News Reports for April 28, 2009

Mexico City Swine Flu Photographs

Really good images with descriptions and stories. Will be updated over time.

http://www.photoshelter.com/ga...

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by: magdelaine @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 23:17:10 PM CDT

Important change to FDA rules re anti flu medication use

I don't know if this has been posted: I didn't see it but there's been so much news I could have missed it. If so forgive the duplication, but it seems like an important change.

FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Influenza Medicines, Diagnostic Test in Response to Swine Flu Outbreak in Humans
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in response to requests from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has issued Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) to make available to public health and medical personnel important diagnostic and therapeutic tools to identify and respond to the swine flu virus under certain circumstances. The agency issued these EUAs for the use of certain Relenza and Tamiflu antiviral products, and for the rRT-PCR Swine Flu Panel diagnostic test.

The EUA authority allows the FDA, based on the evaluation of available data, to authorize the use of unapproved or uncleared medical products or unapproved or uncleared uses of approved or cleared medical products following a determination and declaration of emergency, provided certain criteria are met. The authorization will end when the declaration of emergency is terminated or the authorization revoked by the agency.

Currently, Relenza is approved to treat acute uncomplicated illnesses due to influenza in adults and children 7 years and older who have been symptomatic for less than two days, and for the prevention of influenza in adults and children 5 years and older. Tamiflu is approved for the treatment and prevention of influenza in patients 1 year and older.
The EUAs allow for Tamiflu also to be used to treat and prevent influenza in children under 1 year, and to provide alternate dosing recommendations for children older than 1 year. In addition, under the EUAs, both medications may be distributed to large segments of the population without complying with the label requirements otherwise applicable to dispensed drugs, and accompanied by written information pertaining to the emergency use. They may also be distributed by a broader range of health care workers, including some public health officials and volunteers, in accordance with applicable state and local laws and/or public health emergency responses.

MORE

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/...

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 23:21:19 PM CDT

Hospitals swamped as Mexicans panic

By Michael Vincent for The World Today
Posted 21 minutes ago
Updated 6 minutes ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/sto...

Residents in Mexico City say the capital is beginning to resemble a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie as the outbreak of swine flu claims more lives and residents flee the city.

The virus is believed to have killed 149 people in Mexico and there are cases in the United States, Canada, Scotland, Israel, South Korea, New Zealand and Spain.

No cases have been confirmed in Australia, but five people are being kept in isolation in NSW; 10 in Queensland; and three in Tasmania.

This morning the World Health Organisation raised its pandemic alert level, and pilots and aircrew coming into Australia from the Americas now have to tell authorities if any of their passengers have flu-like symptoms.

Mexican authorities have guaranteed that anyone who is infected will be treated, but there is concern and even a growing sense of alarm across the country.

There are reports that medical supplies to combat the flu have been sold out and only government stocks remain.

Even those whose job it is to treat the dead and dying appear to be panicking.

Jorge Martinez Cruz says his son-in-law, who is being treated for suspected swine flu, was stopped from getting emergency transport to hospital.

"The girl in the ambulance told him to step down, that he was going to contaminate everybody in the ambulance," he said.

"I think that was terrible."

And he says when they got to hospital it took seven hours before his son-in-law was treated.

"Today, at around 4:00pm the doctors finally saw us; we were here since 9:00am this morning," he said.

"It is not fair, they keep saying that the doors are open for us, but I went to the other clinic this morning and only to get some injection they charged me 900 pesos ($90)."

'People are alarmed'

Even outside the capital, hospitals are being overrun by people coming in with general coughs and colds.

Dr Suyen Urrutia is the medical coordinator at the emergency room of the Red Cross Hospital at Lazaro Cardenas, just outside Mexico City.

She says the hospital has had dozens of people coming to its doors but she says there has not been one case of swine flu.

"Really we're just treating people for their panic; before [the outbreak] they wouldn't have worried about a respiratory illness," she said.

"Now whenever they feel symptoms like sore throats or generally unwell they turn up here. But until now there's not even been one person that has this flu.

"People are alarmed. More than anything because the Government hasn't handled the public information very well."

Dr Urrutia says despite being overrun, staff will continue to treat whoever turns up because the virus can kill within three to seven days.

[snip]

Residents flee

Epidemiologists are still working to pinpoint the source of the outbreak.

At least two weeks after the first swine flu case, the Mexican Government has yet to say where and how the epidemic began or to give details on the victims.

The closest it has come is to say the first suspected case of the swine flu was detected in the southern state of Oaxaca.

Under an emergency decree issued at the weekend by President Felipe Calderon, health workers have been authorised to isolate patients and enter and search their homes to combat the flu.

But today Mexico's Health Secretary said his department lacked the staff to carry out that decree.

Most of the victims so far are from Mexico City and Mayor Marcelo Ebrard made this promise today.

"In the first place we have to guarantee, in combination with the federal health secretariat, the distribution of medicine to every person doctors suspect could have the influenza virus," he said.

But that guarantee hasn't been enough to stop people leaving Mexico City.

Adriana Beltran and her sons, aged four and two, planned to fly out overnight to another state after locking themselves in their home for four days.

"I think a lot of people is going out but I think a lot of people, they already went out," she said.

"I cannot imagine wanting to stay here in this sort of quarantine in (our) houses with difficulties (to get) everything; eight more days here inside the house.

"I want to go out of this place and go to a safer place for some days."

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by: Pixie @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 23:35:22 PM CDT

Swine flu: Latest updates (worldwide)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/worl...
(Excerpts)

Australia: Ten Queenslanders are being tested for deadly swine flu and one passenger has been detained after returning to Australia from Los Angeles displaying symptoms. Two other people in Queensland were cleared of the virus yesterday after exhibiting symptoms and another two were cleared during the weekend.

China: Scientists in Hong Kong are trying to develop a test that will cut the time it takes to diagnose the new swine flu strain from a few days to a few hours.

Mexico: Two weeks after the first known swine flu death, Mexico still hasn't given medicine to the families of the dead.

New Zealand: New Zealand health officials are now investigating 56 more possible cases of swine flu. Ten people from Rangitoto College have already tested positive for influenza A and a further 56 people who have recently returned from America or Mexico and have flu-like symptoms are being tested. All but 18 of the 356 passengers on NZ1 - the flight the Rangitoto College students were on - have been contacted.

South Korea: A South Korean citizen is being tested for possible swine flu, one of three people reported to have swine flu symptoms after trips to Mexico.  The two others have tested negative.

U.S.: The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the US has risen to 48 after further testing was carried out at a New York City school.

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by: AlohaOR @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 23:38:26 PM CDT

1918's Killer Pandemic Provides Cautionary Tale, Global Plans

By Elizabeth Lopatto
Last Updated: April 28, 2009 00:00 EDT

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Doctors don't know yet if the swine flu that's killed at least 149 people in Mexico is more like the 1918 form of influenza that left 50 million people dead, or a 1976 version that was fatal to just one.

Either way, the lessons learned from past pandemics in 1918, 1958 and 1968 may help lessen the severity of the current threat, said Barry Bloom, a professor at Harvard University's school of public health in Boston. The most basic precautions, including hand washing, avoiding close contact with the sick and covering the nose and mouth during coughs and sneezes, remain the same, according to the World Health Organization.

A flu pandemic that's similar in scope to the 1918 pandemic could kill 71 million people worldwide and push the economy into a "major global recession" costing more than $3 trillion, according to a worst-case scenario published by the World Bank in October. An outbreak that follows the route of the 1976 event could end up doing little more than frightening people enough so they increase their precautions.

It's just too early to tell, Bloom said. "The answer to virtually everything is that no one knows enough yet," Bloom said in a telephone interview. "The flu is incredible in its unpredictability."

The WHO raised its pandemic alert level yesterday to four from three, acknowledging the growing threat of a global outbreak. Still, it's not inevitable that swine flu will continue to grow as a problem, said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general for health security and environment.

Public Health Emergency

The U.S. government has already declared swine flu a public health emergency. Signs that the threat is growing to pandemic levels may jumpstart health plans based on assumptions from the 1918 influenza epidemic, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Some people will be infected and won't show symptoms, the assumptions suggest. That could help extend individual outbreaks to 6 to 8 weeks, with events that include multiple communities lasting two to three months, according to the HHS web site.

Community plans should include the possibility that hospital services, banks, stores, restaurants and post offices won't function. As a result, the HHS suggests storing a two week supply of water and food. Nonperishable items that may be useful in a pandemic include canned meats and vegetables, dry cereal, canned juice, crackers, and granola, the HHS says.

The first precautionary steps by the U.S. government have already been taken. The Strategic National Stockpile will release a quarter of its antiviral drugs to help respond to the outbreak, according to information on the CDC Web site.

Age Distribution

The most striking similarity between 1918 and the current flu is the age distribution of the people who died, Bloom said. The seasonal flu typically kills infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and the chronically ill. The 1918 pandemic, by contrast, killed a disproportionate number of people between the ages of 20 and 40, according to the CDC.

"In 1918, the mortalities occurred in healthy people in their twenties, which is what we're seeing in Mexico," said Bloom. "That's a bit of a worry."

The median age of infection in the U.S. is 16, affecting people from ages 7 to 54 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The 1918 flu was first reported in March of that year, in Kansas's Haskell County, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The flu then became dormant in the U.S. for the summer, re-emerging in a more severe form in the fall of 1918, with a final wave of illness in spring of 1919.

13 Soldiers

It's still too early to know whether the current disease is more like 1918 or 1976, when an outbreak of swine flu broke out in Fort Dix, sickening 13 soldiers and killing one, said James Thomas, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina's school of public health.

Because influenza is difficult to model, it's hard to predict how the virus will spread, Thomas said.

"In 1976, people acted before thinking things through fully," Thomas said. "This is not the time to overreact. It's still early, and we don't know how serious it will be. It could be mild."

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 23:42:49 PM CDT

Link to story

is here: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/...

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by: AlohaOR @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 23:46:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Juarez, Mexico Has 4 Suspect Cases

(Posted by HistoryLover)
http://www.elpasotimes.com/new...
April 27, 2009
El Paso:  U.S. health officials said Monday that Juárez has reported four suspected cases of swine flu, and as a precaution, schools were closed.  The swine flu has killed more than 145 people and sicked 2,000 others in Mexico.  Dr. Michael Hill, the city's public health director, said he recently received the information about the cases Juárez. Health authorities there are waiting for confirmation from a government laboratory that the cases involve swine flu.

A Chihuahua state government announcement said, "We're asking parents not to take their children to school later (Monday), because they will find the schools closed."
The Autonomous University of Juarez (UACJ) also notified the community that its campus would be closed until May 6.

Also on Monday, Texas state and city of El Paso health officials said flu surveillance is being conducted to monitor for any cases of swine flu. Texas has reported three cases of swine flu, all near San Antonio.  El Paso health officials asked parents not to send their children to school or daycare if they exhibit flu symptoms: high fever, lethargy, headache, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

El Paso schools remain open.  Dr. Michael Hill, the city's public health director, said anti-viral medications from federal stockpiles will be available if they become necessary.  He said the city Department of Public Health laboratory can test for viruses, but if the local lab cannot identify the virus, then the specimen is sent to the state lab in Austin.
If Texas health officials cannot isolate the virus, then they will forward the specimen to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.  El Paso and San Diego have CDC quarantine stations, but no lab facilities.

"We are dealing with a new virus, which means people have not been able to develop immunity to it," said Dr. Luis Escobedo, an official with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Hector Ocaranza, a pediatrician, said health authorities are still puzzled by why the flu cases in Mexico have been so deadly compared to the cases in the United States, which have been relatively mild.  Customs and Border Protection officers at the El Paso and New Mexico international bridges are on the alert for motorists or pedestrians who may have flu symptoms.  Roger Maier, spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, said bridge officials were passing out a Traveler's Health Alert Notice, which has information about swine flu symptoms.

"If our officers encounter someone who is sick, then they will give the person a medical mask. Our officers also have protective kits for themselves," Maier said. "If they deem it necessary, they refer them to the CDC office."  

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by: AlohaOR @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 00:03:47 AM CDT

Per above figures, the cfr in Mexico is now 7.45%, up a full percentage point from where it was yesterday and day before. n/t

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 00:22:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

HFR is 7.45%. Not CFR. Please be careful with stats.

The numbers are based on deaths compared to #s hospitalized.

We don't know case #s yet, so can't know the CFR.

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

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by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:06:21 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Article doesn't SAY hospitalized.

The swine flu has killed more than 145 people and sicked 2,000 others in Mexico.

Where did you get the data these were only cases that were hospitalized?

Reports say panicked people are going to hospitals and clinics all over Mexico, and out of these no doubt tens of thousands of people the reports say 2000 sickened,not hospitalized.

Please explain your reasoning if you will

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 00:01:26 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Swine Flu Found In NYC Office

This person's office is in Times Square:

CBS News: Woman Diagnosed From Ernst &Young Became Ill After Contact With Family Member

April 27, 2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...

(CBS) A case of swine flu has confirmed at the offices of a top accounting firm in New York City, reports CBS News' Ryan Corsaro and Chris St. Peter.

Ernst & Young employees who work in the company's Times Square offices in Manhattan were notified Monday that an employee had been diagnosed with swine flu.

"A staff member at 5 Times Square became ill Sunday after contact with a family member who had been exposed to the virus. She has now been treated, is resting at home and is doing well," employees were told in a company e-mail sent Monday.

The Ernst & Young employee infected with swine flu had not been at work since last Thursday.

[snip]

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by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 00:11:34 AM CDT

US count, 50 cases

http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom...

[SNIP]
The confirmed U.S. cases included 28 at a private high school in New York City, 13 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio. Only one American case has led to a hospitalization.
[CONTINUES]

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

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by: Oremus @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 00:27:34 AM CDT

Flu threat spreads to Marlborough, New Zealand

Twenty people from the top of the south are now being checked for possible swine flu infection, including seven in Marlborough.

The Nelson Marlborough public health service is aware of 10 people who flew into New Zealand on Flight NZ1 from Los Angeles last Saturday as well as eight people from Flight NZ5. A further two travellers from Mexico or the United States who entered the country during the past two weeks are also being followed up.

Medical officer of health Jill Sherwood said assessing the passengers on Flight NZ1 that arrived on April 25 is the priority, as that flight carried the Auckland Rangitoto College students who have been confirmed as having Influenza A. "We have had 20 passengers from this flight come to the Nelson Marlborough region. Thirteen in Nelson Tasman and seven in Marlborough. Six of these people report influenza-like symptoms," Dr Sherwood said. All passengers were being given antiviral medicine and had been asked to stay in isolation.

Tamiflu is recommended only for travellers on Flight NZ1 as a precautionary measure in case they have been exposed to the swine influenza virus which has so far killed an estimated 149 people in Mexico. Dr Sherwood said the people who had displayed symptoms were being followed up at home and all have mild symptoms.

"We have 17 other people that we are following up, including some from the flight that had the Northcote students on. These students have not tested positive for influenza A," said Dr Sherwood adding that some of these people are in voluntary isolation.

Public health service district manager Peter Bassett said the 20 people identified in Nelson Marlborough have had swabs taken for testing, results of which should be through by Thursday.

Meanwhile, local pharmacists are experiencing a slight increase in customers asking for the anti-viral treatment Tamiflu, stocks of which are high after the bird-flu threat six years ago.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlbor...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

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by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 00:28:12 AM CDT

UK - Swine Flu: don't travel to Mexico unless essential, warns Foreign Office

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/hea...

UK Government officials also said British nationals staying in or visiting the country "may wish to consider whether they should remain in Mexico at this time".

A statement posted on the Foreign Office's website said: "The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 4 (evidence of increased human to human transmission).

"We are now advising against all but essential travel to Mexico."

It added: "Routine Consular and all Visa Services at the Embassy in Mexico City have been suspended until further notice.

"British Nationals in Mexico, who have an urgent consular issue should call the Embassy on (01 55) 5242 8500 for assistance.

"British nationals resident in or visiting Mexico may wish to consider whether they should remain in Mexico at this time.

"British Nationals should continue to follow local advice on precautions to take to avoid exposure to the influenza.

"Cases of swine influenza have been reported in Mexico City and a number of other locations across the country. Travellers should consult a doctor immediately if they show signs of flu-like symptoms."

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 02:42:01 AM CDT

Mexico outbreak traced to 'manure lagoons' at pig farm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t...

The first known case of swine flu emerged a fortnight earlier than previously thought in a village where residents have long complained about the smell and flies from a nearby pig farm, it emerged last night.

The Mexican Government said it initially thought that the victim, Edgar Hernandez, 4, was suffering from ordinary influenza but laboratory testing has since shown that he had contracted swine flu. The boy went on to make a full recovery, although it is thought that at least 148 others in Mexico have died from the disease, and the number is expected to rise.

News of the infected boy is expected to create controversy in Mexico because the boy lived in Veracruz state, home to thousands of farmers who claim that their land was stolen from them by the Mexican Government in 1992. The farmers, who call themselves Los 400 Pueblos - The 400 Towns - are famous for their naked marches through the streets of Mexico City.

The boy's hometown, La Gloria, is also close to a pig farm that raises almost 1 million animals a year. The facility, Granjas Carroll de Mexico, is partly owned by Smithfield Foods, a Virginia-based US company and the world's largest producer and processor of pork products. Residents of La Gloria have long complained about the clouds of flies that are drawn the so-called "manure lagoons" created by such mega-farms, known in the agriculture business as Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).

cont.

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by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 02:46:05 AM CDT

does Smithfield Foods have facilities in Europe?

The facility, Granjas Carroll de Mexico, is partly owned by Smithfield Foods, a Virginia-based US company and the world's largest producer and processor of pork products.

Cos the Eurasian swine H1N1 that makes up part of this virus, has never been seen in the Americas before.  How did it cross to this hemisphere?  Reminds me of the H5N1 outbreak in UK in the Bernard Matthews turkey farm, when it was discovered that the company regularly shipped semi-processed turkey products between their facilities.  It could very well be the same here, when semi-processed products from Europe contaminated with the virus, is present in large quantities in pig's feed, in the dirt, just generally everywhere.  Would have given plenty of chances for reassortment to take place.

The image of 'manure lagoons' is utterly revolting.  The expression 'when the s*** hit the ***' may be more apt and graphic than we like here!  ARGH!!!



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

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by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 04:44:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

How did it cross to the U.S.?

Probably in a vial.  

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by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:14:49 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

or in secretions

of those who were already infected.  The best vehicle for transporting a virus, is always a host.



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

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by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:21:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

What type of hog confinement operation is it?

Cos the Eurasian swine H1N1 that makes up part of this virus, has never been seen in the Americas before.  How did it cross to this hemisphere?

If it's "farrow to finish" (birth to slaughter weight), it begs the question of where they get their breeding stock. Are they importing pigs to breed or keeping their own? Where does the semen come from to inseminate the sows? The Eurasian swine could have been brount into Mexico in breeding stock ....

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by: Andrzejek @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:50:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Smithfield Foods Says It Found No Evidence of Swine Influenza. . .

Smithfield Foods Says It Found No Evidence of Swine Influenza at Its Mexican Joint Ventures

http://investors.smithfieldfoo...

SMITHFIELD, Va., April 26, 2009 PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD) stated that it has found no clinical signs or symptoms of the presence of swine influenza in the company's swine herd or its employees at its joint ventures in Mexico.

Those operations are cooperating with Mexican officials to assist it in its investigation of the possible sources of the outbreak of the disease and will submit samples from its swine herds to The University of Mexico for testing.

Based on available recent information, Smithfield has no reason to believe that the virus is in any way connected to its operations in Mexico. The company also noted that its joint ventures in Mexico routinely administer influenza virus vaccination to their swine herds and conduct monthly tests for the presence of swine influenza.

The National Pork Producers Council reported today that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "people cannot get the hybrid influenza from eating pork or pork products" and "preliminary investigations have determined that none of the people infected with the hybrid flu had contact with hogs."

I live immediately across the river from their facilities, and I'm not worried about their processing plant here at all.  --BB

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by: Bronco Bill @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:43:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

NZ - its official - NZ has Swine Flu

This has just been announced on radio - will post official announcement as soon as I find the online press release from the news conference just held

Eat pudding first - who know's what might happen next! - Anon

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by: AnnieB @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:01:44 AM CDT

Swine flu has been confirmed to be in New Zeaaland.

At a news conference held tonight, Health Minister Tony Ryall announced that test results confirmed at least three New Zealanders have tested positive to swine flu.

Melbourne tests on 10 Rangitoto College students who tested positive for influenza A came back from the World Health Organisation (WHO) laboratory tonight, confirming three positives to swine flu.

"Unfortunately tonight we can confirm New Zealanders have tested positive to swine flu," Mr Ryall said.

Tests on a fourth sample were continuing, Director of Public Health Mark Jacobs told reporters.

He said three samples all tested positive for the same strain of swine flu. A further sample was being retested.
[snip]
The Rangitoto students returned to Auckland on Saturday from a trip to Mexico. An 11th member of the group has also tested positive for influenza A.

The test results were announced in Wellington tonight, at a press conference attended by Mr Ryall, Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan, Mr Jacobs, and National Co-ordinator Emergency Planning Steve Brazier.

more at http://www.3news.co.nz/News/Sw...

Eat pudding first - who know's what might happen next! - Anon

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by: AnnieB @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:03:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

so, when will they raise the alert to 5? n/t

All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

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by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:41:40 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Maybe they just did??

Susan: My computer is very cranky, but as of noon CNN had a video headline that said "WHO raises alert level" but when I clicked on it, there were only other video clips. It could be it referred to the move from phase 3 to phase 4, but normally those live video clips are for current news, so maybe they are now raising it from 4 to 5? It certainly would fit their own definitions, though that never speeded things up before. Sorry I cannot link.

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by: INFOMASS @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 11:15:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Number of swine flu suspects in NZ reaches 66

This is an earlier story about suspect casesTue, 28 Apr 2009 6:30p.m.

The number of swine flu suspects in New Zealand has risen to 66, with 56 people in the process of being tested for Influenza A and 10 from Rangitoto College already confirmed positive.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health said it was "probable" that the entire group of 25 staff and students from Rangitoto College have the swine influenza.

After nearly four days of confinement for the school group, they now face even longer quarantine.

Sophie Rice, a student from the group, said a teacher told students at the airport to stay away from school on Monday. But after seeing a family doctor Sophie has not been able to leave since.

Sophie's sister Emily says the neighbours have been helping out by leaving food for the family on the door step.

more at http://www.3news.co.nz/News/Nu...

Eat pudding first - who know's what might happen next! - Anon

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by: AnnieB @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:07:22 AM CDT

Canada - Region in pandemic planning mode as swine flu spreads

The Mexican swine flu outbreak has prompted Niagara public health officials to "ramp up" pandemic planning and surveillance for flu-like symptoms.

The disease, believed to have killed almost 150 people in Mexico, hasn't proved fatal for any of the 40 victims in the U. S. or six in Canada.

There are no confirmed cases of swine flu in Niagara or Ontario, but the province is investigating about a dozen suspected cases.

Medical officer of health Dr. Robin Williams wouldn't reveal if any suspected cases are in Niagara, but said the Region is planning for all possibilities.

"I'd be very surprised if this doesn't continue to spread," Williams said after a public health meeting at regional headquarters. "Will it turn into a big, serious event? Maybe not ... (but) we're going to be prepared."

Williams said her department is updating its pandemic plan constantly to reflect new information from provincial and federal public health agencies.

The first priority is getting personal protection information to the public.

Source
http://www.stcatharinesstandar...

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by: Kobie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:43:27 AM CDT

Swine flu confirmed in Israel and New Zealand

New Zealand and Israel confirmed cases of swine flu on Tuesday, the latest countries hit by a new strain that has killed up to 149 people in Mexico and which threatens to become a pandemic.

The World Health Organisation has raised its alert level to phase 4, indicating a significantly increased risk of pandemic. Global markets tumbled for a second day on Tuesday on fears the outbreak could snuff out fragile signs of economic recovery.

No one has died outside Mexico but more than 50 infected people have been found in the United States, six in Canada and two each across the Atlantic in Spain and Scotland. Possible cases were being tested as far away as South Korea and Australia.

Story
http://in.reuters.com/article/...

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by: Kobie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:45:24 AM CDT

How WHO measures a pandemic

The World Health Organization has six phases of pandemic alert to assess the potential for a new global flu outbreak.

_ Phase 1. There are no viruses circulating in animals that have been reported to cause infections in humans.

_ Phase 2. An animal flu virus has caused infections in humans in the past and is considered to be a potential pandemic threat.

_ Phase 3. An animal or mixed animal-human virus has caused occasional cases or small clusters of disease, but the virus does not spread easily. The world is currently in phase 3, with H5N1 bird flu viruses sporadically infecting humans and occasionally spreading from human to human.

_ Phase 4. The new virus can cause sustained outbreaks and is adapting itself to human spread.

_ Phase 5. The virus has spread into at least two countries and is causing even bigger outbreaks.

_ Phase 6. More outbreaks in at least two regions of the world; the pandemic is under way.

Source
http://www.journalstar.com/art...

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by: Kobie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:48:10 AM CDT

British travellers evacuated from Mexico

April 28, 2009
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t...

Thousands of holidaymakers are being flown out of Mexico following the effective imposition of a travel ban by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last night.

The advice not to travel unless "essential" was published by the FCO at 11pm following a decision by the World Health Organisation to raise the threat of the flu pandemic to Level 4.

Some 10,000 Britons are estimated to be holidaying in Mexico at the moment.

The decision immediately prompted holiday companies Thomson and First Choice Holidays to begin repatriation of their customers and cancel all forthcoming holidays to Mexico.

The companies, which are under joint ownership of Tui Travel, are the largest of the 140 tour operators that send holidaymakers to Mexico each year. A spokeswoman said they have been inundated with calls from concerned holidaymakers.

The evacuation flights will begin today, and those Thomson and First Choice flights due to depart this morning from Manchester and Gatwick to Cancun have been cancelled.

The news came too late for many holidaymakers, who weren't told of the cancellations until they arrived at the airport this morning.

"The FCO made its change to the travel advice very late last night and as I'm sure you appreciate, while we would like to have informed our customers earlier and had more information readily available, the timing of the announcement made it very difficult to advise customers before they arrived at the airport," a spokeswoman said.

Rival tour operator Thomas Cook has cancelled holidays departing to Cancun for the next seven days but stopped short of repatriating its customers. It says that it will try to help anyone wishing to curtail their holiday and return home early. Those customers due to go to Mexico during May are being offered a choice of alternative destinations.

Although there have been no reported cases of swine flu in the Yucatan Peninsula, the FCO has told British holidaymakers and Britons resident in Mexico to consider returning to the UK.

Anyone due to depart for Mexico today with Thomson or First Choice are being offered a full refund, alternative destination or alternative date up to the same value. The operators have yet to make a decision on whether flights to Mexico will resume after today.

Britain is the third largest tourism market for Mexico after the US and Canada.

Some 333,000 Britons visited the country last year according to the Office of National Statistics, up from 243,000 the previous year. April-June is the most popular period for British holidaymakers after the peak summer quarter of July, August and September.

A spokeswoman for the Tourist Board told Times Online that most holidaymakers should receive help from tour operators if they wish to cancel or amend holidays because most visit the country on package holidays.

"The majority to Britons visiting Mexico are still holidaymakers on charter flights to Cancun and the Yucatan peninsula," she said.

Independent holidaymakers, who have booked their flights and accommodation separately, may struggle to get a full refund according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

A spokeswoman told Times Online: "If a consumer has booked a package, the tour operator can look after them but if you booked independently it is not that straightforward. If you have booked a hotel independently you will not not get a refund - whether you can get it from your travel insurer will depend on your policy."

British Airways is continuing to operate flights to Mexico, but those due to travel to Mexico in the next seven days can change dates or opt for an alternative destination without incurring an admin fee.

The FCO has advised British Nationals in Mexico who need consular assistance to call the Embassy on (01 55) 5242 8500. Thos staying in the country are advised to avoid large crowds, shaking hands and kissing people. They are also being told to maintain a distance of at least six feet from other people, to frequently wash hands and consult a doctor immediately if they show signs of flu-like symptoms.

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:06:50 AM CDT

Swine flu spreads to Middle East, Asia-Pacific

By ANDREW O. SELSKY (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated PressApril 28, 2009 5:28 AM EDT
MEXICO CITY - World health officials raised a global alert to an unprecedented level as swine flu was blamed for more deaths in Mexico and the epidemic crossed new borders, with the first cases confirmed Tuesday in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions.
With the swine flu having already spread to at least six other countries, authorities around the globe are like firefighters battling a blaze without knowing how far it extends.
"At this time, containment is not a feasible option," said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, which raised its alert level on Monday.

snip

New Zealand confirmed that 11 people who recently returned from Mexico contracted the virus, Health Minister Tony Ryall said. Laboratory tests on samples from three of the 11 came back positive and "on that basis we are assuming" the eight others are also infected, he said.
Those infected had suffered only "mild illness" and were expected to recover, Public Health Director Mark Jacobs said.
In the Israeli city of Netanya, hospital officials said a 26-year-old patient recently returned from Mexico was the region's first confirmed case of swine flu, but did not know whether the patient had the same strain as the one that appeared in Mexico.
Dr. Avinoam Skolnik, Laniado Hospital's medical director, said Israeli Health Ministry laboratory tests confirmed the virus but the patient has fully recovered and is in "excellent condition."
Meanwhile, a second case was confirmed Tuesday in Spain, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said, a day after the country reported its first case. The 23-year-old student, one of 26 patients under observation, was not in serious condition, Jimenez said.
With the virus spreading, the U.S. prepared for the worst even as President Barack Obama tried to reassure Americans.
At the White House, a swine flu update was added to Obama's daily intelligence briefing. Obama said the outbreak is "not a cause for alarm," even as the U.S. stepped up checks of people entering the country and warned U.S. citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico.
"We are proceeding as if we are preparatory to a full pandemic," said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
The European Union health commissioner suggested that Europeans avoid nonessential travel both to Mexico and parts of the United States. Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus.
Mexico, where the number of deaths believed caused by swine flu rose by 50 percent on Monday to 152, is suspected to be ground zero of the outbreak. But Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova late Monday said no one knows where the outbreak began, and implied it may have started in the U.S.
"I think it is very risky to say, or want to say, what the point of origin or dissemination of it is, given that there had already been cases reported in southern California and Texas," Cordova told a press conference.
It's still not clear when the first case occurred, making it impossible thus far to determine where the breakout started.
Dr. Nancy Cox of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said she believes the earliest onset of swine flu in the United States happened on March 28. Cordova said a sample taken from a 4-year-old boy in Mexico's Veracruz state in early April tested positive for swine flu. However, it is not known when the boy, who later recovered, became infected.
The World Health Organization raised the alert level to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country. Monday was the first time it has ever been raised above Phase 3.
Putting an alert at Phases 4 or 5 signals that the virus is becoming increasingly adept at spreading among humans. Phase 6 is for a full-blown pandemic, characterized by outbreaks in at least two regions of the world.
Fifty cases - none fatal and most of them mild - were confirmed in the United States. Including the New Zealand, Israeli and new Spanish reports, there were 92 confirmed cases worldwide on Tuesday. That included six in Canada, one in Spain and two in Scotland.
Symptoms include a fever of more than 100, coughing, joint aches, severe headache and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea.
Amid the alarm, there was a spot of good news. The number of new cases reported by Mexico's largest government hospitals has been declining the past three days, Cordova said, from 141 on Saturday to 119 on Sunday and 110 Monday.

full story
http://enews.earthlink.net/art...

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

---

by: cottontop @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:13:07 AM CDT

Good news swine flu unlikely to affect economy.

http://www.time.com/time/busin...

The media has been hyper-focused this weekend on the news that more than 1,000 people in Mexico have become infected with Swine flu, also known as Influenza A H1N1. Nearly 90 people have died from the outbreak. The strain appears to have spread to several countries including the United States. One of the most notable pieces of information about this outbreak is that in the U.S. and Canada the cases have been described as "mild".

Over the last decade, as similar concerns have arisen about avian flu spreading from Asia to the rest of the world, the fears have not been justified. The last pandemic was known as the Hong Kong flu epidemic of 1968 and 1969. The deaths from the Hong Kong flu were estimated to be between 750,000 and one million people, including nearly 34,000 in the U.S.

Since that pandemic more than 40 years ago, there have been no major events involving the global spread of lethal flu infections. There have been cases of dangerous avian flu outbreaks in Asia for a decade which has caused the deaths of a small number of people. Since these flu infections have not spread globally warnings and concerns about pandemics have not been much seen in the media.

At the start of this weekend however the media has been very involved in transmitting the latest information from all the public health organizations and specialists in disease tracking. "We are very, very concerned," World Health Organization spokesman Thomas Abraham said. "We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human ... It's all hands on deck at the moment."

Two critical factors should prevent the current outbreak from spreading much further. The first is the sophisticated monitoring systems set up by the CDC in the United States, similar authorities in other countries, and the WHO on a global basis. The SARS outbreak in 2002 ended up killing less than 800 people, in part because of a near shutdown of world travel and minute-by-minute tracking of the progress of the disease around the world.

Secondly, there are several theories about why flu viruses do not spread with the rapidity and scale that they once did. One of the probable reasons is is that flu vaccines diminish the spread of the disease in general by cutting down on the spread of specific strains. This even extends to the vaccinations of animals that are the primary carriers of the infectious viruses. In addition, the CDC said that two major flu drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, appear likely to diminish the severity of symptoms for the new strain, if taken in the first 48-hours of this Swine flu infection. That may be one of the reasons that public health officials, epidemiologists, and infectious disease specialists have indicated that people should not be overly concerned. One expert told NPR, "We've seen swine influenza in humans over the past several years, and in most cases, it's come from direct pig contact. This seems to be different," said Dr. Arnold Monto, from the University of Michigan. "I think we need to be careful and not apprehensive, but certainly paying attention to new developments as they proceed."

The odds that tens of thousands of people will die from the flu are low. Advances in medicine and public health policy have made a big difference in the ability to monitor emerging serious illnesses. The fact that the new disease seems not to be terribly virulent outside of Mexico is another factor that supports the opinion that this will not be a major epidemic. However, in the minds of some analysts, the world can still look forward to trillions of dollars in financial losses and an economic depression.

Last month, the news was filled with headlines about a large asteroid which might hit the Earth in 2036. Apophis, as it is called, is 390 meters wide. If it strikes the planet, it would release more than 100,000 times the energy than that of the nuclear blast over Hiroshima. The asteroid was a big story, but buried deep in the press reports about it was the fact that the odds of a collision are 1 in 5,500 based on current information.

It would not be a good idea to take the $3 trillion in upcoming losses from the new "pandemic" to the bank.

Great read. Shows that the economic danger is still very minimal and hopefully will stay that.  

---

by: DougK @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:18:34 AM CDT

He must be a rocket surgeon

I'm not a doctor I only play one for Time magazine.  I want to live in his fantasy land.

Carry the torch, not to light the way, but to set your peers on fire!

---

by: Annoyed Max--Not mad yet @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:28:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I agree about the fantasyland n/t

All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:33:09 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hmm

...maybe he slept in a Holiday Inn last night........

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:46:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

And had a dream that he knew what he was talking about nt

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

---

by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:13:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Eugene Robinson (WaPo) Column on pandemics

Gene won the Pulitzer prize this year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Several years ago, when avian flu broke out in Asia, I called a few experts in risk analysis for comment, expecting them to say that everyone should just calm down. Instead, they told me that if someone were looking for a legitimate potential disaster to worry about, a deadly flu pandemic would be an excellent choice.

Officials don't know why the cases of swine flu in the United States seem so much milder than those in Mexico. They do know that the U.S.-Mexico border is no barrier at all, as far as microbes are concerned.

Back when we were ducking and covering in fear of a Soviet attack, these first few cases of swine flu might have gone undetected. Like most flu outbreaks, this one probably will be contained. In the meantime, I'm going to wash my hands a lot more often than usual.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:21:31 AM CDT

CDC

Yet the CDC said this was not able to be contained. (?)

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:50:23 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

true

but as a pronimnent columnist, it's nioe to see that the validation is there for people mto read.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:51:25 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Mexico City watch thieves hide behind flu masks

http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Three armed thieves wore the blue surgical masks now ubiquitous in flu-hit Mexico City to hide their faces as they robbed watches from a department store, Mexican media said on Monday.

Employees and security guards at a branch of the Sanborns department store told the daily Excelsior the thieves were able to slip through the shop on Sunday without attracting attention as they blended into a sea of masked shoppers.
[CONTINUES]

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

---

by: Oremus @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:23:38 AM CDT

Swine flu vaccine in works

.
Health officials say large-scale production will not be ordered until a global pandemic appears to be forming.

April 28, 2009: 8:00 AM ET
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/2...

LONDON (Reuters) -- Manufacturers have taken the first preparatory steps in developing a vaccine against a new strain of flu that has killed up to 149 people in Mexico and threatens to become a pandemic.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) said it would only call for large-scale production of such a pandemic vaccine if it strongly believed the world was on the edge of an unstoppable global outbreak of flu.

Switzerland's Novartis AG said on Tuesday it had received the genetic code of the new virus strain, enabling it to start work on evaluating production, and it hoped to receive the actual virus in its laboratories "in the near future".

Still, it is likely to take between five and six months before a vaccine is commercially available, according to the WHO.

The delay is not for want of trying.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already taken a sample of the H1N1 virus causing the disease, produced a vaccine virus strain and is growing it up, marking the first stage of the production process.

These samples, which can then be distributed to companies, must be grown in specially produced chicken eggs in a cumbersome system that experts agree is outdated. New and more efficient technologies based on cell cultures are, however, still a few years away.

While the race is on to prepare a pandemic vaccine, health authorities and companies still have to make the tricky decision of when, or indeed whether, to switch capacity from producing seasonal vaccines to making the new shot.

"If you go to pandemic flu production, people won't get normal flu shots -- it is a huge consideration," said WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl.

[snip]

So-called swine flu is a variant of the H1N1 form of the human influenza virus, but tests show the H1N1 component of the current seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the new strain.

A big challenge facing manufacturers will be making sufficient quantities of vaccine from a limited supply of active ingredient, or antigen.

One option to extend supply is to use an additive, known as an adjuvant, to increase the body's immune response and reduce the amount of antigen needed in each shot.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:24:08 AM CDT

10 Countries in Deep Trouble

This article came out 4/20/09, before swine flu made the news.
Mexico was top of the list.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...

[EXCERPT]
Mexico. Thousands of would-be tourists from America and elsewhere had to cancel spring break trips to Mexico due to ongoing violence related to the drug trade. Mexico was the second country recently identified by the U.S. Joint Forces Command as possibly poised for a "rapid and sudden" collapse. Mexico's "politicians, police, and judicial infrastructure are all under sustained assault and pressure by criminal gangs and drug cartels," says the report.

The violence and tourism decline could not come at a worse time. Economists predict a 3.3 percent contraction of the Mexican economy this year. The poor economic growth means that the government is getting strapped for funds. In April, it asked the International Monetary Fund for a $47 billion loan. While credit-rating agencies don't expect Mexico's debt to grow riskier soon, and the risk of its sovereign derivatives has not skyrocketed like some other countries on this list, serious problems still remain for the Mexican economy. The country depends on the United States to consume its exports and pay Mexican immigrants who send money back home. If the U.S. recession deepens, Mexicans will feel the pain as much as Americans.

To calm the wife buy cases of chocolate, to calm the husband buy cases of booze, and to calm the children...... heck the booze and chocolate should work.

---

by: Oremus @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:37:01 AM CDT

British scientist warns of pandemic flu vaccine time lag

20:15, April 28, 2009
http://english.people.com.cn/9...

A new research by the University of Leicester warns of a six-month time lag before effective vaccines can be manufactured in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak, a British vaccine expert said Tuesday.

"If an influenza pandemic occurs, vaccination will have to be the main way to protect the population," said Iain Stephenson, consultant in infectious diseases at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and a clinical senior lecturer at the University of Leicester.

"Unfortunately, if a pandemic occurs, it will take up to six months to manufacture effective vaccine, so the first waves of the pandemic may be over before people are vaccinated," he said.

"To reduce any delay, we could consider stockpiling vaccine or immunizing people with vaccine prepared in advance, in a so-called pre-pandemic vaccine against a future pandemic," the expert said.

Stephenson and his team conducted a study comparing the effect of a single H5 bird flu vaccine dose to people who had been vaccinated with an H5 vaccine previously with people who had not previously received vaccine.

"This study means that we could vaccinate people potentially many years before a pandemic, to generate memory cells that are long lasting and can be rapidly boosted by a single dose of vaccine when needed," he said.

However, people still don't know which strain of influenza will cause the pandemic, as there are several strains of H5N1 virus, Stephenson said, adding that a pre-pandemic vaccine needs to give cross protection to as many H5 strains as possible.

A vaccine on swine flu needs more study, he said.

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:39:54 AM CDT

Where Will the Swine Flu Go Next? - by John Barry

...But even if this virus were to peter out soon, there is a strong possibility it would only go underground, quietly continuing to infect some people while becoming better adapted to humans, and then explode around the world...

...What's important to keep in mind in assessing the threat of the current outbreak is that all four of the well-known pandemics seem to have come in waves. The 1918 virus surfaced by March and set in motion a spring and summer wave that hit some communities and skipped others. This first wave was extremely mild, more so even than ordinary influenza...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04...

---

by: banshee @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:44:52 AM CDT

Worst case scenario underlies US pandemic plan

Two million dead. Hospitals overwhelmed. Schools closed. Swaths of empty seats at baseball stadiums and houses of worship. An economic recovery snuffed out. We're nowhere close to what government planners say would be a worst-case scenario: a global flu pandemic. But government leaders at all levels, and major employers, have spent nearly four years planning for one in series of exercises...

...A 2006 report on the Washington region found both Maryland and Virginia would run out of hospital beds within two weeks of a moderate outbreak...
http://www.google.com/hostedne...

---

by: banshee @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:54:33 AM CDT

Colorado (Lone Tree)

Lone Tree is a suburb south of Denver, Colorado.

7 News in Denver is reports that there is at least one Colorado patient currently being tested for Swine flu. Sky Ridge Medical Center, in Lone Tree, confirmed to the station that it has sent tests from a patient to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tests still have to be confirmed by the CDC.

http://www.gazette.com/article...

---

by: WestWind @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:21:40 AM CDT

Too close to home

I live within 15 minutes of this hospital, depending on traffic. Scary!

---

by: ch4rlie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:48:05 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

ch4rlie -neighbors?

I'm at work and can see Sky Ridge out my window. Fitting that the first suspected CO case is in the neighborhood where I live.

---

by: MiHi @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 11:03:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hi MiHi

Yes, it looks like we are neighbors. I'm in Centennial just a few miles outside of Highlands Ranch. Our church is just 2 maybe 3 miles from Sky Ridge and we were just eating at Hacienda last night which as you know is right there. For some reason I was expecting the flu to show up somewhere up North first and then head down South.

---

by: ch4rlie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:14:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Showing up in Denver Metro ..

I would expect it to show up here in the South Metro first -- with Cherry Creek HS and all the Douglas County HS, many kids travel to Mexico for Spring Break.

---

by: TooMuchAnxietyGirl @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 13:47:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Also close to SkyRidge

And been there a few times.  Assuming it is a HS kid, it will be interesting to see what HS he/she attends.  CCHS has their flu info posted on their front page.

http://www.ccsd.k12.co.us/

Also interesting that the Denver Post and 9news are silent on this .. as of 12:45 pm MDT.

---

by: TooMuchAnxietyGirl @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 13:45:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Since December they were aware of infection in Perote

.
Two people died for "pneumonia", two presented influenza, one of them - pig

Hat-tip Helblindi at PFI.

They are apparently tracking this outbreak back to December.

Tuesday April 28 2009
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/...

Xalapa, Ver - From December 2008 to March this year, 500 people from the La Gloria, the municipality of Perote, had respiratory illnesses. Among the cases, two deaths with "pneumonia," said the deputy director of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health and Assistance (SSA), Alejandro Escobar Mesa, confirming the outbreak of respiratory disease in this area.

However, the governor Fidel Herrera Beltran denied that in the mountainous region of Perote have started the outbreak of swine influenza afflicting the country, and recalled that the poor are located in Asia.

In a message from the Government Palace, clarified that the origin of the swine influenza began in Asia, so it is not related to agricultural activities in the region of Perote, with companies producing pork.

"(The virus) is located in Asia, in China, hence reached by passengers to North America and certainly the Federal District and the state of Mexico. Is not associated with the development of the agricultural valley of Perote," he said, and denied that swine influenza is related to the company Carroll Farms, which operates in Perote.

In this regard, the company settled pig that none of its employees, or its more than 500 thousand pigs on development of influenza outbreaks.

The company, which operates in Puebla and Veracruz, stressed that no records of outbreaks of swine influenza in any of its 907 workers, or 60 thousand in its belly, or in its more than 500 thousand pigs in development.

The official text recalls that the virus was found in people who were not related to the pig activity, ie they never had contact with pigs, "of which it is concluded that contamination is from human to human."

In that sense, the SAGARPA delegate in the state, Octavio Legarreta, that weekend he oversaw the Valley of Perote, with special attention to La Gloria, was not identified any cases of swine respiratory symptoms associated with influenza or swine flu.

However, Escobar officers confirmed an outbreak of respiratory disease in this region because of the 500 affected, two had influenza, one of which pig, which was the first case in the state, reported last Sunday.

"Only found in two (cases), influenza, a type A and type B one," he said.

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:25:17 AM CDT

If It's Been Around Since December & Has Not Faded Away

Doesn't that give at least a strong (though not conclusive) indication that it is unlikely to suddenly loose it's transmisibility (RO) ?

If it doesn't lose its transmisiblity, what's to stop it at this point?  

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

---

by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:34:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

FACTBOX: Defenses against swine flu

April 28 (Reuters) - Governments around Europe and Africa acted to stem a possible flu pandemic (Snip). Here is a guide to some of the precautionary steps being taken around Europe and Africa:
http://www.kyivpost.com/world/...
* Star denotes new or updated entry:

EUROPE:

AUSTRIA -- Has stocks of antiviral drugs sufficient to treat 4 million people (half the population), and has secured production capacity for prophylactic vaccines for the entire population. It has also stockpiled 8 million protective masks.

* BRITAIN -- Advises nationals against non-vital travel to Mexico. It also said routine consular and all visa services at its embassy in Mexico City had been suspended. Has antiviral stockpiles to provide treatment for 50 percent of the population should they become ill.

(Snip)
* BULGARIA -- Sofia airport boosted checks of passengers arriving from countries affected. Two thermal scanners have been installed at the airport. Customs officers are also checking the luggage of passengers arriving from Mexico, the U.S., Canada and Japan to ensure they are not importing pork products.

* CZECH REPUBLIC -- Circulated general information on the viral strain to hospitals, doctors and general practitioners. Has stocks of 2 million doses of Tamiflu, enough to treat one fifth of the population. At Prague Airport, information boards on swine flu have been put up and medical exams are available.

DENMARK -- A general pandemic plan is in place since bird flu scare. Denmark has stockpiled Tamiflu.

* FRANCE -- Is now strongly advising against travelling to Mexico. Has reinforced checks at airports, especially for people returning from Mexico. France has a stock of more than 30 million antiviral treatments, composed of 24 million doses of Tamiflu and 9 million doses of Relenza.

GERMANY -- Advises nationals against non-vital travel to Mexico.

GREECE -- Has "strategic stocks" of Tamiflu and other antivirus medicine.

ITALY - Pamphlets are being handed out to passengers at Rome's international airport although there are no restrictions on travel. Italy has 10 million doses of Zanamivir (Relenza) and 60,000 doses of Tamiflu as well as enough Tamiflu powder to make 30 million doses.

NORWAY -- A "pandemic committee" will be assembled this week. Authorities have stored flu medicine covering one-third of the 4.7 million population.

RUSSIA -- Health ministry recommends Russian citizens avoid trips to Mexico.

Aircraft personnel arriving from the Americas have been instructed to look out for passengers with flu-like symptoms. Planes, on which cases are suspected, should be taxied to special zones, and passengers and crews examined by medics.

-- Imposed curbs on meat imports from Mexico, a number of U.S. states and the Caribbean.

SPAIN -- Distributing leaflets to passengers arriving from Mexico, advising them to report to a health centre if they suffer symptoms. Spain has a stockpile of 10 million doses of Tamiflu. Flights to Mexico are being equipped with face masks and gloves.

UKRAINE -- Ban on imports of live pigs and pork meat from countries where cases of swine flu have been recorded. This applies to Mexico, the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. All shipments received after April 21 will be subject to the ban.

AFRICA:
* EGYPT -- The authorities have increased medical staff at Cairo airport to check passengers arriving from Mexico and will monitor them during their stay.

* ZAMBIA -- Has formed an emergency task force to deal with a possible outbreak of swine flu.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:35:15 AM CDT

Four Juarez Swine Flu Cases Ruled Negative

April 28, 2009
http://www.elpasotimes.com/new...
El Paso, Texas:  Four suspected cases of swine flu in Juárez were ruled out Monday, but authorities suspended classes in all schools as a precaution.  Juárez is shutting every school, from kindergarten to the university level, until May 6 to prevent the spread of the virus that has killed 149 people and sickened nearly 2,000 others in Mexico.  El Paso health officials were on high alert, though no cases of swine flu were reported in West Texas or New Mexico.

"We've beefed up our surveillance. We're doing everything we can to protect the citizens of El Paso," said Dr. Michael Hill, the city of El Paso's public health director.

Texas has reported three cases of swine flu, all near San Antonio.   All schools in El Paso remained open.  Health officials, though, ask parents not to send their children to school or day care if they have flu symptoms, such as high fever, lethargy, headache, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

"We are dealing with a new virus, which means people have not been able to develop immunity to it," said Dr. Luis Escobedo, an official with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

Juárez nightclubs and sports facilities will be closed until further notices. Mexican health authorities also recommended against people greeting each other in public with with kisses, hugs.

"I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man."  Thomas Jefferson

---

by: History Lover @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:38:09 AM CDT

Egypt well-equipped to deal with swine flu: WHO

Now this one's just plain funny.  Who knew WHO had such a sense of humor?:

1 hour ago
http://www.google.com/hostedne...

CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt's experience in dealing with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has prepared it to handle the threat of swine flu, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.  

"Because you have avian flu, your surveillance system is much more alert and doctors seeing patients will keep it in mind," Hussein Gezairy, WHO's regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told reporters.

The experience with bird flu means that "doctors can easily identify swine influenza," he said.

[snip]

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:58:13 AM CDT

WHO Confident No Confirmed Swine Flu Cases in China

Is Baghdad Bob working at the WHO now? No case, nope - no cases here!  Has WHO come out to defend any other country like this?

By Stephanie Ho
Beijing
28 April 2009
http://www.voanews.com/english...

The World Health Organization's China representative says there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in China. He spoke to reporters in Beijing, Tuesday, as Chinese authorities deal with an unspecified number of suspected cases.

Ready to face flu outbreak

WHO China representative Hans Troedsson says he had discussions with the Ministry of Health, Tuesday, and thinks China is, "well-prepared." He says he hopes Beijing has learned lessons from recent outbreaks of respiratory illnesses, SARS and avian flu.

"I think what is important is a transparency and openness, not only with the WHO, but also with the public. It is very important that the public, the people, the common people, understand the situation," he said.

No confirmed cases

Troedsson says there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in China or even what the WHO describes as probable cases. At the same time, he says there are suspected cases in China, including at a school in Shaanxi province that was closed as authorities test the students.

"There have been a few events, as you mentioned, like the school in Shaanxi. But we didn't discuss the exact numbers," he said. {What about the "openness," Hans?}

He estimates China, with a population of more than 1.3 billion people, likely has tens of millions of them, each day, who have some sort of respiratory illness. He says, under those circumstances, he is encouraged to see that there are some suspected cases the Chinese government is taking more seriously.

"If you don't have any suspected cases, I would say that your surveillance system might not work that well. So, it's actually a good indication that they have a surveillance system that works," he said.

Did swine flu originate in China?

Troedsson rejected questions about whether the swine flu originated in China, saying researchers do not know yet where it came from because the illness is a combination of several different flu strains.

He says a Chinese government decision to ban pork and pork products from Mexico and from several U.S. states will not have any effect on swine flu transmission, because the virus is spread from human-to-human through things like sneezing.

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:02:25 AM CDT

Canada (Saskatchewan):One suspected case of swine flu in Five Hills Health Region

"There is currently a suspected case of swine flu in the Five HIlls Health Region, which includes Moose Jaw.
   "There is a suspected case in Five Hills," said Craig Beesley, public relations officer for Five HIlls. "The case in Five Hills, to my knowledge, is not someone who is seriously ill."
   The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health has been making preparations to deal with the swine flu at a provincial level.
  To date there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in the province, but there are currently three suspected cases under investigation, one of which is the Five Hills case.
   "I just want to emphasize that all cases being reported outside of Mexico are mild cases," said Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Moira McKinnon. "Nevertheless, we are concerned and preparing as if this a pandemic..."

http://mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:25:35 AM CDT

Italian Red Cross task forces in airports against the swine flu

"Italian Red Cross informed two task forces specialized in the passenger's control will examine the landing in the Italian airports of passengers coming from high-risk Countries.

"The task forces have the task of health surveillance on passengers and crewmembers in arrivals in Italy to guarantee a first isolation barrier, the observation of suspicious cases, a first health isolation and the control of patients to send in hospital"...

http://www.avionews.com/index....

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:28:24 AM CDT

Washington company first sounded the alarm

Take a look at the following report about Newberry Academy in SC. Then look the right side of the article column (in my browser) and click on the link, "Washington company first sounded the alarm about the deadly outbreak." Interesting video.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/st...

On another note, my niece attends Newberry College (in the same city, Newberry, SC as Newberry Academy). When I heard about the possible cases, I immediately called my brother. He said his daughter had the flu last week, which she caught from her roommate. It seems flu was running about Newberry, SC before the students left.

PANIC/09 (Porcine Avian Novel Influenza Contagion / 2009)

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
  but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Proverbs 22:3

---

by: David @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:28:26 AM CDT

Statement by Androulla Vassiliou, EU Health Commissioner ...

 on the EC's reaction to the novel flu virus outbreak in Mexico

..."The EU public health emergency systems have been of outstanding importance in putting in place a rapid system to share the available information and to take the appropriate actions to manage this event.

We have called around the table all the actors which in the EU and outside the EU are responsible at the highest level in their ministries for the public health measures to respond to emergency and crisis situations like this one. In particular, the EU Health Security Committee has been involved from the beginning and the Global Health Security Initiative has been activated.

Our activities have been implemented through the mechanism guaranteed by the current EU legislation and the Early Warning and Response component of the Network Committee for the surveillance of communicable diseases in the EU.

Diseases like the one due to Swine influenza virus A(N1H1) are of more concern because they could represent a global challenge, in particular because of the rapid and frequent international travels. That is why we have to be extremely prudent in assessing the current situation, in order to understand precisely the mechanism of transmission, to evaluate the potential danger to the health of citizens, and the resources to treat patients, such as vaccines and antivirals..."

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rw...

This is a press release.

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:34:36 AM CDT

Spammers trying to profit from swine flu

"Email spammers are trying to profit from the swine flu scare by luring people to bogus online pharmacies, antivirus maker McAfee Inc. said Tuesday.

Spam messages mentioning the swine flu have swelled in the past few days, amounting to two per cent of all spam sent..."

..."McAfee advises people to delete such messages and to never click on a link in these emails."

http://www.montrealgazette.com...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:36:42 AM CDT

Canada: N.S. students with swine flu recovered: officials

"The four Nova Scotia students who contracted swine flu have recovered, though 27 others with flu-like symptoms remain in isolation, school officials say.

Joe Seagram, headmaster of King's Edgehill private school in Windsor, provided the update Monday, a day after the four cases were confirmed.

Seagram said some parents were keeping their children home and attendance was lower than normal, though he didn't give any numbers..."

..."Seagram said none of the students who were confirmed to have the virus were hospitalized. He said three of them, and a number of others who had flu symptoms, have been cleared to return to class..."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-...

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little- Edmund Burke

---

by: MaMa @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:44:32 AM CDT

real time- news

Fox News said that in the next hour they will have a WHO announcement (upping level?????)

Be Prepared

---

by: DennisC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 09:56:39 AM CDT

Orlando

They have not run the WHO yet, but did announce an Orlando person returned from Mexico and visited Disneyworld and is now positive.

Be Prepared

---

by: DennisC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:11:06 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I have a contact near the Orlando airport

I called yesterday, and he hadn't heard anything yet.  He is in the travel business and there isn't any weirdness nor cancellations that he has heard of yet.

I checked disney's website, no word there.


redacted in deference to the very real pain being suffered across America by families.

---

by: pablo escobar @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:23:01 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I am in Orlando

and have contacts in the medical field. Three samples have been sent for further testing.

Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy. Ralph Waldo Emerson

---

by: mojo @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:48:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Floriday ... maybe, maybe not

http://www.wftv.com/news/19311...

I was just about to post on this Mojo.  It appears that a doctor's email was leaked and possibly taken out of context. The hospital isn't letting him speak for himself but issued a statement on his behalf.

We've got 24 to 48 hours until the samples they sent to the CDC will give us a clearer picture.

Something must have made the doctor write what he did to his friend in that email.  

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

---

by: KathyinFL @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:52:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

<sigh>....and so it goes...............

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:37:31 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

you're right

It feels surreal sometimes, watching CNN. Truly, it's the story line to a movie. Yet so friggin scary at the same time.

---

by: catd @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:04:52 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

NYC update, suspect cases nearby school

"Health officials are now looking at P.S. 177 on 188th Street in Fresh Meadows, not far from St. Francis Prep, where the first cases were reported after a class trip to Mexico.

Yesterday, 11 students at the special needs school were sent to the hospital after complaining of high fever. Three adults, including the school's assistant principal, were also sent home. The assistant principal tested negative for swine flu."

I'm a few miles from all three locations, fyi.

http://www.ny1.com/content/top...

it's good to keep in mind we don't know what the CFR actually is or will be for this wave, especially in these early stages, but that fear and panic can overload a large infrastructure quickly.  and a "herald wave" of low impact can lead to later complacency.

---

by: mercury john @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:31:50 AM CDT

Ah...those fickle readers of CNN.com

Today's "Quick Vote" results

What do you think of media coverage of the swine flu outbreak?

Not enough information           10% 6893  

The right amount of information  24% 16813  

Overblown                        66% 45590  

---

by: Bronco Bill @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:35:34 AM CDT

RE: now in indiana

Swine flu case reported in Indiana
April 28, 2009 10:38 AM | No Comments | UPDATED STORY

INDIANAPOLIS -- A young adult from northern Indiana has the state's first confirmed case of swine flu, but the state health commissioner says the person is "doing well."
http://www.chicagobreakingnews...

---

by: Ruth @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:46:13 AM CDT

3 new fatalities in Mexico City

http://64.233.169.132/translat...

but overall numbers going to the hospital appear to be slightly declining, according the Mexican health officials.

---

by: mercury john @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 10:54:03 AM CDT

Hi mercury john!

Can you please give me the original link to this article? I need it for the headlines update. Thanks.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 11:28:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

google is blocking my access

hi carol!
i was scanning and translating a dozen or more international news sites quickly and google thinks i'm a virus or spam bot.

it happens now and again.  so my ip is locked for a bit.  you can grab it here if google is working on your end -

http://translate.google.com/tr...

and get raw feed here, in this case it's a subhead in today's el universal -

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/...

all world news with many english translations resides here -

http://watchingamerica.com/New...

---

by: mercury john @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:29:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If Google blocks your access occasionally...

...it's nothing personal. Sometimes a broken cookie gets dropped onto your computer, and Google sees it as something nasty, so they block the site as a place you shouldn't go.
Try Yahoo!, then after a bit, go back to Google if you prefer...

---

by: Bronco Bill @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:31:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

6 suspect cases in Belgium, one "seriously ill"

Belgian media are reporting that there are 6 new suspect cases in Belgium: 4 people who came back from Mexico and 2 who went to the USA.
5 of them are described as having mild or moderate illness. One person is "seriously ill".
Yesterday we also had 6 suspect cases, but their results came back negative.
http://www.standaard.be/Artike... (in Dutch)

---

by: Neus @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:01:27 PM CDT

2 Deaths in Los Angeles being investigated as being connected to swine flu

http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...

Two L.A. County deaths possibly related to swine flu, coroner says [UPDATED]
9:09 AM | April 28, 2009

The Los Angeles County coroner's office is investigating two recent deaths that officials say could be related to the recent global swine flu outbreak. However, no tests have come back positive for the swine flu, and medical examiners have not officially determined what caused the deaths.

[Updated at 9:30 a.m.: Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said his office would collect specimens from the deceased and send them to the county public health department, which would determine whether either person died from the swine flu. If so, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be notified, Harvey said.]

Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Bellflower Medical Center reported the death of a 33-year Long Beach resident Monday afternoon from symptoms resembling swine flu.

"It's that diagnosis that needs to be confirmed," Harvey said. "An autopsy will be performed to establish the cause of death."

The man was taken to the hospital Saturday, complaining of shortness of breath and lymphoma. Doctors later diagnosed the patient with pneumonia, Harvey said.

The second case involves a 45-year-old man from La Mirada, whose death was reported Monday to the coroner's office. The man died April 22 at Coast Plaza Doctor's Hospital in Norwalk.

Doctors said the man died of pneumonia but the L.A. County Health Department refused to accept the death certificate signed by the private doctor, Harvey said. The case was then referred to the coroner's office, which will conduct further investigation.

If confirmed, the deaths would be the first reported in the United States from the swine flu.

-- Andrew Blankstein

---

by: ChrisC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:22:29 PM CDT

UPdate on the LA cases: non sit

L.A. County coroner's office doubts 2 men died of swine flu
The Los Angeles County coroner's office said today that further testing indicated neither of two flu-related deaths being investigated in Los Angeles County appeared to be linked to the swine flu.
Coroner's officials this morning said they suspected the deaths in Long Beach and La Mirada might be tied to the swine flu. But officials said the Long Beach man was not suspected of having the swine flu and that preliminary lab tests indicated the death of a La Mirada man  was "not related to swine flu."
More tests are being done, officials said.
Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said Bellflower Medical Center reported the death of a 33-year-old Long Beach resident Monday afternoon who had symptoms resembling swine flu.  The man was taken to the hospital Saturday, complaining of shortness of breath and lymphoma. Doctors later diagnosed the patient with pneumonia, Harvey said.
The second case involves a 45-year-old man from La Mirada, whose death was reported Monday to the coroner's office. The man died April 22 at Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital in Norwalk. Doctors said the man died of pneumonia, but the L.A. County Health Department refused to accept the death certificate signed by the private doctor, Harvey said. The case was then referred to the coroner's office, which will conduct further investigation.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 00:31:04 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Lack of testing equipment In LA???

We are not living in a third world country!  Why is there a lack of adequate testing equipment in one of the largest cities in the world?  Why would there even be a shadow of doubt or a question about whether or not these two men had the N American virus?

---

by: Kelly Phan @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 00:45:55 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hmm...

Ages make me worry, young people as are the cases in Mexico. Oh well, wait and see.

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:26:35 PM CDT

RE: I agree

Two young people dying of Pneumonia....usually doesn't happen unless they have pre existing conditions...

---

by: Ruth @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:32:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

looks like one had lymphoma n/t

All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:36:57 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

link to overview page

Here is a link to an overview page.
easy to monitor
http://www.vuetoo.com/vue1/Sit...

dougbaker

---

by: dougbaker @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 12:59:46 PM CDT

All Restaruants to be closed - No longer a Rumor

The original rumor came from twitter about 4 hours ago....  

Mexico City Will Close 35,000 Restaurants, La Jornada Reports
Share | Email | Print | A A A

By Carlos Manuel Rodriguez

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico City will close all 35,000 restaurants from today through May 5th, La Jornada said, as authorities try to avoid the spread of swine flu that may have killed as many as 152 people in Mexico.

The city government will send inspectors to verify the closures, La Jornada reported, citing Juan de Dios Barba, president of the local chapter of the Employers Confederation of the Mexican Republic.

The office of the mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, will make the announcement in the city's official gazette, La Jornada said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Carlos M. Rodriguez in Mexico City at carlosmr@bloomberg.net.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/...


redacted in deference to the very real pain being suffered across America by families.

---

by: pablo escobar @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 13:05:33 PM CDT

This is bigger than most realize!!!

If all restaraunts are closed in Mexico city, that means that the food they would normally serve up isnt.

That means that incrementally, those meals would be need to be made up at home.

That means that incrementally, those meals need to be prepared from food purchased at a grocery store.

That means that Grocery stores will see incremental demand over normal demand.

That means empty shelves

That means panic buying.

That means more panic.

Not tommorrow, but Thursday, we will see the beginnings of social unrest.

The food distribution channel for restraunts is much different than the food distribution channel for grocery stores.

Once Mexico starts panicing, they will surge across the border.


redacted in deference to the very real pain being suffered across America by families.

---

by: pablo escobar @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:48:03 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

sending it "home"

OK,  this is just a small rather innocent thing but it does bear watching.

We have several Mexican, Central, and South Amercian tenants.  Some of them are buying stuff here in the states and then mailing it home.

Not too big a deal because for now there is still plenty on the shelves.  There do not appear to be runs on things, that's not what I'm saying.  However, we may see JIT issues on this side of the border if there are shortages on the other side of the border.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

---

by: KathyinFL @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:20:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

well also

The suppliers who were supplying the restaurants now won't be.   So they can start selling their wares to grocery stores instead.  They may have to repackage, but they would be highly motivated to do so, no?   Otherwise they earn no money.

GetPandemicReady.org - non commerical website with practical ways for families to prepare.

---

by: Average Concerned Mom @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:25:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That's a good point n/t

---

by: Andrzejek @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:27:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

'Many hundreds' of students sick with suspected swine flu, says NYC health commissioner

April 28, 2009
Updated 2:34 p.m. The Associated Press
http://www.dailygazette.com/ne...

NEW YORK - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today that two people are hospitalized with suspected swine flu.

City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden also said today that "many hundreds" of schoolchildren are sick with suspected cases of swine flu.

Bloomberg says the hospitalizations are separate from the outbreak at a private school in Queens.

If they are found to be swine flu they would be the first in the U.S. connected to the outbreak.

The mayor says the hospitalized are a child in the Bronx and an adult in Brooklyn.

The U.S. has more than 60 reported cases of swine flu, mostly in New York City. The sickness has killed dozens in Mexico.

Earlier today, health officials began investigating reports of people with flu symptoms at a special education school in the city.

The public school - a few blocks from a Roman Catholic high school where a swine flu outbreak began last week - remained open as Health Department workers carried in boxes of supplies used for nose and throat tests. They did not respond to journalists' questions.

"We're just making sure everyone is OK," said Wayne Lipman, assistant principal at the school, declining to say more.

Teachers' union officials arrived soon after the health workers with bags full of what appeared to be face masks.

City officials stressed that there were no confirmed cases of swine flu at the special education school. But people were complaining of flu symptoms, and many students were out sick today.

Tom Ryan's 15-year-old daughter was there, and he had no plans to pull her out.

"Let's see what it is first," said Ryan, a vice president of the Citywide Council on Special Education. "Of course, we're worried, but there's no need to panic. [School and health officials] seem to have it in hand."
_______________

---

by: Pixie @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 13:47:34 PM CDT

Two more NYC schools have suspect cases

Possible Swine Flu Outbreaks at Two More Schools

"Twelve children with fevers at Public School 177, a special-needs school in Fresh Meadows, are being tested to see if they are ill with swine flu, and the school has been closed, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the New York City health commissioner, announced. At the Ascension School, a Catholic parochial school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, six children have been ill with fevers, and they too are being tested, he said."

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes....

---

by: gardner @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 13:55:43 PM CDT

Cuba halts flights to / from Mexico

http://tinyurl.com/curfy6

---

by: SIPCT @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:03:43 PM CDT

Cuba

Good.

Now if the US would just do the same thing, I'd feel better.

---

by: Clawdia @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:09:32 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's really too late at this point

You could seal that border air-tight, and the U.S. epidemic would go on unabated.  And, of course, such a border seal is impossible in the first place.

---

by: Jonathan @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:22:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Border Control

Won't stop it, but no need to hasten the spread.  

Even if this turns out to be only a mild (in comparison to others) pandemic, we're still seeing growth in the serious cases in the Mexican hospitals.

If this continues, at some point they will run out of beds and ventilators and the death rate will climb.  

With that in mind what we're essentially doing is taking the chance of starting the outbreak almost everywhere at once, which means that we hit peak infections a lot quicker then we have to. The sharper the upward slope in infection the sooner medical facilities become overwhelmed and more people die.

This is probably why Mexico is closing things down.

---

by: Snap @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:50:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Absolutely, Snap! Glad you brought this point up,

It has long been discussed as the reason for SIP, closing schools etc...to slow the spread so that health care facilities are not overwhelmed and those that do become ill can get proper care.

Since the experts all know that very well, then this attitude of "too late to contain it," and consequent decision to " just let it run and keep borders open" is not a health based decision, it is an economic based decision. I've read a few officials who have said that closing borders and/or curtailing travel would have severe economic effects...citing what happened economically during the SARS scare.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 00:44:15 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

CA-state of emergency declared

from google alert: Gov declares state of emergency

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:06:42 PM CDT

here's the press release

Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Proclamation to Confront Swine Flu Outbreak

As part of the state's aggressive approach to addressing the swine flu, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a State of Emergency that will support and facilitate our state health departments' response to this outbreak. While there is no need for alarm, it is the Governor's top priority to limit the swine flu's spread as quickly and effectively as possible and this action represents one more step being taken to strengthen California's response capabilities.

This proclamation cuts government red tape by:

• Ordering all state agencies and departments to utilize and employ state personnel, equipment and facilities to assist the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the State Emergency Plan as coordinated by the California Emergency Management Agency
  
• Ordering DPH and the Emergency Medical Services Authority to enter into any and all necessary contracts for providing services, materials, personnel and equipment to supplement extraordinary preventive measures being taken across the state
  
• Suspending non-competitive bid contracts for services, material, personnel and equipment needed to respond to this outbreak
  
• Waiving select certification requirements for public health laboratories to help in the state's expansion of our testing capabilities

Also:

The Governor continues to urge all Californians to be diligent in preventing the further spread of the flu:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
  
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.  
  
• If you get sick with flu, it is recommended that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

More http://gov.ca.gov/press-releas...



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:38:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

is anyone else sick and tired

of seeing the same old advice to people, wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home, etc, but never, never, not even ONCE, suggesting they should stock up their pantry so that they CAN actually stay home if necessary???

I had a question for the CDC press briefing, but I never got to ask it.  ;-/  

I guess I can write it as a diary on FW.  




All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:40:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes, sick of about 4 years of that advice

But boy, have we tried to change that. Maybe they'll get the message in time for the next pandemic ;-P

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:55:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

wisconsin department of health hinted at that

I share your frustration. I was glad that during the first wisconsin dept of health press conference, they said that everyone should do 4 things

1. wash hands
2. stay home if sick
3. keep informed
4. go to pandemic.wisconsin.gov and COMPLETE the checklist for individuals.

No further detail was given, but if anyone did number 4, the checklist would have told them to stock at least 2 weeks of food, water, and supplies.

Just trying to find a silver lining.

---

by: MilwaukeeGuy @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:58:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cuba halts Mexico travel; flu crosses new borders

By ANDREW O. SELSKY (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated PressApril 28, 2009 1:17 PM EDT
MEXICO CITY - Cuba suspended flights to and from Mexico on Tuesday, becoming the first country to impose a travel ban, as the fast-moving swine flu strain extended its reach overseas and in the United States.
World health officials in Geneva said they believed the virus appears to be establishing itself in communities and be able to produce larger outbreaks outside Mexico. In the U.S., there were new reports of hospitalizations among those affected, and officials are watching for a potential flu pandemic.

It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the World Health Organization's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.
The global health body insisted that travel restrictions were ineffective, but Cuba's 48-hour suspension came as the EU's disease control agency as well as Canada, Israel and France warned against nonessential travel to Mexico.
"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said, recalling the 2003 SARS epidemic that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.

full story
http://enews.earthlink.net/art...

United we stand: Divided we fall

http://cottontopssandbox.wordp...

---

by: cottontop @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:07:40 PM CDT

No more "Svineflu",, its a... Mexican flu...

I think the wiki should take lead,, the svineflu is not any more a pigs decease. its a full H-H human pandemic (soon global it seems), and history tells us that the proper name should be the nation where it was noticed firstly.

The spanish flu was not this case, but spain was the only european country with a free press during WW1. And so was the name given.

No more svine and porkmeat issues wasting time, give it a proper name!

take lead :)

---

by: urdar @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:25:55 PM CDT

Whats in a name...

Perhaps coin it "Chimera" .. correctly descriptive IMHO

---

by: Grimoire @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:35:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's my understanding...

... that the WHO has adopted a policy of intentionally not naming diseases after countries. I don't think that's a bad policy. It's referred to as swine flu because swine have hosted the evolution of the virus until it jumped to humans. Right? And in the same way,  avian flu (or bird flu) gets its name from the creature that hosts that virus. I don't actually see a problem with that. And I doubt that the swine or the birds really mind.

Besides, I'm not replacing the picture in the upper left corner with a map marked "Country to be determined." ;-)

---

by: pogge @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:58:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Whats in a name...

I think the thought of renaming it is valid since the economic damage to the various Meat and Poultry companies is something to watch out for, for example in this instance there hasn't been any evidence that any pig is infected with this particular bug.. (as was brought up at the senate hearing today) giving it a name that doesn't suggest us to stop eating pork and allowing another vector of fear to do further damage. (although the practices of the meat packing industry could REALLY use a overhaul. IMO)

Even though the thought controversy of the proper name of this virus seems silly, considering current events, it does have huge consequences to perception which will translate into economic realities.

Note that I'm far from a proponent of these industries I just think we should try to limit damage and efficiently allocate resources wherever we can. We have enough to worry about after all.

---

by: Grimoire @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:14:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

what's in a name . . .

Some pork producers seem to objecting to "Swine Flu" already. Some people are talking about "North American Flu."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04...

---

by: gardner @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:31:05 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

don't 'worry' ;-/

Swine flu is an interim name, until it becomes pandemic flu.

Any day now...  



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:51:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Get file pix of upsidedown pig?

Pogge: Way back I thought that if things went pandemic you were supposed to put the photo of the swan upside-down. If we switch from bird to swine flu, I suggest you prepare a pig photo for warning.  

---

by: INFOMASS @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:14:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Pig farmers are asking for the same thing!

It's hurting business: No matter how many times people are told you can't get it from eating pork, people are avoiding pork. So the pig farmers want a name change, especially since it's a combo of pig, bird and human.

Maybe they should hold a naming contest, like they do for zoo baby animals.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 00:50:10 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Antihistamines for cure?

CDC is saying older anti-viral drugs do not work and a Mexican doctor in bbc website saw his two interns die despite they having vaccines and anti-viral medications. So I have one question about this swine flu:

Let's say this swine flu causes your immune system to go overdrive (cytokine storm?) and people die because basically one huge allergic overreaction of their immune system.

Would simply taking ANTIHISTAMINES (used against allergies) or similar drugs prevent that? Now this flu seems to hit healthy 20-30-40 year olds...just a thought.

---

by: timmyone @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:27:05 PM CDT

Interesting

That's a good question -- Benadryl, anyone?

I'd be interested in hearing a medical opinion on it.  Has it ever been tried?

---

by: Jonathan @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:35:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think not...

I don't believe Benadryl is an anti-inflammatory.

---

by: wikimetoo @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:10:31 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I don't think so . . . n/t

---

by: Clawdia @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:14:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry, it wont work

Taking an anti histamine might make some of your symptoms go away temporarily but will not stop near enough of your immune system to do any good.  Way back when, doctors on this board tried all kinds of drug combinations to stop the cytokine storm and noting had an effect.  In particular we were focused on how they treat lupus and the drug combinations were tried on actual bird flu patients in Indonesia with no effect. I think we were blocking 4 different immune cascades at that point and it still did nothing to prevent patient death.
If anyone that was here for that wants to chime in feel free.

Carry the torch, not to light the way, but to set your peers on fire!

---

by: Annoyed Max--Not mad yet @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:27:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Too healthy?

So are you saying that if one has too strong immune system, too healthy, he is at greater risk? Being a little bit sick already might save one's life?

---

by: timmyone @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:34:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hmmm

Wonder if that explains why the cases in the U.S. have been milder.  So many Americans are out of shape...

/snark

---

by: Jonathan @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:35:21 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That's actually a scarey/interesting idea.

Could the reason the cfr is lower in US be because of our diet lacking certain nutrients that help  the immune system? If it was just "poverty-poor diet" causing weaker immune response, then I don't think Mexico would be a candidate for the "healthy diet/high cfr" club. But it may be the lack of vitamins and minerals in our rather rich,  high carb, high saturated fat, low veg/high beef diets. If true, that might make a difference in cfr when it gets to countries where the normal diet is richer in these nutrients.  Hmmmm. If  unhealthy diet helps pan flu survival, perhaps I should go back to big macs and fries, and forego this healthy vegetarian diet I've been on to increase my life span.. Is this irony or what?

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 01:13:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

yes exactly

That is why this variant is so worrying.  In past pandemics its the healthy people in their 20-40s that die in the greatest numbers.  Its not "really" the flu that kills them.  They basically drowned in their own fluids due to all the damage their body does to their lungs trying to fight it off(this is called a cytokine storm).  Very young and older peoples bodies can not mount such a huge over reaction to the virus so they have a much lower death rate.  I know this was true in 1918 but don't quote me on the other pandemics.  But this has become a mile marker for early detection of a new pandemic starting and is what we are seeing in the Mexican cases.

Carry the torch, not to light the way, but to set your peers on fire!

---

by: Annoyed Max--Not mad yet @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:47:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

So antihistamines could work?

At least in theory if taken early enough?  

---

by: timmyone @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:53:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

no they wont work

Sorry, maybe I dident write that well, but there is nothing you can take, especially over the counter that will stop or even alleviate the cytokine storm.  Its not like you can compare it to puffy eyes due to allergies.  This kills you dead in hours.  If your sick with this and get viral pneumonia your only hope is a ventilator.  And good luck with that...  Honestly your going to become a statistic at that point.


Carry the torch, not to light the way, but to set your peers on fire!

---

by: Annoyed Max--Not mad yet @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:03:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

At least this is what we had determined to be true from examining the avian flu over the last few years.

Carry the torch, not to light the way, but to set your peers on fire!

---

by: Annoyed Max--Not mad yet @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:05:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The only antihistamines that help

with symptoms are the older style antihistamines since the new ones work in a different way.

It's worth noting that some of the 'cold cures' are cocktails of over the counter drugs including antihistamines and painkillers. You need to be careful with them to be sure you don't overdose by adding different pills together.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:39:53 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

We'll Take Care of Our Own. We'll Have to. (Old Resource list)

Bunch of resources (slightly aged, some with links that still work and probably still within their web shelf life) relating to care at home.  

Some are H5N1-specific, but many of the first ones are more generic.

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/dia...

Try:
Good Home Treatment of Influenza - Dr Woodson
or
Stay At Home Toolkit for Influenza
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services - Montgomery County Maryland  (Added 9.19.07)
or
Influenza Pandemic Preparation and Response - A Citizen's Guide - Version 1.5 November 2007

Sarah Booth &
Kelsey Hills-Evans

Conceived, supported and sponsored by
Jane and Peter Carpenter
Also sponsored by
Mid-Peninsula Citizen's Preparedness Committee  (Added 11.7.07)

There are a bunch of bad links that will have to be fixed when I can get to it.


ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

---

by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:37:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

3 possible cases in Panama, 1 suspected case negative

I don't know how to post above, so here goes....

http://www.panama-guide.com/

Panama is a hub for travel between Latin American countries.

---

by: AmMatt @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:29:22 PM CDT

Hi AmMatt, welcome.

Glad you are bringing us news. Don't worry about posting at the top. AlohaOR or I will take care of it.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:57:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

CDC: US count 64

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

CA - 10
KS - 2
NYC - 45
OH - 1
TX - 6

Count as of 11 am today

---

by: gardner @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 14:34:36 PM CDT

Don't forget the positive in Orlando, FL

Pops out of lurking to wave ...

They have a confirmed case of a tourist that had been in Mexico recently and then went to Disney of all freaking places.

And guess what .... local news is pretty mum about it.  Guess they don't want to scare us or something.  

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

---

by: KathyinFL @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:32:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Hopefully

the CDC will pick up on that one soon. They seem to be updating their official numbers frequently.  

---

by: gardner @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:05:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Nature 4/27/09 Declan Butler article

"...It has been mixing all over the place, and so the genetics are quite complicated," says John McCauley, a virologist at the UK Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research in London. "Where the hell it got all these genes from we don't know," says Robert Webster, a flu virologist at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. "But this is a real super-mixed-up virus."...'

http://www.nature.com/news/200...

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:18:05 PM CDT

That's quite a read: highly recommend.

Especially the commentary from the poor woman who is slowly dying from swine flu and not getting any tamiflu or other effective treatment. Chilling to realize this could happen to any of us.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 01:25:26 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

4 cases in Ontario

4 swine flu cases in Ont.; Canadian total now 13

Four cases of swine flu have now been reported in Ontario, bringing the total number of Canadian cases to 13. All of the Ontario cases were found in the Toronto area and have been linked to Mexican travel.

It's getting close to home now.

---

by: pogge @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:20:50 PM CDT

What's in a name?

Frankenswine still gets my vote!

PANIC/09 (Porcine Avian Novel Influenza Contagion / 2009)

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
  but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Proverbs 22:3

---

by: David @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 15:24:51 PM CDT

ManBirdPig Flu for South Park fans ;-) n/t

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:38:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Great. Now cleaning spittle off the monitor. lol. nt.

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

---

by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:10:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

WHO to raise pandemic level to 5

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.a...

---

by: Andrzejek @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:19:35 PM CDT

Reliability?

My understanding is that Press-TV is not the most reliable source.

---

by: tjclaw1 @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:35:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

My apologies. It seemed legitimate to me.

PFI has this video from Dr. Niman which talks about the
changes WHO made last year which (he says) effectively eliminated phase 4 and 5. He says that the new phase four is the old phase six (paraphrased). It's a 26 minutes vidoe and worth watching. I don't see a transcript, though.

http://www.wpxi.com/video/1931...

---

by: Andrzejek @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:51:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Newberry Academy CLOSED for rest of the week

"Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - 4;00 P.M.  We will not be able to reopen the school until next Monday (May 4th).  We had been told earlier today that we could open tomorow, but that informatin turned out to be incorrect.  We apologize that this incorrect information was broadcast over WKDK once before we caught it.  There also will be no middle school dance held Friday and the baseball games wiith Clarendon Hall have been forfeited.  I would like to compliment our Newberry Academy families on the way you have handled this stressful situation.  You have not bothered us for information concerning the school's closing but have relied on the media and our web site.  Thank you very much.  We will, in all probability, not be able to make up the days missed, but that decision will be made next week.  The staff is to return Wednesday, April 29, at 8:30 a.m. for a teacher workday."

http://www.newberryacademy.com/

PANIC/09 (Porcine Avian Novel Influenza Contagion / 2009)

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
  but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Proverbs 22:3

---

by: David @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 16:29:10 PM CDT

What about the teachers? Shouldn't they be protected also?

If it is not safe for the students, how could it be safe for the teachers?  This makes no sense to me.

Will they give the teachers masks and gloves?

---

by: TooMuchAnxietyGirl @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 17:45:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

closing schools

also protects teachers.  The concept behind social distancing, is that your risk of getting infected is related to the number of close personal contacts you make.  For a teacher, who may meet a couple of hundred kids a day at close range, dismissing classes means that he/she will now only meet school staff, a much lower number of people and therefore a much lower risk of infection.

For more on how 'social distancing' or 'non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) works, check out Community Mitigation Demystified II



All 'safety concerns' are hypothetical.  If not, they'd be called side effects...

---

by: SusanC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 17:52:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Teachers ...

Yes, thank you, that part makes sense.  

My concern, which I did not state clearly, was contact with the virus left on surfaces.  I assumed that they could not reopen the school because they had not finished cleaning.  That was where I made my mistake; it was because of the personal contact issue.

Thanks again for being the voice of reason!

---

by: TooMuchAnxietyGirl @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:35:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Indonesia floats idea of man-made swine flu

http://www.haber27.com/news_de...

As swine flu continues to take its toll, claims surface that the deadly four-part flu virus could have been created for "bio-terror attacks."

Speaking at a conference to reassure the public over hers government's response to the swine flu threat, Indonesian Heath Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Tuesday that the controversial virus could have been man-made.

She declined to elaborate on her claim but she had previously accused Western governments of making and spreading viruses in the developing world to boost pharmaceutical companies' profits, AFP reported.

"I'm not sure whether the virus was genetically engineered but it's a possibility," Supari said.

Supari assured Indonesians that the deadly virus could not survive in tropical countries like Indonesia which was the worst hit country by the bird flu virus.

"H1N1 survives in countries with four seasons. The type A H1N1 virus hopefully won't be able to sustain itself once it enters the tropical climate of Indonesia," she added.

No cases of swine flu have been reported in Indonesia. It has banned imports of live pigs and pork products.

cont.

Comment She's at it again. Surely Indo will give this loony the boot?

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 17:24:32 PM CDT

Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

I was right in predicting Supari would try and turn the spotlight back on herself.

---

by: Walrus @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 18:26:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

She might get more scrutiny than she can cope with. n/t

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 18:34:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

She'll not be the first or the last

Even retired Lt. General Honore raised the point on CNN this weekend that we need to establish the origin of the virus, whether it is a naturally occurring organism or whether it came out of a lab.

I expect to see more and more questions raised as to the origin of this bug long before all is said and done.

---

by: Clawdia @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:13:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Wondering if it's man made isn't made

it's thinking her Indonesian booty is immune is what should get her the jacket that buttons up the back.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:38:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Mad not made n/t

---

by: UK - Bird @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:40:06 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Demand for face masks surges

LONDON, England -- Manufacturers and pharmacies are reporting a sharp increase in demand for face masks.

Chemists in the UK and in France contacted by CNN said they had been out of face masks since Monday, attributing demand to fears over swine flu.

Several told CNN they were unable to order new face masks as suppliers struggled to cope with demand. A chemist at British chain Boots in Pimlico, London told CNN: "We usually don't stock them and just order them on demand. "A customer came in earlier and said he had tried several independent pharmacists in the area but was unable to get a mask. "We have also not managed to order any masks from our usual supplier."

Anthon Thomas, a sales manager at Crosstex, a medical company that sells masks and other sterilization products, said they had also seen an increase in demand, but that he did not think supply would run out. Bloomberg news reported that medical companies 3M Co. and Alpha Pro Tech were manufacturing more masks and stood to make large profits if the demand continued to rise.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning against relying on face masks, especially for those not infected with the virus. "They are mainly useful for people who are already sick, to prevent spreading. Not so much to stop people from catching the virus," Sarah Cumberland of the WHO told CNN. "At the moment it's a panic reaction. The best thing to do is what you would always do to avoid catching a virus: washing your hands and not bringing your hands to your face" she said.

The UK's Health Protection Agency also told CNN that the use of face masks was not necessary or recommended for protection against the swine flu virus. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:17:47 PM CDT

Panic in Mexico city

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...

....Mexicans stripped supermarket shelves bare today in a burst of panic shopping amid fears the flu epidemic could force a nationwide lockdown.....

Be Prepared

---

by: DennisC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:18:24 PM CDT

Osterholm has described much the same. (see diary.) nt

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

---

by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:22:09 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

What diary? n/t

redacted in deference to the very real pain being suffered across America by families.

---

by: pablo escobar @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:34:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sorry. Here.

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/sho...

ITW(Joel J)
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.
- Mark Twain
 

---

by: Into The Woods @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:36:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Tip of the hat to Fla Medic

CALLS FOR STORING 2 WEEKS MEDICATIONS AND SUPPLIES!!

"The CDC has released three short audio Public Service Announcements (PSA's) that I imagine will start playing on radio stations around the country.

You can beat them to the punch, however, by downloading them and sending them to your friends and family as email attachments.

I don't think the CDC would mind a bit.  

Swine Flu Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
April 28, 2009 6:45 PM ET

CDC PSAs provide timely messages about what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

Swine Flu Preparedness
April 28, 2009 6:45 PM ET

Audio
Audio - Download MP3 file

Script
Health officials are concerned about a new influenza virus of swine origin that's spreading from person to person. Officials are acting to combat this threat, but the outbreak could grow. Prepare now.

Check with local leaders, schools, employers, and other community groups about their plans regarding an outbreak in your community. It's important for everyone to know what to do about swine flu.

For details, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

A message from HHS.

Community Planning for Swine Flu

April 28, 2009 6:45 PM ET

Audio
Audio - Download MP3 file

Script
Health officials are concerned about a new influenza virus of swine origin that's spreading from person to person. Officials are acting to combat this threat, but the outbreak might grow. So be prepared.

Store a two-week supply of food and water. Have two weeks of your regular prescription drugs at home. Keep health supplies on hand, including pain relievers and cold medicines.

For more details, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

A message from HHS.

Hygiene Habits to Help Fight Swine Flu

April 28, 2009 6:45 PM ET

Audio
Audio - Download MP3 file

Script
Health officials are concerned about a new flu virus of swine origin spreading from person to person. To help fight swine flu, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Stay home if you're sick and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

To learn more, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

A message from HHS."

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/


It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 19:59:32 PM CDT

discussion NYT with FW reference in comments

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nyt...

see peter carpenter.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 20:05:28 PM CDT

Swine Flu Genes From Pigs Only, Not Humans or Birds

The deadly H1N1 influenza virus that's fueling fears of a global pandemic appears to be a hybrid of two common pig flu strains, scientists who have studied the disease told Wired.com Tuesday. Earlier reports called it a combination of pig, human and avian influenza strains.

The findings may resolve some uncertainty about the nature of the virus, but much is still unknown about its origins and effects.

"This is what we call a reassortment between two currently circulating pig flu viruses," said Andrew Rambaut, a University of Edinborough viral geneticist. "Why it's emerged in humans is anyone's guess. It hasn't been seen before in pigs as far as I know."

http://www.wired.com/wiredscie...

---

by: off_leash @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 20:50:07 PM CDT

4 Students at University of Delaware with probable swine flu

Received alert from University of Delaware emergency alert system at 9:15pm tonight that there are 4 UD students with probable swine flu.
Check www.udel.edu or www.delawareonline.com  for more details.
PPF is now at 8.
Not sure if I will report for work tomorrow, I am in a main building on campus with tons of students.
Delawhere

---

by: Delawhere @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 21:33:16 PM CDT

Suspect Case In Muskogee, OK

Possible Swine Flu Case In Muskogee
Posted: Apr 28, 2009 2:28 PM CDT Updated: Apr 28, 2009 5:44 PM CDT
VA spokesperson Neda McClellan says the patient confirmed he had recently returned from Cozumel, Mexico. VA spokesperson Neda McClellan says the patient confirmed he had recently returned from Cozumel, Mexico.

NewsOn6.com

MUSKOGEE, OK -- The Veterans Administration hospital in Muskogee has told the News On 6 on Tuesday, a patient at their facility appears to have swine flu symptoms.

VA spokesperson Neda McClellan says the patient confirmed he had recently returned from Cozumel, Mexico.

McClellan says the hospital took culture samples and sent them on the Oklahoma Department of Health for evaluation. They expect to know whether or not the patient tests positive for swine flu by Wednesday afternoon.

If positive, this would be the first case of swine flu in Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Health says samples taken from five patients with flu-like symptoms in the state have all come back negative for swine flu.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health has set up a phone bank for persons with questions about swine flu.

The toll free number is 1-866-278-7134.

The OSDH says the phone will be answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/...

---

by: Okieman @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 22:24:30 PM CDT

4 'probable' cases in Delaware

college students from the U of Delaware-mild cases, had just returned frorm spring break in Mexico.

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

---

by: Grace RN @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 22:37:20 PM CDT

Please post new news stories to...

 

News Reports for April 29, 2009

Thank you!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 23:01:32 PM CDT

Great job today folks!

Excellent work of keeping us up-to-date on all the swine flu news. We had 8,984 visits today.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 23:06:49 PM CDT

[ Parent ]