Swine Flu Health Emergency - Will it affect your behavior?

[Cattusbabe]

I voted no. I take care of my self and have always been a stickler for hand washing....nurse's training never leaves ya. This thing is in danger of being over hyped. I am glad to see that good information on what this is and what to do is circulating out there. Hope fully that will offset some of the panic headlines I am seeing.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/SwineFlu/Story?id=7434501&page=1


http://www.getpandemicready.org/

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/mitigation.htm

 

[samclem]

We are going on a cruise in 3 weeks that stops in 2 places in Mexico. Major bummer to have to be concerned about this. Will have to step up the handwashing even more. We won't be eating or drinking anything in Mexico, but that won't help us much if this gets passed onto cruise passengers...

Wow. So everyone gets off the boat at two places in Mexico, congregates in crowded markets and restaurants with vendors who no doubt travel to Mexico City, then everyone gets back on the boat where they remain in close contact with everyone else? It looks like the incubation period is short for most versions of swine flu--one source says 1-5 days from exposure to symptoms/onward contagion.

Well, bring a quart of hand sanitizer.

I wonder if the cruise company will modify these cruises--either stop at more remote locations (some of those little private islands that dot the Caribbean) or maybe just delay these cruises for a few months. Do those trip insurance policies pay off in the event of pandemic?

 

[simple girl]

I wonder if the cruise company will modify these cruises--either stop at more remote locations (some of those little private islands that dot the Caribbean) or maybe just delay these cruises for a few months. Do those trip insurance policies pay off in the event of pandemic?

I don't know but I may be having this conversation with my travel agent soon if this continues to worsen.

 

[unclemick]

Wowser! I voted option three - one family member is trying to revive the Baja trip to Mexico for July - right before this news broke.

Yes, no -send reservation money? Do not know.



heh heh heh -

 

[haha]

Even people who know what they are talking about cannot predict what will happen, as contrasted to what might happen.

So we are mainly just blowing smoke. 6 months or a year from now we should know more.

Ha

 

[Zoocat]

This BBC site has some posts from doctors and other medical people in Mexico city that contradict the mainstream press reports. Their reports are that the epidemic started a while before the press starting reporting it and that there are more deaths than have been reported. BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Swine flu: Your experiences

I'm going to Maui at beginning of June and I won't be stopped!

 

[clifp]

I'm going to Maui at beginning of June and I won't be stopped!

Ah just in time for the great white shark convention, and dengue fever season, have fun

 

[FinallyRetired]

Ah just in time for the great white shark convention, and dengue fever season, have fun

I didn't realize there was dengue in Hawaii, I just thought it was in the tropical parts of the mainland US, Latin America and the Caribbean. I guess with the swine flu nobody will worry about dengue for a while.

 

[Zathras]

The health department or CDC like to sound the alarm. My sister works for them and she said hardly anything is going on that her job as an epi is so boring. They like to sound the alarm when they see an opportunity.

I am always amazed at this level of cynicism.
Every news report I have seen has been very clear about this being a situation to be concerned about, but not to panic over.
In the press conferences with the CDC or National Security they have also done an excellent job of stating the same thing.
Updates are coming often (twice a day at least).

Why is it so difficult for people to believe that people that work at the CDC perhaps want to do their job? Or that the level of information is for the benifit of the people who hear the information?

 

[TromboneAl]

Well, we may have the solution to high unemployment!

It doesn't sound like anything to worry about in the US, since nobody has died and it has been very mild.

That logic shouldn't allay your fears. If I understand correctly: It could be that the flu variety that got to the US is a mutation that caused only mild symptoms. However, that doesn't mean that the deadly Mexico City variety won't get here.

Probably nothing, but one of these times a bad flu is going to get loose.

I was a little surprised that the dept of homeland security is involved in this. I guess viruses are terrorists.

 

[REWahoo]

I guess viruses are terrorists.

If you get it, no. If I get it, yes.

 

[unclemick]

If you get it, no. If I get it, yes.

Yeah but but - do I go to Mexico in July or not - or just go as far as Amarillo and hang out.

heh heh heh - hmmmm

 

[freebird5825]

An update
WHO raises pandemic alert to phase 4 - Swine flu- msnbc.com

 

[bbbamI]

According to the news tonight, one seven year old child has been diagnosed with the swine flu and two other children are "probable". They go to a school in Richardson, TX...this school is closed for the remainder of the week.

 

[bubba]

I won't change anything as I wash my hands almost obsessively now, have hand sanitizer on my desk at the office, and a tub of those Clorox wipes that I use on my keyboard, desk, phone, etc. Let me modify my answer a little to say that if I get the flu, I'll probably go to the doctor. Since I rarely get sick, I guess I think I'm bullet proof!

 

[Bimmerbill]

I've been washing my hands more also, which is saying something. Since DD started daycare last winter I've been sick non stop so have upped the hand washing.

If I could I'd hide in my house for a week, just to see where this goes. But, DD goes to two preschools, so I'm sure we get the mix of plenty of germs.

Lots of travelers coming into work lately, now I'm afraid to deal with them.

Could be the beginning of "the end." I guess I attend too many Emergency Operations briefs...

 

[Nords]

I'm going to Maui at beginning of June and I won't be stopped!

Did we mention that Maui has one of the state's largest populations of Latin American immigrants?

Ah just in time for the great white shark convention, and dengue fever season, have fun

I didn't realize there was dengue in Hawaii, I just thought it was in the tropical parts of the mainland US, Latin America and the Caribbean. I guess with the swine flu nobody will worry about dengue for a while.

Did we mention that Hawaii has the nation's highest rates of hepatitis, tuberculosis, dengue fever, and West Nile virus?

 

[Gone4Good]

Voted yes. Live and work around / in NYC. I take public transportation everyday. I can't avoid my fellow swine flu incubators.

But about all I can do is wash my hands regularly, avoid touching surfaces where possible, and try to keep my germ infested mitts away from my face.

 

[FinallyRetired]

Did we mention that Hawaii has the nation's highest rates of hepatitis, tuberculosis, dengue fever, and West Nile virus?

Really? I had no idea. I thought all you had to worry about was what time the surf came up, and the banana bunchy virus.

 

[haha]

My Mexican friend from Kirkland has 3 sibs in Mexico City, one is a nurse. He talks to them daily and they have a pretty sanguine attitude about how things are going. Of course, it may just be fatalismo. He did say that almost everyone is wearing masks.

Ha

 

[Dawg52]

Funny how things work out. Just a few days ago I was disappointed about missing out on my nephew's wedding in Cancun, due to my aunt's illness. Not so disappointed right now. I know one thing, I going to tell my Alabama relatives that made the trip to stay the heck away from us for awhile.

CDNN :: US Swine Flu Victims Visited Cancun

 

[samclem]

I was a little surprised that the dept of homeland security is involved in this. I guess viruses are terrorists.

Among other things, DHS is responsible for border security. If this flu had an epicenter in Ghana, we'd be checking travelers to see if they'd been to Ghana and asking them health questions when they enter the country. Basically, we'd be tightening things up. Let's see if DHS does anything significant to reduce the flow of undocumented/unscreened immigrants from Mexico now that there is a no-kidding reason to do it (aside from the longstanding economic, law enforcement, and national sovereignty reasons that apparently don't count for anything where Mexico is concerned).

 

[Telly]

A county health official said "the public should not panic" over the swine flu... he's right, the TV stations are doing the panicking for us. All the TV ditzies are running around in tight circles screaming "pandemic" "over a thousand dead in Mexico" "schools closed", and of course, much much video of people walking around with masks on. Oh what fun, a new story to milk to death.

And just what is with the masks? I wouldn't think that any mask that has a weave tight enough to stop a VIRUS, is going to let oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide freely flow through (given the limited surface area of a mask), in levels to support the continued respiration of a person. I thought an electron microscope was needed to view a virus, which is down in the 10's of nanometers. I think those masks would be like a bug flying through a tree, as far as a virus is concerned.

I saw people with NIOSH 95 masks on... good for breaking up concrete with, IIRC, a bit too loose for a virus...

And almost every mask-wearer I saw on TV was not wearing them correctly. Any mask with nose stays needs to have them formed to fit tightly to the sides of the nose and over the bridge of the nose. I saw almost all have an air space to each side of the nose... geeze, they even will have to instruct people how to wear a mask. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding this mask-thing. Maybe it's a fashion statement now. I'm really late on this fashion stuff.

I suspect that months from now, this all will be looked back upon, with the realization that the H1N1 "swine flu" had been in the US for months before now, that many have had it, and didn't know that it was anything other than the flu that was going around.

As to all the deaths in Mexico, well, many people die in Mexico every day. We don't know how big the population was/is that had that actual strain. The actual death rate could be low. Every winter here in the US, some people die from the flu. Usually due to fluid buildup in the lungs.

Every year, over 30,000 Americans die in motor vehicle crashes. If we knew nothing about the population, miles driven/ridden per person per year, etc., the TV stations would be running around screaming not to get in cars or trucks, they're certain killers.

I'm such a skeptic, I know...

 

[samclem]

And just what is with the masks? I wouldn't think that any mask that has a weave tight enough to stop a VIRUS, is going to let oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide freely flow through (given the limited surface area of a mask), in levels to support the continued respiration of a person.

Right, the mask won't stop an individual virus. If properly worn and the right kind, it will stop the inhalation of aerosolized droplets of moisture from the lungs of those with the virus. These small moisture globs can carry many many viruses deep into the lungs of other people. In addition, the mask helps prevent people from inadvertently touching their noses and mouths with their hands. That helps stop the spread of disease.

 

[Nords]

And just what is with the masks?
And almost every mask-wearer I saw on TV was not wearing them correctly. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding this mask-thing. Maybe it's a fashion statement now. I'm really late on this fashion stuff.

I think you've answered your question.

Hot chicks dig guys wearing masks-- it makes them look hip, happenin', with it, and concerned for the welfare of their fellow humans...

To say nothing of being a great conversation starter for picking up hot chicks.