Swine Flu?

What has everybody heard about the swine flu? DH and I are talking, but we have heard conflicting reports. He works in the restaurant industry, and of course is getting it from all ends. But I have not been watching the news and am getting mixed results from internet stories. So what has everybody heard or seen in the news? I have heard it is not a huge concern, but still would like a little more solid input as to what we need to stay away from, be looking out for, etc. TIA :)

I only heard (paid attention to) the story tonight. They said the symptoms were similar to the seasonal flu and to do all the things you would normally do to deter spreading the flu virus. If you feel sick, stay home. There is no vaccine for it. There are 2 confirmed cases and an additional possible case in TX, 2 in KS, more in CA (can't remember how many) and 8 students are being tested in NY. They said 68 people have died in Mexico with 1000 affected. They also said they do not think there is anything they can do to get this under control, short of educating the public on the virus and how to prevent or decrease transmission.
Anyone hear anything else?

68 dead in Mexico City.
1000 + suspected of being infected.
11 confirmed cases in US (Texas , California , Kansas and now possibly NY)
Temiflu is the only medicine that seems to be fighting it
Mexican government is giving all the power to the Health Ministry to quarantine patients, do house searches, stop people with symptoms at bus stops and airports.
It's a mutated strain of the old swine flu. Which worries everyone.
Affecting adults between 20 and 40 years old. No infants or elderly reported. Which is rare with flu.


I've been reading a lot since I have family in Mexico.

I had just heard of it yesterday and we leave for Mexico (cancun) in a little more than a month. I need to do soem more research. I sure hope they figure out how to control it by then and they dont end up restricting travel to mexico :(

The one thing that I was glad to hear was that most of the U.S. cases were mild. I think only one person had to be hospitalized, and all recovered. From what I heard on CNN, they still aren't sure how easy it is for the virus to pass from person to person. The case in TX was in Guadalupe County, near San Antonio.

The media is absolutely sensationalizing this. Using inflammatory, fear causing words like PANDEMIC!!! :shake

Yeah, they're making me nervous. One thing I would like to know and haven't seen the answer anywhere is, if you got the flu vaccine this year does that help, you know since the flu treatments seem to work?
I'd be less freaked out if the answer were yes. ;)

I was listening to a report from CNN yesterday that said that the flu vaccine isn't effective for this strain. The concern is that people have no immunity at all to this strain.

The media is absolutely sensationalizing this. Using inflammatory, fear causing words like PANDEMIC!!! :shake
I know! That's one reason I asked because I figured what little info I was hearing was blown out of proportion! :sigh

Is it just passed from person to person like the regular flu? Or are there certain areas we need to be weary of? :dunno

The media is absolutely sensationalizing this. Using inflammatory, fear causing words like PANDEMIC!!! :shake

:yeah

Nope , because it has a combined strain from swine and birds the flu shot gives you no immunity.

Is it just passed from person to person like the regular flu? Or are there certain areas we need to be weary of? :dunno
Yes
And you mean location? Could really be anywhere, but I agree they are sensationalizing it. Still good to be aware. Glad to know all the U.S. cases are mild, but a good reminder for people to minimize transmission with some basic habits.

According to ABC news this evening, the #s of people infected seem to be increasing. Couple confirmed cases in Dallas County and the # of cases are
increasing in Mexico rapidly. Even though the cases have been very mild (TG for
that), I believe it spreads pretty fast, which is why the
public health agencies have declared a "day of emergency" (whatever that means??).
Scary stuff.

Cases haven't been mild in Mexico, ~1600 cases, 103 dead, 400 still in the hospital so they're not out of the woods. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25392188-12377,00.html

For some reason, the Australian newsources are always the least watered down, I've found.

Also, if you're concerned about it, it might not necessarily be the right thing to do if you do things that boost your immune system, from what I'm reading some people think it might cause a cytokine storm in your body similar to the 1918 flu (but this one is nowhere near that deadly!). No time to post much about it right now, but I'll try to post some links.

They're not at all sure why the cases in the US have been so mild, and in Mexico there have been so many deaths and hospitalizations :dunno

My friend lives in Mexico and sent me this email tonight. It must be so scary living there right now. :pray

Here in our state and in several others including Mexico City we are a little ... a lot worried with the new influenza virus..... there has been a lot of cases and they are still investigating which cases that ended in deaths have been caused by the virus!!! I know that there has been cases in the USA but here our president just made a national anouncement about prevention and our governor just made another were all the clases in schools and universities have just been canceled as well as any public gathering, (movies, theater, church, etc.) as a prevention.... people were walking today in malls, supermarkets, etc. with their mouths covered....
I feel like I am in a horror movie and to tell you the truth I am worried and scared!
Please keep us in your prayers.

They're not at all sure why the cases in the US have been so mild, and in Mexico there have been so many deaths and hospitalizations :dunno

My dh is an MD and does research in the public health area. He says there could be a number of reasons the cases here are mild. Environmental factors, better nutrition here, or perhaps the initial cases are mild and can get worse as it is passed on. Health officials have been worried and and anticipating a flu pandemic for a long time. I don't know how serious this is going to turn out to be, but my dh is worried.

I was going to say the say thing....
What I'm very curious about is WHAT condition the people that died in Mexico were previously to getting the virus, what type of medical care did they receive, how long did it take to actually get a diagnosis. There is still A LOT that hasn't been released.
IT COULD BE that they got top notch care..there are some excellent medical facilities in Mexico City.
All my family is in Mexico and I'm staaaaarting to get a little worried. I haven't heard anything yet from my parents. My mother DID come down with something really strange about a month ago. It was like the flu but she never got a diagnosis. She was in bed for about a week straight. She did fully recover from it and now we're all going Hmmmmmm.

MAYBE it's just the opposite. Maybe as it spreads it becomes less severe?

Also, if you're concerned about it, it might not necessarily be the right thing to do if you do things that boost your immune system, from what I'm reading some people think it might cause a cytokine storm in your body similar to the 1918 flu (but this one is nowhere near that deadly!). No time to post much about it right now, but I'll try to post some links.


when you get a chance can you post more about this.

Affecting adults between 20 and 40 years old. No infants or elderly reported. Which is rare with flu.

That's not exactly right. The only deaths reported in Mexico were in young adults, which is unusual (and similar to the 1918-1919 pandemic). The virus has been affecting people of all ages but those were the only deaths so far.

That's not exactly right. The only deaths reported in Mexico were in young adults, which is unusual (and similar to the 1918-1919 pandemic). The virus has been affecting people of all ages but those were the only deaths so far.

I also heard on the news that one of the suspected cases in this area was a small child....thinking the age was given in months.

I also heard on the news that one of the suspected cases in this area was a small child....thinking the age was given in months.

Here in dallas, there's a 3 month old, I believe

Here in dallas, there's a 3 month old, I believe

:yeah - 3 cases in Dallas (3 month old, 7 year old, 24 year old). They are not sure how they contracted it; they are not related and none of them had been to Mexico.

It is unclear if any of them have been to Mexico.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/042609dnmetdallasswineflu.113267da1.html

when you get a chance can you post more about this.

I'll do a detailed post this evening, but look up flu 1918 in wikipedia and take a look at this link: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2739 it'll get you going in that direction.

It's so weird, about a month ago, I started thinking about the flu in 1918 and looking up about it and bought some stuff I thought might be useful if we had that type of flu again. It was some of the same stuff mentioned in that thread above, I went with holy basil, turmeric, and Benadryl. The types of stuff that prevent inflammation and an overactive, damaging immune reaction. It's good stuff to have around anyway. Holy basil helps immensely with stress and turmeric has always helped for headaches for me.

Wow Susannah That is so interesting.

Okay, from an article on CNN, confirms what I've been reading http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27/gupta.qanda/ :

CNN: Sanjay, one question that we haven't gotten to ... most of the people who died from swine flu in Mexico were in the prime of their lives really, and this usually hits infants or the elderly. What does that say to you as a doctor?

Think about it like this: Typically, you think of someone who has a weakened immune system, who's going to be most adversely affected by an infection. Their immune system simply can't fight it.

But in these cases, it's the immune system itself that reacts robustly, and it's the immune system in that reaction to the virus that is causing death in these patients. So the virus starts that cascade, but all that fluid builds up in the lungs, and all those inflammatory cells throughout the body -- that's what's causing the problem. We saw the same thing with SARS and with avian flu as well.

Which is why exactly as you said ... [people in their] 20s and 30s and 40s, this hospital behind me, they say that's been the bulk of their patients with regard to swine flu.

I just read that article about two minutes ago, Susannah. Scary stuff.

Just heard through the mom grapevine that a 7yo in MY NEIGHBORHOOD has a confirmed case. :(

Andrea, not sure if this article is related to the case you are talking about, but they shut down Canyon Creek Elementary in Richardson after a child tested positive.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/042809dnmetswineflu.117f21302.html

From WFAA - http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090427_wz_canyoncreek.1181862ee.html

Canyon Creek Elementary in Richardson, TX is closed for the rest of the week.

yep, I live in Canyon Creek. UGH.

Apparently everyone else is not as completely freaked out about this as I am. (lucky you) I am a total hypochondriac so this is my hot button, and here it is in my neighborhood.

yup saw this on the news. its all over the news now. :(

I am trying to stay calm till we know more about it.

The VP of my company just sent an email out advising that if anyone had any flu-like symptoms at all, NOT to come to work, and they won't be penalized.

I am trying to stay calm till we know more about it.


:yeah

but being sick right now doesnt help either.

The VP of my company just sent an email out advising that if anyone had any flu-like symptoms at all, NOT to come to work, and they won't be penalized.

:clap

That's good! It is so frustrating to end up sick because someone came to work while they were sick! I (and a bunch of coworkers) got the flu that way a few years ago & have made a point of getting the flu shot ever since because of that experience.

I wonder if we'll start seeing people with the masks like in Mexico. (Hmmm... wonder where I can buy them? :lol)

Here's the Richardson Independent School District's information, if anyone's interested:

http://www.richardson.k12.tx.us/

:clap

That's good! It is so frustrating to end up sick because someone came to work while they were sick! I (and a bunch of coworkers) got the flu that way a few years ago & have made a point of getting the flu shot ever since because of that experience.


Oh yes, it is very good, I'm just shocked. It takes an act of congress to get time off to take care of medical issues,and if you're sick, unless you are sick enough to go on some sort of leave you get written up. So for them to take these measures honestly makes me just a little more on edge about then I was previously.

I'm freaked about it, but I tend to be a bit protective since Audrey's had horrible reactions to ANY virus. We're lying low for a while. It's better to be safe than sorry. I'm not worried about death. I just don't want my child who has a respiratory sensitivity to get sick with this strain of flu. Period.

yea--I've been watching it a bit more and I really just do not want anyone sick so we are laying low too. Plus--it's going to be rainy this week so all the more reason for me to stay in.

What is in Mexico is not supposed to be the same as what is in the USA. It is much more mild here. I am not worried or concerned.

Why is every case in MX dying? :eek That's so perplexing and scary.

Cooties scare me anyway. Ambrosia :hug I can't imagine. I'm freaking out because your not that far KWIM?

Why is every case in MX dying? :eek That's so perplexing and scary.

Not every case. There have been about 150 deaths, but over a thousand reported cases. They said on the news tonight that one reason there may be so many deaths in Mexico is that Tamiflu and the like is not as widely available there as it is here.

We have all been sick this week with cold/flu like symptoms so this is worrying me a bit. I wouldn't be so concerned but DH and I both work in a restaurant so we come in contact with a LOT of people. It just makes you think a little bit more, yk? How can we be sure that it is not related? Should I take LO to her pedi just in case?

Just heard about Canyon Creek - my MIL lives in that neighborhood. I bet she is freaked right now.

I'm wondering the same thing right now, Starla. I've been sick for 4 days with flu like symptoms.

:( Shane does not want to go to work and I'm leery of taking my kids anywhere right now. We are 5 minutes from Richardson, and I know that some of the kids at Barron come in from Richardson on tuition. :(

I still think the media is fear mongering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, annually, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized every year for flu complications. Flu contributes to 36,000 deaths every year in this country. And that is referring to the regular old flu, not the swine flu. 36,000 people die in the USA from the regular.old.flu each year, and we're not freaking out over that. And only ONE person who has swine flu in the US has been hospitalized.

And people are flooding the ERs with imagined swine flu. CNN was saying don't go to the hospital unless you have multiple symptoms that don't get better. I think people are freaking out, and its because the media is making them.

I still think the media is fear mongering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, annually, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized every year for flu complications. Flu contributes to 36,000 deaths every year in this country. And that is referring to the regular old flu, not the swine flu. 36,000 people die in the USA from the regular.old.flu each year, and we're not freaking out over that. And only ONE person who has swine flu in the US has been hospitalized.

And people are flooding the ERs with imagined swine flu. CNN was saying don't go to the hospital unless you have multiple symptoms that don't get better. I think people are freaking out, and its because the media is making them.
:yeah

I'm worried about the Canyon Creek incident, mainly because some of those kids do afterschool care and/or their siblings go to Jacob's school. For them to close a school for a week during TAKS testing is a big deal. So, I'm watching RISD closely, to see what else happens. And trusting Jacob's school to do whatever they need to in terms of cleanliness and hygeine practices for the kids.

And people are flooding the ERs with imagined swine flu. CNN was saying don't go to the hospital unless you have multiple symptoms that don't get better. I think people are freaking out, and its because the media is making them.
I agree. The daily pictures of Mexican streets covered with people wearing masks and stories about the people who've died do not help the situation. While it is relevant news and we want to help that country, it is not helping American society when we are in the most uncertain phase of this whole thing.
On another note, Dr. Oz (yes, the Oprah dr.) said yesterday or the day before that the next 7 days would be crucial. He said that we would either see what happened in Mexico, or it would plateau and we would be a lot safer. Not saying that that is 100% valid, but it makes me feel a little better that he's more or less saying "hey, if this thing doesn't explode within the next week, we've got a lot better chance of controlling it and being safe"

I am doing my best to remain calm and postivie, and putting ALOT Of trust in my faith right now! I am trying to lay low with the kids just to be precautious. And like someone else said, I am curious to see how this week plays out. Using alot of hand washing, and I am VERY glad to find I have 80oz of hand sanatizer under my sink! :) I think of it this way, take all the needed precautions, and do just as as much praying.

news just reported about 5 or 6 fort worth schools closing until may 11th

The media is blowing this way out of proportion. 36,000 Americans die every from the regular flu and now that 14 Mexicans die of the swine flu the world is suddenly going bonkers. :thumbdown

Do you think not just the media but the people with money and power are blowing this out of proportion because they want to get everyone 100% vaccinated and this is their shot?

Not that it isn't sad that people have died from the swine flu, but it seems like more people die in car accidents than those who die from the swine flu.

Do you think not just the media but the people with money and power are blowing this out of proportion because they want to get everyone 100% vaccinated and this is their shot?

I think its just the reporters who have nothing better to do than make a big deal out every little detail as they always tend to do.

I still think the media is fear mongering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, annually, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized every year for flu complications. Flu contributes to 36,000 deaths every year in this country. And that is referring to the regular old flu, not the swine flu. 36,000 people die in the USA from the regular.old.flu each year, and we're not freaking out over that. And only ONE person who has swine flu in the US has been hospitalized.

And people are flooding the ERs with imagined swine flu. CNN was saying don't go to the hospital unless you have multiple symptoms that don't get better. I think people are freaking out, and its because the media is making them.


It's a numbers thing, while lots do die from the flu, most are expected like the elderly (not the case here) the people that normally would fight off the flu are not. While x amount of thousands die from the flu each year from what the medical professionals at least said on the news I over heard millions get the flu. When you have say 160 die and about 2000 who have it and lived thats about 20% who get this flu are not surviving. That is pretty big numbers. When the average flu is 5 to up to 15% at most with 90% being 65 and older or something like that.

I will agree that apart of me does wonder if it's being over reacted? BUT when I look at the numbers and how fast it's spreading AND not to mention how fast so many are dying from it. People are dying less then 8 days from first exposure which is pretty quick. Most who die from the flu get things like pneumonia which from my understanding isn't the case with the swine flu. So basically it's scary because the medical professionals don't know what to do and how to really save them.

Edited to add:
Here was a good site I found that gives you a break down of when basically the medical community will consider an illness a pandemic. http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-pandemic-deaths.htm

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

:yeah

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

:yeah:clap Great pts! ITA!

I think the media isn't helping, but they are getting people to take it seriously. This could be virtually nothing or huge and it's hard to know right now.
The death rate seems much higher than the flu, although it's hard to know because they weren't testing until the first few got hospitalized. And there may have been 100,000 cases that weren't screened. So the death rate seems high, but it is probably misleading -so we have no reliable info there.
Last flu season there were approx 40,000 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2007-2008/07-08summary.htm) flu cases in the US. The death rate is calculated weekly and it's peak was 9% (which would be about 3600). There were 83 pedi deaths.

That was a bad flu season, but it's not like we routinely lose 30,000 people every year.

Now the word pandemic is scary, but it's not a term they use based on judgment. -and since this thing is on a few continents and spreading on them , we are likely heading for a pandemic.

Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world.

A pandemic is most scary for the 90% of the world living in poverty -which is where the WHO come in as it allows free exchange of medical info and technology.

The scary part is that this thing is unknown. It is brand new to planet earth and may mutate rapidly -where a) tamiflu stops working or b)it becomes more aggressive or some such.
ETA - things new to planet earth tend to do a lot of evolving early on as it tires to survive.

Part of the concern is making sure the resources are available. You are getting hundreds sick in days -that's intense. The infastructure needs to be there to handle that. In the second week of or current flu season -there were
21 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2008-2009/weekly41.htm)cases. A week later,
39 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2008-2009/weekly42.htm)cases in 7 states. A week later it was 49 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2008-2009/weekly43.htm).
Comparatively speaking, this is moving fast.

It's kind of like sitting in a dark room with a brand new insect comes in. You can't see too much of it, you don't know what it likes and you don't know how to kill it. It could be a firefly or something worse. Leaders truly have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

I think the media isn't helping, but they are getting people to take it seriously. This could be virtually nothing or huge and it's hard to know right now.
The death rate seems much higher than the flu, although it's hard to know because they weren't testing until the first few got hospitalized. And there may have been 100,000 cases that weren't screened. So the death rate seems high, but it is probably misleading -so we have no reliable info there.
Last flu season there were approx 40,000 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2007-2008/07-08summary.htm) flu cases in the US. The death rate is calculated weekly and it's peak was 9% (which would be about 3600). There were 83 pedi deaths.

That was a bad flu season, but it's not like we routinely lose 30,000 people every year.

Now the word pandemic is scary, but it's not a term they use based on judgment. -and since this thing is on a few continents and spreading on them , we are likely heading for a pandemic.



A pandemic is most scary for the 90% of the world living in poverty -which is where the WHO come in as it allows free exchange of medical info and technology.

The scary part is that this thing is unknown. It is brand new to planet earth and may mutate rapidly -where a) tamiflu stops working or b)it becomes more aggressive or some such.
ETA - things new to planet earth tend to do a lot of evolving early on as it tires to survive.

Part of the concern is making sure the resources are available. You are getting hundreds sick in days -that's intense. The infastructure needs to be there to handle that. In the second week of or current flu season -there were
21 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2008-2009/weekly41.htm)cases. A week later,
39 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2008-2009/weekly42.htm)cases in 7 states. A week later it was 49 (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2008-2009/weekly43.htm).
Comparatively speaking, this is moving fast.

It's kind of like sitting in a dark room with a brand new insect comes in. You can't see too much of it, you don't know what it likes and you don't know how to kill it. It could be a firefly or something worse. Leaders truly have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Yeah I think the biggest concern is the fact that this type of flu wasn't normal for humans to get, it normally passed from just pig to human, but now it's human to human which the fear is it can mutate into something way more serious... However the key word is "may". It's like the fears of the bird flu as well... I can see why people are worried, first time I have been just a little worried and normally I am not. I know Derrick seems to be coming down with something, started having a high fever today, sore throat and such... I am watching him through the night and if he is any worse tomorrow we are going to the doctor to be safe. :) We have 4 small kids here don't want to take any chances.

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.
Great post :):thumbup

Yeah I think the biggest concern is the fact that this type of flu wasn't normal for humans to get, it normally passed from just pig to human, but now it's human to human which the fear is it can mutate into something way more serious... However the key word is "may". It's like the fears of the bird flu as well... I can see why people are worried, first time I have been just a little worried and normally I am not. I know Derrick seems to be coming down with something, started having a high fever today, sore throat and such... I am watching him through the night and if he is any worse tomorrow we are going to the doctor to be safe. :) We have 4 small kids here don't want to take any chances.

I didn't mean to worry you - I was just trying to explain why it's important to get a grip on it now. I would for sure take him in ASAP - simple test -yes or no. If it is get the whole family on tamiflu, Derrick will get it within 24 hrs of symptom onset which is ideal. Then quarantine the family!

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

Totally! Excellent post. Whether it's going to be 'huge' or not isn't the issue at this very moment. While it IS an issue, what I'm focusing on is keeping MY kids well, safe and protected. And if each and every school and household will do the same thing, this thing will be better controlled.

Now that there are cases mere blocks from my house, I fully intend to basically quarantine my family for awhile and see how things progress. There will be no visiting. No visitors. No unnecessary trips to the store for a few days. I have ONE job in my life and that is to protect my babies. People can roll their eyes at me for being overprotective all they want, but I'm on Earth for this sole purpose, and that's just what I'm going to do. Protect them the best way I know how until we know more about what's going on.

I keep hoping that my son's school will close so I dont' have to be the bad guy that keeps him home from his field trip tomorrow. :giggle

I agree, Abbie. I have listed things on CL and now I am worried about ppl coming to my house. I didn't even think about it b/c I have had these things ready to get rid of for so long. But now I'm like "do I really want strangers coming to my house?"

I didn't mean to worry you - I was just trying to explain why it's important to get a grip on it now. I would for sure take him in ASAP - simple test -yes or no. If it is get the whole family on tamiflu, Derrick will get it within 24 hrs of symptom onset which is ideal. Then quarantine the family!

OH you didn't worry me lol I worry myself... lol
I wouldnt probably be as worried if we didn't have an 19 month old in the house. His just hit him like a ton of bricks. Sore throat, high fever typical flu like symptoms. I told him I would keep an eye on him tomorrow and if he was worse tomorrow, I will just let work know that I took him to the doctor. Better safe then sorry type thing especially since the case that did die from it in the US was in texas and was a 24 month old.

Just got this in an email. Am about to read it-I don't know if it has info everyone has read or not, just thought I would share.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx

I don't want to add fuel to the fire, but this couldn't be coming at a worse time. My district has NOT closed, and I havn't heard that there are any plans to, even though we are in Dallas County, and there were a BUNCH of kids at school today sick. It's TAKS week, and the kids don't want to miss because it is such a big deal. I had a kid go to the nurse today, and they kept him down there, even though he felt like crap, so he could finish his TAKS test. :rolleyes I'm sure it was his choice since he apparently didn't have a fever, but I think they should send anyone home who isn't feeling well.

It really sucks for people like me who work every day with kids who really are lacking in basic hygiene skills (they don't wash their hands :duh) and whose parents send them to school sick because they just can't take off work to stay home with them. I understand the whole work thing, and I know it sucks, but you gotta take care of your kids. I am thankful my DH is home with my daughter right now, so they can just stay in until this blows over, but I am out of sick days, and unless school closes, I'm stuck going to work with all the kids coughing and sputtering all over me.

I sent DH to get hand sanitizer today (I'm normally not a big hand sanitizer user for various reasons, including the fact that they kill beneficial bacteria- but I'm not taking any chances) and DH had to go to several stores before he found it. I got some lysol, and I'm going to spray down my desks, chairs, and doorknobs between classes. I'm irritated that my district hasn't even offered hand sanitizer or lysol to us yet. :(

And I don't want to inadvertently bring this bug home to my 3-yo and husband since you can actually be contagious for 24 hours before you have symptoms.

ETA: I'm not panicking - I just don't want my kid to get sick. I'm a little overprotective. :lol

I don't want to add fuel to the fire, but this couldn't be coming at a worse time. My district has NOT closed, and I havn't heard that there are any plans to, even though we are in Dallas County, and there were a BUNCH of kids at school today sick. It's TAKS week, and the kids don't want to miss because it is such a big deal. I had a kid go to the nurse today, and they kept him down there, even though he felt like crap, so he could finish his TAKS test. :rolleyes I'm sure it was his choice since he apparently didn't have a fever, but I think they should send anyone home who isn't feeling well.

It really sucks for people like me who work every day with kids who really are lacking in basic hygiene skills (they don't wash their hands :duh) and whose parents send them to school sick because they just can't take off work to stay home with them. I understand the whole work thing, and I know it sucks, but you gotta take care of your kids. I am thankful my DH is home with my daughter right now, so they can just stay in until this blows over, but I am out of sick days, and unless school closes, I'm stuck going to work with all the kids coughing and sputtering all over me.

I sent DH to get hand sanitizer today (I'm normally not a big hand sanitizer user for various reasons, including the fact that they kill beneficial bacteria- but I'm not taking any chances) and DH had to go to several stores before he found it. I got some lysol, and I'm going to spray down my desks, chairs, and doorknobs between classes. I'm irritated that my district hasn't even offered hand sanitizer or lysol to us yet. :(

And I don't want to inadvertently bring this bug home to my 3-yo and husband since you can actually be contagious for 24 hours before you have symptoms.
Yep, after our scare last night, I went straight to WM and bought a bucn of supplies. They, too, were out of ALL disinfectants. I was lucky to find some of the trial-sized purell's in the checkout lane, and I grabbed 4. I've been Lysoling our house all day since we have had a visitor that I don't know. :sigh

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

:yeah Good post!

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

:yeah I have 3 school aged children at 3 different schools (ranging from 500-1200 per school!!) That is in addition to their extracurricular activities. When you have pre-school children, you can limit their exposure much easier. I don't think the media is to blame for anything...I'm sure they exaggerate a little, but so what? Better safe than sorry! I bet the people in Mexico wish they would have had the information that we have. I have seen numerous comments in the past about not wanting to expose our kids during the normal flu season, so of course we don't want to now either.

And if five kids died in the US and nothing was done it would be negligent.

Just cannot please everyone. i would prefer that they error on the side of safety.

Because people in their prime are dying -not JUST people that are immune compromised.

Some people are also allergic to Tamiflu so it's not just "give them some tamiflu and they will get better". My dd is not able to keep Tamiflu down for more then one minute.

Those of you that have no worry whatsoever have your babies at home, not at school with hundreds of people.

If your child was in school, you might be relieved that they are allowing them to limit their exposure by closing the school.

All they are asking is that you limit exposure by taking some precautions.

I appreciate that they are considering closing the schools. :thumbup I'm hoping ours will consider it too to calm my anxiety about how many people my children are coming in contact with.

I haven't heard any mention of vaccinations so far, but I'm avoiding the TV so I don't get anxious over the welfare of my children and my mother and my FIL. FIL can't overcome a regular old flu.

Think of those who REALLY are immune compromised at least. This many cases of the flu is very scary for them (even if it were just a good ol flu bug).

I tend to think the CDC is doing their job, not starting a conspiracy to vaccinate.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am very concerned about my 66 year old mother and my son who was premature, maybe their immune systems are strong enough but maybe they aren't.

I agree we should all be cautious, but I am hearing a whole lot of panic, panic, panic and fear on the news. Typically we give up a whole bunch of rights when we are afraid and full of panic.

My kiddo's teacher just called to commend me on my choice to keep him home from school and his field trip to a Stephen Fite concert today. I told her that I may sound paranoid and overprotective, but that's what I'm here for--to protect my kiddos. Nobody knows how small or how large it will be, so in the meantime, why not err on the side of caution. She agreed and said, "Abbie, you're a darn good mommy!" :D

The teacher said she would talk to the attendance office and make sure this wasn't counted against us and she let me know what they'll be doing in class over the next days so that we can basically homeschool until we feel comfortable going back into a large group of unhygienic children. :lol

My kiddo's teacher just called to commend me on my choice to keep him home from school and his field trip to a Stephen Fite concert today. I told her that I may sound paranoid and overprotective, but that's what I'm here for--to protect my kiddos. Nobody knows how small or how large it will be, so in the meantime, why not err on the side of caution. She agreed and said, "Abbie, you're a darn good mommy!" :D

The teacher said she would talk to the attendance office and make sure this wasn't counted against us and she let me know what they'll be doing in class over the next days so that we can basically homeschool until we feel comfortable going back into a large group of unhygienic children. :lol

Good for you, Abbie! And good for the teacher! How did he take it? Was he upset? I think should just plan a big DAM playdate for him now!

Good for you, Abbie! And good for the teacher! How did he take it? Was he upset? I think should just plan a big DAM playdate for him now!

:yeah but after this whole mess is behind us!
How cool to get a pat on the back for keeping him home!

Good for you, Abbie! And good for the teacher! How did he take it? Was he upset? I think should just plan a big DAM playdate for him now!

Thank you! He was a little disappointed last night when I told him, but thrilled to wake up this morning and NOT go to school. :lol

:yeah but after this whole mess is behind us!
How cool to get a pat on the back for keeping him home!

And yes! A playdate sounds great once this scare is over! We plan on more trips to DFW over the summer, so we'll have to coordinate lots of chances to meet more DAM mommies/kiddos!

I still think the media is fear mongering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, annually, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized every year for flu complications. Flu contributes to 36,000 deaths every year in this country. And that is referring to the regular old flu, not the swine flu. 36,000 people die in the USA from the regular.old.flu each year, and we're not freaking out over that. And only ONE person who has swine flu in the US has been hospitalized.

And people are flooding the ERs with imagined swine flu. CNN was saying don't go to the hospital unless you have multiple symptoms that don't get better. I think people are freaking out, and its because the media is making them.

I absolutely 110% agree with you.

Regarding the elderly, etc, being the ones who die from the flu: In the US, yes, typically most deaths are elderly or babies. However, in places like mexico, people of all ages die from the flu due to lack of medical attention, and the flu turning into pneumonia. That's EXACTLY what we are seeing here. Lots of deaths in mexico, of all ages. And no deaths in the US of any age.
I'm sorry, but no amount of "oh my gosh, it could be bad!!!" is going to make me think otherwise. I really think *AT THIS POINT* that the media is making this soo much worse than it needs to be. If it grows, if it spreads, if American's start dropping like flies, then i'll believe it without a doubt. But until then, it's not concerning.

But that is the entire reason we are trying to contain the flu. If it spreads to 3rd world countries where they don't have access to care and/or information, it could be catastrophic. We are lucky that we have resources/medical care/information at our fingertips. If it means that we have to be annoyed by the constant presence of the media then so be it. I would take that over 3rd world worries any day. Their concern isn't necessarily with the US, but if it continues to spread to places ill equipped to handle it. The school closings, etc are meant to help contain it.

you're correct. But what *I* was saying is that the PP was not comparing apples to apples.

I still think the media is fear mongering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, annually, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized every year for flu complications. Flu contributes to 36,000 deaths every year in this country. And that is referring to the regular old flu, not the swine flu. 36,000 people die in the USA from the regular.old.flu each year, and we're not freaking out over that. And only ONE person who has swine flu in the US has been hospitalized.

And people are flooding the ERs with imagined swine flu. CNN was saying don't go to the hospital unless you have multiple symptoms that don't get better. I think people are freaking out, and its because the media is making them.

:yeah This is exactly what I was getting ready to post but wanted to see if someone else already had. Thousands have already died in the US just this year from plain ol' flu. But I can appreciate that schools and workplaces are being proactive about trying to prevent the spread. Though I wonder what all the younger kids with cancelled school and working parents are doing? Especially in FW ISD.

I absolutely 110% agree with you.

Regarding the elderly, etc, being the ones who die from the flu: In the US, yes, typically most deaths are elderly or babies. However, in places like mexico, people of all ages die from the flu due to lack of medical attention, and the flu turning into pneumonia. That's EXACTLY what we are seeing here. Lots of deaths in mexico, of all ages. And no deaths in the US of any age.
I'm sorry, but no amount of "oh my gosh, it could be bad!!!" is going to make me think otherwise. I really think *AT THIS POINT* that the media is making this soo much worse than it needs to be. If it grows, if it spreads, if American's start dropping like flies, then i'll believe it without a doubt. But until then, it's not concerning.

Not trying to start a fight... but how many people have to die or become seriously ill by it until it IS concerning? What if your husband and child were one of those victims? Would YOU want other people to not be concerned about spreading it? Like someone else posted, all everyone is asking is that you take extra precautions and help stop the spread of it. Id rather not wait until I GET it to stop spreading it. I want it to stop it before it gets to me/my family.

Not trying to start a fight... but how many people have to die or become seriously ill by it until it IS concerning? What if your husband and child were one of those victims? Would YOU want other people to not be concerned about spreading it? Like someone else posted, all everyone is asking is that you take extra precautions and help stop the spread of it. Id rather not wait until I GET it to stop spreading it. I want it to stop it before it gets to me/my family.
sure, you're not ;)
If no one should become seriously ill or die before something becomes bad, then why don't we freak out like this about regular flu? or pneumonia? why don't we quarantine anyone with the measles? Why aren't people with the common cold (Which can occasionally lead to death) made to stay in their homes? In ANY illness, there has to be some sort of a wall... when it goes from being a really sucky illness with a handful of tragedies involved into a "pandemic". This, IMO, is not a pandemic. Like Deb said (this thread? maybe another?) yes, the death rate is 10%. But that's from when they figured out what this was. Who knows how many people had to before that? What if there were about 1,000 cases before that, and 2 of those people died. That Significantly changes the death rate. I JUST don't think the reports are accurate... not by anyone's fault. Just that they can't be, b/c this was around before we knew it. I highly highly HIGHLY doubt that the very first person to test positive for swine flu was the very first person to ever have it. That's just not logical.

And ftr, i don't enjoy words being put in my mouth. I never said I'm not worried about spreading it. IF you go back and look at any number of my posts (which I can safely assume that you haven't, based on your statement) I've said that we will be avoiding play areas and other places that are typically teeming with bacteria. I will also avoid using shopping carts (since lily is a chewer) and reinforce proper hand washing techniques to those in my family. If you REALLY believe that my stance (as listed above) is not "taking extra precautions to stop the spread of it" then can you honestly look back at your last, say, week and say that you've not done ANYTHING that hasn't potentially caused the spread of it? Have you had your kids wash their hands every 30 minutes to 1 hour? Have you lysol'd your house at least 1-2 times a day? Have you put your children in shopping carts? or let them visit play areas? Or gone to schools, doctors offices, malls, libraries? B/c the only way to COMPLETELY prevent it, is to avoid all of those situations completely. And that's unrealistic. We all still have lives to lead.

What i WAS saying, was that i don't feel like this is as scary as the media is making it out to be. Does it suck? Yeah, definitely. Is it sad that anyone has died? you betcha. Horribly sad. But I'm not going to force my family to stay inside wearing face masks and rubbing their bodies down with hand sanitizer every 20 minutes in fear of it "coming to get us". I Just don't think it's that bad.

I really believe that all of this attention to it is going to cause more detriment in the end. I REALLY truely believe that this will get significantly worse if people don't stop crying wolf and heading to the dr for their dose of tamiflu. Of people continue to do that, we will run out of resources and things will get FAR worse.... at that point, I anticipate seeing a LOT of US deaths.

and for the record,i don't think that schools are being over-cautious by closing down. I think they are being proactive and i think it's smart on a lot of levels.
1.) It protects their kids from getting sick. Schools are a REALLY easy place to spread any illness quickly. Which is why sick kids are asked to stay home from school routinely.
2.) It protects the school/Principal/Superintendant from being "that guy" that didn't take it seriously, and helped spread the illness.

I think proactive responses like keeping kids home from school IS a smart idea. Better to be proactive than reactive. But I'm not going to shut out the rest of the world for fear of getting sick. I think that's just excessive.

For those of you who accuse the media of fear mongering - what of the CDC and WHO? Are they guilty as well?

Eta - I am not afraid. However, when the CDC and who say things like "virus they have never seen" and declare pandemic I listen. It's not my job or place to say how fearful or cautious we should be. I think the point is just that we don't know much about this yet, so better safe than sorry. People will react how they will - yes the media can help feed it but they also exist to inform.

the WHO changed their rating from a 4 to a 5, i believe, right? And according to their descriptions of those levels, their ratings do NOT indicate how severe the illness it, just how easily contractible it is. level 5 means it is easily transmitted from human to human. Which, IMO, is kind of a "no sh*t!" statement. Of course it's easily contractible from human to human. It's a flu. :duh

I'd have to google what the current CDC statement is, b/c I haven't seen one since yesterday morning. I'll do that before weighing in on it :)

hey. so here's something interesting. since i was googling, i thought i'd share this.
we'll have a little math lesson

The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death.
(91/1 = 1.09% death rate)

Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths.
117/8 = 6.83% death rate

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (13), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the United Kingdom (5)
148/8=5.40% death rate.

Where are they getting 10% from?

Well I have yet to turn on my TV because I just don't watch the news. I will agree, it's an annoyance (media). THere is never good news. :)

I don't buy rag magazines, I don't want TMZ. I dislike MOST of the news media. It's all B.S. I much prefer New York Post print for information.

I also very much dislike the flu - whatever the name of the flu is - I don't want it.

i found a few other interesting links in my googling (although Karri, I can't find the recent CDC info, so if you could link that i would really appreciate it :) )

A swine flu "pandemic" in 1976 never materialized after the gov't tried to vax the entire country (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/5235301/Swine-flu-Scaremongering-public-health-adverts-from-1976-outbreak.html)

Information on the "pandemic" (http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opsie3012706049apr30,0,2337377.story)
Although I will say that his stats are wrong on the mexico cases (there have been 100ish cases, not 1000)... maybe a typo? dunno. But lots of interesting points.

(from the 2nd link)
What we do know is that pigs can carry several different kinds of flu viruses - swine, human and bird - at the same time. And that these viruses can exchange genetic material, leading to a new strain of flu, like the one of sudden concern.

We also know that even a new strain can trigger an immune response - which is good because it leads to a less-severe outbreak and slows the spread. Since this new virus contains some parts of old flu viruses, it appears that most of those who are infected are exhibiting some immunity to it. We may be seeing fewer severe cases here than in Mexico because as a virus adapts to humans, it often gives up its lethality in the process.

After the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency over the weekend and the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to level four on Monday and then to level five Wednesday (level six, the top of the scale, is a pandemic), it sounded like we were gearing up for nuclear war. In reality, the term "flu pandemic" simply means a new strain is infecting and spreading among people in several areas of the world at the same time. It can be mild, moderate, or severe.

In 1918, the Blue Death, a bird flu, killed tens of millions of people worldwide. But with the last flu pandemic in 1968, a new human strain was ameliorated by vaccines, antibiotics and public health measures. It killed 32,000 in the United States and 700,000 worldwide - that's less than some yearly flu outbreaks, which average 34,000 deaths in the United States.

The current swine flu outbreak is not yet a pandemic, but if it does become one, it's far more likely to take the course of the 1968 variety because of modern public health measures.

Isolating sick people and using the anti-virals Tamiflu and Relenza to decrease the severity of the illness are wise precautions. Wise too are the decisions by Mexico's government to close schools, museums, movie theaters and libraries in Mexico City and surrounding areas to prevent spread.

More concerning are the global travel advisories. With the SARS outbreak in 2003, such warnings ended up costing the Chinese and Canadian economies billions of dollars, and there's no evidence that they prevented spread. Historically, isolating sick people has been a much more effective measure at containing an emerging virus than quarantining an entire country or region.

We also need to be cautioned by the lessons of history. In 1976, an emerging swine flu virus appeared to be responsible for the death of a military recruit at Fort Dix, sparking massive public hysteria. Gerald Ford (http://www.newsday.com/topic/politics/government/presidents-of-the-united-states/gerald-ford-PEPLT0000118.topic), who was up for election, ordered a nationwide vaccination program, which led to a number of cases of ascending paralysis (Guillain-Barré Syndrome), including some deaths. We certainly don't need a repeat of this performance.

Today, the nervous general public should be comforted by the time of the year. It's the end of the flu season - and that goes for any type of flu. These viruses thrive in the low humidity of winter, not summer, and it is very likely that this outbreak will die out as the warmer weather comes.

Finally, it's encouraging that we're dealing with a swine flu rather than a bird flu. After all, the 1976 pig flu never resulted in a pandemic, regardless of the national panic, but the 1918 bird-flu plague killed many millions. We can take lessons from both, but in this case we should start with 1976.

For those of you who accuse the media of fear mongering - what of the CDC and WHO? Are they guilty as well?

Eta - I am not afraid. However, when the CDC and who say things like "virus they have never seen" and declare pandemic I listen. It's not my job or place to say how fearful or cautious we should be. I think the point is just that we don't know much about this yet, so better safe than sorry. People will react how they will - yes the media can help feed it but they also exist to inform.

I agree. I wasn't really paying much attention until WHO came out with their statement.

William and Miguel (until recently) have been pretty sick for the past few months, and I feel I need to take extra precautions to not put them (especially, William) at risk.

i found a few other interesting links in my googling (although Karri, I can't find the recent CDC info, so if you could link that i would really appreciate it :) )

A swine flu "pandemic" in 1976 never materialized after the gov't tried to vax the entire country (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/5235301/Swine-flu-Scaremongering-public-health-adverts-from-1976-outbreak.html)

Information on the "pandemic" (http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opsie3012706049apr30,0,2337377.story)
Although I will say that his stats are wrong on the mexico cases (there have been 100ish cases, not 1000)... maybe a typo? dunno. But lots of interesting points.

(from the 2nd link)

Oh God no, Jackie :lol No links. All I know is what I see on cnn.com. I'm not that saturated by news of it, really. I'm just making a point that if these organizations are taking it seriously, then so should we. And on a global level. I really don't think we (Americans) have that much to worry about, even those of us who are uninsured. But I think it's arrogant to assume that it's all fear mongering and over reaction (yes, I'm generalization your arguments as well as others) when the fact is that it's been labeled pandemic, and will affect countries without our level of medical care.

I also think it's ironic that we can take comfort in our level of medical care when we have one of the worst in the developed world and are usually slamming it. Go figure.

Anyway, maybe it's because I'm not watching a lot of TV reports, but from what I've seen the media is reporting what it has seen, what the health organizations are saying, and everyone is reacting how they will.