Bird Flu Redux

[Marshac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRGALT2U Just nature's way of taking care of the "too many people" problem IHMO.

I wonder if you would still think this way should you come down with it as well.

[Craig]

Here's my real question, and I don't have enough medical knowledge to answer it ... is there anything individuals and their families should or could do now that would reduce this risk? While putting this risk into perspective, I'm still interested in protecting my kids and DW if it is prudent, available and practical.

However, my impression is that if / when the virus mutates, and creates the feared pandemic, a truly effective vaccine cannot become available until the mutation is complete, and we know our foe. In the meantime, any currently available vaccinations may or may not help. Correct?

[Marshac]

I think it really depends on how far you want to go, and how paranoid you want to be about it.

Here's what I have done-
1. Obtained tamiflu and relenza
2. Began to keep my pantry better stocked with food

What i'm going to do-
1. Get a flu shot
2. Get some N100 masks at Lowes

I work inside a school building, and studies have shown that children are usually the vector for spreading the flu. As my sick time is finite, should H5N1 become a problem in my area, I will probably begin wearing those masks while at work. The flu shot is something I get every year due to my asthma.... for me the flu could easily be fatal :P

As for keeping the pantry better stocked- in the event of a pandemic, public exposure should be minimized. This is why movie theatres, etc were closed during the spanish flu pandemic. Should anything happen, you can bet that those drugs (and masks) will be in short supply really quick... and for some reason, I just don't trust the government's ability to distribute food/medication/etc.

I view all of this as 'cheap insurance' at this point....

[MRGALT2U]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshac I wonder if you would still think this way should you come down with it as well.

Yep!

[retire@40]

This is what I'm going to do: Nothing for now.

When the virus mutates so it can pass from human to human, I'll start thinking about what to do.

You can talk drugs all day long, but there is no drug out there right now that will save you from this virus if it ever mutates to pass from human to human.

At that point only a specific antiviral drug can save you.* And until the mutation is complete, an antiviral drug can't be produced.

So for now eat, drink, and be merry.

[razztazz]

Quote:

So for now eat, drink, and be merry

And wash your hands

[Martha]

Our office manager is kind of a germ phobe. She distributed to all a product called Purell instant hand sanitizer, that purports to kill 99.99% of "germs." So is this a meaningless product or will it really help the spread of colds and flu?

[Outtahere]

Martha there must be something about the office managers, the one here is like that too, almost to being over the top about it.

I believe if people would practice good hygiene we wouldn't have these problems.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha Our office manager is kind of a germ phobe.* She distributed to all a product called Purell instant hand sanitizer, that purports to kill 99.99% of "germs."* So is this a meaningless product or will it really help the spread of colds and flu?*

We are a wholesaler of this product along with all sorts of janitoral supplies and paper products. We sell a lot of hand sanitizers to hospitals and clinics. It is a good product. *

I'd love to see a graph of the media's panic-of-the-month versus time. That is, you'd see each panic rise and fall, to be replaced by a new one:

Freeway Shootings
Shark Attacks
Alar on Apples
Anthrax in the Mail (don't forget to stock up on Cipro!)

I'd say that WAB got it right.

The world needs a little culling, on the order of about 2-3 billion. It would be a lot less painful to do it by cutting down on reproduction, but whatever!

[maddythebeagle]

Quote:

I'd love to see a graph of the media's panic-of-the-month versus time. That is, you'd see each panic rise and fall, to be replaced by a new one: Freeway Shootings Shark Attacks Alar on Apples Anthrax in the Mail (don't forget to stock up on Cipro!)

Makes me long for the simple days of killer bee invasion threats and hiding under tables in the case of nuclear war. I guess it beats duct taping your house in plastic and suffocating yourself.

[Outtahere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maddythebeagle Makes me long for the simple days of killer bee invasion threats and hiding under tables in the case of nuclear war. I guess it beats duct taping your house in plastic and suffocating yourself.

Ah yes the good ole days of the cold war...seems so long ago.

[johnlw]

I'm not saying it's exactly the same thing, but this reminds me of the "Swine Flu" "Epidemic" and the massive government overreaction back in the 70's. It's very interesting because it's something no one even mentions anymore.

I was still a teenager when the government strongly advised all citizens to take the vaccine. I chose not to take it and was very glad I didn't.

If they crank out a vaccine I guess we will all be faced with the decision of whether or not to take it. I know I would need to do a lot more research and reading before making that decision.

John

Do you remember the symptoms of swine flu?

1. High fever
2. Congestion
3. An irresistable urge to make love in the mud.

[johnlw]

Symptom number 3 was always my favorite.

[SteveR]

Heck, I never got the swine flu and I still like to do it in the mud.

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha Our office manager is kind of a germ phobe.* She distributed to all a product called Purell instant hand sanitizer, that purports to kill 99.99% of "germs."* So is this a meaningless product or will it really help the spread of colds and flu?*

Use soap and water

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wab Use soap and water

Just be sure to wash at least 10 seconds. Which is a lot longer than the couple of seconds of hand washing I see going on in most restrooms..

EDIt: This reminds me of a couple of years ago when an employee wanted me as president to discipline a lawyer for never washing after using the restroom.

[Martha]

“Being ill is one of the greatest pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill and is not obliged to work until one is better.” Samuel Butler

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha Our office manager is kind of a germ phobe.* She distributed to all a product called Purell instant hand sanitizer, that purports to kill 99.99% of "germs."* So is this a meaningless product or will it really help the spread of colds and flu?*

Purell works. It is just like cleaning your hands with alcohol, except that there is an included moisturizer.

Haha