Worried sick about H1N1, should I cancel trip??

[knitdiva]

H1N1 is already in every province in Canada. Perhaps not many cases but it has been reported everywhere. Even if you keep the kids home, adults will go to work (or grocery shopping etc...) and bring it in at one point. You can't sanitize everything the kids touch. Most people who got H1N1 didn't get that sick and keep in mind the regular flu kills a few thousand canadian every year.
I work in healthcare and I will be going to WDW with DS5 (who has asthma) next november (probably before he can get the vaccine). I want to keep him safe but want to avoid teaching him to be scared. We will wash hands, avoid touching face (as much as possible), cough in our elbows and just go back home if we get sick.
I say go and enjoy yourself. But if you're so stressed you won't be able to have a good time, maybe postpone the trip. Keep in mind there might be another virus or disease next time also. Hey, I got mumps (at 39!!!) last year 2 days after getting home from WDW (I have nice chipmunk pictures of myself as a result). From our group of 10 only I got sick (not really sick but contagious-had to stay in quarantine for 4 days).

 

[nancy01]

Interesting responses...To the PP who is a biochemist, based on your response, would it not be particularly dangerous then to be in the crowded buses and lineups at Disney, where you can't make sure there are 6 feet between you and the other people? I'm getting freaked out again!!

 

[AntePrincess]

H1N1 is just another flu. If you have a respiratory complaint, underlying health conditions, pregnant or are immunosuppressed, then you will want to be extra cautious. Otherwise, you're probably as likely to catch H1N1 as any other flu, and it is already flu season. You may even prefer to catch H1N1 if you had a choice, by all accounts, outside of Central America, it's a pretty mild flu. Not what you'd want on a vacation of course.

 

[TNcowdaddy]

If it helps, I was there with my wife, 2 kids (7 & 4), my sis and bro-in-law and their 4 kids (12, 7, 5 & 11 months) 2 weeks ago. None of us have had so much as a sniffle. While we were there we didn't notice any body sick. If swine flu is "widespread in Florida" then those people must not be coming to Disney World.

 

[brios86]

Personally, I think you are paranoid. It really is just the flu. Call me crazy, but I went to Mexico during the height of all this Swine stuff back in May. Yes Mexico was empty (made for great service and staff that went above and beyond!), but no one there was concerned about the Swine, but just how the media basically killed tourism there and like 75% of the resort staff was laid off because of it...

 

[diamondpixienc]

You should be fine. Just take proper precautions. I am never w/o my travel container of Clorox wipes, mini lysol spray, and hand sanitizing gel. I have also been one to either sneeze or cough down into my shirt or elbow and have been making my kids 6 & 4 do the same. They each carry a mini bottle of sanitizer and know to use soap and warm water (if possible) when washing their hands. OMG I may be obsessed too

 

[princessmom29]

Interesting responses...To the PP who is a biochemist, based on your response, would it not be particularly dangerous then to be in the crowded buses and lineups at Disney, where you can't make sure there are 6 feet between you and the other people? I'm getting freaked out again!!

Dangerous is a relative term. For healthy people this flu is not dangerous at all. Yes you will be uncomfortable for a few days, but that is the extent for almost all cases. it is actually showing itself to be less severe and of shorter duration that last year's flu. Almost every death has been linked to an underlying serious health condition combined with the flu. Yes you are not going to be able to avoid sick people on busses, but how many people do you cone within 6 feet of everyday? My point in that post was that it is almost impossible to aviod every possible situation where you may be exposed, and there is not point in driving yourself crazy trying to. Was your hands before you eat. Let the kids know not to touch their face excessively, if someone is hacking, back up if you can other than that forget about it and have a good time. I came home with tonsilitis on my last trip to the world, but that is not stopping me from going again and having a good time. If someone gets sick, they get sick. You deal with it, they get better and you move on.

 

[nancy01]

Thank you princessmom29, I really appreciate you (and all of the other posters) taking the time to reply. I guess I am freaked out because in Canada there have been a number of cases (I believe almost 30% of all the swine flu deaths) that didn't have any underlying health conditions ie. they were completely healthy prior to swine flu. One of them was a perfectly healthy 6 year old girl, she got swine flu one day and died two days later.
That is what freaks me out the most, because the swine flu seems to be attacking a lot of young/healthy people, as opposed to the regular flu which tends to be more dangerous for the frail and elderly.

I'm driving myself and my poor DH crazy, going back and forth between "yes, we should still go" and "no, we should postpone the trip". I know a lot of you think I am overly paranoid, but if it were just about me I wouldn't be worried, it's my little ones who are so young that worry me the most.

 

[princessmom29]

Thank you princessmom29, I really appreciate you (and all of the other posters) taking the time to reply. I guess I am freaked out because in Canada there have been a number of cases (I believe almost 30% of all the swine flu deaths) that didn't have any underlying health conditions ie. they were completely healthy prior to swine flu. One of them was a perfectly healthy 6 year old girl, she got swine flu one day and died two days later.
That is what freaks me out the most, because the swine flu seems to be attacking a lot of young/healthy people, as opposed to the regular flu which tends to be more dangerous for the frail and elderly.

I'm driving myself and my poor DH crazy, going back and forth between "yes, we should still go" and "no, we should postpone the trip". I know a lot of you think I am overly paranoid, but if it were just about me I wouldn't be worried, it's my little ones who are so young that worry me the most.

I believe that upon further inspection of those cases they will find previously undiagnosed conditions that are contributing factors. There was a local case recently where a seemingly healthy child died from Flu and the parents asked for an autopsy. They found an undiagnosed mitrovalve prolapse that was aggrivated by the flu and caused a fatal arrythymia.

 

[clutter]

Dangerous is a relative term. For healthy people this flu is not dangerous at all. Yes you will be uncomfortable for a few days, but that is the extent for almost all cases. it is actually showing itself to be less severe and of shorter duration that last year's flu. Almost every death has been linked to an underlying serious health condition combined with the flu.

My dd12 came down with a suspected case of H1N1 this summer. She really didn't feel that sick. The fever kind of came and went. She bounced back and forth from feeling lousy (not sick) and well. I finally took her to the doctor because the fever kept coming back after 5 days. He thought it was H1N1 because she presented like his confirmed cases, but he couldn't test because they were out of kits. And yes, if we'd been at disney, we'd have hit the parks, because she really didn't seem or feel sick. It wasn't as bad as most colds.

Funny thing, we'd spent the weekend with her soccer team, out of town, so we were constantly with a large group of people from a Friday morning until Sunday night. She woke up with it on Monday morning. No one else in the group got it.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Thank you princessmom29, I really appreciate you (and all of the other posters) taking the time to reply. I guess I am freaked out because in Canada there have been a number of cases (I believe almost 30% of all the swine flu deaths) that didn't have any underlying health conditions ie. they were completely healthy prior to swine flu. One of them was a perfectly healthy 6 year old girl, she got swine flu one day and died two days later.
That is what freaks me out the most, because the swine flu seems to be attacking a lot of young/healthy people, as opposed to the regular flu which tends to be more dangerous for the frail and elderly.

I'm driving myself and my poor DH crazy, going back and forth between "yes, we should still go" and "no, we should postpone the trip". I know a lot of you think I am overly paranoid, but if it were just about me I wouldn't be worried, it's my little ones who are so young that worry me the most.

You are right that this flu is different. Most of the people who are dying are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, and that is not the case with seasonal flu (although any death of a child is tragic, the percentage of children who are dying is very low). In the States, about 30% of those who have died have been healthy as well, but in many of thoses cases, there has been coinfection with strep, MRSA, or bacterial pneumonia. The one-two punch of double problems is what caused their death, not the flu alone.

I said this before--I share your concern, and I have been worried because I have asthma, but you are no more likely to catch the flu at WDW than at home, especially if you have kids in school or day care. We have to take precautions, and then go on with our lives. We can't all stay in our homes until next spring!

 

[princessmom29]

You are right that this flu is different. Most of the people who are dying are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, and that is not the case with seasonal flu (although any death of a child is tragic, the percentage of children who are dying is very low). In the States, about 30% of those who have died have been healthy as well, but in many of thoses cases, there has been coinfection with strep, MRSA, or bacterial pneumonia. The one-two punch of double problems is what caused their death, not the flu alone.

I said this before--I share your concern, and I have been worried because I have asthma, but you are no more likely to catch the flu at WDW than at home, especially if you have kids in school or day care. We have to take precautions, and then go on with our lives. We can't all stay in our homes until next spring!

More people in their 20's -40's are dying because that is the primaray group being infected by this strain. If you look at the numbers as a percentage of total infections the deaths per infected individual in the age group work out about the same as regular flu.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

More people in their 20's -40's are dying because that is the primaray group being infected by this strain. If you look at the numbers as a percentage of total infections the deaths per infected individual in the age group work out about the same as regular flu.

The death rate is not much different, that's true, but 20s-40s are not the primary group being infected. A MUCH higher number of children are being infected than 20s-40s, but more 20s-40s are dying than children.

 

[Hannathy]

More people in their 20's -40's are dying because that is the primaray group being infected by this strain. If you look at the numbers as a percentage of total infections the deaths per infected individual in the age group work out about the same as regular flu.

And they are getting it because they weren't alive the last time swine flu went around heavily in the late 70's. Older people were alive so have a bit of immunity built up. So of course there are going to be more deaths among young folks because a statistically greater amount of young are getting it than older and that is how it works out mathematically.

Kids probably are at lesser risk at Disney than at School where there is a greater amount of "prime" carriers, at least at Disney you have as many adults as kids.

 

[Jellyman]

Not a chance!

 

[CrystalSnow]

If it makes you feel any better we are going in three weeks with our 5-month-old and our immunosuppressed 3-year-old. Am I worried? Yes, but we are pretty used to worry at this point. It is the same reality we already live with (with all the other things that are out there), so we will be as safe as possible and enjoy our trip.

I hope it all works out for you!

 

[1hero2princesses]

Unless your kids have special medical issues I wouldn't worry. Right now the normal seasonal flu is more deadly than the H1N1. Especially to small children. Get your kids the normal flu shot (mine have already gotten theirs) and washing frequently. You can get it anywhere -school being one of the most likely places. I leave in 2 days with my DS6, DD4 and DD2. Unfortunately we cannot put our kids in a bubble (sometimes I want to). You can't live life like that - there will be hardships, they will get ill, they will be hurt. It is part of being human. Recently a friend of my son's died. He had just turned 6. He found out he had a rare brain tumor right before Halloween last year. He died on the 4th of July. It is so hard not to be scared (sometimes I wonder if I was cut out to be a parent I worry so much) but you have to live your life, enjoy it because as far as I know we only get one.

 

[Chelley00]

My DS 13 was just diagnosed today with H1N1. You dont have to go to Disney to get it

 

[magchavez]

We spent 3 days at Disney World followed by 4 nights on the Disney Wonder in August. We got off the ship and flew home on Thursday. Friday afternoon ds had a fever of 104.8. We took him to the doctor and he tested positive for Type A influenza. My daughter had the same thing on Saturday. She too tested positive. According to our pediatrician, the incubation period is 2 - 6 days, we were gone for 8 so we picked it up somehwere in our journey. But the good news is, (1) waited til they got home to get sick and (2) they can't get it again.