Please do read the Post below as it has Updates and Full information, Nursing Advice and Websites ( as well as Many Foreign Websites, Blogs and Papers.)
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4 PM Monday 4.27.09 UPDATES:::::
(1) World total is up to 75 Cases of Swine Flu, the total in NYC is now 28 ( was 8 last night), America total is now 40.Travel to Mexico Now being discouraged and Border Passive Surveillance in Place. Mexico has had 141 deaths ( up forty from last night), still unclear of True Numbers, 1600 seeking medical care for flu, and 400 still in hospital. ( The real question is in Mexico City of 20 million and many poor- how many have not sought medical care ? It is worth studying. And that issue also may present a problem in the States, unless Health Depts and Hospitals are willing to offer FREE Healthcare for possible Flu Victims.) Tamiflu can be used to treat this Flu, but it is unclear if it going to offered to prevent spread, or saved for Treatment. Please do read the post below for Self Preparedness.
BBC has more about the Situation.EU is advising against Travel to America and Mexico due to the Flu. Mexico Deaths are set to 150, and WHO has raised the Status to Pandemic Level Four , meaning that there is Sustained Human Spread.
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4:30PM
Jason Linkins is reporting for Huffpo that GOP STRIPPED PANDEMIC MONEY REMOVED FROM THE STIMULUS. ( They have endangered millions with their selfish ignorant shortsightedness, this same ignorance has left Millions without Healthcare.)
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7PM
This BBC site has reports from People and Medical people that are there.
And from CNN there is a whole page from Dr. Gupta who is there reporting for CNN and CBS.
The Guardian has More about the Possible Source of the Flu and where it started, in February
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BBC WHO map::::
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Mexico: 149 dead - 1600 Cases, and over500 in hospital
United States: 40 confirmed cases of swine flu ( 28 in NYC)
Canada: 6 confirmed cases
UK: 2 confirmed cases
Spain: 1 confirmed case
UK, Spain, Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand: suspected cases being tested.
Tonight Scotland has been added.
BBC has more on Travel Warnings.....
A new Website has good updates it is called the Pandemic Chronicle
GREAT POST about the History of Swine Flu and the Pandemic of 1918 ...and the Flu of 1976....read it, its a great history wrap up.
Guardian has a a whole page on Swine Flu with Updates and more information.
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10:30 PM Final Thoughts of the Night::::
Please Note that these top two posts are an attempt to locate solid information that will help us be informed and educated about this illness.....If we have to think on this, the GOP has held up Health Care and Health Insurance for OVER 50 Million People, People that now have been put at Risk, a huge Public Health Risk looms now, and Millions may have no way to be monitored or cared for ? Has anyone else worried on this yet ? and the ProLife GOP did not just hold up the Health Care for millions- they also tampered with Our Public Health System and Emergency Preparedness.
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4.27.09 Texas Updates::::
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11:30 PM DO Watch ABC Nightline They are Covering the Outbreak: The Facts.
14 comments:
Daily Kos 5PM::::
Things are definitely moving rapidly on the potential Swine Flu pandemic.
The World Health Organization has issued new information just minutes ago
The World Health Organization says there are now 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States and that it "very concerned" about the disease's spread.
WHO says none of the cases in the U.S. have been fatal.
But the U.N. agency says it could decide in a matter of hours whether to raise its pandemic alert level as a result of the increasing number of confirmed swine flu cases in Mexico and elsewhere.
In the UK, 17 potential cases being investigated.
kubla000's diary :: ::
And the State Department may issue a travel warning later today to Mexico
The U.S. State Department plans to issue a travel warning later on Monday urging Americans to avoid all "nonessential" travel to Mexico because of an outbreak of swine flu, a U.S. official said.
"There will be a travel warning urging Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico because of the swine flu," said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition he not be named as the warning has not yet been announced.
The news this morning was awash in Swine Flu news, and hopefully people are taking precautions or seeking treatment if they have symptoms.
There is a probable case in Michigan now.
A scare in S. Carolina
And from the way back machine, as Senator, our President was fairly good at seeing this future.
His speech on the Senate floor in 2005 rings eerily applicable to the current swine flu crisis. Then, as a freshman senator, he said:
“The experts have told us repeatedly that a flu pandemic is inevitable, although the timing is unpredictable. In other words, the question is not if, but when. This spread of avian flu is our warning signal, and we need to heed this call to action.”
“If we're lucky,” Obama continued, “we'll have at least a year, or perhaps several years, to prepare for a flu pandemic. But we might not be so lucky. And regardless of whether it is this particular strain of avian flu, H5N1, or another deadly strain, the time to act is long overdue if we want to prevent unprecedented human suffering, death, and economic devastation.”
Here is a speculative but great read on the possible origin and original carrier: A hog farm in Mexico where fecal flies carried the disease into the local population.
Stay up to date here through the day.
Three Possible/Probable cases now in Dallas County Texas.
Dallas County Health Officials say three probable cases of swine flu have popped up in the county.
Health officials say the three newly discovered cases don't require a quarantine or even hospitalization, but they are assessing risks.
The ages of the unidentified victims are 24 and 7 years old, and 3 months old. Health officials came to the Turimex bus station near the Dallas Zoo to instruct operators in what to look for in passengers and sanitation steps for buses themselves.
This is getting worse...
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A powerful earthquake has rocked tall buildings in Mexico capital, sending office workers down stairways into the streets.
This is a double tragedy now in the making.
Since I came down sick late Saturday, and was truly showing all the symptoms of the swine flu', my husband took me in early today.
They treated me as if I do; said it was a precaution, and tonight I'm feeling a bit stronger.
What I noticed was the incredible chills I had - rare for me, and we've got 90+ degree weather so it's not because it's cold outside.
The nausea and fatigue are terrible; hardly eating anything, but taking in liquids and Ensure like the doctor recommended.
Slept a lot yesterday; slept nearly all of today, and just got up about 1 hour ago - feel ragged out and weak, but better.
You can add this information to your topic too:
What you need to know about swine flu
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP MEDICAL WRITER
WASHINGTON -- A never-before-seen strain of swine flu has turned killer in Mexico and is causing milder illness in the United States and elsewhere. While authorities say it's not time to panic, they are taking steps to stem the spread and also urging people to pay close attention to the latest health warnings and take their own precautions.
"Individuals have a key role to play," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday.
Here's what you need to know:
Q: How do I protect myself and my family?
A: For now, take commonsense precautions. Cover your coughs and sneezes, with a tissue that you throw away or by sneezing into your elbow rather than your hand. Wash hands frequently; if soap and water aren't available, hand gels can substitute. Stay home if you're sick and keep children home from school if they are.
Q: How easy is it to catch this virus?
A: Scientists don't yet know if it takes fairly close or prolonged contact with someone who's sick, or if it's more easily spread. But in general, flu viruses spread through uncovered coughs and sneezes or - and this is important - by touching your mouth or nose with unwashed hands. Flu viruses can live on surfaces for several hours, like a doorknob just touched by someone who sneezed into his hand.
Q: In Mexico, officials are handing out face masks. Do I need one?
A: The CDC says there's not good evidence that masks really help outside of health care settings. It's safer just to avoid close contact with someone who's sick and avoid crowded gatherings in places where swine flu is known to be spreading. But if you can't do that, CDC guidelines say it's OK to consider a mask - just don't let it substitute for good precautions.
Q: Is swine flu treatable?
A: Yes, with the flu drugs Tamiflu or Relenza, but not with two older flu medications.
Q: Is there enough?
A: Yes. The federal government has stockpiled enough of the drugs to treat 50 million people, and many states have additional stocks. As a precaution, the CDC has shipped a quarter of that supply to the states to keep on hand just in case the virus starts spreading more than it has so far.
Q: Should I take Tamiflu as a precaution if I'm not sick yet?
A: No. "What are you going to do with it, use it when you get a sniffle?" asks Dr. Marc Siegel of New York University Langone Medical Center and author of "Bird Flu: Everything you Need To Know About The Next Pandemic." Overusing antiviral drugs can help germs become resistant to them.
Q: How big is my risk?
A: For most people, very low. Outside of Mexico, so far clusters of illnesses seem related to Mexican travel. New York City's cluster, for instance, consists of students and family members at one school where some students came back ill from spring break in Mexico.
Q: Why are people dying in Mexico and not here?
A: That's a mystery. First, understand that no one really knows just how many people in Mexico are dying of this flu strain, or how many have it. Only a fraction of the suspected deaths have been tested and confirmed as swine flu, and some initially suspected cases were caused by something else.
Q: Should I cancel my planned trip to Mexico?
A: The U.S. did issue a travel advisory Monday discouraging nonessential travel there.
Q: What else is the U.S., or anyone else, doing to try to stop this virus?
A: The U.S. is beginning limited screening of travelers from Mexico, so that the obviously sick can be sent for treatment. Other governments have issued their own travel warnings and restrictions. Mexico is taking the biggest steps, closings that limit most crowded gatherings. In the U.S., communities with clusters of illness also may limit contact - New York closed the affected school for a few days, for example - so stay tuned to hear if your area eventually is affected.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: They're similar to regular human flu - a fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting.
Q: How do I know if I should see a doctor? Maybe my symptoms are from something else - like pollen?
A: Health authorities say if you live in places where swine flu cases have been confirmed, or you recently traveled to Mexico, and you have flulike symptoms, ask your doctor if you need treatment or to be tested. Allergies won't cause a fever. And run-of-the-mill stomach bugs won't be accompanied by respiratory symptoms, notes Dr. Wayne Reynolds of Newport News, Va., spokesman for the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Q: Is there a vaccine to prevent this new infection?
A: No. And CDC's initial testing suggests that last winter's flu shot didn't offer any cross-protection.
Q: How long would it take to produce a vaccine?
A: A few months. The CDC has created what's called "seed stock" of the new virus that manufacturers would need to start production. But the government hasn't yet decided if the outbreak is bad enough to order that.
Q: What is swine flu?
A: Pigs spread their own strains of influenza and every so often people catch one, usually after contact with the animals. This new strain is a mix of pig viruses with some human and bird viruses. Unlike more typical swine flu, it is spreading person-to-person. A 1976 outbreak of another unusual swine flu at Fort Dix, N.J., prompted a problematic mass vaccination campaign, but that time the flu fizzled out.
Q: So is it safe to eat pork?
A: Yes. Swine influenza viruses don't spread through food.
Q: And whatever happened to bird flu? Wasn't that supposed to be the next pandemic?
A: Specialists have long warned that the issue is a never-before-seen strain that people have little if any natural immunity to, regardless of whether it seems to originate from a bird or a pig. Bird flu hasn't gone away; scientists are tracking it, too.
Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
Diane::::
Thank you for giving us more information...but mostly I am so sorry you are going through this- and that you are ill....and I hope you feel better soon...
rest and rest and drink fluids and keep us posted how you are....much light to you...
and take care....
( I did post Nursing advice down below in the other post that I think might help people- if I need to add anything- please let me know....)
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And here is More about the WHO Announcement this afternoon...
On the advice of the Committee, the WHO Director-General decided on the following.
The Director-General has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from the current phase 3 to phase 4.
The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that a pandemic is inevitable.
As further information becomes available, WHO may decide to either revert to phase 3 or raise the level of alert to another phase.
This decision was based primarily on epidemiological data demonstrating human-to-human transmission and the ability of the virus to cause community-level outbreaks.
Given the widespread presence of the virus, the Director-General considered that containment of the outbreak is not feasible. The current focus should be on mitigation measures.
The Director-General recommended not to close borders and not to restrict international travel. It was considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention.
It seems that the orgin may have been found.
Case confirmed in village in south-eastern Mexico where 60% of residents fell illI wonder if Rumsfeld still has a huge interest in Tamiflu?
Peace.
US cases up to 64 now....
I am dreading going to work today.
HUman:::
I am sure Rummy still probally does....
;-(
Fran:::
oh fran...
I am so sorry...
hang in there lady....
oh Human - I forgot to say- thank you for the Link- I do have the Guardian article about it linked above...about the Possible Source...
( Both Human and I posted the same one- the Guardian article about the Smithfield Hog Farm in VeraCruz- that is being tested by the University of New Mexico....btw Human....rummy has a few ranches in New Mexico...so he might be watching... and let's hope it worries him as he BBQ's his pork....)
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Guardian article::::
A Mexican village whose inhabitants were overwhelmed by an outbreak of respiratory illness starting in February has emerged as a possible source of the swine flu outbreak which has now spread across the world.
The state government of Veracruz in eastern Mexico has confirmed one case of swine flu in the village of La Gloria with the sufferer named locally as a four-year-old boy, Edgar Hernández Hernández. The federal government said tonight that he tested positive for the same strain of the virus which has claimed lives in Mexico.
The boy's case earlier this month came amid an outbreak of respiratory illness in the area in which around 400 people requested medical help. The boy was treated in hospital and survived. But two babies from the same village died during the outbreak. Sufferers complained of symptoms including fever, severe cough, and large amounts of phlegm.
"The symptoms were exactly like the ones they talk about now [with swine flu]," said a local resident. "High fevers, pain in the muscles and the joints, terrible headaches, some vomiting and diarrhoea. The illness came on very quickly and whole families were laid up."
It remained unclear tonight whether the illness was swine flu but the Mexican government appeared to cast doubt on its original diagnosis of the outbreak as a more typical H2N3 flu virus when it revealed that the only sample it sent to North America for swine flu tests came back positive.
"The sample of one of the cases, that of a four-year-old boy, was kept," said federal health minister José Ángel Córdova. "It was among the samples sent [to labs abroad] and that came back confirmed."
The Veracruz state government had previously said the infants died of bacterial pneumonia and said it has no plans to exhume their bodies to find out if the cause of death was swine flu.
Early today the US owner of an industrial pig production facility around 12 miles from La Gloria said it had found no clinical signs or symptoms of swine flu in its herd or Mexican employees. The world's biggest pig meat producer, Virginia-based Smithfield, said it is co-operating with the Mexican authorities' attempts to locate the possible source of the outbreak and will submit samples from its herds at its Granjas Carroll subsidiary to the University of Mexico for tests.
Oops. So much for my Evelyn Woods speed reading training.
Peace.
Human::::
ahhhh that is okay....
great minds think alike ????
no....it is more a matter- I thought I missed a Guardian Update...
No worries- glad to know that you too are reading other sources....the best way to fight an Epidemic or any crisis is Education...always...
;-)
LOL....it is really not "great" minds ...more like "worried" minds !!!!
4.27.09 Texas Updates::::
As a precautionary measure, Gov. Rick Perry today increased his request of antiviral medication to 25 percent (850,000 courses) of the Texas allotment from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile to be prepositioned in the state. This request will augment the more than 840,000 courses of antiviral medication on hand in Texas following a purchase authorized by the 80th Legislature and Gov. Perry in 2007.
While the confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. have been mild, it is prudent that we take the necessary precautions in Texas to protect our citizens, which is why today I have requested 850,000 courses of antiviral medication from the CDC to be prepositioned in the state, said Gov. Rick Perry. We will continue to work with our local, state and federal health officials to ensure public safety is protected.
CDCs Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake). For more information on the SNS, visit http://www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile.
All 14 schools and two district facilities in the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District will be closed effective immediately after several more flu-like illnesses have been discovered in the ongoing Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) swine flu investigation. All extracurricular activities are also cancelled. For more information visit: http://www.scuc.txed.net.
The move follows the closing of the districts Byron Steele High School, announced on Saturday. Swine flu has been lab-confirmed in two students from that school who have recovered. Lab confirmation is pending on a third case who is recovering.
We dont have lab confirmation for any of the additional flu-like illnesses yet, but weve found enough illnesses associated with some of the other schools that we believe its prudent to close all of them before classes resume on Monday, said Sandra Guerra, M.D., a DSHS regional director and the public health authority for Guadalupe County. She urged students not to be around each other while the schools are closed, noting that would defeat the purpose of the closings.
The governor and state health officials urge the schools staff, faculty, students and their household members to avoid contact with others, especially if they have symptoms of a respiratory illness.
Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of regular or seasonal flu and include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite and coughing. Some with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Health officials say everyone should follow standard precautions to reduce the spread of any respiratory illness. •Stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading illness to others. •Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues. •Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Individuals with these flu-like symptoms should call the states swine flu call center at 888-777-5320. For health care providers with questions about assessing, evaluating and treating swine flu, call 877-623-6274. These lines are operational from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
For additional information on the swine flu, please visit:
www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu
www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
To reach the Texas Department of State Health Services press office, contact Doug McBride, DSHS Press Officer, 512-458-7524 or 512-532-4950.
:)
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