The Flu and you

I thought I'd open this up, because it's going to be affecting us all soon, in some manner. I hear they're closing all schools in Ft. Worth for 2 weeks - one assumes Dallas will have cause to do the same within the next week, given relative proximity and the nature of infectious disease,. There's a confirmed case in Nashville now. Given that there's only a 4-6 weeks of school left, I think there's a chance some kids will be getting a very early summer vacation.

It's early yet, and I haven't been able to get good info on the disease process followed in current victims, but I've heard that it is afflicting healthy ppl, and that there is an unusual level of bowel involvement - both were also features the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.

Wash your hands frequently, and use hand sanitizer in-between washings. Hopefully, the most we'll have to worry about is what to do with the kids while they're off school. . .but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on the news, and to ponder ideas about avoiding crowds.

Boo hoo hoo
Why did you
Have to construe
Info having to do
With the flu?
We already knew
what the flu
could possibly do
in a town near you,
But having a blue
Attitude
Won't give us vaccinations so STFU!

Pikachu!

(i thought the title was funny so I decided to mock it... :S)

nice poem, ninjai 🙂

I found a cool song for a little dance that goes like this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auy3mnCgPF0

and here a serious info about healthy food and how to boost your imune system:

linky

All I can say is 1.5B is a bit of a stretch to monitor and get hyped up over. KaChing! Just add it to the bill please ;p

Having said that, I'm working in a mansion where they just picked up a new au pare' for their kids from Mexico...

Today I woke up with a sore throat.

lexx wrote:All I can say is 1.5B is a bit of a stretch to monitor and get hyped up over. KaChing! Just add it to the bill please ;p

This is an area where you CANNOT 'wait and see', since by the time you see you're screwed, you're screwed. This is infectious desease prevention and containment.

A quick reminder from Wikipedia about the biggest flu outbreak in the 1900's:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920,[2] spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. It is estimated that anywhere from 20 to 100 million people were killed worldwide,[3] or the approximate equivalent of one third of the population of Europe,[4][5][6] more than double the number killed in World War I.[7] This extraordinary toll resulted from the extremely high illness rate of up to 50% and the extreme severity of the symptoms, suspected to be caused by cytokine storms. The pandemic is estimated to have affected up to one billion people: half the world's population at the time.[8]

Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The world is more densely populated now, commercial air travel has come along since then, and everyone has cars to drive on the interstate road system. I could be halfway across the US by tomorrow, by car. Containment has been made difficult because of that. Notice the way cases are popping up all over the place now?

We shouldn't 😱 , but someone damn well better be keeping an eye on things and keeping it in check, or we could be in for a hell of a bad year. Still hoping for a relatively low virulence strain, but you can't count on that.

http://www.awfulgames.com/games/pandemic2_eom/#game

Here is a fun thing about the Flu virus. It morphs. I predict this flu will be a somewhat low impact disease that will blow over within 6 weeks, then return in all of its loveliness in August/September to bite everyone, and bite them hard.

Or so it seems history has told us.


Then again, it could be that they tried to make a flying pig [feeding pigs birds with avian flu does not make for happy bacon], you know how many people thought pigs would fly before we had a president with color, and look within a 100 days swine flu.

I read this article about the Spanish Flu yesterday and it puts things in perspective a bit.

http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/much+kn...0616/story.html

It's estimated that about 28 per cent of Canadians and Americans contracted the Spanish flu. Worldwide, an estimated 2.5 per cent of the sick died of complications, which made the pandemic one of the most lethal flu outbreaks in recorded history. Certainly it was one that imprinted itself upon human consciousness for several generations.

But there's another way to look at those statistics. You might observe, for example, that they mean that even during the worst ravages of the 1918 flu, 97.5 per cent of those infected survived and recovered. Or that 72 per cent of the population -- even in the absence of the sophisticated public health planning and infrastructure that Canada and the U.S. have since built -- was not infected during the pandemic.

So, even if we had a repeat of the 1918 flu, the chances were seven out of 10 that you wouldn't catch it and if you did, the odds were better than nine out of 10 that you'd survive.

That was during the worst pandemic of the modern era and one which occurred in the days before the instantaneous communications of radio, television and the Web enabled quick public health responses.

I also saw this from the CDC:

Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and more than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu.

That's a lot more deaths than I thought.

So I show a .7% chance that one would become infected and die from the flu, assuming the old #s are valid. Though percentages and my luck surely mean I am a goner. Sarge you can have my gaming rig... Doc, you get second choice at my shit.

I'll tell you what my wife the Pediatric ER Nurse has to say about this.....

ROFLMGDAOBBQ!!1!1!111!1!11

I asked her about it and she thinks all the panic the media is causing is a bunch of crap. The flu is the flu. It can kick your ass. If you are immuno compromised, then it's very dangerous. If you have certain lung diseases, then it's dangerous. If you are very old or very young, then it's dangerous. If you are the average person, then it sucks.

But as long as you don't allow yourself to get dehydrated and you treat it like any other flu, your odds are very, very good. It may suck while you have it, but it's not an automatic death sentence.

Atomm wrote:I'll tell you what my wife the Pediatric ER Nurse has to say about this.....

ROFLMGDAOBBQ!!1!1!111!1!11

I asked her about it and she thinks all the panic the media is causing is a bunch of crap. The flu is the flu. It can kick your ass. If you are immuno compromised, then it's very dangerous. If you have certain lung diseases, then it's dangerous. If you are very old or very young, then it's dangerous. If you are the average person, then it sucks.

But as long as you don't allow yourself to get dehydrated and you treat it like any other flu, your odds are very, very good. It may suck while you have it, but it's not an automatic death sentence.

This is true of our normal flu. This is NOT true of all flu, which is why the Spanish flu of 1918 was so hard on ppl, even, or especially, very healthy ppl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm

I haven't had time to post it yet, but signs are good that the Swine Flu isn't like that.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-...0,3606923.story

So far, so good.

Also, I don't know why ppl are confusing rational concern with the idea that we are heading for a real-life version of "Captain Trips." One out of every 2-300 ppl dead wouldn't be a good thing, just because it's not apocalyptic. . .particularly if it's someone you know.

Im just gonna say this. Yes the flu is an annual problem, yes it kills people. But the percentage of people killed is so minuscule as to be ridiculous. In 2009 America people are generally much much healthier then 1908 America. Does this mean older folks, some children and immunosupressed people are not at risk? Hell no.
The media is making a huge problem out of a few words from the CDC. The CDC officially stated that this flu may become a pandemic. Well lemme tell you, we have a pandemic every year with some strain of the flu. Some are much worse then others. This flu has killed 1 person so far in a civilized country. And yet we have people flooding into the ERs all across America cause CNN sells more commercials that way. Lemme tell you, this is the true danger of this whole bs. America has been facing a health care crisis for about 5 years now. Not only do your leaders not know what to do, they want to make it worse. Walk into any ER on any given day and you will see it filled beyond capacity. Some ERs have ambulance stretchers backed up with a 2 hour wait on a normal day. Guess what happens when you have a bunch of raving lunatic flu patients show up. Now truly sick people should be afraid.

Ron's right. The Childrens ER in Dallas had to open an auditorium to isolate all the "flu" victims that came in the last few days. On most days, the average wait time is 4-8 hours and people do it because they can't afford to go to a doctor and childrens in non-profit.

And I would say the one person who died in a civilized country was a young boy who happened to be a Mexican citizen. I'm sorry it happened to anyone, but this is not what the media is making it out to be.

My friends wife was quarantined for 5 days because she had the flew. On the fifth day, the CDC officially told her it wasn't swine flu. wow.....

Appreciate the info from the DFW area.

Ok.... Ok.... We'll have to agree to disagree..... 😛

Atomm wrote:Ok.... Ok.... We'll have to agree to disagree..... 😛

I don't understand what you're disagreeing with.

All I'm pointing out is that such an infectious disease has the capability to be a lot worse than what we usually experience, even if we haven't seen it happen in our lifetime. History bears this out, innumerable times. I never said this WOULD be worse, and the (I hope) fact that it isn't doesn't make what I said wrong. I HOPE I expressed what I usually say in situations like this - due caution is advised. If anyone would disagree with the preceding, then I really don't know what to say to that. Perhaps the best response is that I see no point in debating anyone that doesn't agree with that much. No one's opinion would be changed, either way.

I don't know what I should be defending, or what ER overcrowding has to do with what I said. I never advocated a position that would cause it, so I don't see where it negates anything I said. Caution is wise, improperly informing the public and having them rush the ER's like festival seating at a Who concert is quite obviously not. My opinion does not put me at the head of the "overreact and panic" list, just as yours does not put you at the top of the "handwaving away a threat you fear/don't understand" list, and so, neither of us should be called upon to defend such positions. We are complex ppl, with many shades of gray.

I'm on a SHITLOAD of steroids right now, which have the side-effect of altering your mood. I'm not sure I'm reading things with the proper 'inner voice', but I feel like I'm being called upon to defend some things/positions I never took.

Nah Doc, I don't see there is an arguement here. You are all saying there needs to be caution but not excessive fear mongering.

It's cool doc.

Overcrowding was referring to the fact that people are over reacting and by over reacting, they are actually putting themselves in a position to expose their kids to the swine flu because the hospitals have to put all the like cases together. The media is driving this.

Atomm they release number here yesterday. There were thousands of people who went to be tested, only 100 or so were actually sick and got flu tests. 3 had the flu and possibly 1 had the swine flu.

I heard the other day that there had only been 130 reported cases in the US so far.

We had two kids get it in a certain school district and they closed 5 different school systems completely down for a week. Basically, 5 different towns. I guess I'm thick headed, but that just doesn't make sense to me.

Close the school where the two went. Close that one system, but all 5 which are spread out over a 30+ square mile area?

Atomm when there is any weird health threat people go insane.

In the past several years we have had this mosquito borne illness call EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitus) here. Most people who contract EEE don't notice, they get a fever that goes away. a very slight few can get very sick, and in every once in a while someone will die. That is sad, but well it happens.

I forget the exact numbers but I believe in NH we have seen EEE the past 5 years. I think in that time we have had two deaths. When you run the chance of death from EEE, its nearly equivalent to the same person getting hit by lightening.... not once, but twice.

two years ago a kid got sick from it and there was widespread panic. Parents were not allowing their kids to go outside during the summer and fall. (obesity anyone?). Next we went to widespread spraying of poisons, you know trucks that would drive every road in town and spray concentrated poison all over the areas where people live. Cause you know mosquitos live in the 25' adjacent to roads.... ooo wait they don't??

When it came time for our town to determine if they wanted to spray I went to the public hearing, but first I compiled some statistics. We were much more likely to have a kid get run over by one of the spraying trucks than to die from EEE, no one cared. Eventually at the meeting they decided not only to spray but to spray the next day, why? "Because we need to kill the mosquitos before the frost comes" , why does the frost matter in this because it would kill all the mosquitos. So we rushed to spend 60k to kill mosquitos before the frost that was predicted that weekend. Even the guy running the spraying business said he wasn't sure the spraying would be effective.

Bubba!!! Man, this is such a typical story and there are much more to find in almost every comunity of the so called "civilized" or western world. Its just nice to know that you tried. At least you made an effort to inform the others. Too bad you seemed to have been the only one who seemed to have been thouroughly nformed. 🙁..... One can see where it leads to when logic is lacking and info overflow gives ppl too much to compare with what not seldom leads to the instant choice or a wrong one - triggered by the influence of advertisement which manipulated our emotions in the subconsciousness and altered our consumer reaction. First and last that is what it comes down to when we, the ppl stay uninformed and dumb: we give away personality and degrade ourselves as pure consumers - nothing more or less. (...)

I wish I could nominate Bubba for Sec of the budget. If public officials would spend tax money as if it came out of their own pockets, not ours, everyone would be much better off.

Doc, don't read too much into this. We are a mini debating society of sorts. It only takes a moment for anything to be blown out of proportion by the press quickly followed by politicians lining up their target points. The 1.5B reference I made was after learning of the flu outbreak, the next hour the administration seized on it as another possible defining moment.

Well I'm off to be exposed to a Mexican at work in an hour. Thanks Doc for raising the issue however. But I think as long as you and your mom stay home for a couple of weeks you should be fine. Just don't go running to an emergency room anytime soon ;p

I think this is way over hyped. Remember the Avian Flu? Hyped, never really amounted to much. Remember SARS? It never really amounted to much. These both were touted to be the end of it all!!! 🙂

The Spanish Flu was only serious as they did not have anti-biotics’/anti-virals’ back then 90 years ago. You don't get sick from the actual flu, you get sick from the secondary immune deficiency.

I say don't worry about it.

Paladin wrote:(...)
I say don't worry about it.

Hell no... that is why I posted the funnay swine flu dance song. Did anybody listen to it?
Probably not. Hahahaha

Well....

Aw I don´t think Doc is worried about that... nah... 🙂 he is just posting what is an actual subject and flows around in the internets... hehe^^

No worries be happy guys 🙂

Oh... and Lexxi 🙂 if you feel like having a sour throat please take care of it before bacteria can spread more - use some Oraldine - antibacterial mouth wash e.g. or whatever helps you normally with that. Honey. Lemon. Water. Some ppl say rum is good for them. Some say it has to be warmed up beer, oh dear 🙁.... well... that is what I know of. Never had it tho... hahaha

I so thought Bubba was going to Rick Roll us.....

Oh Lexxi and please make sure that your mouthwash or toothpaste does not contain Sodium Fluoride compounds. It is a byproduct of the Aluminum industry. It is also the main ingredient
of rat poison. So please take care, dude.

😲

Just to state a lil background info on the subject:

link to vid

saintchism wrote:😲

Just to state a lil background info on the subject:

link to vid

Too long, too boring, didn't watch. I'm gonna go watch your swine flu music video instead 😉
Besides, I hate drinking water from the faucet. Too much chlorine. I bought a good filter one time, and it cleaned out the chlorine, but then the water smelled like fish 😱