What do you think about the Swine Flu?

[ASammy1]

Are you taking any extra precautions? Do you think it's media hype?

I'm just curious because my mother (who works in the health profession) called me last night in a panic talking about how she wouldn't go into the local grocery store because they were out of the Clorox wipes to wipe down the cart. I know those carts can be gross...

My workplace also provided anti-bacterial wipes for everyone to clean their phones. I work for a very large, well-known, world wide company and they have sent out mass emails to everyone letting employees know that top management is keeping an eye on the WHO reports.

I'm not sure what to think. 36,000 people die each year in the U.S. alone from the flu and you don't hear about all of those cases...

[OakLeaf]

I don't think the WHO is prone to media hype.

I also don't know what precautions one can really take, that we shouldn't all be doing anyhow. Emergency preparedness is emergency preparedness. Keeping the immune system healthy is keeping the immune system healthy. (although actually, with this kind of flu, a healthy immune system makes you more likely to die...)

I guess if this spurs more people to become more prepared for emergencies, and to take better care of themselves, then everyone benefits regardless of what happens this time around. But I'm kind of scared. It's always been a matter of when not if, and this seems like it could be the one.

[Biciclista]

I think i'll keep taking my vitamin D and not worry about it.

[Veronica]

It's freaking parents out in our school district. A school in the neighboring town has been shut down for a week with three possible cases. The kids definitely have flu, just don't know if it's the swine variety yet.

I had a girl stay home yesterday because her mother thought another student was out on Monday because she had it. The girl out on Monday was out for her allergies. Rumors... gotta love 'em. It's allergy season here. I've had kids coughing and sneezing for weeks.

Our district did add a custodian to the night shifts just to clean the doorknobs and desks though. It's too bad we couldn't have an additional custodian all the time so our classrooms could get properly cleaned on a regular basis. You should see the dust on my windowsills.

Veronica

[shootingstar]

A few days ago in one of the major Canadian newspapers there was an article about preparing for a pandemic.

I don't know if the author made the comment as a semi-joke, but it was suggested one should ride a bicycle..as a form of protective measure...I guess assuming cycling is a form of isolation from public transit, offering car rides to other people who may touch your car, etc.

I have several siblings who worked (and still do) in various hospitals in Toronto when the SARS occurred (and there was some SARS infected patients in suburban Toronto hospital), where they did become hyper-alert about hygiene.

[ZenSojourner]

It's hype, but it's not WHO hype, it's MEDIA hype.

Remember when Mad Cow disease was going to kill millions? And it actually killed about 26 people in Britain?

We have new strains of flu viruses all the time. It seems only the cold virus mutates faster. So we monitor for new strains of flu viruses, because we can't know when they're going to be relatively benign or when they're going to be more serious.

The CDC is just telling people to wash their hands and cover their coughs, it's the media who are using scare tactics to generate fear and ratings.

The REAL epidemic in the US is obesity! BRING ON THE SUPER-SIZE FRIES!

[ASammy1]

Interesting to see everyone's opinions.

I'm of the persuasion that it's media hype (not WHO hype), but I'm nervous too...

[Running Mommy]

Slow new cycle. I swear it feels like it was invented by the media.

Here in AZ they closed a school because a kid HAD the flu a week ago- since recovered and fine. But the powers that be are re-testing every sample they can get, so they tested the kids sample and it came out positive. It's almost like here in AZ they are on a manhunt for cases, and won't be happy until they find some cases. So now the school is closed until May 7th! Seems ridiculous to me.

What will it be for the media next week?? Maybe we need another "miracle on the hudson" to get their minds off the "pandemic of 09".... ugh

[badgercat]

I'm a graduate student in Arizona and our department does monthly outreach clinics that serve a lot of folks who come up from Mexico. Someone from our program fell ill on Sunday after working the clinic on Friday, and had to go to the ER the other night... we won't know for sure until this person's test results come back, but this made it quite real for me. I'm just trying to be more aware of hand washing, even more so than usual when seeing patients.

but, to perhaps lighten the mood a bit, here's a TERRIBLE joke I heard yesterday:
"Some people used to think the US would have an African-American president when pigs fly. Sure enough, 100 days into Obama's presidency: swine flu."
(groan.)

[Crankin]

I think it's real, but there is media hype. One TV station here is particularly notorious for whipping up a frenzy over stuff by repeating it over and over and over.
I thought about it on the subway Tuesday, but not much I can do, since I have to take it. Only 3 more times, though until the semester is over. I am not much of a crazy hand washer and think that we over use anti bacterial soap, etc. If I was still teaching, I might be using it, but not now.

[IvonaDestroi]

Oh God, I knew this one was coming!

I think it's so incredibly overblown that it's just ridiculous. The news companies are making bank off of this story and that is why they are milking it as much as possible.

From what I've heard, it's not even as deadly as the regular flu! Older folks and children have always been more suseptible to every virus, this one included. I don't think it's the end of the world or that we're all going to die.

On a sort of creepy side note, this happened in 1976. I found this super creepy PSA from that "epidemic". It's funny... and really creepy at the same time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASibLqwVbsk


What really worries me is this:

-When this happened in the 70's, president Ford created a plan requiring Mandatory vaccinations for all Americans.

-A major company that is working on the new vaccine is Baxter. Last December, Baxter was caught shipping live and dangerous strains of avian
flu globally, and it was inside their avian flu vaccine! These are the guys making the swine flu vaccine now??? How are they even still in bussiness???!!!

I certainly hope we don't get a repeat of the mandatory vaccination measures they tried the first time this happened, and from Baxter none the less!!!

[roadie gal]

Oh God, I knew this one was coming!

I think it's so incredibly overblown that it's just ridiculous. The news companies are making bank off of this story and that is why they are milking it as much as possible.

From what I've heard, it's not even as deadly as the regular flu! Older folks and children have always been more suseptible to every virus, this one included. I don't think it's the end of the world or that we're all going to die.

On a sort of creepy side note, this happened in 1976. I found this super creepy PSA from that "epidemic". It's funny... and really creepy at the same time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASibLqwVbsk


What really worries me is this:

-When this happened in the 70's, president Ford created a plan requiring Mandatory vaccinations for all Americans.

-A major company that is working on the new vaccine is Baxter. Last December, Baxter was caught shipping live and dangerous strains of avian
flu globally, and it was inside their avian flu vaccine! These are the guys making the swine flu vaccine now??? How are they even still in bussiness???!!!

I certainly hope we don't get a repeat of the mandatory vaccination measures they tried the first time this happened, and from Baxter none the less!!!

The swine flu of 1976 killed ONE person. The vaccine induced Guillian-Barre syndrome in hundreds and killed over 50. There were millions of dollars in lawsuits over than vaccine, which the US government covered. But it put a huge damper on the companies which make vaccines. Many refused to make any more because of liability. So the technology that we have to make vaccines now is decades old. It can be traced back to the last swine flu scare.

[OakLeaf]

Older folks and children have always been more suseptible to every virus, this one included.

Most viruses, this one included, and "this one included" is what the virologists have just deduced in the past couple of days. Initial reports were that it was killing predominantly healthy adults with strong immune systems. That was the hallmark of Spanish flu. The virus provoked such a strong immune response that healthy individuals died of pneumonia. Children, the elderly, and those with otherwise weakened immune systems disproportionately survived Spanish flu. That's the characteristic that has them so wary of avian flu, as well.

It's true that it's unknown how many people died of secondary bacterial infections in the 1918 epidemic. However, just as this isn't 1918, it isn't 1965 either. We now have lots of antibiotic-resistant organisms, and I'm reading that flu viruses are already becoming resistant to over-used antivirals as well. Whether or not this is "the one," and it's increasingly appearing that it isn't, IMO it's silly to think it's not coming.

[PamNY]

This article discusses the issue of immune response in younger people.

Ivona, I don't think the vaccine was mandatory in the earlier swine flu scare. It was strongly encouraged, but I didn't get one and I don't think many of my friends did either. I did know someone who developed Guillain Barre syndrome, and it put me off getting flu shots for years.

Pam

[ACG]

In the Y2k scare I had a rosary as my back up plan. I'm going to go look for it now.