SWINE FLU PANDEMIC? Mx, NY, TX, KS...

[Catalina]

I just wanted to point out that the ER were I work is flooded on a normal day with patients that have these symptoms -

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting

I can't imagine what it will be like now with everyone worried about swine flu. We usually have a 2 - 3 hour wait time. Now?​

 

[mtnhomechick]

Tamiflu and several anti virals are effective for this strain.......so I read.......that's the good news.

The bad news is that the world is now GLOBAL......so different than the 1918 epidemic.

I, for one will not worry about this as worry does NO good. Whatever will be will be.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Ok, I am scared.

What are people supposed to do if they think they are sick with this?

Aren't the flu treatments only good if you take them within lik 36-48 hours of becoming symptomatic?

I feel a panic attack coming on...

 

[mom'sfolly]

Personally, I'm more worried about the darn pertussus outbreak in my county. I just read my e-mails, and there was one from the school nurse saying that they had a reported case at my kid's school. AARRRGGGHHH!!!!!

Vaccinate your kids, please. Whooping cough kills about 500,000 people worldwide every year, mostly young children. We've had several deaths in our area in the last few years.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

We very selectively vaccinate or kids and Whooping cough is one of the ones we made sure they got. And Tetnus...

 

[mtnhomechick]

Anyone who's had a flu shot is probably somewhat protected which would explain why the US cases are milder than Mexico. Wash hands....Wash hands.....Wash, Wash, Wash!!!

 

[Ec_Prokta]

Is this THAT serious?

 

[Rosalind]

Quote:
Not yet. Wait a while.

It's weird, actually--some people, the adults who died, seemed to go down quick, while most people who are getting it only get what amounts to a mild cold. There's some odd genetics at work there.

Wash your hands often! And for the love of pete, if you get even a mild sniffle, stay home and keep your germs to yourself! Don't spread 'em around and go to work/school sick.

They don't think it will be so bad in the US, as this strain responds to Tamiflu. And we have big stockpiles of Tamiflu because everyone was so afraid of the bird flu. We can just use the stockpiles we've already got. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's a LOT easier than trying to make more pills and dealing with the logistics nightmare of distributing them.

However, our public health infrastructure (hospitals, health care in general, ratio of medical staffatients who need help) is really in the toilet, and not a whole lot better than Mexico's. So, well...

As for how it got here, well, there is a deep and fast river of PEOPLE that runs north from Mexico all the way to the Canadian border, so... This is kinda what happens when so many industries rely on illegal labor to run factory farms and so forth. Lots and lots of untrackable people with poor health who have a vested interest in avoiding the attention of the authorities, all so we can have cheap strawberries in January.

 

[beak]

Quote:
Captain Tripps. At least I'm closer to Boulder than Las Vegas

I'm packing my lunches for awhile. Taking a thermos. Bought a box of face mask's last night. Maybe I should get some surgical gloves too.

 

[denasfarm]

Quote:
As for how it got here, well, there is a deep and fast river of PEOPLE that runs north from Mexico all the way to the Canadian border, so... This is kinda what happens when so many industries rely on illegal labor to run factory farms and so forth. Lots and lots of untrackable people with poor health who have a vested interest in avoiding the attention of the authorities, all so we can have cheap strawberries in January.

You must realize how many American people simply commute back and forth daily over the border? Spring breaking teens? and vacationers? Not to forget those on the airlines?
A friend of mines mom lives in Beleze and they just returned home last week from a few days visit. They visit pretty regularly so its not all about illegals...just normal traffic is enough to spread this thing.

And they are MUCH more worried about this in South America, Canada, and the UK than anything you will hear about here!