Swine Flu!

Someone may have already noted this, sorry if it is a repeat. The WHO labeling this as a level 5 pandemic is relative ONLY TO THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES affected, not to the severity of the disease. Pandemic means "An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world". So they are just tracking WHERE the flu virus is found.

That said, please take the (hopefully) normal precautions of washing hands often, staying home when sick, avoiding those who are sick, eating a healthy, balanced diet, etc. Good to be concerned, but don't panic.

Friday afternoon I heard on CNN that the swine flu will be no more severe that the regular flu season.
P. S

My personal opinion is media hype. Do you know that an average of 36,000 people a year die from complications of the regular flu?! I found that statistic on the CDC website. This is just another strain. And from what I understand, it is not any worse than the regular flu, and the swine flue is easier to treat because it is less resistant to Tamiflu. It will probably be used to push the government's agenda. But I really think people are making a bigger deal of it than it is. Of course, this is just one person's opinion...

In my opinion the media is making it worse. There are over 36,000 people die every year with the regular flu. I always use hand sanitizer after leaving a store. If you listen to Fox News they are being more realistic about it and have experts to tell you what to do. They say wash your hands a lot and if you are sick don't go out and don't be around people who are sick. This will blow over in a week or two.

Hi J.,

I would take extra precautions because this flu has mutated unlike others before it however, I see no reason to worry. The cases in the US have been mild. The deadly ones seem to be concentrated in Mexico. The young lady that is in the hospital with it in Lagrange just returned from a trip to Cancun, Mexico. WE will have to see if there are any outbreaks where she traveled before she got there (home to Kentucky, shopping in Atlanta and then the wedding in Lagrange.)

My recommendation to all, all the time, is keep your immune system strong. Teach your children that things don't go in their mouths, including their hands. That's a lesson that a lot of grown-ups haven't learned yet.

God bless! He's in control!

M.

They are not making a big deal over it. It is REAL! I am a nurse and we have gotten letters at work as well as the schools sending out letters to parents. You are doing right to stay abreast of new information. There has been at least one reported case in Georgia. We are at level 5 theat pandemically the higest level is 6... Just be very careful around anyone with flu like symptoms, practice meticulous handashing and don't go to Mexico if you can help it :) Have a blessed day!

The media is doing what the media always does when things like this happen , blow things out of proportion cause it makes a good story. Just make sure everyone washes their hands / uses hand sanitizer take their vitamins and eats healthy. The people that are getting this are people that have been to Mexico or been around someone who has.

I honestly think we need to close the boarder until this stuff blows over.

The best thing you can do is not panic and follow general good hygiene practices.

Hi J.,
While I'm not a medical person, it seems to me that we don't need to be too worried about it. This virus doesn't seem to be more severe than the usual flu season stuff, and we don't see people walking around in masks and staying home from schools in the US for that. That's the example given by a doctor friend of mine last night at dinner. If there are actually lots of reported cases in our town, then I might get concerned, but other than that, I'm not.

A.

My husband read that the World Health Organization had only confirmed 7 deaths - total - from this swine flu. Sounds too different from what the media is reporting so it does make me a little suspicious. But with precious ones under my care we are washing hands alot and running the other way when we hear coughs or sneezes.

Yes, the media is covering this story relentlessly, and THAT is the sole reason this flu hasn't been as deadly as it could be. You have to understand that is strain is different than the regular flu. The reason for the use of language like "Pandemic" is because there is an Unknown factor with this strain. The particular genetic make up of this strain has never been seen before....ever! As a result the CDC isn't exactly sure what will happen, how quickly it will spread, how sick people will get. I don't even think they knew it could spread from human to human (those having no contact with pigs) until this outbreak. Remember there is no vaccine or abbundance of drugs to treat this particular strain. One of the main fears the CDC had was that so many would get sick that the hospitals would be overwhelmed and not have enough drugs to treat everyone and people would end up dying from what seems to otherwise be a mild flu.

So I do not think it's media hype at all. Actually, the media attention is saving out lives because we are aware.... and we are washing our hands and paying attention to our mild fevers etc.. Luckily, it's turning out not to be as deadly in the U.S with proper medical care. But no one could be sure of that when this first started.

The media making a big deal out of something sensational? NO! NEVER!

LOL!

I don't know how worried we should be. I, like you, am very frustrated that we're being fed a lot of doomsday-panic-we're-not-closing-any-borders-people-are-dying but no FACTS. Is this deadlier than the flu that happens every year already? Do antibacterial products work or not? (hint: it's a virus - not a bacteria) Are face masks even worth the effort?

My take is this: be smart, be vigilant. Encourage handwashing and avoid sharing drinks, pacifiers, etc. Don't panic -- just be smart.

Here are some sites to check out if you haven't already.
http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%...

http://www.dhhs.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/swineflu_you.htm

Well, hundreds of schools HAVE already been closed. If that happened to your child's daycare, (even if it wasn't your child that was sick), would you have a back-up plan?

Yes, they ARE trying to get people's attention, to make people aware so that we alter our behavior, and maybe stay home from work if we're feeling like we're coming down with something, and be more vigilant about handwashing, especially with young children.

It's nothing to panic about, but it would be good to have a plan in case you or your child's daycare or school closes, even if he/she personally doesn't get sick. Can you take the time off? Can you bring a well child to your work or office? Or, if your child DOES get ill and can't return to daycare for a few weeks, can you take time off work without losing your job? If you get ill, would you want a relative or close friend to watch your child so you won't get him sick?

If you were planning on travelling, especially out of the country, it might be a good idea to hold off for a little while.

I keep hearing people say "the media has blown this out of proportion to generate news," but the World Health Organization has declared this outbreak to be a level 5 (out of 6) pandemic alert, I think it's safe to say they have a few folks at the WHO and CDC who know what they are talking about and we should be paying attention, and taking precautions. This is in the VERY early stages, (it's only what - 10 days old?), so perhaps it will be contained and not be very bad, but it *is* possible that this could become very widespread, so... pay attention, and be prepared to keep your family safe.

It's too soon to know how quickly this will spread of how lethal it will be, but it's possible this could go on for many months, so... keep your head. One troubling aspect of this flu is that the people it has killed were young healthy adults, whereas most outbreaks take the highest toll on the very young, the elderly or otherwise immune-compromised.

The infamous 1918 flu also hit those with strong immune systems the hardest (because it was the over-reaction of the immune system that actualy killed them)

The past 4 pandemics, a relatively mild spring outbreak was followed several months later by a much more deadly outbreak, and the "second wave" of the 1918 flu killed an estimated 70-100 million people, (still only 2.5 to 5% of those who were infected.)

I totally agree with MiMi H. take all precautions and educate your family, but don't live in fear just pray for you family and you will all be fine.

I agree with Mimi!! Keep in mind... the last outbreak of the Swine flu we had in the US, 1 person died from the illness, 30 died after getting the vaccine. Protect yourself by boosting your immune system and regular hand washing.

J.,
Here is a link to education world's kid's worksheet.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/newsforyou/pdfs/ne...

And a link from the American Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.org/pandemicflu

Bottom line: wash your hands and cover your coughs.

I think the whole thing is being blown up. A normal flu season results in thousands of flu related deaths and can cause 1/3 of school kids to be out and the swine flu has not resulted in any of this so far. If you look up articles about stats on a normal flu season it will put you at ease. My husband and I are actually traveling with our small kids next week to Mexico and are not canceling our trip as we don't feel it is a real threat to us. As long as you do the normal precautions you take during a normal sick season I think you will be fine.

I think the media blows everything out of proportion. Because your child is small and my children are small -one is an infant -I would be a little extra-vigilant regarding fevers or digestive sickness. Up the anti-bacterial hand washing and gel use, and if your child runs a fever or gets sick, call his doctor immediately and go from there. Most of us will not be affected, but when dealing with little kids, old people or anyone with a compromised immune system, it's better to be safe than sorry!

Hi J.,

First of all, influenza of any time thrives in a Vitamin D deficient host. So, adding 5000mg of D3 to your supplements and 2000mg to your kids will increase the likelihood that you will not be a good victim.

Secondly, for some reason they have not figured out yet, the strain that has come here (or the hosts that contract it here) are much milder cases...maybe sanitation differences?. I don't know the situation in the baby in Texas, but with exception of that, even those who caught it have faired well with recovery.

I had a little concern that set me back this week, but after speaking to my natural doctors as well as others educated in this area, I decided to boost my immune, wash my hands, and stop worrying. I am able to stay out of incredibly crowded indoor rooms, not sure everyone's situation though.

Best I can say, J.

Dear J., The following was taken off of www.mercola.com newsletter. To be concerned is a natural response when the media is making this such a big story. I like this article and the full one can be read by going to the website.
Mercols reports:
“As of May 1, 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 363 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection and only ten deaths in the ENTIRE world from this illness. At this time ALL of the deaths are from people born in Mexico. Why Mexico? Well overcrowding, poor nutrition and overall poor immunity, all of which are indigenous to Mexico will radically increase your risk of death from almost any infection.. Interestingly there are no official reports of just who these people are that died. Are they elderly or infirm people, are they already chronically ill? Are they under 5 years old? Or perhaps someone who could just as easily be killed by the common cold or a slip and fall? These are important questions that have not been answered.”

”The number of fatalities, and suspected and confirmed cases across the world change depending on the source, so your best bet -- if you want the latest numbers -- is to use Google Maps' Swine Flu Tracker. There is also an experimental version for Mexico.”
“The United States has had 141 confirmed cases, and one death BUT no deaths from US Citizens. On April 29th CNN reported the first swine fatality in the US, however this was actually a child from Mexico that died in Texas. It is important to note that nearly all suspected new cases have been reported as mild. Personally, I am highly skeptical. It simply doesn't add up to a real pandemic. But it does raise serious questions about where this brand new, never before seen virus came from, especially since it cannot be contracted from eating pork products, and has never before been seen in pigs, and contains traits from the bird flu -- and which, so far, only seems to respond to Tamiflu. Are we just that lucky, or... what?” See the complete article on www.mercola.com
This other report came from the Toronto Sun 2-27-09: “A large consignment of seasonal flu vaccine, which was due to be circulated to 18 European countries, has been infected with deadly live avian flu virus. Had the contamination not been detected, the vaccine may have started an avian flu pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands of people.”The World Health Organization is carrying out the investigation at the Austrain research facility of Baxter International, the pharmaseutical company where the contamination happened.”
This company has very large contracts with many governments and you can see that this is possible. I do nbot know the outcome of this investigation but I am concerned that we now have a strange flu outbreak they call the “Swine” flu.

There are no easy answers but I want to invite all the Mom’s and Dads’s to come to the 2009 International Vaccine Risk Symposium, May 15, 2009 at the downtown Charleston Marriott. This will be a full day with top doctors from around the world discussing the childhood vaccine program and the swine flu in great detail. They will show how the vaccines can lead to autism, siezures, ADHD, learning problems and much more. This conference is for all parents, educators, grandparents and people who may be confused by conflicting information. Day 2 is for parents who are interested in helping to recover their children suffering with the previous mentioned ilnesses. Tickets are usually $99 for the full day but I am offering them to you at $20 per day. For information, call me at ###-###-#### and mention this response to get the special ticket price.

About me, I am a vaccine researcher for 30 years and international speaker, producer of DVD, "Are Vaccines Safe", Mother to 5 grown children and a natural healthcare advocate who now lives in Charleston. My number is 2331-###-###-#### with questions.

I wouldn't be scared and paranoid about it, but I would be prepared. What we did in our family is make sure we have on hand something called "Super Garlic Immune Formula" found at www.herbsfirst.com.

I had the flu once as a child and once as an adult (we don't do the vaccines) and then I almost got it again and used the above (because I had found out about it by then) and used it and I was fine by the end of the day. Yep!

This stuff is well, just what it says SUPER GARLIC! NASTY, NASTY, NASTY, NASTY Stuff! But, when you are desparate as I was and my husband...you take the stuff. Tablespoon every hour if infected, which we were. AWesome results!!

Thankfully, they now have the extract of it instead of the syrup (tablespoon). Extract will be less. You can actually make your own. If you want more info on a bigger bottle (a quart) and how to make your own..let me know.