Swine Flu

by **Lucky Luke** » April 28th, 2009

Just wondering how much coverage this is getting in other places?

In NZ we've just had about 30 school girls return from a trip to Mexico City and of about 15 reporting "flu-like symptoms", 3 have now been confirmed with swine flu.

The media is all over it, screening public awareness specials, detailing precautions being taken at airports, outlining the Govt's plan if swine flu goes pandemic, etc.

Is it getting this sort of attention everywhere or is TVNZ just having a slow news week?

Is anyone putting off travel plans to North/Central America or encountering problems leaving these areas as result?

[Mods: feel free to move to Health forum if you think best; I just thought this was quite topical and would get wider audience here]

by **MsLibrarian** » April 28th, 2009

I created a thread about this a few days ago and only one person responded. Seems like there is just no interest or people are busy with other things. I expected people to have more of a response.

I leave for Europe tomorrow night and I'm nervous that I may have to return early, etc.

We have 4 confirmed cases of the Flu here in Nova Scotia but they have been very mild and everyone has recovered. The big question here is why are people dyingin Mexico and onlyhaving mild cases of it elsewhere.

by **2wanderers** » April 28th, 2009

Panic sells newspapers everywhere.

The big question here is why are people dyingin Mexico and onlyhaving mild cases of it elsewhere.

More cases. 4 vs thousands. Even at a catastrophic 10% kill rate, 10% of 4 is less than 1. Some quick research says 149 dead in Mexico out of 2000 hospitalized, and of course there's no data for how many thousands might be sick at home. Seems like a bit of a stretch to call it a pandemic just yet.

I also imagine that the availability of quality medical care and a tamiflu stockpile help.

by **Miamc** » April 28th, 2009

The US media are all over it with their usual gusto. According to NPR last night, here in NY people are turning up at hopsitals asking to be checked for it even though they have no symptoms. And there was a sharp increase in calls to the city information hotline. NPR also interviewed someone from the Centers for Disease Control who said the puzzle of why it's so much more severe in Mexico is just that, a puzzle. They're also concerned that this strain seems to be much more easily transmittable than others. But they characterized it as an "outbreak" at this time, not an epidemic, and certainly not a pandemic.

Still, if I were traveling to Mexico I'd be concerned.

by **anniebanannie** » April 28th, 2009

The amount of coverage this is getting here is ridiculous. On any given day, I would bet more than 2K people have the regular flu, or a cold, etc. Is that a pandemic, then? There are also people dying of flus, pneumonia, etc. every day, and yet...I think the media just likes saying Swine Flu over and over again.

by **Lucky Luke** » April 28th, 2009

anniebanannie wrote: On any given day, I would bet more than 2K people have the regular flu, or a cold, etc. Is that a pandemic, then? There are also people dying of flus, pneumonia, etc.

Exactly my thoughts.
There was a report last night that one of the colleagues of the teachers from the DF trip was in quarantine with a sore throat. While, yes, she has potentially been exposed to the virus, I also think, with this sort of media hype, there is a huge potential for people to develop hysterical symptoms.
While it's better be safe than sorry, people freaking out over a runny nose is only going to place unnecessary strain on the health system and make it harder to help those legitimately unwell, be it with Swine Flu or an unrelated illness.

Here in NZ, we also have a Tamiflu stockpile, however the media is saying that it's likely to next to useless as this bug has a really high mutation rate and all mass immunisation is likely to do is select for resistance.

by **dopeyzn** » April 28th, 2009

Well i've had flu during this period in which the swine flu broke out... at first i thought it was just the regular, good old flu but now i think i have/had swine flu... last monday i went to Mexico at Disney's Epcot centre and i've been sick ever since :lol:

cough cough

by **PhotoChick** » April 29th, 2009

There may be a possible difference between when the average Mexican and the average American go to the doctor. Culturally, Mexicans go to the doctor later in an illness, so I'm guessing that their cases were further along when they got hospitalized.

Similarly, I am an avid China watcher and I saw an article in The Economist about how China is trying to change the way the Chinese people view going to the doctor. Medical fees are so high in proportion to their salaries that they only go as a last resort, in fear they will bankrupt their family. The fact that the Chinese government are even attempting to tackle this problem says to me that they are pretty damn afraid of another SARS, as well they should be. They have a 300 million strong migrant population that could unknowingly spread a disease in days. One real bad pandemic and who knows what kind of civil madness could go on....

PC

by **Jester** » April 29th, 2009

Interesting:

The following is the text of a letter written to all Priests of the Diocese of Corpus Christi by Bishop Edmond Carmody and distributed this afternoon:

Dear Brother Priests:

Due to the seriousness of the Swine Flu, which recently took the life of a child here in Texas, let us take the following measures as a precaution until the danger has passed:

(1) The chalice is not to be shared with the faithful during Mass. Holy Communion is to be given only in the species of the consecrated bread.

(2) Give Holy Communion in the hand and not on the tongue.

(3) The faithful should be encouraged not to hold hands during the Our Father and to share the sign of peace without touching hands or kissing.

(4) Priests, deacons and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should be encouraged to practice special hygiene before Mass begins.

(5) Encourage parishioners not to come to Mass when they are sick.

(6) If people come forward for a blessing at communion time, the blessing should be given without touching them.

(7) Care should be taken to make sure that people with celiac or special needs may receive communion in a manner appropriate to their condition.

Once the emergency of this danger has passed, we will immediately return to our traditional practices.

Let us pray for all those who are suffering from this dangerous influenza.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Edmond Carmody, DD

Bishop, Diocese of Corpus Christi

...so they're not anti-science all the time, only when convenient.

Flu is getting a lot of play up in Toronto, what with the relatively recent SARS issue. Apparently there are still stockpiles of emergency supplies from then. So that's a plus.

I know some people who have been in organizational 'pandemic planning' meetings for the past few days, it's pretty interesting stuff. Neat seeing how the company plans to continue business as usual when half the staff are gone.

by **zoomcharlieb** » April 29th, 2009

Jester said so they're not anti-science all the time, only when convenient.
Jester said

So having been raised Catholic and going to a Jesuit enlightened University (Seattle U) and having never run across an anti science bias, maybe you could explain yourself a little better, caused I must have missed the anti science classes you are referring to.

by **zoomcharlieb** » April 29th, 2009

jester, not picking on you any more than usual but your observation

Neat seeing how the company plans to continue business as usual when half the staff are gone.

gave me a chuckle cause if half the staff are sick, probably half your customers will be sick also, ergo no problemo, but I'm sure big corporations have to have these kinds of time wasting focus sessions so the personelle dept can show they are good for something.

by **Not the first Travis** » April 29th, 2009

dopeyzn wrote:... last monday i went to Mexico at Disney's Epcot centre and i've been sick ever since cough cough

Now that's funny. Except when it isn't.

It's different right now in Mexico.....I'm just relieved that I don't have to listen to the frothing media in the USA and elsewhere. That would make me seriously ill.

¡Saludos!

by **RalphTheWonderLlama** » April 30th, 2009

This:

"here in NY people are turning up at hopsitals asking to be checked for it even though they have no symptoms."

is obviously idiotic. However the desire for a good 24-hour rolling media news story seems insatiable and as such it's being reported here in the UK as if we're all going to die any minute. Yes, ok, we've gone from an epidemic warning level 3 to 4 (and today to 5), but we've been at 3 for years after bird flu and, to be honest, it's hard to know how we'd be anything less than 3 in the world we live in. Yes. we've had a few cases here in the UK but all of them thus far are recovering well after a mild case of the flu. So what?

Well, I guess the so what is that the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 started as a localised, no big deal outbreak, and yet killed 50 million people. Then again, our current globalised, 24-hour media ensures that communication channels are such that we have more warning and preparation than ever, and yet serve to scare us as never before.

It seems one can't win. Or can one? *cough*

by **Jester** » April 30th, 2009

zoomcharlieb wrote:So having been raised Catholic and going to a Jesuit enlightened University (Seattle U) and having never run across an anti science bias, maybe you could explain yourself a little better, caused I must have missed the anti science classes you are referring to.

It was Natural History 101. You probably remember it as this:

gave me a chuckle cause if half the staff are sick, probably half your customers will be sick also, ergo no problemo, but I'm sure big corporations have to have these kinds of time wasting focus sessions so the personelle dept can show they are good for something.

Meh. I get what you're saying about bureaucracy, and don't disagree, but I think large corporations require planning like this. They're not nimble enough to respond on the fly. I know there's another plan in the event of a 9/11-type incident, and one for a large-scale power outage like what happened in Ontario and the northeastern US back in ?2003?. I believe the pandemic plan saw its genesis in the wake of the SARS outbreak. This is what responsible corporations do. If an asteroid came and wiped out our head office we'd be able to continue (sustained) operations with a minimal amount of disruption.

Also the people I know aren't in the personnel dept, they're in Risk. Is it a waste of time? Probably some of it is, but not as much as not having something in place if worst comes to worst.

by **backlasher** » May 1st, 2009

Well, they closed three schools in Houston because one student in each of them had the flu. They were praised for their "vigorous response". If a co-worker gets sick maybe they'll close the company, with pay of course.