Swine Flu News

[MickeyMomTo2]

From what I understand, no one will have to show proof of high-risk. While there might be a rush on the very first doses (especially if a small supply is released in late September), I really think there will be enough supply for all of us who are high-risk very early on, probably by mid October. The truth is, MANY people do not get vaccines because they don't think they will get the flu and/or because they think that vaccines are dangerous, particularly this one.

For those of us who are keeping up with this virus, it is at the forefront of our mind, but most people are still completely unaware. I live in the south where the flu is currently widespread. I have two friends who have the flu and they say they just have a cold. They have fevers, aches, chills, cough, sore throat and a heavy feeling in their chest, but "It's just a cold." (I tried to convince them otherwise.) I am amazed that so many people live in denial and think it can't happen to them, but those of us here who are keeping up with things and are concerned are in the small minority of the general population.

 

[JessicaR]

Thanks for that JessicaR, it is very nice of you to pass this on.

But, and this is a criticism of the people who put this out not of JessicaR for providing it, my biggest questions are still not answered in all those words.

Who exactly will offer this vaccine where I am and how will I find them?
Will there be a website where I can pop in my zip code to find locations? Will there be appointments or will it be first come first serve?

How exactly do they plan on designating the first priority recipients from the general public? Do I need to ask my Dr for a note or is this an honor system? The authorities can say whatever they want but if there is no way to check into authenticity of people' claims anyone could claim to be in one of the groups and lie about pregnancy or caring for a child under 6 months for example.

When will all of this be finalized?
At the moment everything is so vague it could mean anything and so it means absolutely nothing.

For goodness sake, this has so many holes in it it's a wonder they bothered to release anything at all. I want dates, locations, names of who is in charge, a phone number and website as streamlined and as centralized as this program is supposed to be, and I want it soon. This is supposed to roll out in a few weeks which SHOULD mean everything is in place and we are just waiting for shipments... I mean if this is as logistically troubling as everyone seems to expect shouldn't everything already be in place? Sure they can't send the vaccine yet, but shouldn't the needles and other supplies be making their way to their destinations already so sites don't end up with vaccines in hand but no means to distribute it because of shipping delays? Also, shouldn't all the people expected to administer these shots already be hired and know both when and where they are supposed to report to do their jobs? Uggh, the distinct possibility that this will be messed up is very troubling to me.

I understand your frustration. Unfortunately the complete details that will satisfy your questions aren't available and likely will need more time before they can be answered fully. I think its more along the lines that the final details just haven't been worked out yet.

My kids pediatrician is a developmental specialist with many high risk children as patients. I talked to him last week and I like lots of details too but my questions went mostly unanswered because he just didn't know yet.

I would contact your local health department to see when they may have more information available. As of this morning there is still no definitive date that the shots will even be available. I have no doubt in the coming weeks you will be more informed and prepared with who has what when and where.

 

[honugirl]

From what I understand, no one will have to show proof of high-risk. While there might be a rush on the very first doses (especially if a small supply is released in late September), I really think there will be enough supply for all of us who are high-risk very early on, probably by mid October. The truth is, MANY people do not get vaccines because they don't think they will get the flu and/or because they think that vaccines are dangerous, particularly this one.

For those of us who are keeping up with this virus, it is at the forefront of our mind, but most people are still completely unaware. I live in the south where the flu is currently widespread. I have two friends who have the flu and they say they just have a cold. They have fevers, aches, chills, cough, sore throat and a heavy feeling in their chest, but "It's just a cold." (I tried to convince them otherwise.) I am amazed that so many people live in denial and think it can't happen to them, but those of us here who are keeping up with things and are concerned are in the small minority of the general population.

Thanks! That's interesting...

I wonder what I have then? I have a sore throat, I've had it since late Saturday night. I think I was having a bit of a fever last night and I am developing a cough, but nothing else. No aches outside the usual. Grrr. I really don't want to go to the doc again.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Thanks! That's interesting...

I wonder what I have then? I have a sore throat, I've had it since late Saturday night. I think I was having a bit of a fever last night and I am developing a cough, but nothing else. No aches outside the usual. Grrr. I really don't want to go to the doc again.

In the south, flu is rampant, and many cases are mild and similar to what you describe, but there is some strep around as well. From the news, it seems that the flu is widespread in Washington (I've seen the reports of all the students at WSU being sick). If you have the flu, they won't be able to do much for you now besides telling you to rest and get fluids (of course, if you develop serious symptoms like difficulty breathing, get to the doctor ASAP), but if your sore throat doesn't clear up, you might go get a quick strep test. You would need an antibiotic for strep. (I think if you are coughing, that would indicate flu more than strep, but I wouldn't let it go on a long time.)

I hope you feel better soon!

P.S. I am not a medical professional. I just play one on the disboards.

 

[honugirl]

In the south, flu is rampant, and many cases are mild and similar to what you describe, but there is some strep as well. From the news, it seems that the flu is widespread in Washington (I've seen the reports of all the students at WSU being sick). If you have the flu, they won't be able to do much for you now besides telling you to rest and get fluids (of course, if you develop serious symptoms like difficulty breathing, get to the doctor ASAP), but if your sore throat doesn't clear up, you might go get a quick strep test. You would need an antibiotic for strep. (I think if you are coughing, that would indicate flu more than strep, but I wouldn't let it go on a long time.)

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks! When I get back to karate next week (it'll probably take me that long to recover) I'm going to breathe on my instructor and tell him to take his cold/flu back! I only wanted him to share his karate knowledge, not his illness...

Oddly enough the sore throat seems to be getting better. We'll see what tomorrow brings though. Vitamin D really seems to help. I can't quite explain it, but when I get sick like this I start taking mega doses of it and I get better faster. It seems like when I'm low in Vitamin D I get sick. Guess it's a good reminder to take it...

 

[momx2]

Just a paranoid mom posting here. My DD has been somewhat congested, has stomach aches and nausea, feels dizzy when walking and some body aches, but no fever or other swine flu symptoms. Normally, I wouldn't be worried, but there have been several in her school with swine flu recently. I just found out that a boy she was playing with Friday night has it. He tested positive yesterday. I was told that the doctor told him that he could have been contagious for up to 6 days before he had fever! Does that sound right??? Could you not have the fever and have swine flu??? Now I'm worried and we are going to the doctor today. She is sick, but not that sick...I just don't know what to think??? My DH is having a heart procedure Monday and we can't risk him getting sick. What do you guys think, could she possibly have it???

 

[Pennykay]

About 30% of people with the swine flu never get a fever at all, so yes it is possible. If I were you I would speak to DH's surgeon and let him know incase they may want to reschedule the surgery if it is elective. I hope your DD feels better soon!

 

[lillygator]

we've had a third swine flu death in this county. A 27 yr old healthy male with no underlying problems. Sad.

 

[JessicaR]

Swine Flu : You may be contagious longer than you think.

A new study suggests that people with H1N1 flu may be contagious longer than previous suspected.

Researchers in Quebec studied 44 people across a variety of ages who had confirmed cases of novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu) last spring. On the eighth day of illness, a nasal swab was taken to check for virus levels. Among all age groups, from 45% to 75% still tested positive on flu tests, and 19% were still shedding replicating virus -- meaning germs that can infect others.

The study suggests that the isolation period for H1N1 patients is seven to 10 days, said Dr. Gaston de Serres, the lead author of the study, from Laval University in Quebec.

"Policies on how long should people stay home are difficult," de Serres said. "With seasonal influenza, normally after a week the contagiousness is gone. H1N1 appears to be shed longer in all age groups, but not much longer. ... I think the key message here is for those who would want to stay home for just a couple of days, that is likely to be insufficient. I think this study shows you are not contagious for just a day or two but probably for a week."

The study was presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Francisco.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/09/swine-flu-contagious.html

http://health.usnews.com/articles/h...-with-swine-flu-may-be-contagious-longer.html

 

[Tinijocaro]

http://trancy.net/

September 16: Handwashing Is No Defense Against Swine Flu
Automatically added to News @ September 16th, 2009

source: In a speech to schoolchildren last week that had some conservative opponents up in arms, President Obama delivered at least one line that seemed incontestable: “I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.” The Disney corporation is now marketing Musical Hand Wash Timers featuring characters like the Little Mermaid, and encouraging parents to “take precaution against swine flu” by teaching children to wash their hands correctly. “Studies prove that regular hand-washing dramatically reduces the spread of infection,” says the Disney Web page, which links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site.

Thanks in part to this and other campaigns run by the CDC, it has become conventional wisdom that hand-washing is the best way to protect yourself from the H1N1 strain of influenza. But while hand-washing has been shown to be a great defense against the common cold and other respiratory diseases, it might not actually be that helpful against the influenza virus, including the H1N1 strain.

That’s because there is virtually no evidence that people can catch the influenza virus from germs that they pick up on their hands, according to Arthur Reingold, head of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley, and codirector of the CDC-funded California Emerging Infections Program. Instead, humans are most likely to catch influenza by breathing in microscopic particles exhaled by infected people.

“We don’t want to create a crisis in confidence,” Osterholm says, “but we have to be honest: the evidence doesn’t show that hand-washing prevents the spread of the influenza virus.”

Read more: http://trancy.net/#ixzz0RK1jABLS

 

[C.Ann]

http://trancy.net/

September 16: Handwashing Is No Defense Against Swine Flu
Automatically added to News @ September 16th, 2009

source: In a speech to schoolchildren last week that had some conservative opponents up in arms, President Obama delivered at least one line that seemed incontestable: “I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.” The Disney corporation is now marketing Musical Hand Wash Timers featuring characters like the Little Mermaid, and encouraging parents to “take precaution against swine flu” by teaching children to wash their hands correctly. “Studies prove that regular hand-washing dramatically reduces the spread of infection,” says the Disney Web page, which links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site.

Thanks in part to this and other campaigns run by the CDC, it has become conventional wisdom that hand-washing is the best way to protect yourself from the H1N1 strain of influenza. But while hand-washing has been shown to be a great defense against the common cold and other respiratory diseases, it might not actually be that helpful against the influenza virus, including the H1N1 strain.

That’s because there is virtually no evidence that people can catch the influenza virus from germs that they pick up on their hands, according to Arthur Reingold, head of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley, and codirector of the CDC-funded California Emerging Infections Program. Instead, humans are most likely to catch influenza by breathing in microscopic particles exhaled by infected people.

“We don’t want to create a crisis in confidence,” Osterholm says, “but we have to be honest: the evidence doesn’t show that hand-washing prevents the spread of the influenza virus.”

Read more: http://trancy.net/#ixzz0RK1jABLS

Every winter I manage to stay healthy by avoiding large crowds.. On the rare occasion that I do go out where there are a large number of people, I end up sick within a few days.. It's just not worth the hassle - and especially this year..



Although the hand washing may not be that important for Swine Flu, I think it's still probably pretty important in terms of the regular seasonal flu..
[/I]

 

[Tinijocaro]

I have to say, this is getting really tricky. As a teacher, I am praying that parents keep their sick kids home. I truly hope that parents won't give their child tylenol, knowing they have a fever, and send them to school.

As a parent, I am finding that it is really hard to make the call. Swine flu has so many symptoms-fever or no fever, headache, cough or no cough, sore throat or no sore throat, chills or no chills, body aches or no body aches. The possibilities are endless. How is a parent to make the call. You don't want to keep your kid home with just a sore throat, or just a headache.

DD7 had a stuffy nose yesterday, today add to that a slight cough. DD11 had sneezing fits today after school and now a sore throat, but she just finished her antibiotic for strep so it could be that again. I don't want to be that parent that sends their child to school sick, but they are acting fine except complaining about sore throats.

What is a parent to do?

 

[disney1990]

I have to say, this is getting really tricky. As a teacher, I am praying that parents keep their sick kids home. I truly hope that parents won't give their child tylenol, knowing they have a fever, and send them to school.

As a parent, I am finding that it is really hard to make the call. Swine flu has so many symptoms-fever or no fever, headache, cough or no cough, sore throat or no sore throat, chills or no chills, body aches or no body aches. The possibilities are endless. How is a parent to make the call. You don't want to keep your kid home with just a sore throat, or just a headache.

DD7 had a stuffy nose yesterday, today add to that a slight cough. DD11 had sneezing fits today after school and now a sore throat, but she just finished her antibiotic for strep so it could be that again. I don't want to be that parent that sends their child to school sick, but they are acting fine except complaining about sore throats.

What is a parent to do?

As a parent, you will know what to do. There is a big difference between a child with a cold and one with the flu.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

As a parent, you will know what to do. There is a big difference between a child with a cold and one with the flu.

Normally, that is true, but not with H1N1. More than 30% of cases do not present with fever, and the symptoms can be more like allergies or a cold. A 33 year old woman in a county near us just died from the flu, and the doctors thought she had a sinus infection. My SIL simply had a bad headache, and she tested positive for the flu. She didn't cough, didn't have a fever, etc... To me, the most frustrating thing about this virus is that you can have such mild cases. I am thankful for mild cases, but it makes it much more likely that it will be spread because people don't stay home when they have mild illnesses. I don't know what the answer is because we can't keep our kids home for every little thing, but truthfully, some of them do have the flu and should be at home. It's hard to know what to do.

Of course, what really makes me mad is all the adults who have it and are going out with the excuse that "it's just a cold." I have multiple friends who have fevers, body aches, and cough and they are still out and about because "it's just a cold." We live in Tennessee where the flu is widespread. It is completely irresponsible for them to be coughing all over everyone at work, church, stores.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[Minnie Lor]

Yeah, my MIL and FIL "think" they had food poisoning except they both had fevers, achy joints, and came down with the food poisoning on different days.

 

[flying_babyb]

well i guess H1N1 must worry my boss. we had to wash before and after visiting the grandmas and grandpas at the nursing home today,

 

[Buckalew11]

We had our first H1N1 death on Sept. 4th. A 73yo man. No other details in the paper today.

However, I was called today and told a guy I went to school with passed away today from complications of H1N1. I'm 44yo. It went into pneumonia and I think he then got staph? I'm sure we'll know more deatils in the upcoming days. His wife passed away a few years back in a car accident.

 

[ia6]

I had to drive to another town today - to a large department super center - and have to admit that I didn't feel comfortable being around so many people.. I didn't use my "hands" for anything - luckily today it was chilly and I was wearing a hoodie, so I pulled the sleeves down so I wouldn't have to touch the cart handle, door, etc... At one point I spotted a woman coming in my direction with a tissue in her hand, coughing her head off, so I quick spun around and headed in the opposite direction..

It's very important that I don't get the regular flu OR the Swine flu, so I'm not taking any unnecessary chances.. Every winter I manage to stay healthy by avoiding large crowds.. On the rare occasion that I do go out where there are a large number of people, I end up sick within a few days.. It's just not worth the hassle - and especially this year..

I have a doctors appt. soon - hope to get my regular flu shot that day - and will discuss what I should do about the Swine flu vaccine..

Although the hand washing may not be that important for Swine Flu, I think it's still probably pretty important in terms of the regular seasonal flu..
[/I]

A few things that you might want to note

In places like Southern Hemisphere - 99% of all flu is H1N1 within a week or two. Seasonal flu almost no longer exists - H1N1 is dominant strain.

Also, the article says "influenza" in general, not novel or seasonal.



-
Edit: guess what, it can spread after symptoms! Coming back to work a day after fever subsides? The virus thanks you for introducing it to new friends for another week or so.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Talk about tricky....

My older dd who is a Freshman in college away in a dorm has got H1N1.

Now what?

I am probably going to have to go and get her and now that will put us all at risk for getting it from here.

I will have to see how she is tommorrow. This is just awful.

 

[JessicaR]

Talk about tricky....

My older dd who is a Freshman in college away in a dorm has got H1N1.

Now what?

I am probably going to have to go and get her and now that will put us all at risk for getting it from here.

I will have to see how she is tommorrow. This is just awful.

I'm sorry your daughter is ill. I hope the rest of your family avoids it. Around here they are no longer swabbing anyone. I guess we're going to have to assume all illnesses are the flu.