<p>Some of the developments that make this out of the “norm” are the numbers of young people who have died in Mexico. The mortality rate is one thing but look at who is getting sickest - young adults. We don’t really know how significant that is yet - it could be.
In the “normal” flu season - sure people die but mostly those who are very old, very young or immune compromised and many die from secondary infections.</p>
<p>While I think the CDC and WHO are taking the appropriate steps in informing the public - unless it is in your community, or you are planning on traveling to Mexico, there is no need to be alarmed and insist on stocking up on Tamiflu.
There is a huge difference between an individual being alarmed and issuing a public health alarm.
I think that hospitals that are stocking up on Tamiflu and Relenza could be doing a public health disservice unless influenza is in their community.</p>
<p>Yes, it is very concerning that many of those who have reported to have died in Mexico are apparently healthy individuals from 18-44, which is unusual.</p>
<p>I agree that Tamiflu & Relenza should not be stockpiled by anyone UNLESS there are cases in the community. In our state (HI), the distributor & pharmacies have run out of these meds as of yesterday and there is no word on when more will become available.</p>
<p>Masks offer protection only if one *changes them *on a regular basis (every hour or so), otherwise, they become a liability (germ-soaked piece of cloth next to one’s mouth and nose). A cheap mask and a pricey one work the same, and need to be changed often. That was the talk of the health care professionals on TV this morning.</p>
<p>Whether vaccine offers protection or not, I will leave that decision to the health care professionals. There are ways of experimentally testing that fact. So far, their publically stated opinion was “no protection”.</p>
<p>I have seen a few different FAQ sites that say they are not sure yet if the regular flu vaccine provides some protection. My interpretation of what they are saying is that this flu strain is a combo of human, swine, and avian viruses, and this year’s flu shot may provide some protection against the “human” portion of the virus (but not the rest). But there is no detail on what this means… Wish I had been a bio major, it might make more sense…</p>
<p>I’m not trying to suggest we shouldn’t be concerned–officials should do what they are doing in keeping a close eye on things–but let’s not forget that over 30,000 Americans a year die from the plain old normal flu so let’s just keep things in perspective here (which is hard given the media’s love of doomsday stories)</p>
<p>This situation quickly moved from the theoretical into the realm of possibility for me when I received an email today from DS’s university with an 8pp attachment outlining their pandemic response plan with campus evacuation procedures. It suggested students begin now to familiarize themselves with mass transit options for returning home and to make sure their email contact information is up to date in the event they should need to continue their courses online.</p>
<p>No offense but the idea of a “campus evacuation” is ridiculous. Viruses spread lightening-fast; it would be better just to shut everything down and encourage minimal activity/contact. Furthermore, I can’t believe they would encourage students to return home (on mass transit of all things!) unless the infection was uncontrollably spreading. And with everybody who shows flu-like symptoms getting checked out right away, that doesn’t appear to be likely.</p>
<p>Absolutely agree. Quite often you just get administrators that are so paranoid about doing ‘something’ in the face of a potential problem that they rush out and whip up some crazy plan without every stopping to think if their pet plan actually makes sense. As the poster above pointed out, if there was some sort of disease breakout on campus the absolute last thing you would do is ‘evacuate’ everyone… in fact you do the exact opposite and quarantine everyone and keep them contained. </p>
<p>E-mails like the above, the media spreading doomsday theories, etc. only get people unnecessarily scared and do little to actually help the situation. All everyone needs to do now is sit tight, let people do their job, and just do the sorts of things that one should always normally do (eg wash hands, avoid unnecessary contact with someone who is ill).</p>
<p>Yes, Tamiflu is a prescription med and should ONLY be taken under the advice of a doc or we will help the flu mutate & be more deadly (like antibiotics & MSRA & other tough bacteria). The pharmacies have it in stock again, after the initial scare and rush on prescriptions.</p>
<p>My docs agree that it is good for S to have it on-hand when he travels overseas. My docs insist I travel with Tamiflu as part of my travel kit because of my severe lung condition.</p>
<p>There is plenty of Tamiflu in the US & worldwide, so stockpiling and panicking makes no sense. Handwashing with lots of soap & water, avoiding sick folks, keeping hands away from your face are all good regular, sensible measures–those things we have always been told and know but sometimes don’t practice are best to keep healthy anyway.</p>
<p>CNN reported that up to 200 million may die, as some of you already know. Pretty scary stuff. Almost as scary as the threat of super SARS ebola avian AIDS.</p>
<p>If only these diseases would kill this one bird that sits outside my window and chirps really loudly at 4AM it would all be worth it.</p>
<p>CNN has really gone into full panic mode…hair on fire, pants on fire… 200 million people could die from a really flaming pandemic but this doesn’t look like ‘the one’. If we were having 20 percent mortality in every place the flu has been tracked, then there’d be cause for CNN-level alarm. But it’s turning up as mild everywhere except for Mexico.</p>
<p>As Jon Stewart said re: CNN coverage graphics…“Is six mild cases worth turning all of Canada bright red?”</p>
<p>UCLAri – Buy a plastic owl and put it up on your window sill. Scare off the birdie alarm clock.</p>
<p>Post #94 & 95 - on what scientific knowledge are you basing your opinions?</p>
<p>Crazy plans are not being whipped up. Most if not all, colleges and school districts already have pandemic plans in place. There has been much work done over the past few years planning for a pandemic (since SARS).
They have been formulated with information from the CDC, WHO and many epidemiologists.
If a college is closed and the students sent home it is not a knee jerk reaction.
This probably won’t occur since many are closing for the summer soon anyway.
However, it may happen that certain students are quarantines while others are sent home.</p>