<p>“It’s lurking in that awesome party just off the quad, hiding in the shot glasses passed from person to person and in the make-out sessions in the hallway.” One more worry for parents.</p>
<p>[No</a> Worries? Many College Students Turn Blind Eye to H1N1 Safety Advice - Infectious Disease - FOXNews.com](<a href=“http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,554162,00.html?test=latestnews]No”>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,554162,00.html?test=latestnews)</p>
<p>While we’re on the subject:</p>
<p>“Hand washing can reduce risk of catching a cold; not as helpful against H1N1
H1N1 virus not stable on hand; instead it thrives in droplets of water
Inhaling airborne particles, from cough or sneeze, results in a bigger dose of virus
Regardless, washing hands “really is wonderful” for preventing many diseases”
[Some</a> doubt hand washing stops H1N1 - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/24/hand.washing.helpful/index.html]Some”>Some doubt hand washing stops H1N1 - CNN.com)</p>
<p>Well, it is just the flu and a generally mild one at that. Most recover in a few days of rest. The extreme scare is just out of line with the reality. This is not AIDS or anything.</p>
<p>I think I can say with considerable certainty that I would have ignored all the hoopla when I was a college student. I am certain my son is doing the same. I worry more about mono from lack of rest than H1N1.</p>
<p>I just spoke to my S about this a week ago since I thought his school might be having a flu clinic and wasn’t sure if he was aware of that; he is working at a 6-mo co-op so is not in classes this semester and is living off campus, so his contact with other students is much more limited (but still sees lots of kids socially). He had the same attitude as Barrons (which I actually agree with) but as I pointed out to him, even though HE may not be at risk for a more serious / deadly variety, the more widespread this and any other flu strain is, the more likely it is to spread to larger numbers who ARE at risk… not that I see him running out to get a flu shot any time soon but perhaps he will at least think twice about going to work or classes sick and spreading it to others.</p>
<p>Another young person in our area died from this (that’s 4 so far.) She was a recent graduate from Miami of Oxford, 23 years old. She got the flu, seemed to be getting better, and then developed pneumonia and died shortly thereafter. She did have asthma which may have been a complicating factor.</p>
<p>So it’s not a serious disease…except for when it is.</p>
<p>This is seriously blown out of proportion. People weren’t like this with the normal flu and now suddenly, a new flu that has similarities has the normal flu pop up and everybody starts saying “wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitizer, cough to your elbow, not your hands”. Seriously, it’s just so annoying now. We weren’t warned about this before and now suddenly, everybody starts freaking out.</p>
<p>“So it’s not a serious disease…except for when it is.”</p>
<p>True enough…but so true for almost everything that worries us as parents so we need to put it in perspective. </p>
<p>Our kids drive safely…but you read in the news all the time about some teens dying in accidents. Most kids go off to college, most get stressed, and sadly, a small percentage commit suicide. Most college kids drink and some die from alcohol-related deaths. All these are probably far more to worry about than H1N1. But the media loves a good scare story.</p>
<p>Firstly, my deepest condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones to H1N1. My opinion should not be read as a mockery of your loss, but rather as a call for some reasonability among the American public.</p>
<p>To the rest of you, please calm down. Your hysteria is inappropriate, unwarranted, and ridiculous. I scold the CC administration for appealing to the hype. </p>
<p>I’m a sophomore at Rice, where 1 in 5 students is expected to have or to have had H1N1. No one has died, and there haven’t been any serious complications. I currently have H1N1, I have chronic respiratory issues that put me at a higher risk of complications, and I’m already on the mend after three days of rest. </p>
<p>If your DD or DS (yes, I’m using those acronyms sarcastically) is dumb enough to share cups in a game of beer pong knowing that H1N1 is circulating campus, maybe he or she deserves to contract the illness. Then again, you can’t expect college students to quarantine themselves when they aren’t even sick–there’s an increased risk of infection just from hanging out with large groups of people or going to a party, and these kinds of events are integral parts to North American college culture. I’m pretty sure I got sick from attending a party, but would I do things differently? No. It was a lot of fun, and the band was damn good.</p>
<p>I agree with starbright: there are far more pressing issues facing college students that parents only seem to worry about once a tragic story hits the news. Sure, that’s the pathos of being a parent, but let’s bring some logic into the situation. Even with all the preventative measures we have on campus (we literally have hand sanitizer dispensers mounted on the walls in every frequented corridor and next to every elevator), I still got swine flu. C’est la vie. Tell your kids to wash their hands, to drink their own drinks, and to get a flu shot, but honestly, you should be telling them that regardless of the Poe short story that has become SWINE '09: THE MASQUE OF THE PINK, OINKING DEATH. If your kid comes down with it, be vigilant (call once or twice a day), be caring (maybe some cough drops in the mail), and make sure he or she receives appropriate medical attention (i.e., no ER visits for breathing kids with mid-grade fevers). Really, that’s all you can do. I’m sure you hate hearing that, but it’s the truth.</p>
<p>So (this goes for you, too, CC) go back to your jobs and home lives, take a Xanax if necessary, and take the big fat dirty scary pig (these aren’t Biblical times, people) out of the swine flu. It’s just the flu.</p>
<p>I think, we on this mud ball of Earth, are lucky to have such a mild, highly infectious infection. Gives us a chance to work out procedures when the real disease plagues hit. </p>
<p>Luckily DS only has to work with grad students and not undergrads. But he lives in damp Seattle and works at a congested university. We have encouraged him to get vacinated ASAP.</p>
<p>So what do you guys think about an upcoming inoculation?
Are you going to get vaccinated? Will you vaccinate your kids?</p>
<p>I personally think we had it in our household last spring - so what now?</p>
<p>Even though I work in healthcare I have received so far only one flu vaccine, years ago, and got severly, severly sick the following May. Ever since I refuse to get vaccinated and get the flu like virus every 3-4 years, which I think is OK.</p>
<p>Blown out of proportion? Worst case scenarios suggest that economic output could grind to a halt for weeks. Just sneeze in your elbow, people. </p>
<p>There is no safety in experiential hubris.</p>
<p>I do think it is blown out of proportion.
It is more contagious but less severe than regular, seasonal flu.
I wonder who will make big bucks on it…</p>
<p>I don’t get a regular flu vaccine, and I don’t think I’ve ever had the flu. I’m thinking I won’t get the H1N1 vaccine either, not sure about getting it for my teen-aged kids. D at college says lots of kids have had H1N1 illness, school is not testing or treating it, they just recover and go on.</p>
<p>I was one of the first in my state to get h1n1. It is not JUST a flu, it knocks you on your butt badly. I got it back in the spring and literally couldn’t get out of bed for a few weeks. I have NEVER had a regular flu affect me that way. A girl in my dorm had it and she ended up in the hospital last week. </p>
<p>Today we got an email saying no one at school has had it, but that they weren’t testing so they wouldn’t know.</p>
<p>Except for the girl in my dorm, and a lot of others of us that have the EXACT same symptoms. Many of whom have gone home because they’re so sick. It is not a normal flu and it spreads much more quickly than any flu I’ve ever seen.</p>
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<p>You know, I got mine from a handshake from a friend from Mexico City. Did I deserve it to? I am not stupid enough to share cups with people, etc.</p>
<p>I am a little worried because I have a pregnant daughter and the disease strikes that group harder. I’m hoping the vaccine will come out before she gets the flu.</p>
<p>People go home because the schools are telling them to to avoid more people getting it. Half of the Wisconsin football team came down with it and most were able to play within a week. It now appears to be on the downswing and around 2500 out of 40,000 came down with it. </p>
<p>[H1N1</a> Information and Prevention](<a href=“http://flu.wisc.edu/]H1N1”>http://flu.wisc.edu/)</p>
<p>The danger i perceieve is the possible mutation of the virus. Let us learn from past experiences with the 1920s (i believe) flu pandemic (i dont know if pandemic is the right word.) But, over 40 million people died around the world. Can it happen again? Sure it can, if we are not careful.</p>
<p>Im only in highschool, and I can honestly say H1N1 is no joke. Even though it is not as serious as it was perceived to be, it spreads very quickly. This past week over 100 students at my highschool (which has around 3000) were sent home, and the principal made an announcement saying no matter how low grade your fever could be, or even if you feel sick, to simply stay at home.</p>
<p>Does the principal go home with a fever?
Do all of the teachers go home with a fever?
How about all of the admin staff?
How about health personnel?
To be serious, you need to shut the school down.</p>