed now, but it seems to be hitting pregnant women very, very hard..

Hope you both stay healthy!! :goodvibes
Once the vaccine is released, we'll talk to our OB about it.
 
Once the vaccine is released, we'll talk to our OB about it.

Good idea - and definitely a difficult decision to make.. Once you have all the info from her doctor, it should help in making that decision..:goodvibes
 

To me, this is scarier news. I suffer from allergies pretty much all the time. I might not know if I get the flu. Therefore, I wouldn't know to stay away from my pregnant wife.

I still think it's good news because we don't want people to be seriously ill, but I agree that it's frustrating because you don't know whether to stay away from people, whether to get checked out, etc...

Similarly, the false negatives with the rapid flu test are equally troublesome. A hospital in AZ has quit giving the rapid test because people who had a negative test result felt they could resume normal activities (click HERE to read the story). In fact, many of the people who tested negative did have the flu. When my daughter tested negative for flu on Tuesday (even though the doctor thought she would test positive), it worried me somewhat because I have asthma. If I rely solely on her negative test result, it's possible I wouldn't alert my doctor because I would think it is a run-of-the-mill sickness. With my asthma, this is risky. I find all of this frustrating, and I will be glad when all of this is over!
 
Interesting. I got sick with some sort of flu in February...I havent' had the flu in about 10 years. THis hit me HARD. Could not move off the couch for 5 days. High fever, horrible body aches, cough, etc. I ended up having to go to and ENT a month later because my ears were still inflamed. Would be great if I actually had swine and didn't even know it.

And I'm your neighbor in PA and my family was hit hard in January. Hubby was even hospitalized. He'd went to the doctor (no one else did - but he runs to the Dr. for everything) and they gave him an antibiotic and steroids to fight pneumonia. Well, together they destroyed the healthy bacteria in his digestive tract which caused him to be hospitalized for a few days. The rest of us just suffered with the symptoms and eventually they went away but we were hit as hard as it appears you were.
 
I can't believe how fast it's hitting the schools after they open.

We got it here in Hawaii about the 2nd week of school! Hawaii is in the highest category for it right now, widespread. My DD8 had it first, her first symptom was a sore throat and slight cough. Next day she shot up a 104 temp and was very lethargic,etc. Then I got it, and then DS6. Luckily new DD 11weeks old didn't get it but we credit nursing to that. :thumbsup2 I have asthma and so we just kept an eye on it. DS and DD both took Tamiflu and that seemed to improve their symptoms within a day. I didn't take Tamiflu and I had it several days longer than the kids.

DH gets the FluMist on the ship and he didn't get it either. We both wondered if it offered some protection. On his ship they've already had an outbreak.

For us, it was just like getting the flu, just hit us a little harder. We are normally a very healthy and active family. We spend a lot of time outside, beach, walking, eat organic, watch sugar intake,etc. We haven't been sick in years, the kids included. But we got this!! DH is the one who tends to get sick and he didn't.
 
From a local paper -

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090821/NEWS01/308210033/

H1N1 flu vaccine may take months
AVONDALE – Swine flu vaccine may not be widely available until Thanksgiving, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Friday.

In the meantime, Sebelius told students and parents at Rockdale Academy, it’s important to focus on other measures to prevent the spread of the new flu virus, including frequent hand washing and staying home from school or work if symptoms appear.

Sebelius, Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-West Price Hill, talked up preparations against H1N1, or swine, flu to a group of about 20 Rockdale students and parents.

Sebelius, a Cincinnati native, took questions from some students at the event.

It’s too soon to tell how many Americans will get the flu, she told one youngster, but experts estimate that as many as 1 million have already had it.

“It could be we see a couple of million people get it,” she said. “It could be there are a lot more.”

Federal health officials have already said vaccine production will be delayed.

“That means it could be between now and Thanksgiving before we have vaccine,” Sebelius said.

Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a telephone press briefing Friday that 45 million to 52 million swine flu vaccine doses are expected by mid-October, when vaccination is set to begin, and 195 million by the end of the year.

When the vaccine is available, Sebelius said, “there will be plenty for everyone who wants to be protected.”

Vaccination will be “strictly voluntary,” she said, adding students who don’t get vaccinated will be allowed to attend school, just as health-care workers who don’t get vaccinated can still go to work. [This isn't true -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/health/policy/19swine.html The State Health Department is requiring tens of thousands of health care workers across the state to be vaccinated for flu, amid fears that swine flu will return in the fall. The new regulation, which requires vaccination against seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus, would affect workers and volunteers who come into direct contact with patients, including nurses, doctors and aides, and even nonmedical staff members like food service workers if they enter a patient’s room, a Health Department spokeswoman, Diane Mathis, said.-New York State]

Frequent hand washing will help prevent the spread of the virus, Sebelius said, and that washing hands long enough to sing singing “Happy Birthday” while washing ensures hands get good and clean. “It sounds kind of goofy, but it really does work,” she said.

Sneezing into the elbow, instead of covering the mouth and nose with the hands, also helps contain the virus, she said.

And, she suggested, doing the “flu bump” instead of shaking hands when greeting people could cut down on flu.

She and Driehaus even demonstrated bumping fists and bumping elbows in greeting.

H1N1 is still spreading widely across the United States, CDC officials said Friday, with 75 percent of serious cases and 60 percent of deaths among people under the age of 49.

Strickland told students that accurate information is a good weapon against H1N1.

“We don’t want you to be anxious or worried or fearful. We want you to have knowledge and information,” he said.
 
Do they print this stuff to scare people into getting the vaccine? I don't know where they get the 10-20% death rate. Even the 1918 flu was only about 2%.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=104187&sectionid=351020601

London is to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic after a 59-page official report predicted that Britain will be witnessing the pandemic disease in fall.

Britain's Department of Health has warned the UK officials and policy-makers to announce a state of emergency in the country.

The official report confirms the UK government plans to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic.

It is predicted that if no concrete measures are taken for preventing the spread of swine flu, the number of swine flu victims will reach to two billion worldwide in 2011 that will undoubtedly result in deaths of 10 to 20 percent of the patients.

One of the countries with a high likelihood of swine flu pandemic within next year is Britain. Hence, the UK Home Office has announced that it plans to construct mass graves to bury the victims in case the disease spreads quickly.

In its latest report published on August 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced over 182,000 confirmed cases worldwide, 1,800 of which have been fatal.
 
Do they print this stuff to scare people into getting the vaccine? I don't know where they get the 10-20% death rate. Even the 1918 flu was only about 2%.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=104187&sectionid=351020601

London is to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic after a 59-page official report predicted that Britain will be witnessing the pandemic disease in fall.

Britain's Department of Health has warned the UK officials and policy-makers to announce a state of emergency in the country.

The official report confirms the UK government plans to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic.

It is predicted that if no concrete measures are taken for preventing the spread of swine flu, the number of swine flu victims will reach to two billion worldwide in 2011 that will undoubtedly result in deaths of 10 to 20 percent of the patients.

One of the countries with a high likelihood of swine flu pandemic within next year is Britain. Hence, the UK Home Office has announced that it plans to construct mass graves to bury the victims in case the disease spreads quickly.

In its latest report published on August 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced over 182,000 confirmed cases worldwide, 1,800 of which have been fatal.

This is really getting scary, isn't it? I know there are fears that this strain will mix with the much deadlier H5N1 Asian flu (avian strain). The death toll from that strain hovers at right around 66% BUT, it's mostly in under developed parts of the world where diet and health care aren't the greatest. The #s would probably fall if it's mixed with another less lethal strain, and if it's easily transmitted human to human in more developed parts of the world.

Aside from that however (and IMO, it's the worst case scenario), I think it's absurd to go only by confirmed cases when they're only testing a handful of people. For every confirmed case, you can bet, there are probably thousands of unconfirmed cases.
 
This is really getting scary, isn't it? I know there are fears that this strain will mix with the much deadlier H5N1 Asian flu (avian strain). The death toll from that strain hovers at right around 66% BUT, it's mostly in under developed parts of the world where diet and health care aren't the greatest. The #s would probably fall if it's mixed with another less lethal strain, and if it's easily transmitted human to human in more developed parts of the world.

Aside from that however (and IMO, it's the worst case scenario), I think it's absurd to go only by confirmed cases when they're only testing a handful of people. For every confirmed case, you can bet, there are probably thousands of unconfirmed cases.

That's why it's really important that the powers that be keep a close eye on places where bird flu is-Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia. They really need to work hard to keep H1N1 away.
 
I honestly don't think that what they are doing is an overreaction. Just think-if the numbers rise from normal flu, let's say they double-illness and deaths-can our hospitals, morgues, and funeral homes handle double the dead people? Also, what if many of these deaths occur during the winter when the ground is frozen? Better to dig it up now and be prepared. What do they do now when people die in the winter-do they usually pre-dig a bunch of plots? Anybody know how they handle burials in the winter?

Also notice, 10-20% deaths of patients is what they are saying, not 10-20% of all people. Don't have any idea if this is true or not.

Do they print this stuff to scare people into getting the vaccine? I don't know where they get the 10-20% death rate. Even the 1918 flu was only about 2%.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=104187&sectionid=351020601

London is to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic after a 59-page official report predicted that Britain will be witnessing the pandemic disease in fall.

Britain's Department of Health has warned the UK officials and policy-makers to announce a state of emergency in the country.

The official report confirms the UK government plans to set up mass graves for the victims of the swine flu pandemic.

It is predicted that if no concrete measures are taken for preventing the spread of swine flu, the number of swine flu victims will reach to two billion worldwide in 2011 that will undoubtedly result in deaths of 10 to 20 percent of the patients.

One of the countries with a high likelihood of swine flu pandemic within next year is Britain. Hence, the UK Home Office has announced that it plans to construct mass graves to bury the victims in case the disease spreads quickly.

In its latest report published on August 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced over 182,000 confirmed cases worldwide, 1,800 of which have been fatal.
 
I honestly don't think that what they are doing is an overreaction. Just think-if the numbers rise from normal flu, let's say they double-illness and deaths-can our hospitals, morgues, and funeral homes handle double the dead people? Also, what if many of these deaths occur during the winter when the ground is frozen? Better to dig it up now and be prepared. What do they do now when people die in the winter-do they usually pre-dig a bunch of plots? Anybody know how they handle burials in the winter?

Also notice, 10-20% deaths of patients is what they are saying, not 10-20% of all people. Don't have any idea if this is true or not.

I just looked up the 1918 flu again. It is estimated that 10-20% of infected people did die, which was about 3-6 percent of the general population. I guess they are using these numbers to plan for a worst case scenario.

HOWEVER, they did not have vaccines then, and they also didn't have antibiotics to treat people who had secondary infections (I know that many people died from cytokine storms, but the majority did die from secondary infections, primarily bacterial pneumonia).

I am sure governments are preparing for the worst, but I do think they are also trying to get people to take this seriously so they will be vaccinated. Many, many people don't even realize it is still a threat. Fear is a powerful motivator, so I am sure governments will use it if it will help get people in to get the vaccine.
 
I honestly don't think that what they are doing is an overreaction. Just think-if the numbers rise from normal flu, let's say they double-illness and deaths-can our hospitals, morgues, and funeral homes handle double the dead people? Also, what if many of these deaths occur during the winter when the ground is frozen? Better to dig it up now and be prepared. What do they do now when people die in the winter-do they usually pre-dig a bunch of plots? Anybody know how they handle burials in the winter?

My grandmother died in December. We had the viewing, and the mass, but then had to wait for her burial. I don't know WHERE they held her body, I just know that when the word came that the ground had softened enough to bury her (at LEAST a week later), we did it. The very next day. I missed it, of course, because nobody called me soon enough to take off work. In fact, I came home to a message on the answering machine...5 hours AFTER she was buried.
 
I just looked up the 1918 flu again. It is estimated that 10-20% of infected people did die, which was about 3-6 percent of the general population. I guess they are using these numbers to plan for a worst case scenario.

HOWEVER, they did not have vaccines then, and they also didn't have antibiotics to treat people who had secondary infections (I know that many people died from cytokine storms, but the majority did die from secondary infections, primarily bacterial pneumonia).

I am sure governments are preparing for the worst, but I do think they are also trying to get people to take this seriously so they will be vaccinated. Many, many people don't even realize it is still a threat. Fear is a powerful motivator, so I am sure governments will use it if it will help get people in to get the vaccine.

Right, and they also didn't have ventilators. ALthough there is concern now that there won't be enough for everyone.From what I read though, it's not just bacterial pneumonia, but VIRAL that is an issue with this flu.
 
Info I found on pneumonia:
Clinical deterioration is characterized by primary viral pneumonia, which destroys the lung tissue and does not respond to antibiotics, said the WHO notice. Patients who contract pneumonia require intensive care units and therapies in addition to antiviral treatment.

Danger signs to watch for in children who may become infected with the virus include fast or difficult breathing, lack of altertness, difficulty waking up and little or no desire to play, said the WHO recommendations.

Danger signs in all patients include: shortness of breath, either during activity or while resting; difficulty breathing; turning blue; bloody or colored sputum; chest pain; altered mental states; high fever that persists beyond three days and low blood pressure.
 
When I mentioned the bacterial pneumonia, I mentioned it as the leading cause of death in the 1918 flu (see below). Viral pneumonia is still a threat to us because it doesn't respond to antibiotics.

I know that lives will be lost, and our medical science can't save everyone, but I think it's extreme, and possibly a scare tactic, when articles are published about mass graves and a 10-20 percent death rate when we have many more tools at our disposal than they did in 1918. Vaccines, antivirals, antibiotics, and medical equipment like ventilators should make a huge difference for many.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic

This huge death toll was caused by an extremely high infection rate of up to 50% and the extreme severity of the symptoms, suspected to be caused by cytokine storms.[4] Indeed, symptoms in 1918 were so unusual that initially influenza was misdiagnosed as dengue, cholera, or typhoid. One observer wrote, "One of the most striking of the complications was hemorrhage from mucous membranes, especially from the nose, stomach, and intestine. Bleeding from the ears and petechial hemorrhages in the skin also occurred."[12] The majority of deaths were from bacterial pneumonia, a secondary infection caused by influenza, but the virus also killed people directly, causing massive hemorrhages and edema in the lung.[9]
 
Doctors may refuse swine flu vaccine

Several studies suggest up to 60% of GPs would oppose being immunised because they are concerned the safety trials will be rushed

Monday 24 August 2009 - Telegraph.co.uk - excerpt

Many GPs, as well as their patients, may be reluctant to be immunised against swine flu once a vaccine is developed, surveys suggest today. A survey of GPs published on Healthcare Republic, the website of GP magazine, found that up to 60% of GPs may decline vaccination. Although the numbers who responded were small – 216 GPs – they are in line with a much bigger survey of nurses published a week ago by Nursing Times, which found that a third of 1,500 nurses would refuse vaccination.

A Canadian study published today in the journal Emerging Health Threats suggests the public, too, will have reservations that must be overcome if a vaccination campaign is to be successful in the autumn or winter. The study, which used focus groups to establish the likely response of different people to a vaccine, pointed to the need to win over people who believe that alternative therapies and a good diet are a better option than vaccines."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/24/doctors-refuse-swine-flu-vaccine
 
I know that lives will be lost, and our medical science can't save everyone, but I think it's extreme, and possibly a scare tactic, when articles are published about mass graves and a 10-20 percent death rate when we have many more tools at our disposal than they did in 1918. Vaccines, antivirals, antibiotics, and medical equipment like ventilators should make a huge difference for many.

I think that the 10-20% death rate is more of a worst case scenario. On the other hand, I wonder what the world population difference is now compared to back in 1918. That alone will drive up the raw numbers quite a bit, even if this flu remains mostly mild. Just looked it up-1918 population was 1.8 Billion, 2009 population is 6.78 Billion. Thinking of it that way, preparing mass graves in case of a worse case scenario is good thinking. I'd hate it if my loved ones couldn't be buried due to lack of preparation-we know we are in a pandemic, we don't know if it will come back more severely in the next year or two-no one knows, but we do know that it sure as heck could. It would be foolish NOT to prepare. Don't you think the people in charge would be raked over the coals if the situation worsened and there was no where to put the dead bodies. I'd be ticked.
 












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