Swine Flu News

[AlexWyattMommy]

http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=10961503

Macon County Schools closing

Posted: Aug 20, 2009 8:13 AM EDT
Updated: Aug 20, 2009 8:17 AM EDT
Macon County, Ala. (WSFA) -- The Macon County school district will close all schools today at 1:00 p.m. and remain closed until Monday.

Flu cases are on the increase in the district and the school's leadership decided to close.

During that time, all schools will be cleaned and the time off will hopefully allow students to get healthy again.

 

[JessicaR]

http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=10961503

Macon County Schools closing

Posted: Aug 20, 2009 8:13 AM EDT
Updated: Aug 20, 2009 8:17 AM EDT
Macon County, Ala. (WSFA) -- The Macon County school district will close all schools today at 1:00 p.m. and remain closed until Monday.

Flu cases are on the increase in the district and the school's leadership decided to close.

During that time, all schools will be cleaned and the time off will hopefully allow students to get healthy again.

And so it begins. I was curious what was going to happen once the kids were back in close quarters. We have three weeks till we go back.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

http://www.wztv.com/newsroom/top_stories/wztv_vid_1242.shtml

Maury County High School Football Team Hit with H1N1 Flu-John Dunn

FOX 17 News " By: John Dunn

"We're on a roller coast ride and where it peaks and when it peaks we do not know," says Maury County Director of School Eddie Hickman.
Its only August, but one Mid-State school system is already fighting the flu.
Hundreds of students in Maury County may be infected with the H1N1 virus.

Nearly 1,000 students were absent from classes on Thursday, and the Director of Schools sees no end in sight.

[snip]

About 8% of the districts students are staying home to get well.

That is nearly double the normal amount of kids out of class.
Cox Middle School has been hit the hardest.
Earlier this week about one-fourth of the students were absent.
Some have raised questions about when and if it is necessary to cancel classes.
It is a decision Eddie Hickman now wrestles with.

"Until we get about 12-15% then my concern will be whether or not to close schools," says Eddie Hickman.

The flu outbreak shows no signs of weakening.

[snip]

 

[luvwinnie]

I can't believe how fast it's hitting the schools after they open.

 

[rie'smom]

I can't believe how fast it's hitting the schools after they open.

Wait until the weather gets cold and everyone is cooped up together inside.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

It is worrisome, isn't it?

Please, stock up on your medicines now. If you are a single parent/live alone person, be sure to have someone who can check up on you. Even a mild case of the flu can feel like being hit with a mack truck. Lucky are those to whom it is only an inconvenience.

 

[luvwinnie]

Since the flu is made up of 1 part Avian, 1 part human, and what, 2 parts swine, I'm wondering if some people don't have partial immunity while others have no immunity to any of it. Early reports said part of this influenza was found in the US long before it started showing up in Mexico.

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.

 

[rie'smom]

When we went to WDW in April, a family from Mexico asked me to take their picture. Unfortunately, I forgot to wash my hands after handling their camera. Later that day, I was very sick. I was sick for 10 days with chills, fever, cough,etc. The only reason I pointed out the country of origin of the family is because this was when the flu was hitting hard in that country. I asked my doctor if someone could develop flu symptoms that quickly and he said absolutely.
So, if someone asks you to take their picture or hold something for them, don't forget to wash your hands!

 

[sbell111]

Wait until the weather gets cold and everyone is cooped up together inside.

There are some who are hypothesizing that these early outbreaks may keep really big outbreaks from happening later on. The people who have already had the flu may act as kind of a firebreak against future large outbreaks.

 

[rie'smom]

There are some who are hypothesizing that these early outbreaks may keep really big outbreaks from happening later on. The people who have already had the flu may act as kind of a firebreak against future large outbreaks.

From your mouth to God's ears!

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

There are some who are hypothesizing that these early outbreaks may keep really big outbreaks from happening later on. The people who have already had the flu may act as kind of a firebreak against future large outbreaks.

Kinda like when firefighters will burn a patch of grassland to keep the main fire contained inside?

Could you possibly post a reference for that? I'd like to read up on the further.

 

[C.Ann]

http://www.wztv.com/newsroom/top_stories/wztv_vid_1242.shtml

Maury County High School Football Team Hit with H1N1 Flu-John Dunn

FOX 17 News " By: John Dunn

"We're on a roller coast ride and where it peaks and when it peaks we do not know," says Maury County Director of School Eddie Hickman.
Its only August, but one Mid-State school system is already fighting the flu.
Hundreds of students in Maury County may be infected with the H1N1 virus.

Nearly 1,000 students were absent from classes on Thursday, and the Director of Schools sees no end in sight.

[snip]

About 8% of the districts students are staying home to get well.

That is nearly double the normal amount of kids out of class.
Cox Middle School has been hit the hardest.
Earlier this week about one-fourth of the students were absent.
Some have raised questions about when and if it is necessary to cancel classes.
It is a decision Eddie Hickman now wrestles with.

"Until we get about 12-15% then my concern will be whether or not to close schools," says Eddie Hickman.

The flu outbreak shows no signs of weakening.

[snip]

And how long has that school been open?? That's a lot of students.. DGD starts back right after Labor Day.. Seems like the vaccine won't be available soon enough to contain large outbreaks..

I was so hoping this thing would fizzle out..

 

[mommytobug]

I live in MS, and it was told on the news this morning that MSU has over 100 cases, yesterday they reported 80.

 

[sbell111]

Kinda like when firefighters will burn a patch of grassland to keep the main fire contained inside?

Could you possibly post a reference for that? I'd like to read up on the further.

I'll try to google it up.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

And how long has that school been open?? That's a lot of students.. DGD starts back right after Labor Day.. Seems like the vaccine won't be available soon enough to contain large outbreaks..

I was so hoping this thing would fizzle out..

Tennessee starts their school year the first and second weeks of August.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I'll try to google it up.

Thanks.

I was hoping that you would, you know, magically remember where you read it.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

And how long has that school been open?? That's a lot of students.. DGD starts back right after Labor Day.. Seems like the vaccine won't be available soon enough to contain large outbreaks..

I was so hoping this thing would fizzle out..

I live in the county next to Maury County. I belive they started on August 3. I do know that many people we know have been sick with sore throats, aches, fever, upset stomach, etc... My daughter is one of them. She tested negative for flu, but I am very skeptical about that result considering how many people are sick, and many of them have tested positive for flu (there is a 40-50% false negative rate for the rapid flu test--that's pretty significant). Another county next to us, Rutherford County, has also been in the news for flu cases.

The good news is that many people have very mild cases. As I posted before, our pediatrician said they had confirmed flu cases that seemed like allergies.

 

[C.Ann]

Well normally I stay up here in the mountains until at least the 1st of November.. My DD and her family will pull their travel trailer off of my extra lot Columbus Day weekend. and from that point on,

If the weather cooperates, I will stay a little longer this year before returning to DD's for the winter.

Anyone else not want to play this game??

 

[JessicaR]

The CDC Should Rethink Its H1N1 Vaccination Strategy, Study Says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that when the H1N1 flu vaccine is ready, the first people to get it should be children and young adults between age 6 months and 24 years. That strategy is expected to result in 59 million swine flu cases, 139,000 deaths and cost $67 billion.

If vaccine doses were first distributed to young people between age 5 and 19 and to adults age 30 to 39, there would be 15 million fewer infections and 31,000 fewer deaths, write mathematician Jan Medlock and epidemiologist Alison Galvani in today's edition of the journal Science. Their strategy also would save $14 billion, they calculate.

U.S. health officials have said 45 million doses will be ready by Oct. 15, with an additional 20 million doses coming online each week after that. It's not yet clear whether people will need one or two doses to get full protection.

The CDC will study the paper, but spokesman Tom Skinner told Nature News he didn't expect the public health agency to rethink its strategy.

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/...tion-strategy-study-says-1.1383622?print=true

 

[sbell111]

... The good news is that many people have very mild cases. As I posted before, our pediatrician said they had confirmed flu cases that seemed like allergies.

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.