All things swine flu (H1N1)

[OrdinaryLife]

I read no one laughing at this news, but are putting it in a healthy perspective. As I stated earlier, the Spanish Flu was *THE* worst epidemic. It even touched one of my family members. That said, and I am repeating from earlier post, we have come so far in medical science and care since 1918.

I do no believe in living panic. Concerns are being broadcasted, alerts posted, and I believe to educate the masses. Be aware, practice safe hygiene, and live your life.

 

[SeekingJana]

(red above by me)

I wonder if the age of the Homeland Security Act might have something to do with this?

As far as quarantines are concerned, I think that they might predate the HSA as well.

Yes, of course the old method of quarantining the sick predates Homeland Security. It was the first and only method of disease containment for centuries.
However, it is being revived because this is a virus which humans have NO resistance to.
It has also shown a great potential for mutation in the lab.

As far as the Homeland Security department issuing the alert- NO this is not normal procedure for a health warning.
Health warnings usually come from the CDC.
This is different because quarantine is not voluntary. It will be enforced by the National Guard or other law enforcement, depending upon the scope of need. The CDC does not have any authority to act upon the restriction of people's activities, comings and goings.They can issue travel advisories, etc but they do not have the power to guard ingress and egress to an area or a single home.
The Homeland Security department does, and at least 1 home with H1N1 flu is currently " isolated", in Kansas.

Big difference, IMO.

 

[justthinkin]

(bold above by me)

Pun intended???

Humor aside, this is all good advice.

Especially the part about not panicking. The media will do that for you. Let them.

Ha. LOL, I confess, it was an unintentional pun.

 

[SeekingJana]

I am not chuckling at all. I just think the hype is ridiculous. It creates chaos and panic. And in no way would I even consider changing my plans of going to Mexico. I seriously doubt travel will be halted. I haven't heard that yet!

eta: it looks like some airlines have alerts for people traveling to Mexico City...that's it. Alerts only.

I hope you go without any further thought. I also hope that when you get there, the hotels, restaurants, night spots, etc are fully staffed. I hope the beaches are beautiful, depending on where you are going and I hope you have the time of your life.

 

[Sassygerl]

I hope you go without any further thought. I also hope that when you get there, the hotels, restaurants, night spots, etc are fully staffed. I hope the beaches are beautiful, depending on where you are going and I hope you have the time of your life.

You don't have to be so rude. I'm just not panicking like you, that's all. I'm certainly aware and will be cautious. I see you're in Texas....are you staying in?

 

[SeekingJana]

You don't have to be so rude. I'm just not panicking like you, that's all. I'm certainly aware and will be cautious. I see you're in Texas....are you staying in?

I said absolutely nothing rude to you. I wished you well on your trip, and expressed my hope that Mexico will have all their services back up and running when you arrive there.
What is rude about wishing you well?

No, I am not " staying in", nor is my family. I don't know anyone else who is either.

 

[Sassygerl]

I said absolutely nothing rude to you. I wished you well on your trip, and expressed my hope that Mexico will have all their services back up and running when you arrive there.
What is rude about wishing you well?

No, I am not " staying in", nor is my family. I don't know anyone else who is either.

You are so right...your words alone were not rude, but it was said with extreme sarcasm. But thank you for the well wishes

 

[stilettos]

Who's laughing? I just don't think anyone should unnecessarily panic. The fact is, the standard strain of the flu kills more people on this planet than any other strain. Because of the advances in medical care and anti viral meds, if the 1918 flu were to occur today it would not be as deadly as it was in 1918.

For everyone regarding any flu viruses, get the flu shot, if you get the flu "Stay home!" and get an anti viral from your doc.

You may well advocate getting the flu shot...as for me and my family we will opt out. I would prefer not to have monkey kidney cells injected into my body. This is what your vaccines are made out of. That and the fact that the vaccines we give our children in this country are outlawed in others as they are dangerous to the child's health. GMO's are illegal in Europe yet legal here...

 

[Kat]

I'm in TX, and I have to be honest and say looking at TX on a map gives no concept of exactly how *huge* it really is...driving across it does however! It's a massive state.

So, nope I'm not staying in or making my kids stay in either. But I do expect this community to be hit hard if it does become a wide spread outbreak. The reason I say that is this community is a very mobile one, and we have had outbreaks of other contagious diseases before most of the US, for instance MRSA. My son was hospitalized with MRSA in DEC 2004.


Just throwing my two cents in and it's exactly worth that too

 

[fortytwo]

One thing is different: Humans have never been inoculated against H1N1 influenza.
We have no natural resistance because the strain has never occurred in our lifetimes in humans, and we have no conferred resistance from vaccinations.

The CDC considered the H1N1 influenza important enough to send a team of epidemiologists to Antarctica when their research through newspaper archives determined that there were still-frozen corpses, probably explorers of the continent, of males who fell victim to the 1918 Spanish flu and died while in Antarctica.
The virus was isolated from their frozen tissues ( bodies were not embalmed) and H1N1 is being studied in the lab.
Prior to this time, no H1N1 influenza samples in humans existed ( once the 1918 survivors died of old age).

This is the major thing which makes H1N1 flu different from other more common variants. It also has the ability to mutate easily, from what I am reading.

(bold above by me)

This is pretty much utter drivel. I don't know what you're reading, or who is writing it, but it is by someone with either an abysmal lack of understanding of microbiology or an agenda which ignores simple fact to generate hysteria.

Or both.

Excerpt from a Wiki article on H1N1

H1N1 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus. The "H" refers to the Hemagglutinin protein, and the "N" refers to the Neuraminidase protein. H1N1 has mutated into various strains including the Spanish Flu strain (now extinct in the wild), mild human flu strains, endemic pig strains, and various strains found in birds. A variant of H1N1 was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide from 1918 to 1919.[1] A different variant exists in pig populations.

(red above by me)

Please note the use of the term 'variant' above, as well

Excerpt from a Wiki article on Influenza Type A

The Influenza A virus subtypes are labeled according to an H number (for the type of hemagglutinin) and an N number (for the type of neuraminidase). Each subtype virus has mutated into a variety of strains with differing pathogenic profiles; some pathogenic to one species but not others, some pathogenic to multiple species. Most known strains are extinct strains. For example, the annual flu subtype H3N2 no longer contains the strain that caused the Hong Kong Flu.

(red above by me)

I want to stress again that This Is What The Flu Virus Does.

Normally

...and Naturally.

 

[SuziQ]

You may well advocate getting the flu shot...as for me and my family we will opt out. I would prefer not to have monkey kidney cells injected into my body. This is what your vaccines are made out of. That and the fact that the vaccines we give our children in this country are outlawed in others as they are dangerous to the child's health. GMO's are illegal in Europe yet legal here...I could go on but you wouldn't agree. Continue swimming upstream.

How do you know that? And I was stating what the CDC themselves suggest.

 

[MistyM]

what kills the young healthy people is not pneumonia but a cytokine storm, which is when your body goes into overdrive producing so many white blood cells that you drown in your own fluids.

but anyways, i wouldn't panic, that just causes problems. think of it this way, not everyone will be infected by this, i mean not everybody gets the flu in any given year. if you practice handwashing, don't touch your mouth, nose or eyes when you go out and stay away from large crowds chances are you will be fine.

if the second wave comes (in 1918 the first wave happened in march/april and was quite gentle, but the second wave that came in august was the killer) just make sure you are alert and if your city/town goes under quarantine just sit tight, it takes about three months for it to pass. that is if it is anything like the 1918 flu. which it totally might not be.

i think that is why they are being very cautious and declaring states of emergency. i mean this thing could go either way we nobody knows. but just looking at it being a totally new strain it might copy the 1918 flu. more people lived than died of that flu. this isn't total world annihilation here. just alot of sick people.

 

[justthinkin]

I've been reading up on the H1N1 strains of flu virus, and found out they are now mostly resistant to Tamiflu. Yesterday I wasn't aware of that. So sadly our flu arsenal is shrinking; however, if anyone feels really panicked or just wants to be extra cautious, just go get a pneumonia shot. That will prevent the flu from going into pneumonia.

 

[stilettos]

How do you know that? And I was stating what the CDC themselves suggest.

I'm sorry...I just get frustrated sometimes. not meant personally. I should have deleted that before I posted. It's gone now.

 

[BigTex]

The key word is REPORTED. Apparently, Mexico under-reported cases until young people started dying. Then they asked the USA for help, and we found out what was going on down there. They DO have an epidemic in progress, and I don't know how actively they are distributing anti-viral medications or quarantining.

I wouldn't count on going at this point. It is expected that travel to and from Mexico to be halted within the next business day. Texas is already screening all people coming across the border, and officials in Texas are saying they are implementing the stoppage of all border crossings.

I sincerely doubt the Mexican officials under-reported cases until young people started dying. The flu kills 250k-500k people per year according the WHO (among countries who report - who knows in the more remote locations). The Mexican officials probably didn't report anything at first because it was not worthy of reporting it. In the US alone almost 100 people die *daily* from flu according the CDC. To shut down the borders, and presumably all shipping as well, would be a staggering blow to the Texas economy and the US economy. Obama most likely had the Homeland security issue the warning to allow for the release of the anti-viral meds and to ensure he shows "quick response" after watching Bush with Katrina.

I am also one going to Mexico in a few days and am not worried. I travel all over and always have to deal with possibility of other flus like the Avian in far east. Not a big deal.
-BigTex

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

This type of flu (swine ) is killing HEALTHY people. Where as the normal flu only kills the weak and elderly.

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

Those of you going to mexico better make sure that stuff is open. Because EVERYTHING is closed down right now, bars, resteraunts, hotels, nightclubs. Please before you go, make sure that things are opening up again, because I would hate for you all to go down there, and not do anything. Come TUESDAY, if there are still more cases in mexico, they will implement MORE shut downs.

 

[justthinkin]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/05/AR2005100501098.html

excerpt:
After 10 years of work, Taubenberger and his team succeeded in reconstructing the Spanish flu virus, which was responsible for the deadliest epidemic since the Black Death of the Middle Ages. Reborn in mid-August at a high-security laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the pathogen appears in animal experiments to be as lethal as it was in humans 87 years ago.

An opposing article from another I posted earlier:
http://www.prisonplanet.com/who-says-initial-findings-show-swine-flu-responds-to-tamiflu.html
According to this article Tamiflu is effective against this strain.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/who-swine-flu-could-trigger-global-pandemic.html
excerpt: Unheard of new strain is hybrid resulting from a combination of four different viruses

This is an entirely never before seen strain of swine flu. Edited to add that I'm not sure if this strain has been fully sequenced yet, and this is key, no matter what WHO is reporting. This could turn out to be the same as the 1918 virus, and as I posted earlier, it has been reconstructed.

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

They also said Indiana so far has no cases of the illness that has sickened 20 people in five other states, including neighboring Ohio, and killed 86 people in Mexico.

However, the Indiana State Department of Health has sent two flu specimens for tests at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and results could come back as early as Monday, state epidemiologist Jim Howell said. The flu in the specimens did not match other strains that Indiana has seen this year

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-swineflu-indiana,0,5712171.story

 

[Sassygerl]

Those of you going to mexico better make sure that stuff is open. Because EVERYTHING is closed down right now, bars, resteraunts, hotels, nightclubs. Please before you go, make sure that things are opening up again, because I would hate for you all to go down there, and not do anything. Come TUESDAY, if there are still more cases in mexico, they will implement MORE shut downs.

As far as I know that is Mexico City and I have no plans of going anywhere near there! Thanks for the heads up though.

ETA: I have not read one thing where EVERYTHING is closed.