Public Health Emergency

[~ Parrot Bay ~]

"American health officials on Sunday declared a public health emergency over increasing cases of swine flu, saying that they had confirmed 20 cases of the disease in the United States and expected to see more as investigators fan out to track down the path of the outbreak.

Officials said they had confirmed eight cases in New York, seven in California, two in Kansas, two in Texas and one in Ohio, and that the cases looked to be similar to the deadly strain of swine flu that has killed more than 80 people in Mexico and infected 1,300 more."

-----"In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said eight students at St. Francis Prepatory School in Queens have tested positive for swine flu. More than 100 students at the school were absent with flu-like symptoms last week, he said."

-----"Canada confirmed its first cases of swine flu on Sunday, with four people said to have the virus in the eastern province of Nova Scotia, health officials said."

-----"In New Zealand, officials said 22 students and three teachers back from a three-week-long language trip to Mexico may have been infected with the swine flu virus. Fourteen have shown flu-like symptoms, with four "more unwell than others," said Dr. Julia Peters, clinical director of Auckland Regional Public Health Service. It is not clear whether anyone else who was on the plane with them has shown signs of the disease."

-----"Israel, New Zealand, Spain, France and Canada have reported suspected cases after citizens from those countries returned home from Mexico."

-----"Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities until further notice because of the virus."

-----"Governments including China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to put anyone with symptoms of the deadly virus under quarantine"

-----"Nations are issuing travel warnings for Mexico and the United States."

[springparrot]

Should we be panicking people????

[flipflopgirl]

Yup...we got faxes and emails at work last night from the CDC.....

[~ Parrot Bay ~]

I work with and have family members of local/state Health Departments. All of them have said it's not a question of if, but when something catastrophic will happen. To the point, everyone will be asked to stay home for months. Most of them I know are stockpiling supplies.

There are just too many resistant strains of infections, flu, ect. going around right now. Just a matter of time before a resistant strain of something like the plague pops up.

[aeroparrot]

How true is it that some of this is because of all the introduction of anti-bacterial products are causing this (like anti-bacterial soap, etc) to some extent? Meaning that we, as a species, don't have the natural "immunization" to these bacterias to ward them off.

[buffettbride]

antibacterial soaps are the devil.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

antibacterial soaps are the devil.

I agree, Mal, along with the over prescribing of antibiotics. We've created this monster, can't really blame anyone or anything else.

The "P" word (pandemic) is being tossed around a lot here in Cali, along with AZ, NM, TX and all places with porous borders. I can clearly see how easily it can spread. Take one of the schools where I worked. It was a 4th-6th elementary, about 98% hispanic. The partner school was prek-3rd. Large families, with many family members traveling back and forth to Mexico. Not the best medical care or living conditions. I can picture how fast something like this could spread through that population. Then you throw in their contact with the general public, plus itinerant teachers/staff who go back and forth between several schools....YIKES. These are the very places where we should be extra vigilant and families should be informed, but I can pretty much bet that it's not happening.

This strain is scary....it has elements of swine, bird and human flu. I'm afraid things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

[tikitatas]

Canadians returning within the last 10 days have been urged to see a doctor if they have flu-like symptoms . . .

[Sanjuro's tequila]

Thanks, but I think I will hold out on going insane with panic just yet if its all the same.

Precautions certainly, but it would have to mutate into something more dangerous before I got really worried.

[UpstateNYPH]

This is an interesting one. Shutting down the border is not an option that is on the table as far as I have heard (I dont know if it could even be done without major economical destructions). Even after it was shut down you still have people coming from other countries that may be infected from recent trips to Mexico.

This could be a mess if it is not caught in time.

Have we heard anything from Obama on this yet?

[pbans]

Fiddle-dee-dee.......I'll worry about it tomorrow....

[ph4ever]

wash your hands and wash them often

[bbqmonster]

I will let someone else come up with the caption.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Thanks, but I think I will hold out on going insane with panic just yet if its all the same.

Precautions certainly, but it would have to mutate into something more dangerous before I got really worried.

My sister's close friend, a healthy 43 year old, was fine on Thursday 3 weeks ago, started feeling poorly on Saturday, and was dead by Tuesday, from the flu. It's already dangerous....

That said, panicking won't help. Hand washing and standard flu season precautions will.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

I will let someone else come up with the caption.

Bacon.....

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I don't think anyone is panicking...yet. But you should at least be aware, not sticking your head in the sand. Most folks who have flu symptoms usually ride it out, rarely seeking medical help. Right now it might be prudent to go to the doc just to make sure it isn't swine flu. Here in Cali all docs are now testing for it if their patients come in with flu like symptoms.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I will let someone else come up with the caption.

Bacon.....

Margapiggyville?

[ph4ever]

Thanks, but I think I will hold out on going insane with panic just yet if its all the same.

Precautions certainly, but it would have to mutate into something more dangerous before I got really worried.

My sister's close friend, a healthy 43 year old, was fine on Thursday 3 weeks ago, started feeling poorly on Saturday, and was dead by Tuesday, from the flu. It's already dangerous....

That said, panicking won't help. Hand washing and standard flu season precautions will.

I'm sorry to hear of her death however I'm wondering if she had this particular strain of the flu? According to what I've read the CDC says no deaths in the USA as yet.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I will let someone else come up with the caption.

Bacon.....

Margapiggyville?

or..................


Blew out my pork chop...

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Thanks, but I think I will hold out on going insane with panic just yet if its all the same.

Precautions certainly, but it would have to mutate into something more dangerous before I got really worried.

My sister's close friend, a healthy 43 year old, was fine on Thursday 3 weeks ago, started feeling poorly on Saturday, and was dead by Tuesday, from the flu. It's already dangerous....

That said, panicking won't help. Hand washing and standard flu season precautions will.

I'm sorry to hear of her death however I'm wondering if she had this particular strain of the flu? According to what I've read the CDC says no deaths in the USA as yet.

I doubt it was swine flu, but don't know if they did any testing. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there had been deaths in the U.S. but they went undetected as swine flu because no one was watching for it. I meant that any flu can be dangerous.