Seriously thoughtful Run for the Hills! Swine Flu!

[desertgrandma]

Heres my concern.

Yes, the "swine flu" cases are dying down, and the entire episode is being downplayed. Schools are being criticized for overreacting and closing. Perhaps they shouldn't have closed, I don't know. We are being told that the media has overplayed this, and we have way more deaths years from regular flu, so why worry? This is all true.

However, the great pandemic of 1918 started in the spring of 1918, came back with a vengeance in the late fall of 1918, and again in the spring of 1919. Here is a link to an interesting article.

http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/01.htm

IF this particular strain should mutate and re-visit us this fall, we may be in for a bumpy ride.

Hopefully, the shots being developed now for this strain will work for the next.

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Heres my concern.

Yes, the "swine flu" cases are dying down, and the entire episode is being downplayed. Schools are being criticized for overreacting and closing. Perhaps they shouldn't have closed, I don't know. We are being told that the media has overplayed this, and we have way more deaths years from regular flu, so why worry? This is all true.

However, the great pandemic of 1918 started in the spring of 1918, came back with a vengeance in the late fall of 1918, and again in the spring of 1919. Here is a link to an interesting article.

http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/01.htm

IF this particular strain should mutate and re-visit us this fall, we may be in for a bumpy ride.

Hopefully, the shots being developed now for this strain will work for the next.

This is true.

In general, the schools didn't make the decisions to close on their own. They were advised and given recommendations of what should be done by health organizations. So I couldn't say the schools overreacted. It's my understanding (in N. TX) that the schools originally just began to sterilize and sanitize all school surfaces and then it was recommended they close.

It is also my understanding, from what I've heard reported, that there was a concern that if this mild strain of Swine Flu was not allowed to run it's course now through the general population, that come next flu season whether or not the strain mutates, few would have been exposed and there would be little or no naturally immunity built up to fight it or ward it off. And that in itself might create another 1918-like incident. In other words, better to allow a mild strain loose (now that they know it's mild) to build up immunity throughout the populace, than to "cry wolf" now and let the nastier bugger run rampant and get you later.

And like you say, they're already working on a vaccine for it, so maybe all will be well in the end after all.

[kazbates]

Forgive me. I haven't gone back to read all the posts here, but I thought this was pertinent.

My 8 year old daughter came home from school yesterday with a fever and a slight cough. As she has allergies and everything is blooming here, I wasn't particularly concerned about the cough, but when here fever hit, I started to worry. I called her pediatrician this morning and they had me bring her in. No mention off H1N1, nor did they respond to any of my admittedly few mentions of the virus. It was like it didn't exist at all. I didn't really think it could be the H1N1 virus, but you never know and the nurse I talked to on the phone when I made the appointment certainly didn't dissuade me from bringing her in. Furthermore, I would probably not even have taken her to the doctor's this early figuring that it was just a childhood cold if it hadn't been for all the hype in the media. Of course, she is fine and it is just a seasonal flu and it never hurts to double check with the doctor, but the whole thing is rather frustrating!

Kaz

[DixieGal]

The way news of it has vanished, it is almost like they are disappointed that it wasn't worse. My cube-mates grandson, pregnant daughter-in-law, and her mother all were suspected of having it. We never found out yet what the test results were, but they all seem to be doing better.

The news of the pregnant woman who died scared us pretty badly, because we didn't know what might happen to the pregnant daughter-in-law.

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

The way news of it has vanished, it is almost like they are disappointed that it wasn't worse. My cube-mates grandson, pregnant daughter-in-law, and her mother all were suspected of having it. We never found out yet what the test results were, but they all seem to be doing better.

The news of the pregnant woman who died scared us pretty badly, because we didn't know what might happen to the pregnant daughter-in-law.

I hope all of your cube-mates and their families and well as you, and yours are well, and stay well.

From all I've heard (I'm a news junkie and listen to news radio all day long at work at the very least), and I'm sure others may have heard the same, and many may have heard differently:

First, the Swine Flu that's going around now, the H1N1, isn't even really a swine flu. Swine never had this strain. This was reported after the initial "Flu Freak Out." Who knows? Guess it doesn't really matter.

And second, unless a person's immune system is otherwise compromised or they have other "underlying conditions," this current flu isn't even as serious as the normal yearly flu (if you can call any flu normal.) I've even heard it said that in some cases a person could have this flu and the symptoms are so mild that they don't even suspect they have it. They might just have the sniffles, think it's a Cold or allergies, or something else. Who can figure?

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Lady Blue

In other words, better to allow a mild strain loose (now that they know it's mild) to build up immunity throughout the populace, than to "cry wolf" now and let the nastier bugger run rampant and get you later.

That is of course if you discount the additional funding that CDC and WHO derive from the panic they can create.

Excuse my cynicism, but this whole exercise is pure bologna!

[cklammer]

Hi everybody,

Just my 0.02$ on this whole swine flu thing:

(a) I found Flutracker to useful to follow the spread of it.

(b) "Your average toddler gets the cold abot 28 times per year." (This is a quote from my father who is a pharmacist with 40-yrs+ experience on the job. I admit that I did not find any web reference for it but I have never known him to be wrong about this kind of stuff ...) IMHO, if you look at the numbers shown at the flutracker link and then how many kids have have a cold then it is much more likely that a kid has a cold instead of being infected with swine flu - this thought consoles me (being a parent myself).

(c) The discussion about the first US swine flu victim earlier in this thread brought this quote to my mind: "One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.” (Stalin) IMHO, the previous discussion also vindicates the tabloid media with their focus on hysteria and "personal interest stories" ... sad

Have a nice one,
cklammer

[GeoffC]

The UK has had it's first death from Swine Flu - the first outside the Americas. The victim is understood to be a 38-year-old woman who gave birth prematurely at a hospital in Scotland.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

The UK has had it's first death from Swine Flu - the first outside the Americas. The victim is understood to be a 38-year-old woman who gave birth prematurely at a hospital in Scotland.

Yes, I heard about that, but they said she had another illness! While you could put pregnancy under the header illness, I don't think it's that common....

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Yes, I heard about that, but they said she had another illness! While you could put pregnancy under the header illness, I don't think it's that common....

true as in some deaths across the pond there were often other underlying issues.

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

true as in some deaths across the pond there were often other underlying issues.

Make that all deaths in the US are due to severe contributing illnesses.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Make that all deaths in the US are due to severe contributing illnesses.

i stand corrected by the good and the great ....

[DixieGal]

It's back with a vengence! Where I work, it isn't a matter of "if" anymore, just "when."

And school has only just begun for the little infectious walking petri dishes. Killer Contagious Shums!!!

[krisk]

I am DEFINETLY getting a pnuemonia shot when I see the Doc next week

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

little infectious walking petri dishes

Wonderfully apt description!