News Reports for May 18, 2009

Mexican pig producer reports zero pork sales

due to A/H1N1 flu

Not one single pig has been sold in Mexico's southeastern state of Guerrero for the last three weeks because of the A/H1N1 flu, the industry association in the state said on Sunday.

Before the Mexican government declared a flu emergency on April 23, the state's farmers on average sold 1,120 pigs a day, (Snip) Now the sales were zero, he said.
(Snip)
The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no risk of contracting influenza A/H1N1, which has killed 68 people in Mexico, by eating pork and that the new strain of the virus contains elements of bird, human and pig viruses. The WHO said that there are now 8,451 cases of the disease worldwide, but only six deaths outside of Mexico, with four in the United States and one each in Canada and Costa Rica. The United States now has 4,714 cases of the flu, the largest number across the globe. http://english.people.com.cn/9...

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 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 04:42:53 AM UTC

Physicians say their experience with the flu strain helped prepare them for the next outbreak.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amedne...

Focus turns to lessons learned from H1N1 scare

Physicians say their experience with the flu strain helped prepare them for the next outbreak.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Posted May 18, 2009.

As the influenza A(H1N1) outbreak sent chills around the world this spring, physicians struggled to keep up with developments while tending to scared patients.

Many worried patients called Arkansas internist and pediatrician Robert Hopkins, MD, about what they called the "flu that is killing people right and left." Aurora, Ill., family physician Carrie Nelson, MD, scrambled to read policy changes faxed to her by federal health officials.

"When you are running to care for patients, you can't also run over to the fax machine all the time," Dr. Nelson said.

The outbreak has caused commotion and concerns, but it also has provided lessons that Dr. Nelson and other physicians said would help them when the next flu strain strikes. That means preparations such as dusting off pandemic plans, educating office staff and patients, and ensuring surge capacity in hospitals.

"So far, I would say we did a good job. But there is always room for improvement," said Daniel Fagbuyi, MD, medical director of disaster preparedness and emergency management at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Seasonal influenza causes 36,000 deaths a year in the U.S.

The facility set up an area outside the emergency department where nurses separated out patients suspected of having the flu. "We'll go over what we did right and what we did wrong at the end of this so we can prepare for the next pandemic," he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies are casting a wary eye toward the fall flu season, with the thought that the H1N1 virus might continue to circulate and, perhaps, become more virulent. Plus, it will be accompanied by seasonal influenza, which causes some 36,000 deaths annually.

Physicians are analyzing their first go-round with the H1N1 virus for ways to improve their responses.

Better patient education is crucial, said Dr. Hopkins, associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He is developing newsletters for his patients. He recommends that other doctors use newsletters, Web sites or postings in waiting rooms to relate prevention messages such as patients' need to stay home if they are sick.

"We spent a lot of time talking [to patients] about what the flu is," he said.
Prompt communication

The need for speedy communication was one lesson learned as the virus swept through the nation. Guidance to physicians was updated as federal health officials learned more about the virus. The CDC used Twitter to provide updated reports.

In the future, receiving updates via Twitter would be better than being bombarded with faxes, Dr. Nelson said. Her fax machine was nearly as busy as she was during the height of the outbreak.
The CDC used Twitter to give updates on the H1N1 virus.

She had prepared for an increase in patients as word spread of the new flu strain. Many people she treats are from Mexico and have friends and relatives there, leading to frequent travel in both directions.

What she wasn't prepared for were the rapid-fire policy changes faxed to her. "New policies were coming down sometimes hours apart from one another," she said.

The outbreak also served as a reminder to some physicians that surge capacity in emergency departments needs to be increased.

"Most emergency departments report they are at 150% to 200% of capacity on a regular day," said Richard N. Bradley, MD, chief of the division of emergency medical services and disaster medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "When you put on top of that the possibility of a severe pandemic, you are really throwing some challenges at the system."
Medication and supplies

Dr. Bradley also wants to see sufficient medication provided in advance to front-line health care professionals. For example, doctors and their staffs might need numerous 10-day courses of antivirals for themselves to continue treating patients for the duration of a pandemic without getting sick.

Another lesson learned was the need to ensure that an adequate supply of masks and other equipment can be delivered. "You have to make sure immediately that your supplier reserves some materials for you," said William Schaffner, MD, chair of the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. "Hospitals today don't have large stockpiles."

Planning now can make all the difference later, doctors said.

"No matter what we think of the response now, imagine what would have happened had we not had any planning," said Thomas Inglesby, MD, deputy director and chief operating officer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Biosecurity.

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 04:58:54 AM UTC

Your Health: As flu scare ebbs, will hand-washing dry up?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/h...

COMING CLEAN

In a 2007 study, 92% of adults in the USA said they always washed their hands when using a public restroom, but just 77% were observed doing so. Researchers did not observe hand-washing in other settings. But fewer adults said they always washed their hands:

• After using the bathroom at home: 86%
• Before eating or handling food: 78%
• After changing a diaper: 73%
• After petting a dog or cat: 42%
• After coughing or sneezing: 34%
• After handling money: 25%

Source: Harris Interactive phone survey of 1,001 adults, for the American Society for Microbiology and The Soap And Detergent Association

By Kim Painter, USA TODAY
In summer 2003, researchers descended on airport bathrooms in the USA and Canada and discovered a dirty truth: More than 20% of restroom visitors left without washing their hands.

But there was one big exception: In Toronto, which had just endured a deadly outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), fewer than 5% of people left dirty-handed. During that outbreak, public health officials had repeatedly urged people to protect themselves by washing their hands.

SCIENCE OF HAND-WASHING: Here's the drill

Sound familiar? Just weeks ago, Americans were hearing similar, daily pleas from health officials and even President Obama as initial fears about a new flu virus, called H1N1 or swine flu, peaked. In a phone survey in early May, 67% of adults said they or others in their homes were washing their hands more often, reported the Harvard School of Public Health. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the increase might produce health benefits well beyond controlling H1N1.

But as coverage of the outbreak wanes, will Americans keep scrubbing? (Whether folks kept washing in the Toronto airport is unknown, because the study was not repeated there.)

For now, those who make it their business to promote hand-washing - to prevent flus, colds, food poisoning, infectious diarrhea, skin infections and other hand-borne illnesses - are hopeful but doubtful.

"I'm sure there are more people washing hands, but I don't think it's going to last," says B. Susie Craig, a food safety specialist and hand-washing expert at Washington State University's extension service.

"Americans have very short memories," says Dan Dunlop, president of Jennings, a North Carolina marketing company that has designed hand-washing promotions for hospitals. Even in hospitals, changing behavior can be tough, he notes. "It takes a major cultural shift. When we do one of these campaigns, it is pervasive. We have stickers on patients; we have signs in every bathroom."

If changing hand-washing behavior were simple, "we wouldn't have so many people getting sick each year," says Doug Powell, a food scientist at Kansas State University.

Of course, remaining flu fears could make a difference. But experts say businesses, schools and hospitals that want to keep soap dispensers flowing might want to consider:

•The voice of authority. Just as federal health officials enlisted Obama to endorse hand-washing, Dunlop has enlisted hospital CEOs and medical chiefs to inspire hand-washing in their troops. School principals, PTA presidents and restaurant managers could do likewise, he says.

• The audience. "With younger people, what seems to work is being blunt and gross," Powell says. Powell, who writes at barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu, tells his students that when they eat without washing their hands first, they may be eating feces. (But he uses another word.)

• Social pressure. In one unpublished study, Craig found that petting-zoo visitors who left a barn through a crowded exit washed their hands more often than those who left by a less-crowded door.

• Keeping supplies up. Powell says he hears often about bathrooms in schools, college dormitories and other germ hotspots that lack soap.

It takes about a month to learn a new health habit, says Judy Daly, a professor of pathology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and a spokeswoman for the American Society for Microbiology, which co-sponsored the airport study.

So if you started washing your own hands more frequently this month, just keep it up, she says: "Pretty soon it will be automatic."

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by: magdelaine @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 05:40:25 AM UTC

H1N1 Swine Flu Likely Already Infecting 100,000 Americans, Admits CDC

http://www.sott.net/articles/s...

Mike Adams
Natural News
Mon, 18 May 2009 04:58 UTC
H1N1 influenza (swine flu) has spread beyond the ability of the CDC to track it, leading one of its health authorities (Daniel Jernigan) to admit that 100,000 Americans are likely already infected by the swine flu.

The CDC has only "confirmed" 4,714 cases of the flu so far, but by its own admission, the CDC's testing lab is so hopelessly overloaded that it has all but abandoned trying to identify every case of swine flu. All it can do now is estimate the likely number of infections through statistical modeling.

That modeling essentially says that swine flu is already at a pandemic stage, and it will eventually infect anywhere from one-third to one-half of the world population, depending on whose figures you believe.

So if swine flu is infecting so many people, why aren't more people dying?

Some people are dying from it, of course. The latest is an assistant principal of a NYC school, who just passed away yesterday.

Beware of the "influenza winter of 2009"

But the lack of deaths from the swine flu at the moment doesn't mean the danger is over. In fact, the western world is right now experiencing the health benefits of Spring, which brings sunlight and vitamin D (a natural anti-viral vitamin) to the people.

Historically, influenza strikes in the Fall and Winter months when vitamin D levels are low. Winter, of course, means December - February in the Northern hemisphere, and June - July in the Southern hemisphere. So even if a pandemic strikes North America during the winter of 2009, it is unlikely to be as dangerous in Australia at the same time (because that's Australia's summer).

At the same time, the coming Summer in North America is a vitamin D deficient winter in Australia, so there may be increased risk of H1N1 influenza deaths throughout June, July and August in the Southern hemisphere.

The CDC and WHO, however, are most concerned about the coming winter in North America. The 1918 pandemic struck during the winter months, of course, hitting the population when people were most vulnerable with vitamin D deficiency.

With potentially millions of Americans carrying non-fatal H1N1 influenza into the regular winter flu season in late 2009, there is a very real chance that H1N1 genetic code could mix with various seasonal flu strains, creating a highly lethal and contagious strain that devastates the human population across the world.

It's impossible for anyone to accurately predict the risk of such a mutation occurring, but the elements are in place for precisely such a development. Importantly, should such a scenario unfold, vaccines will be totally useless because they only target whatever H1N1 strain was circulating eight months ago!

Remember this: A viral mutation instantly renders all vaccines completely useless.

Big Pharma making big bucks off influenza

That doesn't mean Big Pharma isn't trying to cash in on the vaccine money machine, of course. In fact, the drug companies have been busy negotiating with third world countries to take possession of viral genetic material found in those countries so that they can manufacture patented vaccines that they sell back to those very same countries (at monopoly prices). Read more here.

In fact, Baxter Pharmaceuticals, the very company that was found to have accidentally (yeah, right!) inserted live influenza viruses into vaccine material distributed to 18 countries, is now cashing in on the H1N1 pandemic.

This profit motive has led some commentators on the 'net to wonder whether H1N1 was actually created in a laboratory and released in the wild based on a Big Pharma profit agenda. The flames under this theory were fanned recently when a top virologist announced that swine flu may have been created by "human error" in a vaccine factory. The WHO, predictably, was swift to dismiss such fears, claiming to have investigated and ruled out the claim.  

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 06:04:51 AM UTC

please don't post stuff like this

This profit motive has led some commentators on the 'net to wonder whether H1N1 was actually created in a laboratory and released in the wild based on a Big Pharma profit agenda

That's conspiracy theory and is frowned upon.

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by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 12:09:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

But it IS news that there are conspiracy theories out there, right?

So, good to bring it up as a news item, but equally valid for you to immediately point it out and shoot it down.  Keeps wiki an open forum and at the same time legit, IMO.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:35:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

oh, yeah...

just label it as rumor if you want to post it, but really, we don't need to post every conspiracy theory ever promulgated as if it were hard news.

I certainly hope it didn't come out as yelling at tess. That was not my intent.  

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by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 16:04:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Conspiracies

Moreover, sometimes there are conspiracies.  Abe Lincoln was the victim of one of them.  Booth wasn't acting alone.

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by: Tarzan @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:03:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm not sure Abe Lincoln constitutes news ;-)

The trouble with rumours is they are easy to make but impossible to prove or disprove. Until there is something concrete it's not news. What do we gain from discussing this other than drift away from concentrating on what we do know?

There is a Diary for rumours for a reason.

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by: UK - Bird @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:10:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

we have in the past and can start

a rumors diary for that.

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by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:31:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And we just happen to have that...

here:

Rumors for 2009

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by: Bronco Bill @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:13:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sorry all

I even debated about posting it but decided to anyway. I'll refrain from posting this type next time. As I try to tell friends, family, clients about flu & preparedness, this is often the kind of stuff I hear in return. It's so frustrating.

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 23:43:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

no harm done

just toss a comment about it(puzzling, questionable, don't know the source, etc) in with the post.

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 00:53:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

"Natural News" has an axe to grind.

Natural News has a natural medicine axe to grind which is why the article talks about vitamin D levels.

Furthermore, I don't believe for one minute the assertion that:

"A viral mutation instantly renders all vaccines completely useless."

I understand that there is considerable evidence to the contrary.

Then there is this outrageous claim about a profit agenda by "Big Pharma". For the record, vaccines are about the least profitable medical product available - which is why there isn't more worldwide capacity to produce them.

H1N1 needs no conspiracy.

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by: Walrus @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:09:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Singapore will order enough H1N1 vaccines if WHO gives go-ahead

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/2...

Channel NewsAsia - Sunday, May 17

SINGAPORE: Singapore will order enough H1N1 vaccines for the entire population if the World Health Organisation (WHO) gives the go-ahead for the production at a meeting in Geneva soon.

At the same time, the Health Ministry is studying a more targeted approach to temperature screening at checkpoints.

Speaking at an event on Saturday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan thought Singapore will be the first country in Southeast Asia to report a case of H1N1 infection. Instead, it turned out to be Thailand and then Malaysia.

He feels it is a matter of time before a case surfaces in Singapore and that border screening measures may not be a sufficient preventive measure especially at land checkpoints.

Mr Khaw said: "Land checkpoint - the environment is quite different. The motorbikes and so forth, it is already warm, sweaty and we know that the precision of it is sometimes doubtful. So we are reviewing land checkpoints, whether it is really necessary to keep up this temperature control."

However, there will be a more focused approach to screening in airports. Instead of checks at the immigration point, thermal scanners will be put up at the aero-bridges for incoming flights from affected countries.

And even if the virus enters the country, there should not be any cause for alarm yet as fatality rates are low. So far, most that have succumbed to the virus already have underlying medical conditions.

In the US, less than five per cent of those who caught the virus needed hospitalisation.

In Mexico, the fatality rate is 0.4 per cent of those infected. Hence, Singapore is lifting the home quarantine order for those with a travel history to Mexico.

Mr Khaw added: "It is the future which is worrisome, the virus has now spread to the South. So when the next winter in the north, which is in a year's time, the virus will keep on mutating and picking up new genes as it goes along.

"Will it become milder and milder, which is all we hope? Or will it become more serious, which is what we fear? I think the control measure now should be preventive."

Many health officials believe the best control measure would be vaccination.

WHO has yet to make a decision on producing these vaccines. Scientists will meet in Geneva next week to discuss this and it is going to be a heated debate.

The factories that are going to produce the H1N1 vaccine also produce the seasonal flu vaccine.

Seasonal flu kills about a quarter to half a million people worldwide each year. So should vaccination for seasonal flu be reduced, as factories crank up production for a virus that is still quite mild? It's a tough call politicians and health experts will have to make.

GlaxoSmithKline has received tentative orders for over 120 million doses of vaccines from Europe.

The firm said it will finish producing its seasonal flu vaccine in July and could then turn to H1N1 vaccine. The firm has received tentative orders for 60 million doses from Britain, 50 million from France, 12.3 million from Belgium and 5.3 million from Finland.

Glaxo also said it would donate 50 million doses to the World Health Organization for developing countries.

Singapore has a production contract with a vaccine manufacturer in Australia and will procure enough vaccines for the entire population, if recommended by WHO.

Speaking at a separate event on Saturday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said besides staying vigilant against the H1N1 virus, the Aloha chalets in Loyang will remain operationally ready.

Mr Mah said: "We will still need to have a quarantine facility for the time being... in case there's a need for us to reactivate under certain circumstances or while the HQO is being suspended for the time being. I think all of us are aware that we are not totally out of the woods yet." - CNA/vm

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 06:22:34 AM UTC

Japan confirms 96 H1N1 flu cases, most are students

http://uk.reuters.com/article/...

TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) - The number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Japan has risen to 96, a health ministry official said on Monday, with most of new cases seen in high school students in western Japan, many of whom have not travelled abroad.

Over 80 high school students in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures were confirmed to be infected with the new flu virus, Keiichiro Suemasa, a health ministry official said.

The ministry has called for the suspension of classes at all middle and high schools in Hyogo, where 53 cases were confirmed, as well as neighbouring Osaka, where 39 cases were confirmed, Suemasa said.

The figure includes four cases that Japan confirmed earlier this month among people that returned from abroad.

The ministry has not received information on anyone being critically ill from the H1N1 flu, Suemasa said.

The World Health Organisation said last week that it is closely monitoring the situation in Japan after three students from the same high school who have not travelled abroad came down with the H1N1 flu. [ID:nLG580439]

More than 35 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, and some 60 people have died in Mexico of the new flu strain, which last month prompted the World Health Organization to raise its global pandemic alert level to 5 on a 6-point scale. (Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

 



"History never looks like history when you are living through it." ~John W. Gardner

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by: tess @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 06:28:21 AM UTC

Japan on high alert as 130 people confirmed infected with new flu

This is from the Chinese news agency, Xinhua.

   TOKYO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The total number of cases of A/H1N1 flu infections, both domestic and those contracted abroad, topped 130 in Japan Monday, according to Kyodo News calculations.

   Japanese government on Monday convened an emergency task force meeting to discuss countermeasures on the spread of the epidemic.

   At the meeting, Prime Minister Taro Aso called the public to remain calm, saying the Japanese government has no plans to ask citizens to refrain from holding meetings or scale down corporate activity.

   The government task force decided not to upgrade its measures aimed at coping with the spread of the new flu from the current phase 2, which refers to an early stage of domestic outbreak, according to Kyodo News.

snip

   The Japanese government on Saturday shifted the stage of its new-flu action program from "a period of overseas outbreak" to "an early period of domestic outbreak" and called for companies and schools in the areas concerned to allow individuals to avoid commuting during rush hours.

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 09:18:33 AM UTC

OOps

Here is the link..

http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 09:22:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

S Korean scientists claim to have developed human vaccine for Influenza A

   SEOUL, May 18 (Xinhua) -- S. Korean scientists said Monday that they have succeeded in developing a human vaccine against Influenza A.

   Researchers from South Korea's Chungnam National University, led by Professor Seo Sang-heui from the college of veterinary medicine, said the vaccine was developed last Friday, 11 days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supplied them with the "standard virus."

   According to the researchers, they created a material that is not toxic and can be mass produced cheaply after cultivating the standard virus.

   "The vaccine is probably the first developed in the world," Professor Seo Sang-heui said during an interview with local media.

   The vaccine strain has been named CNUK-RG A/CA/4xPR/8 (H1N1), while its effectiveness has been confirmed through tests on human and monkey cell samples, he said.

   "The university team is ready to provide the data to make the treatment material available to pharmaceutical companies and research laboratories around the world free of charge," Seo said.

   The team has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) that the vaccine will be provided with no conditions attached, the professor added.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/engl...

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 09:21:42 AM UTC

From Indonesia - Sick co-pilot not a flu suspect - No suspect cases of H1N1 in country

 The Jakarta Post ,  Bandung, Mataram   |  Thu, 05/14/2009 2:17 PM  |  The Archipelago

The ill co-pilot currently being treated at Hasan Sadikin General Hospital in Bandung, West Java, has not contracted the H1N1 flu, a government official said Wednesday.

The Health Ministry's director general of disease control and environmental hygiene (P2PL) Tjandra Yoga Aditama assured the media the co-pilot did not have the symptoms of the notorious flu.

snip

Tjandra also said the last suspected patients from overseas who was treated at Sanglah Hospital in Bali, and the two others treated at Pondok Indah General Hospital in Jakarta all tested negative for the H1N1 flu.

"There are currently no cases of the H1N1 flu in Indonesia," Tjandra said.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/...

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 09:29:53 AM UTC

Nor are there any cases of bird flu. It's an amazingly healthy place, come visit!! n/t

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:39:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please check the Indo Diary for H1N1 cases in Indonesia. n/t

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

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by: History Lover @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:42:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I have

This is one of the reasons why I found this news release so interesting and thought others would think so as well.

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 16:42:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks paul. That's good to know. n/t

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

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by: History Lover @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:04:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hong Kong wants US to screen outgoing passengers at airports

By Channel NewsAsia's Leslie Tang |  Posted: 14 May 2009 1957 hrs

HONG KONG: Hong Kong wants the US to screen outgoing passengers at its airports to prevent the H1N1 flu from spreading to other countries.

Hong Kong's second confirmed case is a student who had flown in from San Francisco. This has put the city on high alert as the 24-year-old patient remains under quarantine in Princess Margaret Hospital.

The Hong Kong resident, travelling from San Francisco, boarded his Cathay Pacific flight, though he was feeling unwell.

Health officials have written a letter to their US counterparts, urging them to medically screen departing airport passengers to prevent spreading the virus to other countries.

Hong Kong Health Secretary, York Chow, said: "We have not received any response right now. But what we have informed the American government is, since they are a representative of the WHO and a signatory to the International Health Regulations, I think that everyone has the responsibility to ensure that they do not allow any infection to go outside their country or territory.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com...

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 09:36:28 AM UTC

WHO mulls raising alert

The Singapore Straits Times headline in its round-up of H1N1 news.

The figure is rising rapidly, increasing the likelihood that the organisation will raise its pandemic alert level to a maximum level six. It is already at level five, indicating that a pandemic is imminent. The top level would indicate sustained community transmission in a second region region outside the Americas.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Br...

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 09:42:57 AM UTC

Paul94611 - thanks for all the posts n/t

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by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 10:55:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Certainly

I am an information junkie who believes that a well functioning society requires an informed populace.  The better the information flow and the rigorous application of sunlight through debate the better we all are.  I am just thankful for this site and all of those who participate here.
Please feel free to tell me if I overdo the quantity on occasion.  I am a 100% disabled veteran and chronic pain management patient who sometimes drifts and who oftentimes fails to properly edit for spelling/usage.

peace

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:06:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Paul 94611 - Others have no problem saying "You post too much"

Paul94611,

 Hi. The people here have been great over the years.

 They will let you know. As long as information is put in the right catagory so it can be found and compared with what else is going on things work.

 Facts are good - situational awareness of what is working and what is not working and what is going on is even better.

 I do hope you post and read. Less information is not better. There is much to learn here.

 On a personal note I hope you compile your posts into an email and send it out. I rarely get a reply untill I stop emailing then people complaine - "boy I loved getting the news I could not find elsewhere."

 Glad you are here. Time to "feed the lurkers" Those who read but do not post. May they also spread the word.

Peace,
Kobie
"We all have something to offer"

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by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:40:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

All need to feed

For those that are at the edge of shadow I suspect have found themselves at the edge of light.  And I have found that once exposed to sunlight it is difficult indeed to sacrifice it for a return to the world of shadow.
Our society takes everyone doing what they do for it all to work reasonably well and the more that do the better.  
Thank you for your reply.

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:24:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Paul94611 - great quote

"For those that are at the edge of shadow I suspect have found themselves at the edge of light" - I like that.

"To be a light to those who want to learn,
 To entertain those not yet ready to learn
 To be a nuscense(sp?) to those unwilling to learn
 To be willing to learn more and share more "

Kobie

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by: Kobie @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 11:26:44 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wisconsin Up to 655 Confirmed Cases of Swine Flu

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headl...

A student at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is one of 655 now confirmed cases of swine flu in Wisconsin.

Most of the cases are from Milwaukee County.

Investigators say the student is from outside the county and has returned home to recover.

An annual meeting of the World Health Organization will take place Monday.

Coming up with a battle plan to fight the H1N1 epidemic will be at the top of the group's agenda, including the development of a vaccine.

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by: Nimbus @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 10:20:02 AM UTC

I cannot but think

That many of the statistics elsewhere in the US would reflect those that are being gathered in Wisconsin if officials would only bother to collect the data.  So many decisions require quality data and the failure to gather that data, for whatever reason only reduces the curve of quality outcomes of the decisions reliant upon less than ideal inputs.  
We are already hearing how the CDC and WHO are becoming ever more reliant upon models rather than hard data points further providing for a "fudge factor" and fueling the perception among many to engage in "selective interpretation" and filtering which detract from the need for clear decisions at all levels of society.
Thanks for this catch.

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by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:13:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

A battle plan for H1N1 - I thought we had one.

  The plan for H5N1 should work as well or better. H5N1 has 63% CFR while H1n1 is less than 1% or five (5) cases for the hundreds reported.

 I hope this bolsters their H5N1 and disaster response for we may see this again in the Fall of '09

Kobie

---

by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:32:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Swine flu spreads 'alarmingly' in Japan

Japan is on a high alert following a sudden spreading of swine flu with more than 120 new cases confirmed within two days.

While official records say 92 cases have been confirmed, Kyodo news agency put the figure Monday at 130.

It is learnt the World Health Organization (WHO) may soon raise its pandemic alert to the highest level of 6 due to the alarming pace of the outbreak in Japan.

Source
http://www.rttnews.com/Article...

---

by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 10:54:31 AM UTC

Experts Say Prepare for Possible H1N1 Flu Resurgence in Fall

Officials monitoring the new strain of H1N1 influenza aren't just looking south of the border to Mexico, where the outbreak of the so-called swine flu was first identified. They also are looking south of the equator.

That's because flu season is just beginning in the Southern Hemisphere, and how H1N1 spreads there - and whether it exchanges genetic material with another, perhaps more dangerous, virus - could foreshadow what might happen next fall in the Northern Hemisphere, Richard Besser, MD, said at a briefing this month.

Source
http://include.nurse.com/artic...

---

by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 10:59:28 AM UTC

101 cases now confirmed in Britain

Six adults and eight children were among the latest cases in London, the south east, and the east of England, the Health Protection Agency said.

It brings the total number of confirmed cases in Britain to 101.

Two of the people had recently returned from Mexico, the source of the outbreak, while a further 11 had been in contact with patients already suffering from the virus.

How the final person contracted the disease is still under investigation, the HPA said.

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

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:23:17 AM UTC

World Health Assembly begins with swine flu in focus - 2nd Update

Geneva - With the spectre of the swine flu still looming, the annual World Health Assembly, the ministerial level body of the World Health Organization, opened Monday morning in Geneva. The event, the group's 62nd annual meeting, will take place as world leaders try to figure out how to respond to the outbreak of the new A(H1N1) influenza virus.

A packed special session on the virus kicked off just after noon, headed by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. Participating in the round table were the health ministers of the United States, Canada and Mexico

Source
http://tinyurl.com/oqcgqx

---

by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:28:55 AM UTC

Governments mass order swine flu vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has received an influx of pre-orders from governments aiming to stockpile swine flu vaccines as the outbreak continues.

The orders, from countries such as France, Belgium and Finland, are for a vaccine which is yet to be created by the pharmaceutical giant, which is waiting to receive the virus seed from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

GSK stated: "As part of the company's commitment to maximising global manufacturing capacity of a pandemic vaccine, GSK is ready to engage in discussions with companies and governmental agencies."

Source
http://tinyurl.com/p5olr2

---

by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:43:26 AM UTC

Typhoid Mary's journal of the plague week

I found this gem at the The Times of London online.  It is a great look see at the world of South London and their ongoing experiences with H1N1.  The following article was subtitled; "Here on the frustrating front line of the swine flu outbreak we are swallowing our scepticism along with our Tamiflu".

Believe me, I was as bored and blasé as you about this pig flu thing until the moment a nurse stickered my son's name on to a pack of Tamiflu. And then the opinions rained down. "I hope you're not going to give him that!" railed a homeopath friend, e-mailing me links to scary websites citing the immunity-nuking properties of antivirals and the satanic intent of the Roche corporation.

snip  

But I know plenty who haven't: doctor-parents who didn't even bother to collect the drug, others who did but are sitting on it, keeping schtum to avoid a collective guilt trip. The trouble with this South London outbreak is that the agents of contagion are not rats or Chinese chickens or some imagined, pox-ridden underclass but children with names like Hannah and Felix, born to parents wealthy enough, not merely to pay private school fees, but afford long-haul Easter jaunts to Florida and Cancún.

And those they are likely to infect are educated, questioning and self-confident, uneasy about being bounced into action by the State in its blue-flashing emergency mode. Maybe governments can no longer rely upon unthinking deference to doctors that has hitherto ensured compliance in national heath crises. Public medicine has to take on the anti-MMR autism army, the holistic hypochondriacs, health page readers, toxin dodgers and pharma-conspiracy theorists. "What if," one parent said, "Tamiflu turns out to be the new thalidomide? It's a new drug, how can we be sure?"

For the rest of this please see:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t...

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:49:15 AM UTC

This is a factor in vaccination programs, too

I have friends who don't vax their kids for various reasons. There are whole clusters of the US population who, because they refuse vax, no longer have "herd immunity" to things like the measles.

I don't know of anything that would convince them that they should get vaccinated against this flu. I had the regular flu in '98 and that was enough for me. I get poked every year without fail now!

---

by: magdelaine @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 16:36:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No doubt..

When I was in the military I contracted some sort of flu like illness that put me on my back inside of 2 hours.  Tilts +40  Temp 103.5 + and in isolation inside of 15 minutes of arrival at the hospital.  Worserest thing and I would never allow one of my children, or my worst enemy for that matter to suffer such a thing if it could be avoided.

There are indeed great and growing issues with decreased heard immunity due to folks lack of understanding or willingness to realize what it has taken to remove these dread diseases from memory.

Denial will always be one of mankind's greatest weaknesses and I join you in getting my shots each year without fail.  As a 100% disabled veteran with multiple chronic medical conditions I would be worse than a fool if I failed to.

I found the article an excellent read on so many levels including the issues of vaccination and community dynamics.

Thanks for your response.  

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 16:55:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

New flu spreads in Japan, one dead in New York

School principal dies in NY first flu death

Japan confirmed on Monday 125 people, many of whom had not been abroad, had been infected with the new strain of H1N1 flu after New York recorded its first death from the virus and Chile reported its first two cases.

Thirty-nine countries have now confirmed cases of the flu strain, a mix of swine, human and avian viruses, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The H1N1 flu last month prompted the WHO to raise its global pandemic alert level to 5 on a 6-point scale.

ECONOMIC EFFECTS FEARED

Kiosks at some stations in the region were closed, and a festival in the city of Kobe that usually attracts tens of thousands was cancelled.

http://www.reuters.com/article...

Factiod: Kobe Japan is the sister city to Seattle WA. USA
Souce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe

---

by: Kobie @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 11:49:29 AM UTC

NYC DoH is an informative website to bookmark

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/ht...

One thing they've posted is a 4/30 survey of St. Francis students (.pdf):

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/do...

One in three students surveyed (33% or 659 students) reported being sick with flu-like symptoms at some time since April 8.

Only 1% (27 students) reported being sick and feeling worse than the day before taking the survey. The Health Department is following up with these students on how they feel now and if additional care is needed.

I expect other interesting info to be posted there.

Part of the thing about our outbreak curve is that it's an aggregate of many little curves. At the moment, Queens looks different than the rest of the city, but it's all over the city.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 12:14:25 PM UTC

interesting graph

---

by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:06:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Great Capture

Of a localized bloom.
Good catch.  Thanks for posting.

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:12:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

ACM

and others were chatting about this yesterday. ACM is a smart cookie, and discussed the exposive growth of flu. I was surprised Queens is having a problem now, given that the events at St Francis were 3 weeks ago. Japan is having issues on a shorter time frame.

The geographical difference remain of interest.

---

by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:15:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The situation in Japan

Is especially interesting given the cultural belief of an island nation population (external vs internal threats) coupled with their just concluded national "Golden Week" celebrations.  With a ticket worker being one of the early cases there it will be worth noting the time line and geographical specifics of the localized and regional outbreak and severity of illness characteristics.

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:53:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's interesting...what is Golden Week, and what are the celebrations like?

If it involves mass clustering of young people in various events, parades etc it could explain the extremely rapid rise in cases among the youth there.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:45:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That plus

A social significance comparable to New Year's in China.  Folks travel to be home with family.  Big eats, dancing & parties.  Everything is shuttered for several days.  Banks.  Financial Markets.  Government offices.  Everything.  This is the reason I took note of the railway ticket staff who has been identified as an early confirmed case.  This is a primary mode of travel within Japanese society and these employees working conditions resemble many service sector workers in this country with respect to minimal sick days and pressure to be available during the heaviest travel period of the year.  
Golden Week has been discussed in Japan as a contributing factor in the uneven approach by health care providers to the treatment and identification of potential H1N1 patients and the dynamics of their social interactions prior to frank symptoms.  If I remember, some Japanese hospitals actually turned patients away while others not working with referrals from the two major international airports had not even begun to screen patients for H1N1 until the Kobe/Osaka outbreaks became apparent further hampering quality data collection and communication in the early stages.  

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 17:10:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Russians to be deliberately infected with swine flu

The Flu Research Institute in St. Petersburg began to recruit volunteers to be artificially infected with the swine flu virus which is currently raging in Mexico and the USA. Doctors will select six test groups of 20 people. Each volunteer will receive a benefit of 5,000 rubles ($150).

"The same practice was applied while developing the bird flu vaccine," scientists from the Institute say.

Several days ago, Russian microbiologists joined their efforts in the fight against the contagion. The H1N1 strains were transported to Russian laboratories from Mexico on a special flight. Now experts must develop the vaccine against the deadly disease as soon as possible and test it on humans. Now the Institute has already begun the strictest selection of volunteers ready to test a new medicine based on the cells of the swine flu virus itself.

"The remedy will be made on the basis of a 'natural vaccine', namely the cells of the virus H1N1 itself, - Anna Saminina says. - They will be weakened to the degree when they can't cause overall pathogenic reactions in a human body. But they will help the organism develop matching antibodies. We employed this practice fighting against bird flu. At that time, we selected a group of volunteers as well that tested the vaccine on themselves. Everything went off well. We hope now it will be good too".

Despite the fact that doctors have taken a special sanitary control of all charter flights from the USA and Mexico in all Russian airports, scientists doubt that Russia can avoid swine flu. (Snip)

"The World Health Organization announced that up to seven million of people may die of this contagion, - a sanitary official in Novosibirsk Andrey Fedyanin says. - All passengers arriving from Mexico are examined for flu symptoms. (Snip) http://english.pravda.ru/russi...

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 12:31:51 PM UTC

Egyptian girl dies of bird flu virus - agency

http://www.worldbulletin.net/n...

A 4-year-old Egyptian girl has died after contracting the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, Egypt's state news agency MENA said on Monday.
Monday, 18 May 2009 14:37
A 4-year-old Egyptian girl has died after contracting the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, Egypt's state news agency MENA said on Monday.

The girl, from the Nile Delta province of Daqahlia, brings the number of human cases of avian influenza in Egypt to 72, MENA said.

Of those, 27 have died.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:05:03 PM UTC

I have the exact same story from the star online

Will take this to the Egypt diary. Thank you UK-Bird

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:27:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I understand there are several clusters of suspect cases in Egypt right now.

Since H5N1 is still a pandemic threat, and perhaps even more so with H1N1 sweeping the globe and potentially recombining or reassorting with it, I am surprised that news of this outbreak hasn't made it to this main news diary.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:49:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hello Mary

If you are seeing these articles somewhere, it would be lovely if you would bring them here and post them. I have a very strong interest in the Egyptian situation myself.

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

---

by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 16:52:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is from Pandemic Flu Info, so I don't know their original source.

Comment: Another 16 suspected cases of H5N1: 6 in Sohag, 2 in Lake province, 3 in Tanta and Mahala, 5 in Kafr El-Sheikh

Been booked 4 children and two women from the household contacts of bird hospital on suspicion of administering Souhag infected by bird flu and they du'aa Abdul Sattar Ali (31 years (housewife and her Shaima Ezzat Mohamed (10 months) from the village of Bani otherwise the status of Gerga behind me and God and Mohammed (22 years) from the village of Sohag, the status of Alchoc Yasmin Adel Radwan (4 years) from the village center Alkhozndarip Tahtah Atef Abdel-Rahman Abdel-Rahman (4 years) Alsoamap east of the village and the status of Okhmim Ayatollah Ahmad Rashad (4 years) from the hamlet to the status of Alkhver Okhmim

Booking the club girl was Abdullah Mohammed, and 15 months living with her family status Bazbp-Baradi Damanhour fevers Damanhour inside a hospital for suspected bird flu in samples taken for laboratory analysis of the Central Ministry of Health. As has been transferred (Ahmed Mohamed Bakr 32 years old) working and residing in Kfar revolving line Wastani admitted to Alexandria, on suspicion of his condition.

the detention of 3 cases of suspected bird flu patients Bhmyat Tanta and Mahala, including a child 3.5 years of age

Been detained, 5 new cases of fever in Kafr Sheikh hospital for suspected bird flu patients, after a great sense of an increase in temperature and pain in bones and a cough lasting and running nose and shortness of breath was immediately detained at the scene for suspected cases and they Se'da Ali Fawzi (25 years) and have mercy on Muhammad Farhat (3 years) and Mr. Mohamed Saeedieh honeymoon 5 years and Manal Mohamed (21 years) and Mohammed Ahmed (23 years)

In the face of avian flu:
15 new cases of detention and execution of 6784 birds in a number of provinces
18/May/09

Ongoing campaigns against bird flu, where two women were detained and 4 children Bhmyat Suhaj and child custody, aged 15 months, the lake, and in the West have been 3 cases of detention and Bhmyat Algrlbip Mahala and 6784 birds were culled and the removal of 37 straw House in the valley have been removed, the new 100-fold violation of the prohibition of entry to maintain the bird .. and still fighting and the following list shows the current situation.
MORE

http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/...

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 01:02:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Apart from this being a bad

translation,(and they all are bad translation for the most part) I'm not seeing clusters in the classic sense of what a cluster is. Most of these are women and children, having contact with poultry. In order for these to  be clusters, the whole  household would have to be suspect.

We know what clusters look like thanks to Indonesia. I'm just not seeing "family clusters" in this article. And family would mean the whole household, and having no contact with poultry.

This strain of BF seems to me to be very similar to swine flu, in that it infects easily, but the CFR is low. The real concern is the two strains mixing, and they are preparing for this. The problem now is sorting through the reports of suspect BF patients that could be suspect SF patients. Now that SF has arrived in that part of the world, Egypt is really going to get nail biting interesting.

When we look for clusters, we need to look for households of family members suspect who have not had contact with poultry. To date, this has not been reported.  

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 02:01:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The information we're missing is onset dates for each case

That would tell us if some of these family members are getting it from each other H2H or if they all got infected by the poultry they keep. As I said, I didn't see links to the original articles and just didn't have time to go searching (I was at work) so...?

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 04:12:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Missing data cannot...

point to a cluster if none of the other family members are not reported suspect too.

Egypt has not reported one cluster. Not one village has reported a cluster. So why do some people believe that there are clusters? The data is not supporting this, let alone the reports. Too add to the frustration, we don't have alot of information, so how one can draw such conclsions, is beyond me.

I want someone to show me an article that clearly states a cluster in Egypt. If there is such an article, than I've missed it.

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 11:18:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The other thing is, whether B2H or H2H, this is quite a few cases in a short period of time.

At the very least it indicates the virus may be becoming more transmissable to humans, more prevalent in humans, and thus affording more opportunity for adaptation to that host and/or genetically mixing with SF. And although "mild' it is far less mild than the current SF.

Always have a plan B.

---

by: maryinhawaii @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 04:16:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

WHO being buffeted on phases

Britain, Japan and other nations urged the World Health Organization on Monday to change the way it decides to declare a pandemic __ saying the agency must consider how deadly the virus is, not just how fast it is spreading.

The debate arose as WHO began its annual meeting, a five-day event attended by hundreds of health experts from the agency's 193 member nations. Swine flu is expected to dominate this year's conference _ and WHO must consider whether it should raise its alert level or tell manufacturers to begin making a specific swine flu vaccine...

WHO's current system focuses on how widespread the disease has become without regard to its severity. Some member nations are anxious to avoid having the agency declare a swine flu pandemic, because the ramifications of that scientific decision could be very costly and politically charged.

http://dailyme.com/story/20090...

---

by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:24:08 PM UTC

I guess we can all stop worrying now

because there will never be a pandemic again. Why? Because it will always be costly and politically charged. Yep! WHO can just keep changing the definition and make it anything they want it to be. Why not just declare this to be a mild cold or allergy and really make all the governments happy?!! I sit here shaking my head at how stupid it is to have a phase system if it doesn't mean anything. As I have said many times, why are these people at WHO still drawing a salary?

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

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 14:32:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

In every situation that is technical in nature

and politically charged a moment reminiscent of Blazing Saddles and the Governor's "I didn't get a hurrumph outta him" will almost always present itself.  We can only hope that our leadership fights off the urge to play with the paddle ball.  

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 14:40:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Doesn't that assume...

...that someone has mystic powers telling them no mutation(s) will occur that would make a flu virus more virulent?

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

---

by: Grace RN @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:09:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

and to further complicate things..

Monday, May. 18, 2009
Dengue fever epidemic hits South America
John Enders
The Miami Herald

While the world continues to be on alert for a potential swine flu pandemic, South Americans have been suffering for months from one of the worst viral epidemics on record.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been sickened by dengue fever this year; more than 70 have died.

"This is the largest epidemic in many years," said Dr. Eddy Martinez, the director of epidemiology for Bolivia's Ministry of Health in the capital city of La Paz.

By mid-April, he said, there had been more than 55,000 suspected cases in Bolivia's eastern and southern lowlands, with 25 fatalities. Most of those were in Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne virus endemic in lowland tropical regions around the world but little known in the northern hemisphere, struck particularly hard this year in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.
more
http://www.lakewyliepilot.com/...

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

---

by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 14:46:40 PM UTC

UK - Update on confirmed swine flu cases 18 May 2009

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPA...

One further patient under investigation in Scotland and announced by the Scottish Executive has today been confirmed with swine flu bringing the current total number of confirmed UK cases to 102.

Testing of the swine flu virus is carried out by the Health Protection Agency's laboratories.

The patient's source of infection is remains under investigation.

133 cases are currently under laboratory investigation in the UK

---

by: UK - Bird @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 14:55:22 PM UTC

The number of cases being tested is now falling steadily.

Until that value falls almost to zero, it will be hard to tell if the cases that are reported are new or just the backlog from a larger outbreak that has taken time to process.

However unless they widen their testing crieteria to include those who haven't got contacts who have travelled recently we may not find community wide spread until it is well established.

---

by: UK - Bird @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:04:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Alan Johnson Doesn't Want a Phase Six Declared!

Alan Johnson Doesn't Want a Phase Six Declared! That much is obvious from his statement to Chan that "We need to give your team more flexibility" in changing alert phases.

By the previous and also current criteria, phase Six should be declared, Mr. Johnson wants to change things so it isn't.

Against that background, and having a rough idea how the civil service works in Britain, I think I can speculate that the number of confirmed cases in Britain is being deliberately minimised to suit Alan Johnsons agenda.

To put it another way, I would imagine that the British testing guidelines are highly skewed to minimise the number of tests, and that the testing technical regime is heavily biased to ensure that no "false positives" can occur.

To put it another way, I imagine that H1N1 is confirmed only after the possibility of any other illness has been totally and conclusively ruled out....three times.  

---

by: Walrus @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:25:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

WHO chief does not raise swine flu alert level

WHO chief does not raise swine flu alert level, doesn't know how long "grace period" will last
By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press Writers
GENEVA May 18, 2009 (AP)
The Associated Press

The chief of the World Health Organization says she is not raising the world swine flu alert level just yet.

Several countries including Britain, Japan and China had urged the U.N. health agency to change how it decides to raise the alert level.

WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan says the swine flu epidemic is in "a grace period" with the WHO alert remaining at phase 5 out of a possible six for the last month. She told the WHO annual assembly on Monday that no one can say how long this period will last.

Chan says the danger now is that the swine flu virus could mix with other flu strains and become more dangerous.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

GENEVA (AP) - Britain, Japan, China and other nations urged the World Health Organization on Monday to change the way it decides to declare a pandemic -- saying the agency must consider how deadly the virus is, not just how fast it is spreading.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/w...

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

---

by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:19:03 PM UTC

Increases to four the number of infected with human influenza in Chile

google translation
Increases to four the number of infected with human influenza in Chile
Los dos nuevos casos son un niño de seis años y una mujer que fue compañera de viaje de una de las primeras afectadas por el virus AH1N1 que se confirmaron en Chile. The two new cases are a child of six years and a female travel companion who was one of the first affected by the virus were confirmed in AH1N1 Chile.
El Mercurio Online  10:34 Monday May 18 2009 10:34

SANTIAGO.-  The authority of Health reported this morning of two new cases infected with human influenza, bringing to four the total nationwide, including one for a child under six years and the other a woman.

 "One is for a travel companion of the previous cases, she is hospitalized, treated and in good health, the second (...) is a child of six years in the Metropolitan Region, who is in treatment at home and in good condition ", specifies the head of the Department of Epidemiology Minsal, Dr. Claudia Gonzalez.

 It also announced that the Ministry of Health and the Metropolitan began SEREMI epidemiological research relevant to know the source of contagion of the disease that struck the child and to verify the existence of other symptomatic cases.
 "One of the containment measures for this case, set to close the school for seven days of the child and the Minister concur place, to assess the situation and implement measures for blocking the epidemiological situation," said the specialist.

To date, the Community Minsal out the contagion of the disease, stressing that the rest of the schools should continue their normal activities.
"The Minsal considers this case this is an isolated case and that to date no evidence of transmission from person to person, inside the country," said Gonzalez.
snip
http://www.emol.com/noticias/n...

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

---

by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:25:00 PM UTC

Uganda: Virus Research Institute Receives Swine Flu Testing Kits

Uganda: Virus Research Institute Receives Swine Flu Testing Kits

Anthony Bugembe

Kampala - THE Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe has received reagents for testing the Swine flu virus.

"The test kits came on Tuesday. With these, we can test thousands of samples," said an official on Thursday.

The testing kits are from the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention in Atlanta, USA.

Last week, a consultant agriculturalist from Peru flew into the country.

Later he developed swine flu-like symptoms, prompting him to seek medical treatment a Kampala health centre but he tested negative.

Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services, said the country had enough antiviral drugs in stock. "Now we are well prepared for anything," he said.
http://allafrica.com/stories/2...

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

---

by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 15:29:36 PM UTC

NYC: 12th school (Manhattan) closes on own

A 12th school has been closed in New York City because of the swine flu outbreak.

St. David's School on Manhattan's Upper East Side is closed Monday after about 10 to 12% of the students reported flu-like symptoms.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the independent Catholic school for boys decided on its own to close, bringing to 12 the number of public and private schools shut down by the virus.

St. David's headmaster David O'Halloran says the number of children who fell ill over the last four days was "unusually high" and closing "seemed like the right thing to do for now."

http://www.wcax.com/Global/sto...

---

by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 16:18:00 PM UTC

It will be interesting to note

How the parents of these students are handled by their employers.  Many of these families have connections to the financial services industry and I wonder how this will effect their alternative work plans and if these plans will be fazed in if this process of school closures gains any momentum.
The reason I say this is because one of the early suspect cases had been in one of the big banks headquarters and the building was thoroughly cleaned prior to employees arrival to work the next day as the news created great interest with the employees in what are extremely tight offices.  

---

by: paul94611 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 17:21:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Tenth Scottish case of swine flu

Tenth Scottish case of swine flu

A 22-year-old woman from the Greenock area has been confirmed as Scotland's tenth case of swine flu.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the woman had tested positive for the H1N1 strain of the virus.

She said the patient's symptoms were mild and that her condition was "not giving cause for clinical concern".

There are six confirmed cases in the Greenock area, three in Forth Valley and one in Ayrshire and Arran. Four possible cases are under investigation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_...

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

---

by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:19:52 PM UTC

All Disasters Are Local

Stephen T. Ganyard, a former deputy assistant secretary of state and Marine Corps fighter pilot, had an excellent op-ed in the NYT on Sunday.

While we may disagree with his assessment of whether the bullet of Swine Flu has been dodged or is still on the fly, he has a number of excellent points on training, institutional and individual relationships and a need for a "whole of society" response.

All Disasters Are Local
By STEVEN T. GANYARD
Published: May 17, 2009
New York Times

AMERICA seems to have dodged a bullet with the swine flu epidemic - yet this was more the result of the virus being less deadly than feared rather than of any government coordination.

Despite billions spent since 9/11, we are still not well prepared to react to disease outbreaks, terrorist attacks and natural disasters - a fact Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has been frank about in her brief time on the job. ...

Golden Phoenix is based on the premise that, like politics, all disasters are local. That is, improved safety and security for the people of St. Louis is best created in St. Louis, not Washington. More attention needs to be paid to the local and regional levels if we are "to prepare for and respond to natural and man-caused disasters with speed, skill and effectiveness," as Ms. Napolitano said in her confirmation hearing.

In responding to crises, the most persistent problem is that of collaboration - people with information and equipment who are unable to share it with those who need it most. The means to effective collaboration is social networking and exploiting the natural mutual attractions of communities with common interests.

...

The degree of personal trust at the tactical level, not money or machines, is the single most important determinant of how well communities will deal with threats and disasters. But these relationships must be established in training so that first responders are not handing out business cards to one another on the way to the disaster. In addition, preparation can sort out any questions as to what the military's proper role will be in a disaster and spare us the sort of legal haggling that helped hamstring the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

...

In responding to disasters, Americans must look beyond government for help. Most of the critical infrastructure of the country is in private hands, and much of humanitarian relief is provided by local churches and relief charities. We need "whole of society" not just "whole of government" responses.

Golden Phoenix made clear that state and local officials do not want imposed, top-down solutions. They prefer what they would find at a local hardware store: readily available tools and materials, and assistance from experts who can help them find their own solutions. The federal government can be most helpful by providing what state and local officials are often short of in an emergency: transportation, communication bandwidth and portable electric power. Generally, other kinds of federal "help" can be disruptive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05...

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 @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:23:34 PM UTC

Talks plot strategy for swine flu battle

Talks plot strategy for swine flu battle

By Andrew Jack in London

Published: May 18 2009 18:53 | Last updated: May 18 2009 18:53

Vaccine manufacturers will hold top-level talks on Tuesday with public health officials to discuss price discounts and unprecedented joint manufacturing arrangements to help limit the effects of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in poorer countries.

In a meeting with Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation, representatives from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Baxter and other vaccine producers will seek clarity over regulation and funding as they debate how best to respond to the virus.

They will debate ways to share proprietary ingredients to boost vaccine production, seek safeguards to ensure such co-operation does not trigger antitrust actions, and request funding to ensure developing countries can pay enough for medicines to make investing in new production lines worthwhile.

The discussions come as richer countries are jostling with each other for access to scarce manufacturing capacity for flu vaccines, with several already paying to reserve doses pledged for delivery by the end of this year.

The discussions could trigger tensions both with other industrialised countries seeking to acquire scarce H1N1 vaccine, as well as poorer countries even less likely to gain access to doses in the coming months.
more
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fbea...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:24:48 PM UTC

Greece says initial tests show first swine flu case

 Greece says initial tests show first swine flu case
Athens - Greeces health ministry said on Monday that initial tests showed that the country has the first case of swine flu. Speaking from Geneva, Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said that a 19 year old student travelling from New York in the Un...

Posted : Mon, 18 May 2009 18:05:42 GMT
Author : DPA
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Athens - Greeces health ministry said on Monday that initial tests showed that the country has the first case of swine flu. Speaking from Geneva, Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said that a 19 year old student travelling from New York in the United States arrived in the country Saturday and initial tests showed he had swine flu.

He was currently hospitalised at the Seismanoglou Hospital in Athens.

A second test was due to take place in a few hours.

The H1N1 flu strain has spread in Japan and the world may be experiencing an inluenza pandemic, the World Health Organisation said on Monday.
more
http://www.earthtimes.org/arti...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:26:18 PM UTC

Greece confirms first swine flu case

 Greece confirms first swine flu case - Summary
Posted : Mon, 18 May 2009 18:41:44 GMT
Author : DPA
Category :
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Athens - Greece on Monday confirmed its first case of swine flu after a 19-year-old student who recently returned from the United States was hospitalised with strains of the virus, health officials said. Deputy Health Minister Giorgos Papagiorgos confirmed the case after a second test was conducted on the student who returned from New York on Saturday.

The young man was being treated at Seismanoglou Hospital in Athens and officials said precautionary tests would be conducted on the other passengers on the plane travelling to Greece with the student.

He was first taken to the hospital by his father in the early hours Monday after experiencing a cough and high fever.
http://www.earthtimes.org/arti...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:04:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mexico's flu death toll rises to 70

 Mexico's flu death toll rises to 70
Mexico City - Two new laboratory test results brought to 70 the number of dead in Mexico connected to the A(H1N1) influenza virus, the so-called swine flu, and confirmed a total of 3,646 infections, the Mexican Health Ministry said Monday. The author...

Posted : Mon, 18 May 2009 18:05:45 GMT
Author : DPA
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Mexico City - Two new laboratory test results brought to 70 the number of dead in Mexico connected to the A(H1N1) influenza virus, the so-called swine flu, and confirmed a total of 3,646 infections, the Mexican Health Ministry said Monday. The authorities said in a statement that the number of new infections "continues to fall" by the day.

"We currently have 70 confirmed deaths, and only in six of those cases did the start of the symptoms take place after April 23," the Health Ministry said.

more
http://www.earthtimes.org/arti...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:27:29 PM UTC

WHO Urges Countries to Prepare for Possible Flu Pandemic

WHO Urges Countries to Prepare for Possible Flu Pandemic
By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
18 May 2009

The World Health Organization is warning against complacency and urging countries to prepare for a possible pandemic from the Swine Flu A-H1N1 virus. The annual World Health Assembly got off to a vigorous start with a high-level consultation to assess the current global situation.  

In an unusual move, this year's World Health Assembly has been shortened from nine to five days so health ministers can get home to deal with the swine flu crisis.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan told representatives of 193 countries attending the high-level consultation they cannot afford to let down their guard in a world that is highly mobile and interdependent.  

She said all governments must cooperate with each other. They must share information openly and coordinate their actions to prevent the new virus from taking hold.

She noted everyone is under pressure to make urgent far-reaching decisions in an atmosphere of considerable scientific uncertainty.

"We have lived for five long years under the threat of a pandemic caused by the lethal H5N1 avian influenza virus. This has left our world better prepared. but also very scared ... We need to warn the public when necessary, but reassure them whenever possible. This is a difficult balancing act," she said.
more
http://www.voanews.com/english...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:31:08 PM UTC

[SELF INTERESTED] Nations urge WHO to [NOT] change swine flu assessment

http://www.google.com/hostedne...

Britain's Health Secretary Alan Johnson warned that raising the flu alert to phase 6 - the highest level - could needlessly trigger costly and potentially risky actions such as a switch from seasonal to pandemic vaccine even though the virus so far appears to be mild.

"We need to give you and your team more flexibility as to whether we move to phase 6," Johnson said.

[snip]

Britain's health secretary said that while the country was concerned about the outbreak, it was still far below the number one would expect for seasonal influenza.

"We could have declared a pandemic in order to enhance the protection to our people from flu, and because we've done that we could cease further production of seasonal flu vaccine," Johnson told The AP.

Seasonal flu kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. Stopping vaccine production for that strain could actually lead to more deaths that would occur from swine flu, he said.

Johnson said considerations other than just the geographic spread of the virus were important.

"Severity is a part of it," he said.

[snip]

Johnson said his proposal for WHO to consider carefully the impact before moving to phase 6 was not an attempt at interfering with the global body's decision-making powers. The choice on moving to the highest level would remain with WHO and its medical experts, he said.

"A scientific argument put to politicians is a very effective argument."

Comment A case of wanting your cake and eating it too. We've just ordered a pandemic vaccine, so we're covered. We're also trying to protect seasonal vaccine, so we're covered. If phase 6 is called we're further down the queue for vaccines than if they stay at phase 5, so we're covered if they stay at phase 5. Hmmmm

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by: UK - Bird @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 18:50:58 PM UTC

The Sky Isn't Falling

I don't even know where to begin with this article. mojo
Fareed Zakaria

The Sky Isn't Falling

It certainly looks like another example of crying wolf. Three weeks ago the World Health Organization declared a health emergency, warning countries to "prepare for a pandemic," and said the only question was the extent of worldwide damage. Senior officials prophesied that millions could be infected by the disease. But as of last week, the WHO had confirmed only 4,800 cases of swine flu, with 61 fatalities. Obviously, these low numbers are a pleasant surprise, yet one has to wonder: What did we get wrong?

Why did the predictions of a pandemic turn out to be so exaggerated? Some people blame an overheated media, but it would have been difficult to ignore major international health organizations and governments when they warned of catastrophe. I think there is a broader mistake in the way we see the world. Once we spot a problem, we can describe it in great detail, extrapolating all possible consequences. But rarely can we anticipate the human response to that crisis.

Take swine flu. The virus had crucial characteristics that led researchers to worry that it could spread far and fast. They described -- and the media reported -- what would happen if it went unchecked. But it did not go unchecked. In fact, swine flu was met by a vigorous response at its epicenter. The Mexican government reacted quickly and massively, quarantining the infected population, testing others, providing medication to those in need. The noted expert on this subject, Laurie Garrett, says, "We should all stand up and scream, 'Gracias, Mexico!' because the Mexican people and the Mexican government have sacrificed on a level that I'm not sure as Americans we would be prepared to do in the exact same circumstances. They shut down their schools. They shut down businesses, restaurants, churches, sporting events. They basically paralyzed their own economy. They've suffered billions of dollars in financial losses still being tallied up, and thereby really brought transmission to a halt.  "

Every time one of these viruses is detected, writers and officials bring up the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918 in which millions of people died. Indeed, during the last pandemic scare, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2005, President George W. Bush claimed that he had been reading a history of the Spanish flu to help him understand how to respond. But the world today looks nothing like it did in 1918. Public health-care systems are far better and more widespread than anything that existed during World War I. Even Mexico, a developing country, has a first-rate public-health system -- far better than anything Britain or France had in the early 20th century.
more
http://newsweek.washingtonpost...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:01:17 PM UTC

The article immediately made me think

of something historian John Barry wrote in his book about the 1918 flu pandemic:

"There was terror afoot in 1918, real terror. The randomness of death brought that terror home. So did its speed. And so did the fact that the healthiest and strongest seemed the most vulnerable.

"The media and public officials helped create that terror - not by exaggerating the disease buy by minimizing it, by trying to reassure.

"Terror rises in the dark of the mind, in the unknown beast tracking us in the jungle. The fear of the dark is an almost physical manifestation of that. Horror movies build upon the fear of the unknown, the uncertain threat that we cannot see and do not know and can find no safe haven from. But in every horror movie, once the monster appears, terror condenses into the concrete and diminishes. Fear remains. But the edge of panic created by the unknown dissipates. the power of the imagination dissipates.

"In 1918 the lies of officials and of the press never allowed the terror to condense into the concrete. The public could trust nothing and so they knew nothing. So a terror seeped into the society that prevented one woman from caring for her sister, that prevented volunteers from bringing food to families too ill to feed themselves and who starved to death because of it, that prevented trained nurses from responding to the most urgent calls for their services. The fear, not the disease threatened to break the society apart. ASW Victor Vaughan - a careful man, a measured man, a man who did not overstate to make a point-warned,'Civilization could have disappeared within a few more weeks.'

"So the final lesson, a simple one yet one most difficult to execute, is that those who occupy positions of authority must lessen the panic that can alienate all within society. Society cannot function if it is every man for himself. By definition, civilization cannot survive that.

"Those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first, and best.

"Leadership must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart."

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by: ssal @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:50:13 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Official: Underlying condition present in N.Y. swine flu death

 
The family said he only had gout. Perhaps an underlying condition was first diagnosed upon admission?
mojo

NEW YORK (CNN) -- An assistant principal who died after being hospitalized with the H1N1 virus did have an underlying condition, the New York City's health commissioner said Monday.
Mitchell Wiener, 55, who died Sunday, was listed in critical condition when he was admitted to the hospital.

Mitchell Wiener, 55, who died Sunday, was listed in critical condition when he was admitted to the hospital.

But Dr. Thomas Frieden would not discuss the nature of the condition.

Mitchell Wiener, assistant principal of Intermediate School 238 in Queens, died Sunday evening of complications of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, hospital and state officials said.

A Flushing Hospital spokesman earlier had declined to say whether Wiener had any pre-existing medical conditions.
more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:55:31 PM UTC

gout is relevant?

Did he have a rare form of lung gout? (winks)

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by: nika @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 20:35:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

School closes in Chile over case of swine flu

 School closes in Chile over case of swine flu
Santiago - The Chilean Health Ministry Monday increased to four the number of infections of the influenza virus A(H1N1), the so- called swine flu, as lessons were suspended at the school which one of the patients attends. Of the four people infected,...

Posted : Mon, 18 May 2009 19:17:44 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Health
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Santiago - The Chilean Health Ministry Monday increased to four the number of infections of the influenza virus A(H1N1), the so- called swine flu, as lessons were suspended at the school which one of the patients attends. Of the four people infected, three were friends who had returned to Chile Saturday on a flight from the Dominican Republic, via Panama.

The fourth was a 6-year-old child who had never left the country but who had been in contact with people who had travelled to Mexico, said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, a pediatrician and epidemiologist by training.

The school that the child had attended was closed for seven days.

"The good news is that the (epidemiological blockade) system is working," she said.
more
http://www.earthtimes.org/arti...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:57:37 PM UTC

Poor countries far from ready for flu pandemic

Poor countries 'far from ready' for flu pandemic
Today, 21:54 | Reuters

GENEVA, May 18 (Reuters) - Africa is "far from being ready" for a pandemic of H1N1 flu, and developing countries in Asia and Latin America will need help accessing life-saving drugs and vaccines, top health officials said on Monday.

Addressing the World Health Organisation's annual congress, Tonga's health minister said it was lucky the H1N1 strain had spread first to affluent countries such as the United States, Canada, Spain, Britain and Japan.

"Somehow, somebody decided to start this epidemic in very rich countries ... This helped all of us," said Health Minister Viliami Tangi. Poor countries lack the medical staff, laboratories, drug stockpiles, and vaccine-making capacity to deal with the outbreak in a sophisticated manner, he said.

And Nigeria's delegate said African countries would face major difficulties responding to an outbreak of H1N1 flu, which has caused mild symptoms in most patients but may be especially threatening to people with HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

"We are far from being ready. The continent is in dire need of support," he told a high-level session at the U.N. offices in Geneva. "We on the African continent are very worried."

Thailand appealed for support to Mexico, the epicentre of the newly-discovered virus that has killed 74 people, on the opening day of the World Health Assembly where fears about flu eclipsed most other issues.
more
http://www.kyivpost.com/world/...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 19:59:11 PM UTC

AP reporter quarantined in China after Cancun stop

AP reporter quarantined in China after Cancun stop
AP

An attendant in a surgical mask and hazardous material suit passes lunch stored AP - An attendant in a surgical mask and hazardous material suit passes lunch stored in plastic bags to Associated ...
By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press Writer Will Weissert, Associated Press Writer - 21 mins ago

LINGANG, China - There are four of them waiting for us, tottering about the hotel parking lot in yellow biohazard suits.

"One question," says the translator, before he lets us out of a government van that's locked from the outside. "Would you like separate rooms or a room together?"

"We're married," we say.

"Yes," he replies, sweating under his plastic safety goggles. "Separate rooms or together?"

Uh-oh.

My wife and I are in perfect health, but after flying to China for my college friend's wedding we're being quarantined in a remote hotel for seven days. The reason: Our flight from our home in Havana included a layover in Cancun, and China is taking no chances with swine flu.

Never mind that we were in Cancun for only two hours, that we didn't leave the airport and that Mexican doctors with electronic thermometers checked us for fever on arrival and departure. Never mind that when our Continental Airlines flight from Newark touched down in Shanghai, we and everyone else on board were not allowed to leave our seats until health workers clamored aboard and pointed a blue beam at our foreheads to take our temperatures.

The Mexican stamps in our passports - my wife is Chilean, I'm American - are enough for authorities to pull us out of line at immigration and send us to a medical room where attendants in white lab coats take our temperature yet again and give us surgical masks.

I produce the wedding invitation with the groom's cell phone number, hoping the doctor will let us call. The doctor - one of the few people at the airport who speaks English - mistakenly thinks we came to China to get married.

"Sorry you have to spend your honeymoon like this," he says.

After 3 1/2 hours, a man in uniform - speaking by phone with a communist official everyone calls "the leader" - announces we will be confined to a hotel room for seven days.

We say we'll simply fly back home. He tells us that isn't possible.

That draws a protest from my wife, Chilean journalist Monica Medel, who notes that while the United States has more swine flu cases than Mexico, I'm the only one of the 200-plus Americans on our plane going into quarantine.

"Why aren't Americans being quarantined?" she asks.

"Right," says the doctor. "That's the same question all of us have been asking."
more
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 20:01:57 PM UTC

US health officials troubled by new flu pattern

US health officials troubled by new flu pattern
18 May 2009 20:00:32 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - The new influenza strain circulating around most of the United States is putting a worrying number of young adults and children into the hospital and hitting more schools than usual, U.S. health officials said on Monday.

The H1N1 swine flu virus killed a vice principal at a New York City school over the weekend and has spread to 48 states. While it appears to be mild, it is affecting a disproportionate number of children, teenagers and young adults.

This includes people needing hospitalization -- now up to 200, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"That's very unusual, to have so many people under 20 to require hospitalization, and some of them in (intensive care units)," Schuchat told reporters in a telephone briefing.

"We are now experiencing levels of influenza-like illness that are higher than usual for this time of year," Schuchat added. "We are also seeing outbreaks in schools, which is extremely unusual for this time of year."

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden agreed with Schuchat.

"We're seeing increasing numbers of people going to emergency departments saying they have fever and flu, particularly young people in the 5 to 17 age group, " Frieden, who has been named by U.S. President Barack Obama as the new CDC director, told a news conference.

About half of all cases of influenza are being diagnosed as the new H1N1 strain, while the rest are influenza B, or the seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 strains. Flu season in the United States is usually almost over by May.

CDC officials say around 100,000 people are likely infected with the new flu strain in the United States and Schuchat said the 5,123 confirmed and probable cases and six deaths in the United States were "the tip of the iceberg."

MORE ILLNESS OVERALL

"We are seeing more reports of influenza-like illness from outpatient visits that we monitor than is typical for this time of year," Schuchat said.
more
http://www.alertnet.org/thenew...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 20:40:29 PM UTC

200 hospitalizations mostly young people.

200 hospitalizations mostly young people. Finally getting some info out.

Good find...

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by: blackkitty @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 02:33:13 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

the press conference is here

http://www.cdc.gov/media/trans...

with audio

http://www.cdc.gov/media/trans...

I heard it live, with Maggie's questions.

No media update scheduled tomorrow.

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 02:46:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Define "mild"

In some cases, the use of the word mild seems to mean 'did not require an ICU bed and/or a ventilator. It may be helpful to ask for a definition of mild as they mean it; if they are referring to an illness that keeps the patient out of work or school for two weeks then the public needs to know.

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

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by: Grace RN @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 03:01:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

they mean "not hospitalized"

even non-ICU admission is not "mild". every one gets flu a little different. That's true for seasonal flu. 10-14 days for some, unable to get out bed. For others it's 5-6 days of "unwell at home" but not much else.

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 03:16:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

But in some countries like China it seems like they put people in hospitals

primarily to quarantine them, whether they are seriously ill or not.

Always have a plan B.

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by: maryinhawaii @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 04:34:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

that may be

but that's not treatment.

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 12:12:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Most flu patients..

..who had a good case of flu but were able to stay home needing just a call or two to the family doc would debate the use of 'mild' to describe it. It may be misleading as people who hear 'mild' may think of a day of sniffles and sneezing.

One or two weeks out of school/work will create a significant social impact, as discussed before.

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

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by: Grace RN @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 17:12:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Indeed

I think there have been a number of ways the novel H1N1 influenza has been reported that have been a bit (unintentionally, I hope) misleading.  Characterizing non-hospitalizations as "mild" is one.  It sounds like someone gets the sniffles and carries on.

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by: Jonathan @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 17:18:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you raise a good point

definitions that the PH folks understand, the media understand and the public understands might all be different.

Whose job is it to clarify? Listening to the CDC conferences every day, they make pretty clear there's mild = non-hospital, but they don't talk about how miserable you can be with "mild". They do talk about a range of illness, even within a hospital (a few days and out vs ICU).

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 19:37:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

MSM

I think the MSM's semantics may be more erroneous and confusing than the CDC's; John Q. Public listens more to the 6PM news sound bites than a CDC announcement.

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

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by: Grace RN @ Thu May 21, 2009 at 00:26:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Chief public health officer says Canada over worst of swine flu

Chief public health officer says Canada over worst of swine flu

The Canadian Press

May 18, 2009 at 3:27 PM EDT

OTTAWA - Canada's chief public health officer says the country has seen the worst of the swine flu - for now.

Dr. David Butler-Jones told reporters Monday that it appears the virus is starting to wane for this season.

"It looks at this point like we're over the worst of it in Canada for this season," he said.

"But, again, I'm going to hedge my bets on that because we're watching very closely and it's still within the incubation period of previous cases, so you could see a second spike.

"But, so far, we've not seen that ... and the peak does appear to be - in all three countries, actually, Mexico, the United States and Canada - largely toward the end of April, beginning of May."

Canada is lifting an advisory against non-essential travel to Mexico as cases of swine flu there start to level off.more
http://www.theglobeandmail.com...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 20:43:25 PM UTC

Connecticut 3 more swine flu cases confirmed in region

3 more swine flu cases confirmed in region
Connecticut Post Staff
Updated: 05/18/2009 04:39:09 PM EDT

Three more cases of swine flu -- all of them in southwestern Connecticut -- were reported Monday by the state Department of Public Health.

The new cases of swine flu, otherwise known as the H1N1 virus, were confirmed in Easton, Fairfield, and Norwalk.

A total of 56 confirmed cases have now been identified among Connecticut residents, state health officials said, although none of the state residents who've come down with the illness have had to be hospitalized.

Among the state cases, ages range from 3 to 56 years old, and 28 are female and 28 are male.

By far, the largest number of cases were reported in Fairfield County, with 40. Elsewhere, New Haven County has had six cases; Hartford, six; Litchfield, one; Middlesex, one, and New London, two.
more
http://www.connpost.com/ci_123...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 20:44:49 PM UTC

A(H1N1) case: two more quarantined

 A(H1N1) case: two more quarantined

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: Two more persons have been quarantined "as a matter of abundant precaution" at a hospital in Hyderabad after they complained of cough and sore throat - symptoms of A (H1N1) influenza.

According to an official spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the two persons had also travelled with the patient from New York. The patient is on treatment on Oseltamivir and presently afebrile.
Screening

Meanwhile, screening of passengers coming from the affected countries is continuing at 21 international airports and over 39,991 were screened in the past 24 hours, including 14,245 passengers from the affected countries.

One passenger who disembarked at Delhi Airport has also been referred to the identified health facility. So far 6.76 lakh passengers have been screened.
more
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/0...

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

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by: mojo @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 20:51:12 PM UTC

Boy possible SF suspect

Been doubts about the boy (15 years) for the swine flu infection
2009-05-18 22:45:45

Receiving treatment in hospital, "Caramel," a boy in Haifa, a five-year-old after showing symptoms of the disease was swine flu, which Istady to take him to the hospital.

According to the official spokesman said the boy is subject to the hospital for observation and tests in the hospital and staying in an isolated room in order to avoid transmission to others found his way to the disease.

It will be recalled that he returned to the country from the United States of America on Sunday, suffering from symptoms of the disease is suspected that the swine flu instance high body temperature and pain in the throat.

Reference is made to that so far have been verified from a 7 citizens from different regions of the country's swine flu was treated at the hospitals and demobilization to the home after the examination has been recovered a number of cases after the emergence of symptoms suspected that it was swine flu.

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

orginal website
http://www.sonara.net/article....

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

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by: cottontop @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 22:28:30 PM UTC

3 more Queens, NYC school closures

"We continue to see a rising tide of flu in many parts of New York City," said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden.  "As the virus spreads, we will look to slow transmission within the individual school communities by closing individual schools. Unfortunately, we fully expect to see more severe illness in the coming days, particularly among people who have underlying health problems.  I want to stress how important it is for New Yorkers with underlying health conditions to get treated if they have fever with either cough or sore throat, and to see a doctor and discuss the need for preventive medicine if they have been exposed to someone with flu."

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/ht...

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by: DemFromCT @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 23:19:31 PM UTC

so how many in total? n/t

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

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by: SusanC @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 23:28:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

15 total schools

one in Manhattan (private school, voluntary closure), one in Brooklyn, the rest in Queens.

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 01:11:52 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

thanks, I'm losing track. n/t

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

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by: SusanC @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 02:11:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

2 schools in one queens building

so the count is 15 or 16 depending.

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by: DemFromCT @ Tue May 19, 2009 at 02:13:21 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please post new news stories to...

 

News Reports for May 19, 2009

Thank you!

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 May 19, 2009 at 04:10:32 AM UTC

Good job everyone!

A lot of good articles and comments today. Please keep them coming. Thanks!

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 May 19, 2009 at 04:13:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]