Posts: 388
Threads: 22
Joined: Jan 2009
What's interesting to note is the way in which different people are reacting to the same issue; as one may be fearful while another scoffs. As for myself, I'm wondering (without panic) if this may be the calm before the storm. To date, it's mild but what bothers me is that it may be mutating, and we must bear in mind that while the "flu season" is over, this virus is still spreading. The swine flu of 1918 killed about the same number of Americans as were lost in the Civil War, our biggest taker of lives, and global deaths were about the same as World War 2. In both instances, it happened in a fraction of the time span; and the primary delivery system was a cough rather than bullets, bombs, and nukes. Let's also bear in mind that the world population is considerably greater than it was back in those days. Good news is that "we're" close to having a vaccine and the bottom line to the issue is that once it's over, I'd rather be laughing than crying; alive rather than dead.
Below is my edit. I also changed one word from above.
As a point of reference, this thread was posted just 33 days ago. The last numbers I heard, of which I'm fairly sure are outdated by now, put the number of confirmed world-wide infected at more than
10,000. In a world of billions, the number is laughable, yet we should remain sober because it's happening in the off-season, and if nothing else, something new has been added to the environment that can kill us, and we've already seen what its nasty cousin can do.
Posts: 1,243
Threads: 55
Joined: Feb 2008
I wasn't afraid of it. I got it. I have been in bed a week. However it is not worse than any other flu I have ever had except that while it started out viral, I also developed strep throat in the mix. Coughing with a sore throat is no fun. I am actually glad I got it now, as when it comes back in the fall I won't be catching it then!
And I agree, The Great Influenza is a good book!
BTW, my Dr. said that the CDC takes 12-15 days to report a case to the local health authorities and so there are probably many more cases than reported currently. She alone has seen 4 cases this week. They are most concerned about school aged children, as that is where it spreads like wildfire.
It is really not that awful, just a forced vacation in bed.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
Posts: 4,533
Threads: 241
Joined: Jan 2006
quote:
Originally posted by mella l...I washed my hands every opportunity I had and didn't get sick luckily...
mella l
Glad you made it home safe!
That was the best advice given to me by a doc when I had to deal with small children all day...
Wash your hands often and well. Don't pick your nose or rub your eyes.... And cover your mouth when you cough ... and then go wash your hands...
And I have a questions for those that know these things - why do construction guys, and moms get sick less than anyone else (it seems)?
Posts: 1,243
Threads: 55
Joined: Feb 2008
Cat... also you should cough into your arm, not your hands.
Good questions about Moms and Construction Guys.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
Posts: 315
Threads: 28
Joined: Oct 2006
Slightly different take on this thread..
I am not personally terribly concerned about this particular virus. As someone without health insurance, all the advice about hand washing and such has become habit over the past 4 years, pretty successfully. That said, I do have two personal observations...
My grandmother on my Mom's side died in the 1918 flu outbreak. It was devastating for her family, and my Mom ended up spending several years in an orphanage because of loss of her mother. I am not going to comment on the reason why my grandfather did this rather than care for the large number of children. Different times. However, it had a lasting effect on their lives. Pandemics are not to be taken lightly, both in the lives lost and lives impacted in bad ways.
I contracted the "Hong Kong" flu as a teenager in 1968, and spent a week or more in misery, and remember very little of what happened during that time, despite it being a very special family time. Really really really sick and miserable, and memories are shady of those days. It took a couple of weeks to get feeling really better.
Finally, over the years I've worked in many offices where people arrived at work sick -- have even done it myself in the past when it was required. This is insane. If you are sick, stay home and away from people to stop the infection cycle. Employers who respects the need for sick leave or at least compassionate treatment of their employees, are acting completely correctly. Yes, it may cost them effort, money and such, but in the long run they gain from their respectful treatment of their employees. This goes for kids of those parents as well. No child should be sent to school ill, and employers should recognize the need for parental leave for employees with sick children. Besides, do you want the parents spreading it around the office and the kids around their school???
So, got a good employer who does business in the Puna community who respects their emplyees' needs? Show your support of their respect by spreading the word that these are good folks and deserve our business.
-- side note -- misuse of sick leave benefits is equally as bad. We need to be pono with our employers and our employees. It's a two-way street. I've been on management and staff sides of this, and misuse or mistreatment benefits neither side.
Jane
Posts: 218
Threads: 10
Joined: Dec 2005
Cat -
Don't know about construction workers, but have a friend back in New York who runs a small day-care. Never saw her place without runny noses and/or bottoms. And she has always been 100% healthy.
Her pediatrician said it was because she is constantly exposed to every bacterium/virus in existence from their very inceptions and she could build up an immunity before they became virulent. Guess moms fall into this category.
Of course, any other person who set foot into her domain - for no matter how short a time - got whatever was going around at the time!
Posts: 255
Threads: 7
Joined: May 2006
Oh My Goodness Devany, thats horrible!!! We Hope you get to feeling better asap!
Did the doctor say how they concluded you have H1N1?
My understanding of testing for swine flu influenza A(H1N1)is that clinics, doctors offices, hospitals, ect. can only do a local "RAPID" test that shows if you have Type A Influenza or Type B. If your sample shows positive for Type A, your test will be sent to the CDC and the H1N1 test will be performed, it can take 2-3 days for the results to be known.
As there is NO Rapid Swine Flu test available. Beijing-Hong Kong is currently the only country seeking to develop a Rapid H1N1 test. Here in the US it will usually take the C.D.C. 2-3 days to verify H1N1 influenza is present in a sample. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30437688/
I am curious if there is a faster and better test out now??
That would be a great first step, if so....
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Posts: 1,243
Threads: 55
Joined: Feb 2008
No fast test. They did a swab and sent it somewhere, not sure where. They called me the next afternoon, I guess that was about 36 hours turn around time. One thing they did say that you cannot even get tested if it has been more than 5 days since the onset because there is not enough of the virus present. I was right on the bubble, I went on the 5th day. The worst part was that I had also developed strep throat and had to go on a whole different kind of meds for that. Constantly Coughing with strep throat is not fun. At least this flu does not have much in the way of stomach issues, it is mostly respiratory. I still cannot hear out of one ear, except for the ringing in it. The cough is still present but the sore throat is finally gone as of this morning. [  ]
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
Posts: 388
Threads: 22
Joined: Jan 2009
Earlier this morning, I spoke to my daughter, who is a nurse in Connecticut and she tells me that in her little circle of friends, no one is concerned.
I did a bit of Googling and came up with the following data. It comes from 2 sources (L.A. Times and the Desert Sun), and here it is:
Total USA probable cases in 49 states are 8,975 with 15 dead, however, the total infected is estimated to be as high as 100,000 (takes into account those who were sick but didn't seek medical care). The L.A. Times also reports (as an fyi) that in 1957, there were Summer outbreaks of the so-called Asian Flu that would later become a pandemic and kill 70,000 people world-wide.
The Desert Sun reports the total current Swine Flu numbers are 15,500 in 50 countries with 99 dead, and that Mexico has 4,900 infections and 85 dead.
According to the combined data, and using round numbers, the USA and Mexico alone account for roughly 14,000 of the 15,500 confirmed cases, and all of the deaths. I suspect this isn't quite accurate but it's still nothing to get too worked up about, however, the virus does continue to infect during this early stage in the off-season.
Also as an fyi, Hawaii now has 85 cases.
Posts: 1,062
Threads: 43
Joined: Apr 2009
Hawaii State Department of Health Swine Flu Chart for Hawaii:
[url][/url]http://hawaii.gov/health/about/H1N1.html
|
