Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Just wanted to check in with the hive and get your thoughts/updates since the last time we had a big swine flu thread. Tonight, I was reading online and apparently we have had 21 deaths in TN (even though the source couldn't name them all :confused:). A little bitty 4 year old in my mom's area died just a few days ago. It is definitely here - and it really wasn't here yet until the last month or so. Kids in the ps are getting it left and right and the attendance is low. Vaccines are arriving in TN and people are jumping on the bandwagon. Me, I am kinda jumping off the bandwagon and into the comfort of my home. I find myself taking the kids out to crowded places less and less and I am also feeling the urge to stop mingling with the ps kids. So - anyone care to check in? What is happening in your state/community? Have you made any changes to your daily routine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Swine Flu is here (California). We've had two deaths in our county. Both were people with pre-existing medical conditions. I haven't really changed anything. We are doing what we always do. Hubby is a school teacher and he basically disinfects himself & his clothes when he gets home. He is the number 1 infection-carrier in the family. I haven't changed our routines any. We talk about good hygiene, take our vitamins, eat healthy, exercise. We do not get the flu vaccine. We still go out although I always curb our exposure to large crowds of people during the winter months. That said, I almost want my children to get it. I hate to say that because I am in no way desiring my children to get a horrible case of it and be hospitalized and I'm not purposely exposing them to it. I don't want anyone jumping to conclusions about whether I'm a good parent or a horrible one. However, I think our family (and my children especially) would experience long term benefits from allowing their bodies to build up a natural immunity to this flu virus. So if they DO get it, I'm not going to overreact. Cautiously deal with it, but not overreact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I'm concerned about my child in college. I can't say i am not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Swine Flu is here (California). We've had two deaths in our county. Both were people with pre-existing medical conditions. I haven't really changed anything. We are doing what we always do. Hubby is a school teacher and he basically disinfects himself & his clothes when he gets home. He is the number 1 infection-carrier in the family. I haven't changed our routines any. We talk about good hygiene, take our vitamins, eat healthy, exercise. We do not get the flu vaccine. We still go out although I always curb our exposure to large crowds of people during the winter months. That said, I almost want my children to get it. I hate to say that because I am in no way desiring my children to get a horrible case of it and be hospitalized and I'm not purposely exposing them to it. I don't want anyone jumping to conclusions about whether I'm a good parent or a horrible one. However, I think our family (and my children especially) would experience long term benefits from allowing their bodies to build up a natural immunity to this flu virus. So if they DO get it, I'm not going to overreact. Cautiously deal with it, but not overreact. I don't think you are alone in that thinking...I definitely don't wish it on my kids (if what we had was NOT it) and I will not purposely expose them to it (even though the mom on my kid's soccer team obviously doesn't care to expose them to it), I would like them to build immunity to it. I hope we had a light case, built some immunities, and if and when it rolls around again, we have some immunity. I feel ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Nobody - nobody at all - that I know IRL has mentioned Swine Flu for quite some time now, until today ~ and even that was because I brought it up after a friend described her oldest daughter's illness. (She's sick with flu-ish symptoms - late teens)...of course, we're not attached to the ps system at all, so I have no idea what's happening there WRT absences and such. Haven't heard tell of any sick kids in our neighbourhood, beyond the usual snuffles. I know our province is supposed to be delaying the seasonal vaccine until *after* the Swine Flu vaccine because of the study showing an increased risk to people who've had the Seasonal Flu vaccine, and I haven't decided yet of we'll get the Swine Flu vaccination... ...and I still wish there was some way to know if what we had in late March was this or not. I found an old blog entry where I mentioned us being sick - I mentioned it on March 25th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 I'm concerned about my child in college. I can't say i am not. How long has he/she been back in school? My mom lives in Knoxville (UTK) and they had their big rush of it about 2 mos ago. It is still around there, but not like it was at first. If your dd/ds is past the first round in his/her area then that would be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Just wanted to check in with the hive and get your thoughts/updates since the last time we had a big swine flu thread. Tonight, I was reading online and apparently we have had 21 deaths in TN (even though the source couldn't name them all :confused:). A little bitty 4 year old in my mom's area died just a few days ago. It is definitely here - and it really wasn't here yet until the last month or so. Kids in the ps are getting it left and right and the attendance is low. Vaccines are arriving in TN and people are jumping on the bandwagon. Me, I am kinda jumping off the bandwagon and into the comfort of my home. I find myself taking the kids out to crowded places less and less and I am also feeling the urge to stop mingling with the ps kids. So - anyone care to check in? What is happening in your state/community? Have you made any changes to your daily routine? Your state is doing better than mine, we've had 102 deaths in FL. My county has had 8. The county we have co-op in has had 5. We're being careful, but still going out and doing things. We still won't get the vax. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 It's so hard on college kids. I remember those long hours of study and neglecting our health (diet, exercise, sleep). They are vulnerable that is for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Your state is doing better than mine, we've had 102 deaths in FL. :001_huh: Wow. I didn't think it was doing it like that in the states anywhere. We've had 131 hospitalized cases and 8 deaths in our province. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 The CDC has Washington listed as widespread, the highest rating on their map. I didn't realize that. We just saw our pediatrician on the 24th and he said he didn't think it was going to be as big of a deal as they are making it out to be. He didn't know if he'd be routinely recommending the vaccine, and he expressed concerns about the vaccine's safety (or lack of solid safety information). We aren't doing anything differently. If anything, we're out and about more than we have been in the last year. I still attend my Monday night support group every week. My son goes to taekwondo class daily, Monday through Friday. My daughter goes to a computer club every Monday (new activity). We're back to going to church every Sunday after two years of sporadic attendance. I've starting going to MOPS meetings for the first time, attended a MOPS mom's night out, and have a playdate/field trip to the pumpkin patch scheduled with them next week. I'm meeting another homeschool family for the first time for a park playdate later this week. We're just living life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 From my area: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6636239.html My youngest student (not my child) was a confirmed case. Her g'ma (lives with her) and sister are severely immunocompromised. They were given tamiflu. My dd is also immunocompromised. Her Rheumatologist is not prescribing prophylactic tamiflul. My feelings are mixed. The above article says "false alarms" but also a deadly flu season is coming. :confused: We've never done flu shots; we probably won't this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 H1N1 is slowing down around it, but we know MANY people that have it or have had it in the past few weeks here in Tx. We have been exposed several times, but so far nothing here at our house. We do have an immune compromised child at our house, but his oncologist has said that the kids at his clinic have not gotten very sick from this strain. My concern is my asthmatic that has had pneumonia in the past, but his pedi is not concerned either. Basically we are just waiting our turn to get it and figuring it will not be worse than the seasonal flu. No H1N1 shots here, but we did get the seasonal shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 My next door neighbor has been dx with the swine flu but her dh told me that the test didn't show it as such, just that the doc said since she had all the symptoms he was treating it as such. So that tells me she may/may not have H1N1 but is being lumped in with the official dx for this area. I don't know how this area is as far as swine flu. I haven't heard much talk of it lately and the co-op we attend is not experiencing alot of absences. We are not making any changes to our daily routine b/c of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Check out the flutrackers site for utd info on what's happening in your area. Flutrackers is volunteer run - if there's no data for an area it doesn't mean there are no cases; it could be that there are no volunteers for that area.... http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 It's all over the place here. A nearby middle school closed last Monday, after about 1/3 of teh students were absent the previous Friday. Neighbor girl is home with it now. We're trying to stay clean and eat right. Not much else to do at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirth Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 (edited) double post Edited October 7, 2009 by mirth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirth Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Well I recently nixed my husband's idea for my kids to visit a grand-uncle (that they rarely see normally) in the hospital. Why court disaster? In my area, they stopped even checking for H1N1 anymore. All the docs presume any flu presented is H1N1 b/c 99% of new cases had been this. This seems like extraordinary lousy record-keeping to me. (How can you track changes? Patterns in segments of the population?) For this reason and the fact that H1N1 vaxes were fast-tracked thru the FDA, I will not entertain the idea of getting an H1N1 vax until my unease is about 100x stronger than it is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2fiveboysnc Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 i work at the 2nd busiest ER in NC and you wouldn't believe the # of patients we are seeing with influenza-like symptoms. we aren't testing for type of flu, just flu in general since like a pp said, 99% of positive tests are for H1N1. our numbers have jumped up from 5.3% to 8.6% of patients presenting with flu-like symptoms. my state total deaths are 12 deaths so far. we recently had a high school scare and literally hundreds of people came after it was announced on our local airway that the swine flu was at that school. it wasn't actually closed but i heard it was very close to being so. as for me and my kids, my oldest goes to community college here and is the only one in the house besides me and my husband who has any outside contact. i have another son at nc state who is coming home for fall break this week and i will definitely be taking him to get the spray if he hasn't already had it. he has a tendency to catch lots of upper respiratory stuff because of allergies and sinus problems that he already has so we are not taking any chances. i haven't decided about my other 4 at home. maybe the 20-yr old. i'm kinda on the fence about it because i see what it can do and yet i know how to treat it at home and when it's beyond my capabilities. on the other hand, i don't want to bring anything home to my kids either. we do plenty of handwashing and hand sanitizer. just beware of room sprays like lysol, they can create superbugs and you may think you're killing germs but it's literally impossible to kill all of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I'm not doing anything different. It's a flu. People die from the regular influenza, and there's not really anything different to do about H1N1. We don't vax for either. We already had it go through our workplace in the spring. 3 people had H1N1 for a week and then came back (work wouldn't let them back for 7 days regardless of how well they felt). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 My feelings are mixed. The above article says "false alarms" but also a deadly flu season is coming. :confused: Technically every flu season is deadly--just usually the elderly and very immune-compromised--with seasonal flu. I'm sure H1N1 will be similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 My next door neighbor has been dx with the swine flu but her dh told me that the test didn't show it as such, rapid flu tests have a 50-90% false negative rate. go by symptoms. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Technically every flu season is deadly--just usually the elderly and very immune-compromised--with seasonal flu. I'm sure H1N1 will be similar. It's a different profile of people who are having severe issues with H1N1 though. And it's more contagious. One of my daughter's teachers was hospitalized with H1N1....her 30 yo teacher. A friend of ours is an ER doc at the Emory system (Emory Hospital, Emory Midtown, Grady etc).......they had 20 and 30 yo's on vents due to H1N1 complications. For those having complications, it's not a typical flu. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 My friend is a nurse--they had a meeting yesterday on it and the "officials" said that it's a bad deal and she came back to me seriously recommending the vax. I don't want to panic and make the wrong decision, though. Still pondering... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 We don't plan to run out and be the first ones getting the vaccinations. I am not sure if we will at all. Swine flu is here in our area now and people are getting sick. Thus far, it has not been overly exciting in my little area. No one is overwhelmed and no local deaths - yet. :( Part of me feels like there is just nothing more you can really do. The other part of me wants to go underground until spring. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Kids in the ps are getting it left and right and the attendance is low. Vaccines are arriving in TN and people are jumping on the bandwagon. Me, I am kinda jumping off the bandwagon and into the comfort of my home. I find myself taking the kids out to crowded places less and less and I am also feeling the urge to stop mingling with the ps kids. So - anyone care to check in? What is happening in your state/community? Have you made any changes to your daily routine? I haven't heard of anyone in my area being seriously ill from the flu, but a LOT of EK's ps friends have had it, and a few cousins (one a homeschooler) have had it too. Apparently, the fever and such lasted about 4 days, and then the cough lingered awhile, but everyone was back to their routines within a week. As far as changes to our routine, we haven't really made any, but I am more aware these days of people coughing around me! Yesterday, I was at the library, and over in another section from where I was reading, there was a kid who obviously had a tickly throat and coughed continuously for at least an hour. Last week, in the booth behind us at a restaurant, there was a kid who coughed with a terrible, croupy cough throughout the meal. I kept wishing they would leave! I said out loud to dh, "I hope she's covering her mouth when she coughs!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaylk in tx Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 it's also a really bad time of the year for seasonal allergies so not everyone you see/hear sneezing/coughing is contagious! i'm always clearing my throat and coughing just because of nasty sinus drainage. 2 of my boys are the same way plus one has exercise-induced asthma where his only symptom is coughing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 it's also a really bad time of the year for seasonal allergies so not everyone you see/hear sneezing/coughing is contagious! i'm always clearing my throat and coughing just because of nasty sinus drainage. 2 of my boys are the same way plus one has exercise-induced asthma where his only symptom is coughing! That is true. They say we (with sinus issues) are more likely to get the flu. I am not so sure about that. I dont' get sick - ever. Even when we had whatever it was that put my little guy on the couch for a week about 3 weeks ago, I never got it bad enough to even worry about it. I definitely think "sniffles" are different than 103.5 fever at a soccer game. :( (I'm tellin ya...I will never get over that! LOL I totally need to :chillpill:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Technically every flu season is deadly--just usually the elderly and very immune-compromised--with seasonal flu. I'm sure H1N1 will be similar. This is just not true. Around 40% of severe cases are in people under 50 yrs. (severe cases are ones requiring mechanical ventilation or the ECMO machine) About 1/2 of fatalities have NO underlying condition. I posted this info before. The quotes are from the CBC but the data comes from the US CDC. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/08/21/swine-flu-antivirals.html "Worldwide, around 40 per cent of severe cases are now occurring in previously healthy children and adults, usually under the age of 50 years. "Some of these patients experience a sudden and very rapid deterioration in their clinical condition, usually on day five or six following the onset of symptoms." Also on Friday, health officials in the U.S. told reporters that swine flu is still spreading widely across the country, with 75 per cent of serious cases and 60 per cent of deaths among people under the age of 49. A review of fatal cases worldwide associated with the H1N1 pandemic strain concluded at least 49 per cent had underlying disease. "Two risk factors seem of particular importance: pregnancy and metabolic condition (including obesity, which has not been considered as risk factor in previous pandemics or seasonal influenza)," Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Has anyone seen this site http://www.swineflu.org/ Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 This is just not true. Around 40% of severe cases are in people under 50 yrs. (severe cases are ones requiring mechanical ventilation or the ECMO machine) About 1/2 of fatalities have NO underlying condition. I posted this info before. The quotes are from the CBC but the data comes from the US CDC. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/08/21/swine-flu-antivirals.html I don't mean no one will die of H1N1, or that it isn't sickening people of all ages. But everyone seems to forget that the seasonal flu kills a lot of people too--it's like no one cares because they're usually elderly or young :confused: but when something can get people from 18-49, eeeeek (general population reaction, not anyone in particular). Dh and I have gotten the regular flu multiple times, and we're 18-49. (My mom gets it every time she gets the shot.) Several adults at my work had H1N1, including one immune-compromised woman. It was like the regular flu for them, from all accounts. I simply mean it's not a super-death-flu like the vibe tends to be. It's a flu. A slightly less discriminating flu (many 18-49 get seasonal flu, more than half with H1N1 still had underlying conditions), but still a flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Has anyone seen this site http://www.swineflu.org/ Interesting. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/ is better & I'm not just saying that because I'm a (currently absent) moderator there :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I--it's like no one cares because they're usually elderly or young :confused: but when something can get people from 18-49, eeeeek (general population reaction, not anyone in particular). I'd like to address this subject a bit. Of course every premature death is a tragedy. But epidemiologists need to think about ranking deaths in some way. If you have finite resources, do you pour them into saving the 90 year old or the 18 year old? So one of the scales that's emerged is one addressing the number of months of expected lifespan lost. So a 90 year old who dies prematurely (because they really would have lived another year) lost 12 months as a result of the disease. The 18 year old who had a projected lifespan of 80 lost 744 months. These are ways of measuring the effect of certain diseases & our interventions in the public health realm. Practically speaking, other issues come into play when younger people are widely affected by a condition. When large chunks of your productive work force are sick and unable to work, your country can grind to a halt. 15-30% absentee rates in hospitals or fire departments or the army has huger implications for society as a whole than if 30% of the nursing home or independent living elderly are affected. Those are just some of the reasons why a disease to which nobody except some people over 65, has immunity is a serious issue. Seasonal flu tends to come in various types, and populations have varying levels of underlying immunity - all of which means that you don't get a big 'bulge' of people needing care. The biggest issues from my perspective is that 'bulge'. During a regular year, if you needed ventilation because you had a sever flu, odds are you could be admitted to ICU. When it's a bad year, there may be 50 or a 100 people waiting for an ICU bed. This is what happened this spring in Manitoba - the ICU was overloaded with people needing support breathing. And while I agree that it's still just flu, I take ALL flu much more seriously than you do. Influenza is a wily, dangerous disease. Just because it's banal and prosaic, doesn't mean we should under estimate it. From the Canadian Press: TORONTO -- Intensive-care specialists who fought to save desperately sick H1N1 flu patients this spring and summer have a warning for hospitals that haven't yet dealt with an influx of these difficult-to-treat patients. Prepare. Now. Experts predict ICUs are likely to be the main battlefield in the war against the pandemic virus, which so far doesn't appear to have much of a middle ground. The vast majority of people suffer through a typical bout of flu. But of those who become sick enough to be hospitalized, a significant portion -- maybe as high as 15 per cent, the World Health Organization says -- end up in ICUs for weeks, hovering between life and death. "I've never seen this," says Dr. Paul Hebert, editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal and an intensive-care physician in Ottawa who has treated several of these patients. "As an ICU doctor, it's very, very, very rare I can't deliver enough oxygen to someone to keep him alive. They die of other things, right? They die because their organs fail. In this case, we can barely oxygenate them." The worst-hit hospitals talk of having been on the brink of not being able to cope. They describe nearly running out of specialized equipment and the skilled staff needed to monitor these highly unstable patients in their high-tech hospital beds. Public health officials need to look for ways to keep novel H1N1 patients from getting this sick and help hospitals access enough key drugs, equipment and even staff to cope with an expected surge of cases in the fall and winter, says Dr. Anand Kumar, an intensive-care physician who has treated dozens of these patients in Winnipeg. Kumar was so concerned about what he saw in the city's ICUs earlier this year that he has been agitating, in medical and political circles, for stepped-up pandemic preparations for the country's hospitals. "I want the public-health people to understand: If we breach ICU capacity, a lot of people are going to die," he cautions. "What I've been telling everybody is: 'You've got to think about the ICU, because the ICU, for these kinds of events, is your choke point."' Kumar's warnings appear to have been heard. The Public Health Agency of Canada has convened a meeting this Wednesday and Thursday in Winnipeg designed to bring together critical-care and public-health experts to brainstorm on how to prepare for the next wave of illness. The scientific director of the agency's National Microbiology Laboratory says one of the goals of the meeting is to try to figure out what leads to severe disease, in the hopes some such cases can be averted. But it's also about alerting intensive-care specialists who haven't yet dealt with these types of cases about what to expect, what works, what doesn't and what problems might arise. "My understanding, from talking to the ICU docs across the country, but mainly in Winnipeg, is that there are some particular challenges with managing the people who have severe pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs)," says Dr. Frank Plummer. "Understanding that and exchanging that information between intensive-care doctors is important." Kumar notes these patients require high doses of sedating medications for long periods of time, so they don't struggle and actually fight against the ventilators being used to keep them alive. During Winnipeg's outbreak, the hospitals treating severely ill H1N1 patients went through a year's supply of the sedating drugs in just two months, Kumar says. "For some reason -- and we don't know why yet -- these patients are incredibly agitated and require incredibly high doses of sedation," he says, adding he's asked federal officials to alert manufacturers so they can step up production. Winnipeg treated about 50 confirmed H1N1 cases and another 15 who looked just like them but didn't test positive for the virus. Kumar thinks the recommended test -- a swab inserted deep into the nose -- isn't reliable in severely ill patients. He thinks other specimens, from lower down in the respiratory tract, should be searched for viruses. He's warned his ICU peers that patients who look like H1N1 cases probably are H1N1 cases and should be treated as such. -- The Canadian Press http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/prepare-now-for-h1n1-intensive-care-units-told-56534792.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 We got swine flu. The first kids that came down with it were prescribed antibiotics that didn't help...but my son got a nasty rash as a reaction to amoxicillian. When my teenagers came down with it I took them to a different Dr. he tested for flu, it was positive, they got Tamiflu (so did dh) and only missed two days of school. Dh didn't get sick at all. The kids who didn't get Tamiflu were all out of school for about a week and three of them still have coughing and congestion/runny nose. I did not get Tamiflu and I didn't get really sick either. I just ached all over and had a sore throat and a bit of a cough for about two weeks. So, I guess whatever we had all summer that I thought was swine flu wasn't. There have been several deaths here that I have heard about. At least two were perfectly healthy children, a 14yo and an 11yo. I'm really glad that dh and my teens got the tamiflu. It really works! Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 :001_huh: Wow. I didn't think it was doing it like that in the states anywhere. We've had 131 hospitalized cases and 8 deaths in our province. I don't think you can really compare any of the provinces with the states. You have to go with the overall population to compare. Here's a better comparison: Canada population: 33 million H1N1 deaths: 78 Florida's population: 18 million H1N1 deaths: 102 Alberta's population: 3 million H1N1 deaths: 8 Hillsborough county's population: 1 million H1N1 deaths: 8 Granted we have a much higher ratio of deaths, but with the population you can see that a province is closer to a couple of counties and the country is closer to the state in population. Also, it seems that the states hit the worst are those with VERY high immigration rates. FL was hit very quickly as soon as H1N1 came out of Mexico, we have a very large population from MX so it isn't surprising. In all our state has had almost 800 hospitalized cases. One concern I have is that my county has had 20 hospitalized cases and 8 deaths. That is a scary ratio in my mind! Where another county (dade) has had 312 hospitalized cases and only 22 deaths. I guess if we need a hospital we should drive down to Dade county :auto: Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/ is better & I'm not just saying that because I'm a (currently absent) moderator there :D I agree. Hornblower, thank you for guiding us to flutrakers. I've really loved being able to see such specific information about this. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/ is better & I'm not just saying that because I'm a (currently absent) moderator there :D Oh thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I would especially bring to people's attention this thread: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124781 This is the Dead Children thread, only started in Sep once we started seeing spiking of cases when schools re-opened. There are many kids there with NO underlying conditions. Previously healthy, active kids who died of this flu. There's an awful lot we just don't understand about this disease & why some are affected so hard by it but one thing is clear - this is NOT like seasonal flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I just hope my college boy is remembering to take his Vit D. Thanks, Hornblower. I would rather deal in facts, stats & good science rather than "This is no big deal...it's 'just' a flu". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 At the risk of sounding dumb and like I should be doing my own research, I wish someone would just tell me if we should get the H1N1 vax or not. Definitively. I feel like I just keep reading conflicting reports. My family is me and DH and dd, all healthy w/no immuno-issues 9-44 years. Then there is ds. He was a preemie and has mild allergy-induced asthma for which he take Allbuterol (sp?) when needed. He also had 1 year of Synagis vaccine for RSV when he was a baby and he is the most bullet-proof of all of us. Because he was a preemie, and we have close contact with our 80 yo in-laws, we have all four all gotten the seasonal flu vax every year for 5 or so years. DS has had his reg seasonal flu vax already upon the advice of our ped. I was assuming the rest of us would get the reg seasonal vax and then also the H1N1 when it's available, but I am wary of it. I just don't know what to do.:confused: And the elderly in-laws have been told not to get it, but MiL couldn't really say why other than her doc thought it was untested. But our ped (a very conservative and cautious and intelligent man that I respect greatly) said he is recommending it. :confused::confused::confused: and :confused:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I would especially bring to people's attention this thread: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124781 This is the Dead Children thread, only started in Sep once we started seeing spiking of cases when schools re-opened. There are many kids there with NO underlying conditions. Previously healthy, active kids who died of this flu. There's an awful lot we just don't understand about this disease & why some are affected so hard by it but one thing is clear - this is NOT like seasonal flu. So what are the stats on child death with the seasonal flu? I always saw young children and the elderly grouped together for the greatest susceptibility to any kind of flu, and was thinking of the impact of the traditional seasonal flu on young children with no underlying condition vs swine flu with no underlying condition. That's just harder to find with most of the info focused on vaccines and current H1N1 numbers. (And maybe we're just unlucky, but we usually have at least a 60% sick work force with winter bugs at our office, and I've been there for four years. It's like that every winter. All but one person in each room will catch the flu or whatever else is going around. So the 60% number would actually be less illness than we usually have at work, even with active hand-washing, sanitizing, and immune-boosting campaigns. There's very little ventilation--it's a converted warehouse. So we're all stuck with each other's germs. We've actually had a much better track record with not spreading H1N1, keeping it contained to half the workers in one room, than with the regular flu.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Oh, and I know it has a broader season than seasonal flu, and it affects more healthy people. I am just tired of people discussing it as if it's the Black Plague. There's a huge difference between the current/expected H1N1 outcomes and the amount of hype it's receiving, IMO. K, I'm done now, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 I would especially bring to people's attention this thread: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124781 This is the Dead Children thread, only started in Sep once we started seeing spiking of cases when schools re-opened. There are many kids there with NO underlying conditions. Previously healthy, active kids who died of this flu. There's an awful lot we just don't understand about this disease & why some are affected so hard by it but one thing is clear - this is NOT like seasonal flu. I am sorry, but this saddens me and terrifies me at the same time. My heart is broken for these families. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Isn't it confusing?! I don't know what to do either. I want to get the seasonal flu shot, but then people say that it makes you more at ridk for H1N1, but I don't want to not get, especially since I don't even know when we could possibly get the H1N1 shot. :confused: WHOA...the seasonal flu shot makes you MORE at risk for H1N1? Links please! I didn't know that and we were considering getting ours. Perhaps NOT. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 This is just ridiculous! I have very few options left for getting the kids the seasonal flu shot. The doctors say they are out, even though last week they said they didn't have any. The clinics around town are for 4 and up. I found one place that had 8 left for 6mos. and up, and they expect to run out today. I have to hurry and decide for my three year old, but this just makes it sooo hard. My kids have gotten flu shots every year since the year they didn't and my son got pnemonia. They haven't gotten the flu since, so it is very important to me that they get it. And welcome to the country in panic mode. :( ETA: My oldest son had 2 strains of flu at one time when he was 4. He almost died. I know what you mean about getting the shots. We have for the last 5 years. This will be our first without it and honestly, I am just scared. Darned if you do, darned if you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 WHOA...the seasonal flu shot makes you MORE at risk for H1N1? Links please! I didn't know that and we were considering getting ours. Perhaps NOT. :( Here is the original article. The study hasn't been published yet so it's impossible to know whether it's meaningful or not. CDC's comments, from the article: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control also knows of the work. It said it has looked for similar evidence in the United States but sees none."It is difficult to speak about a study that has yet to be published, however, as this is an important issue involving the subject of seasonal influenza and the fast moving global pandemic of 2009 H1N1 influenza it is important to note the scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not seen this effect in systems we have reviewed in the United States," spokesperson Joe Quimby said by email. A number of influenza and infectious diseases experts know of but are unwilling to speak publicly about the paper. But several were quick to note that British and Australian researchers haven't seen the phenomenon either. The lack of corroboration in other jurisdictions is "a red flag," said one expert, who believes the findings will be shown to be due to a study flaws. Another flu expert who was willing to speak on the record said they do not make sense to him either. "I cannot think of a good reason why this is biologically likely, especially since we have sufficient evidence now that ... there is priming in the population by the way the vaccine is working," said Dr. Arnold Monto, of the University of Michigan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Here is the original article. The study hasn't been published yet so it's impossible to know whether it's meaningful or not. CDC's comments, from the article: So...are they then suggesting that people who had LAST season's flu shot were more likely to contract Swine flu...but more likely also to have a mild form of the disease? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomLovesClassics Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Just heard that my SIL has it, and she is a PS teacher. So it was probably passed around the classroom and sent home to the families. My BIL works with my husband, so it may get passed around at husband's work, and passed to the families. I read an article about this vaccine being exempt from mercury guidelines in order to get it out sooner. We will forgo the vaccine and take our chances. We are pretty sure we already had it because my oldest in college had it bad, and we were sick at the same time. This flu is so confusing. I appreciate everyone who has posted remedies. We are doing everything we can to keep our immune systems strong. We will be out and about this weekend on an out of town trip. I really hope my BIL has not passed on his germs to my husband. All I need is for us to come down with the flu and be sick and not able to take this trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 It looks like 7 so far in AR. My concern is that the majority seem to be young children, some that were perfectly healthy beforehand. Scary. I'm really not sure what to do here. A family in our homeschool group who attends co-op was diagnosed with h1n1 this past weekend. They seem to be doing ok, considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 So...are they then suggesting that people who had LAST season's flu shot were more likely to contract Swine flu...but more likely also to have a mild form of the disease? Yes. But my guess is that when we see the actual study it will turn out to be flawed, since no one else has found this association. Until we see the study methods, it's impossible to speculate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertechmom Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 And isn't this also because this was a new virus not circulated before?? ANd only the elderly for whatever reason seem to have some immunity to it? SO thus, wouldn't this year have an extreme infection rate bordering on like anyone who was exposed. And if that is the case, then won't there be a lot of seemingly healthy people who might succumb because they had immunity to some degree to the normal stuff but not to this. Just thinking out loud. My sister has a lung disease and has survived many flus but this one she probably will not. Other people in my family seem healthy but yet get sick regularly. We suspect they as well have some underlying lung issue not discovered or dx. IF they die from this, they will be lumped as the healthy group that died from swine flu even though they regularly get sick with some type of lung issue. Just not anything to dx. Just rambling thoughts. I'm wondering if we all get exposed this year, if next year will be better and then we will have 2 main flu strains running around. IT's rough here. A school closed, several hundred students are out any given day around here. A few have died with and without underlying conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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