Swine Flu News

[Tinijocaro]

Thank you for posting that site. I'm finding the lack of coverage from the media frustrating...odd since when it first hit it was swine flu 24/7 on the news.
As someone with asthma and autoimmune disease, I am pretty concerned and trying to keep an eye on developments.

Here are a couple more I like to check out.

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/

http://swineflu.org/forum_topics.asp?FID=3

 

[Tinijocaro]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/world/17flu.html?_r=3

W.H.O. Says It Plans to Stop Tracking Swine Flu Cases

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By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: July 16, 2009

In a move that caught many public health experts by surprise, the World Health Organization quietly announced Thursday that it would stop tracking swine flu cases and deaths around the world.
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Related
Times Topics: Swine Flu (AH1N1 Virus) | World Health Organization

The announcement, made in a “briefing note” posted on the organization’s Web site late in the day, perplexed some experts, and even baffled a W.H.O. spokesman, Gregory Hartl, who said in an e-mail message, “I don’t have reliable info” about what his agency would track instead.

Only a little earlier in the day, Mr. Hartl had confirmed that Argentina, with 137 swine flu deaths since June, had surpassed Mexico, where the epidemic began in February, as the country with the second-largest number of swine flu deaths. Mexico has 121; the United States, with a much larger population, has 211.

The last W.H.O. update, issued July 6, showed 94,512 confirmed cases in 122 countries, with 429 deaths.

Many epidemiologists have pointed out that, in reality, millions of people have had swine flu, usually in mild form, so the numbers of laboratory-confirmed cases were actually meaningless. And performing the tests has overwhelmed many national laboratories.

But the cases — and, more to the point, the deaths — have been closely watched by the media and flu experts, even those who knew they were undercounts, as a crude measure of how the epidemic spread around the globe. Such figures can also, in theory, be useful to public health officials. For example, knowing that Chile has had far fewer deaths than Argentina even though their outbreaks began almost simultaneously could be useful to other countries who might want to imitate Chile’s response.

The briefing note said countries would still be asked to report their first few confirmed cases. It also said countries should watch for clusters of fatalities, which could indicate the virus had mutated to a more lethal form. Other “signals to be vigilant for,” it said, were spikes in school absenteeism and surges in hospital visits.

Wealthy countries routinely collect such data, and also do blood tests to see what percentage of a population has flu antibodies, indicating they were infected but recovered. However, poor countries do not.

Dr. Joseph S. Bresee, chief of epidemiology for the C.D.C.’s flu division, said he agreed with the W.H.O. premise that case counts were just too inaccurate to keep using.

“I don’t know exactly what their plans are,” he said, adding that he hoped they would track the severity and spread of flu cases over time, as his agency does state-by-state in flu season. “But it’s not like they’re just going to let the screen go blank.”

Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said confused journalists in many countries had misread the low W.H.O. numbers of confirmed deaths to report that the new flu is not a threat. And testing is so hit-or-miss that even apparent differences in death rates like those between Chile and Argentina “may not be based in science,” he said.

“Bad measures can be worse than no measures at all,” he added. “But I hope this will force the public health community to come up with better ones.”

 

[Tinijocaro]

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Breaking-news-Bushfield-becomes-39swine.5475635.jp


Bushfield becomes 'swine flu centre'



Published Date:
20 July 2009
By ET Staff
1.45pm: Sports activities at Bushfield Sports Centre in Peterborough have been suspended indefinitely from lunchtime today (Monday) as the building is designated as the city's first swine flu assessment and antiviral collection point.
Summer holiday multi-sports and health and fitness activities for children that were scheduled to take place at Bushfield have been relocated to Werrington sports centre.

Normal sports activities will not be available at Bushfield until further notice.

The centre will operate as a swine flu assessment and antiviral collection centre from 8 am until 8 pm daily from tomorrow (Tuesday).

The decision is part of a planned response to the increasing number of cases of swine flu in Peterborough.

Full story in Tuesday's Evening Telegraph.

 

[Tinijocaro]

http://trancy.net/

July 20: School Closures May Help Limit Swine Flu Damage, Study Finds
Automatically added to News @ July 20th, 2009

source: (PDF) Closing schools during a severe flu pandemic may cut infection rates as much as 40 percent at the peak of the outbreak because of children’s role in spreading the disease, U.K. researchers said.

School closures might be even more effective against swine flu than against seasonal flu, according to a study published today in The Lancet. The research weighed the pros and cons of such a move and stopped short of endorsing it.

“The H1N1 pandemic could become more severe, and the current cautious approach of not necessarily recommending school closure in Europe and North America might need reappraisal in the autumn,” the Imperial College London researchers wrote.

Governments worldwide are battling the virus, which has taken root across the globe faster than any previous flu pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Britain’s chief medical officer last week said the National Health Service is bracing for as many as 65,000 deaths from the disease.

“Children are thought to be important vectors of transmission, more infectious and susceptible to most influenza strains than adults, and high contact rates in schools favor transmission,” wrote Simon Cauchemez and Neil Ferguson from the college’s department of infectious disease epidemiology.

 

[Christine]

Question and maybe off topic as to what this thread is about these days:

My cousin's son (21) very rapidly became ill yesterday. He never gets sick so my cousin kind of freaked out. He had a 101.5 temp, a bit of a sore throat, and aches and chills. He feels awful and wasn't moving off the couch. She worried because he's been surfing at a beach where there's been some bacterial issues.

So she took him to the ER last night. They didn't check him for strep, didn't swab him for flu, didn't do anything but diagnose him with pharyngitis/tonsillitis of viral and bacterial origin and then gave him a shot of penicillan. Sorry, but WTH? I mean I would have never gone to the ER in the first place but why are that giving out antibiotics and not even checking for anything.

Of course, he is no better today and I told my cousin he either has the flu or he's got a virus. She was really PO'd that they didn't at least swab him for influenza so that the rest of the family could be on watch and get Tamiflu if required. She was told by an urgent care today that they are no longer swabbing for flu.

So, is that true?

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Question and maybe off topic as to what this thread is about these days:

My cousin's son (21) very rapidly became ill yesterday. He never gets sick so my cousin kind of freaked out. He had a 101.5 temp, a bit of a sore throat, and aches and chills. He feels awful and wasn't moving off the couch. She worried because he's been surfing at a beach where there's been some bacterial issues.

So she took him to the ER last night. They didn't check him for strep, didn't swab him for flu, didn't do anything but diagnose him with pharyngitis/tonsillitis of viral and bacterial origin and then gave him a shot of penicillan. Sorry, but WTH? I mean I would have never gone to the ER in the first place but why are that giving out antibiotics and not even checking for anything.

Of course, he is no better today and I told my cousin he either has the flu or he's got a virus. She was really PO'd that they didn't at least swab him for influenza so that the rest of the family could be on watch and get Tamiflu if required. She was told by an urgent care today that they are no longer swabbing for flu.

So, is that true?

I don't think they are actively searching for cases, but if you ask for the test, I think they would do it.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I will need to search for my supporting documentation - but the CDC recommend that testing be for cases that have been hospitalized for 24 hours.

Whether or not local Health Care follow the guidelines, I don't know.

This from the CDC website -
Get medical care right away if the sick person at home:

has difficulty breathing or chest pain
has purple or blue discoloration of the lips
is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
has signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when they cry
has seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions)
is less responsive than normal or becomes confused

so please keep an eye on the child.

Also remember - Tamiflu is only effective if taken within the first 72 hours from onset of symptoms. If your cousin has a primary care physician, she needs to request that script - now!

-----
ETA: from today's news:
http://www.courant.com/health/hc-swine-flu-0719.artjul19,0,6491561.story

In the spring, most people who were tested had seasonal flu, not swine flu. Distinguishing between the two strains was important because the seasonal flu strain was resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu while swine flu is not, said Dr. Richard Garibaldi, hospital epidemiologist at the UConn Health Center. But now seasonal flu is largely gone.

"Now, when there's only one virus in the community, we just assume that if someone has flu-like symptoms that they have the swine flu," he said.

At St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, the majority of people being tested are inpatients or those who are in the emergency room and severely ill, said Dr. Rolf Knoll, the hospital's chief medical officer.

Most people who come in to the hospital with mild flu symptoms have had them for several days and aren't feeling better. "The antivirals don't do much good at that point," Knoll said.

Instead, in those cases, doctors are more likely to treat the symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs and advising people to rest, stay hydrated and try to stay away from other people.

 

[Christine]

confused

so please keep an eye on the child.

Also remember - Tamiflu is only effective if taken within the first 72 hours from onset of symptoms. If your cousin has a primary care physician, she needs to request that script - now!

-----

She doesn't have a primary care but she would have liked to have known if he had influenza or not (doesn't care about the swine test, just wanted an influenza swab) in case any other family members exhibited symptoms. Her son got sick yesterday (Sunday) morning and was in the ER Sunday night. Perfect time for Tamiflu but it wasn't even addressed. And why they would give him a penicillan shot is beyond me. Talk about reckless use of antibiotics.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

I think they also swab if you have underlying health issues. I had a virus a few weeks ago, and I was tested because I have asthma. If it had been positive, they would have started me on Tamiflu. Thankfully, it was just some kind of regular bug.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Of course, he is no better today and I told my cousin he either has the flu or he's got a virus. She was really PO'd that they didn't at least swab him for influenza so that the rest of the family could be on watch and get Tamiflu if required. She was told by an urgent care today that they are no longer swabbing for flu.

So, is that true?

Not only are most places not swabbing for flu any more, but the WHO is not even going to keep track of confirmed cases (cause there won't be any) or deaths! Blows my mind that they at least won't keep track of severe cases and deaths. See my earlier post today about the WHO's decision not to keep track any more.

Same symptoms as my son and he was a confirmed case. Chances are good that it is swine, but you won't know.

Interesting to note that although the southern hemisphere is in their winter flu season right now (Argentina is having a lot of H1N1) the UK is having some really tough cases where lots of people are on ventilators. the UK is Northern Hemisphere.

 

[JessicaR]

She doesn't have a primary care but she would have liked to have known if he had influenza or not (doesn't care about the swine test, just wanted an influenza swab) in case any other family members exhibited symptoms. Her son got sick yesterday (Sunday) morning and was in the ER Sunday night. Perfect time for Tamiflu but it wasn't even addressed. And why they would give him a penicillan shot is beyond me. Talk about reckless use of antibiotics.

Did they do blood work in the ER? You said it was viral and bacterial so my guess is they did blood work. The antibiotics would be for the bacterial infection.

Did his mom specifically address the flu issue and ask about Tamiflu?

I know a few friends that went through this in the past few months and those that didn't specifically ask about flu and anti-flu meds werent offered meds or advice! Crazy really but also since it wasn't me I can't account for how accurate they relay their situation.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I know a few friends that went through this in the past few months and those that didn't specifically ask about flu and anti-flu meds werent offered meds or advice! Crazy really but also since it wasn't me I can't account for how accurate they relay their situation.

I don't really think the doctors are much ahead of the average citizen in terms of their swine flu knowledge. One of our peds said my 2nd son didn't have swine flu because his stomach didn't hurt and he didn't have a sore throat. I told him that other son who had a confirmed case didn't have those symptoms either. There is a range of symptoms-some will get all of them, some will get only a few of them.

 

[Christine]

Did they do blood work in the ER? You said it was viral and bacterial so my guess is they did blood work. The antibiotics would be for the bacterial infection.

No they did no blood work at all so they just made it up.

Did his mom specifically address the flu issue and ask about Tamiflu?

No she did not. Her son is 21 so she didn't go back with him.

 

[JessicaR]

No they did no blood work at all so they just made it up.

They made it up?? Thats insane. Do you think her son may have gotten some info incorrect? I would be taking that ER doctor to task if these are the facts.

No she did not. Her son is 21 so she didn't go back with him.

They made it up?? Thats insane. Do you think her son may have gotten some info incorrect? I would be taking that ER doctor to task if these are the facts.

 

[Christine]

They made it up?? Thats insane. Do you think her son may have gotten some info incorrect? I would be taking that ER doctor to task if these are the facts.

My cousin isn't the most medically savvy person. Her son, who is the 21 y/o, hasn't been sick in many, many years; hence, she was freaked out.

She didn't get incorrect info, I saw the write-up. Absolutely no testing was done of any sort. His temperature was taken (101.5), a visual was done of his throat. Diagnosis: Pharyngitis and/or tonscillites of viral and bacterial nature. Penicillan given IM.

 

[Mskanga]

I live in the state that has the most cases ~ wash your hands. I think a lot of fear-mongering is going on in this thread and it isn't necessary.
Being isolated in your homes, stockpiling food, pulling your kids from school...do you realize how irrational that sounds?

If you had a child at home recovering from cancer like I do , you would not say this. I do not work and I have taken every precaution known to prevent it , washing hands , staying away from people caughing, etc etc and yet I could not prevent it. My youngest daughter got it from school and gave it to me , and I gave it to my cancer child who by the way was on homebound instruction. If I sound irrational for wanting to prevent anyone in my house to get swine , then so be it.
You can wash your hands a million times a day if you would like , you will still not be able to prevent something that is airborn....even facemasks are not 100% protection.
I tried to make a therapist appointment 12 days after initial symptoms ( was trying for 2-3 weeks later ) and the office staff was so uninformed that they REFUSED to let me make the appointment and was told to call back two weeks later to make the appointment then . When I went in three weeks later with the doctors note they were stumped and felt like idiots.

One of our peds said my 2nd son didn't have swine flu because his stomach didn't hurt and he didn't have a sore throat

Three people in my house that had swine and did not have those symptoms either. Only my cancer child had a bit of sore throat but no vomiting or stomach problems.

There were five cases in my daughter's school the same week she got sick ( two weeks before school was out ) and the parents did not get a letter home until the last day of school. I know for a fact that desks and lunch tables were not sanitized even after they were notified of the cases.

By the way I had the state dept of health call me at home to follow up with me.

 

[C.Ann]

If you had a child at home recovering from cancer like I do , you would not say this. I do not work and I have taken every precaution known to prevent it , washing hands , staying away from people caughing, etc etc and yet I could not prevent it. My youngest daughter got it from school and gave it to me , and I gave it to my cancer child who by the way was on homebound instruction. If I sound irrational for wanting to prevent anyone in my house to get swine , then so be it.
You can wash your hands a million times a day if you would like , you will still not be able to prevent something that is airborn....even facemasks are not 100% protection..

I hope your children are doing better now.. What a frightening thing for you to have to go through..

I think your post does an excellent job of illustrating why some people need to stay on top of things and take extra precautions that the "average Joe/Jane" might consider irrational or overreacting..


Each persons circumstance is different - and that's where the different means of preparation come into play..

For those who are robust and healthy, I hope you stay that way - and you need do nothing more than take the routine precautions that you normally would for the regular flu..


Keep the info coming - good or bad.. At this point, "staying informed" seems to be all we've got.. Hopefully that will change soon..

 

[Tinijocaro]

http://trancy.net/

July 20: “What can we expect from H1N1 this fall?”
Automatically added to News @ July 20th, 2009

source: From his office at the Mayo Clinic in southern Minnesota, flu pandemic expert, Dr. Greg Poland is keeping a close eye on the southern hemisphere and how H1N1 virus is spreading. Because while we’re in the midst of a sunny summer, it’s winter flu season there. Poland says, “We’re talking tens of thousands of cases and close to 1,000 deaths by now.”

He continues, saying, “One thing of concern early on in Argentina in part is they were seeing case fatality rates that were somewhere in the 2 to 2 1/2% range. Now in the U.S. our case fatality rate has been under, well under, 1%. About .4 to .5%. But 2 to 3% is the same case fatality rate that historians think happened in 1918.

The 1918 flu pandemic killed more than 600,000 in the U.S. So the question is, could H1N1 become as deadly?

Poland, who is a liaison on the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices and who is chair of the Pandemic Preparedness Panel for the Secretary of Defense, says there are concerns.

One is that in the southern hemisphere, H1N1 has completely replaced seasonal flu.

Poland says, “What’s happening down there is mimicking what was seen in 1918 and again in 1968. This pandemic virus is fitter and is outpacing, outcompeting, replacing all the seasonal virus.”

Plus there are a few H1N1 cases that have been resistant to the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

Of course vaccine is being made for H1N1 but manufacturers say they may only get 30% to half the doses they originally hoped putting even more pressure on a tiered rationing system that would give health care workers and children the vaccine first.

Because H1N1 is still considered milder here in the U.S. some have talked about getting exposed, a sort of H1N1 party, before the virus possibly gets worse in the fall. But Poland says that is a big no no because some healthy children have died from H1N1 in the U.S.

Plus, he says, transmitting the virus through more and more people is not a good idea because that’s how it mutates and changes. That could make it tougher to fight.

 

[Mskanga]

Then my son-in-law and DGD were suspected of having it (with very good reason) and when the doctors and nurses treated them as though they had the bubonic plague (making them come in the back door; meeting them in face masks, gloves, and gowns; having them don the same garb; ushering them out through the back door without even allowing them up front to pay for the visit

They did not do that with us BUT they started doing that not even a week later , I know because my friend took her son with the same symptoms and she had to wait in the car until they came out to get both of them and got them in the back door , they handed them facemasks for both and she said it was the quickest visit ever....LOL. BTW her son also had swine.

I think your post does an excellent job of illustrating why some people (those of us who have serious health issues or have others living in our homes with serious health issues) need to stay on top of things and take extra precautions that the "average Joe/Jane" might consider irrational or overreacting..

C.Ann let me tell you that I don't care what those average Joes/ Janes think , that "overreacting" on my part two years ago is what saved my daughter's life , I know that for a fact. The first doctor said she had a sprained knee , I went the next step and it turned out my daughter had osteosarcoma ( bone cancer ) !!
You do what you need to do for yourself , take all the precautions you know you need to take and do not care what other people think.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

http://trancy.net/

July 20: “What can we expect from H1N1 this fall?”
Automatically added to News @ July 20th, 2009

source: From his office at the Mayo Clinic in southern Minnesota, flu pandemic expert, Dr. Greg Poland is keeping a close eye on the southern hemisphere and how H1N1 virus is spreading. Because while we’re in the midst of a sunny summer, it’s winter flu season there. Poland says, “We’re talking tens of thousands of cases and close to 1,000 deaths by now.”

He continues, saying, “One thing of concern early on in Argentina in part is they were seeing case fatality rates that were somewhere in the 2 to 2 1/2% range. Now in the U.S. our case fatality rate has been under, well under, 1%. About .4 to .5%. But 2 to 3% is the same case fatality rate that historians think happened in 1918.

The 1918 flu pandemic killed more than 600,000 in the U.S. So the question is, could H1N1 become as deadly?

Poland, who is a liaison on the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices and who is chair of the Pandemic Preparedness Panel for the Secretary of Defense, says there are concerns.

One is that in the southern hemisphere, H1N1 has completely replaced seasonal flu.

Poland says, “What’s happening down there is mimicking what was seen in 1918 and again in 1968. This pandemic virus is fitter and is outpacing, outcompeting, replacing all the seasonal virus.”

Plus there are a few H1N1 cases that have been resistant to the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.

Of course vaccine is being made for H1N1 but manufacturers say they may only get 30% to half the doses they originally hoped putting even more pressure on a tiered rationing system that would give health care workers and children the vaccine first.

Because H1N1 is still considered milder here in the U.S. some have talked about getting exposed, a sort of H1N1 party, before the virus possibly gets worse in the fall. But Poland says that is a big no no because some healthy children have died from H1N1 in the U.S.

Plus, he says, transmitting the virus through more and more people is not a good idea because that’s how it mutates and changes. That could make it tougher to fight.

I appreciate all information, but I don't know how they can say what the death rate is if they don't have an accurate count of how many people are sick. I don't know about Argentina, but in the US, many, many people have had swine flu that were NOT confirmed cases. I assume that only confirmed cases are counted when figuring out the death rate. However, if ALL cases were counted the death rate would be even lower.

Again, I appreciate information, but I think articles like this can cause fear when, in fact, they may not be entirely accurate. (I am glad to read all articles; I have asthma. But, at the same time, I don't want to live in fear until all this is over. I just wanted to remind everyone that not all these statistics can be exactly right since they aren't really keeping accurate counts.)