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Swine flu (aka H1N1)

Started by Warbird, April 29, 2009, 10:36:14 AM

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Warbird

So, anybody around here actually had this flu or know someone who has?  How bad is it?  Seems to me like we aren't getting the entire story.  The news this morning said we have had the first flu related death in the US (in Texas). 

beenthere

Seems they don't want to tell too much, but in WI they are looking closely at anyone who has returned from Mexico.
That is a clue to me.

Border hoppers and illegals come to mind as well as the Mexico vacationers. Those people can spread around this North America pretty fast.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

jeffreythree

They said for most it is milder than the normal flu, but it hits 25-40 year olds the hardest.  They have the strongest immune response and the body destroys its own throat and lungs.  I don't know anybody that has it, but I work all over TX, OK, and AR with customer facing people(ie lots of exposure); so I hope I am not the one bringing it home :-\.
Trying to get out of DFW, the land of the $30,000 millionaires.  Look it up.

Restoman

I just went to a Mexican taqueria here in Shreveport, all of 10 miles from Texas, okay.  I go in to order and he ask my "pork or steak" yeah right, STEAK.

ADAMINMO

From my understanding , you can't get it from eating pork . Only from contact with a person that has it or from contact with a pig that is carring the virus. I dont know what the big uproar is all about.  About 36000 people in the US die each year from the regular flu and that dont seem to get the media attention??? Go figure. I guess it is because they dont have a vaccination for it.

Jeff

I think its another case of media hype. There has been no big story lately so they need to create one. Like Adam says, influenza kills thousands and thousands every year.  I had what I guess was the flu severely most of march.  There was days I wished I would die and didn't, so I ain't going to worry about the piggy version.
Just call me the midget doctor.
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Modat22

reason this one has the attention is because there is no natural human immunity to it yet, and it likes the 20 to 40 year old crowd. Probably this strain will cause less problem per infection but the potential number of infections go way up which means more problems.

Thats what I think anyway.
remember man that thy are dust.

Ron Wenrich

Right now, the only ones that really should be concerned are those in government.  They're the ones that should be getting ready whatever they need as a preparation.  But, politicians love to attract attention and show everyone how good of job they're doing.   I think closing schools and the like is an overreaction for the amount of cases that have cropped up...91 at this time.  The only US death is a 23 month old boy who came is Mexican. 

We had a bout of swine flu back in the '70s.  Back then, the vaccine killed more people than the actual disease.

I think my byline says it all. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Restoman

So eating pork is okay?  I trust you guys here better than any media outlet. 

pigman

You cannot get swine flu from eating pork. Back in the eighties when I was in the pig business, it cost be thousands because of the lowered consumption of pork on the false rumor that people could get swine flu from eating pork. I am glad I am not in the business now.
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

WH_Conley

Bob, I have an old overgrown field, reckon it would be a good time to buy some piggys and put in it?
Bill

SwampDonkey

Governments are working at making a name change. You can't get the disease from eating pork. I think China and the Philippines are banning NA pork imports and there is no basis. I agree with you guys on the hype. Here in Canada we have a handful of cases, many have fully recovered from very mild cases. None here in New Brunswick and I don't think Maine has any cases either. The NB health authority is giving daily updates.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

David Freed

In every news report I have heard they say you can't get it from eating pork. I don't understand why so many people think you can get it from eating pork. It's the flu, not food poisoning. Nobody has ever caught the flu from eating anything. I agree with Adam and Jeff. The government and media are blowing it way out of proportion.

Raider Bill

I'm putting it to the test, Just ate 2 big thick pork chops with drippin's  milk gravy. LAbel from store said product of mexico.

If you don't hear from me tomorrow Good luck guys ::)
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

SwampDonkey

I have a pork chop ready to cook up for tomorrow's dinner.  ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Slabs

I just wanna know what our new President/(cabinet) is doing with his "Other" hand.
Slabs  : Offloader, slab and sawdust Mexican, mill mechanic and electrician, general flunky.  Woodshop, metal woorking shop and electronics shop.

moonhill

The one death here in the States was a 2 year old Mexican boy who came here for medical attention. 

Yes, what is the other hand doing? 

Tim
This is a test, please stand by...

Ron Wenrich

I heard Neal Boortz say that since you can't call it swine flu, he's going to start to refer to it as the Mexican flu.   :D
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Onthesauk

Get "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry.  Very good history of the pandamic  of 1918 and a pretty good history of medical care in the US.  Key thing in my mind is that no one knows how it's going to mutate or what it's going to do.  All speculation.
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Brucer

Summarized from various items from CBC news:

It's a never-before-seen strain of influenza, a mix of pig, human and bird viruses — scientifically it's part of the Type A/H1N1 family of influenza viruses. The incubation period of this strain appears to be two to seven days (typical of influenza).

It's impossible to get pig strains of influenza from food.

Roughly 19,000 people travel between Canada and Mexico during an average week in April. There's 19 confirmed cases in Canada as of now, which puts this somewhat into perspective.

The first three cases in British Columbia were visiting Mexico. Two have recovered and the third is on the mend. No hospital stays required. Three new cases have surfaced in BC. Two were visitors to Mexico, the third was in contact with one of the other cases. All are on the mend.

The Texas death, as already mentioned here, was a Mexican young boy who was visiting in the US with his family. No other family members show symptoms as of today. Health officials in Texas have pointed out (quite rightly) that anyone in the US who becomes severely ill will likely be sent to a major hospital. This will give the incorrect impression that the worst cases are occurring in cities.

Finally, here's a couple of CBC links that you might find interesting. First, a regularly updated timeline, with the most recent information first.
  http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/29/f-flu-timeline.html
Next, a world map that pinpoints the number of cases in each region.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/04/27/f-swine-flu-map.html

A few personal comments ...

The big concern is that there is no natural immunity in the population, so it could affect a lot of people in a very sort time. Real influenza (not one of those cold-like bugs we call the "flu") pretty much knocks you flat for a week to 10 days. If the disease spreads rapidly, you could have large segments of the population down and out for a week, which can disrupt business, schools, health care, transportation, etc.

People dumb enough to try to stay active in spite of being sick may find themselves hospitalized with pneumonia -- or dead.

Flu shots aren't going to do any good because there's no vaccine for this strain. You can't make a vaccine if you haven't encountered the virus before. Recent findings suggest that anti-viral drugs become ineffective very quickly if they are used too often (e.g., Tamiflu). So if this turns out to be a mild flu, best to save the high-powered drugs in case something really deadly comes along.

I think health and government authorities are being prudent right now. Keep a close watch on the situation, be prepared to take drastic measures in a hurry, but don't panic.

As for the media ... there's a fine line between keeping the public informed and creating a "story".
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

ely

so much for the pig roast.huh ;D

StorminN

My girlfriend and I were just in southern Mexico for 16 days, and flew home last Tuesday... through the Mexico City airport, where we had a couple of hour layover. We were then on a plane for four hours, with 200 people from Mexico City, on a flight to Phoenix. So far, we have no symptoms. First incubation period I heard was 3-5 days, then yesterday someone said 5-10 days. We're on day eight.

Last Tuesday, no one in Mexico City airport was talking about flu... no signs, no one wearing masks, no nothing. I heard that all changed by Friday.

My Dad lives in southern Mexico (Chiapas), he retired down there 13 years ago or so. He is a ways (20+ hour bus ride?) from Mexico City, but I've been talking to him the past few days and he says where he is, all the schools are closed, all public and municipal buildings are closed, churches are closed, people are watching masses on TV instead... soccer games are just the teams playing, no fans in the stands at all. He says anyone that works with the public in his town... any sort of store or anything, they are all wearing masks. The closest reported cases to him are now four people in Tuxtla, a city about an hour away from him. He said in Mexico City, they have even closed all the restaurants, the streets are pretty deserted. This is in a city of 22 million+ people (New York City is about 8 million+, by comparison)... pretty crazy.

-N.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

Faron

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

DanG

I wonder how many of the cases have actually been determined to be swine flu, or are they just assuming that everybody who gets sick has it?  Maybe they have salmonella from eating Florida tomatoes or peanut butter. ::)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Ironmower

Like pop used too say "what don't kill ya, will make you stronger" I have enough too worry about already ;)
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John Woodworth

Just what are the general symtoms?
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pappy19

My son, AJ, just got back to Idaho from being in Cabo, and he has the swine flu. He is in bed at home now and not feeling too good. Your prayers would be appreciated. Thanks-

Pappy
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Brucer

Quote from: DanG on April 30, 2009, 06:45:01 AM
I wonder how many of the cases have actually been determined to be swine flu, or are they just assuming that everybody who gets sick has it?  Maybe they have salmonella from eating Florida tomatoes or peanut butter. ::)

The World Health Organization is only reporting numbers that have been confirmed, in the lab, to be H1N1-A. Their numbers for number of cases and number of deaths are considerably lower than the numbers reported by the Mexican government.

To balance this, their are a lot of samples from Mexico to be tested. I don't know if they are able to test for it themselves yet -- the first suspected cases were tested in a lab in Winnipeg (Canada).

Quote from: John Woodworth on April 30, 2009, 10:45:51 AM
Just what are the general symtoms?

Pretty much the same as for influenza in general. Some or all of the following ...
- comes on suddenly.
- high fever, lasting 3 to 4 days.
- shaking chills.
- body aches.
- muscle pain.
- headache.
- pain when you move your eyes.
- fatigue.
- weakness.
- runny nose.
- H1N1-A is reported to have a higher than usual incidence of diarrhea.
- typically lasts 7 to 10 days.

Conventional at-home treatment.
- Rest, as much as you can. Don't try to get active too soon.
- Plenty of extra fluids. Fever and diarrhea suck the moisture out of you.
- Avoid sugared drinks. Sugar depresses your immune system.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Adam_MA

Quote from: pappy19 on April 30, 2009, 01:05:18 PM
My son, AJ, just got back to Idaho from being in Cabo, and he has the swine flu. He is in bed at home now and not feeling too good. Your prayers would be appreciated. Thanks-

Pappy

You have my thoughts and prayers for a fast recovery!

isawlogs

   They have dropped calling it the swine flue here , they are now calling it simply the  A-H1N1 flue . Seams the porc market was taking a beating .


Why was it called the swine flueto begin with  ::) ??? ???
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

SwampDonkey

They confirmed today that the disease has never been found in pigs, only in humans. So wouldn't ya just wonder who started that name?
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

CLL

I don't understand the CHICKEN LITTLE affect, and if that isn't enough the Vice President goes on TV today and does his best to fuel it. DUMMY!!! Basically the white house said then he had bad information. If you don't have good information don't offer advice on national tv.
Too much work-not enough pay.

Part_Timer

I'm scared to death of it.  I think I'll take a 6 month vacation from work, go to the farm and build a cabin by myself so I can't get it.  ;) 
Peterson 8" ATS.
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Ron Wenrich

I heard a doctor give the explanation of why you should be concerned.  It seems that the pandemic in 1918 started with a similar type of bacteria, and it began in early spring.  Then, in the summer it died down.  When it mutated and came back in the fall, it wiped out large amounts of the population. They're afraid this one might do the same.

Things to remember is that guys were coming back from trench warfare in Europe, and there were not nearly the amount of medical advances.  It was said that a guy would have a tickle in his throat in the morning and be dead by nightfall.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

StorminN

I think the name "swine flu" has to do with this... pig farm link... authorities think H1N1 started with flies breeding in the pig crappola lagoons next to the factory pig farms (owned by Smithfield Foods) in Perote, Veracruz, Mexico.

From the link:
According to residents, the company denied responsibility for the outbreak and attributed the cases to "flu." However, a municipal health official stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms. It was unclear whether health officials had identified a suspected pathogen responsible for this outbreak.

-N.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

florida

36,000 people die every year in the USA from flu, 250,000 world wide. We need to keep some perspective on this. Every 12 seconds some dies from malaria, 2,700,000 a year. Remember Avian flu? No one in the USA died from it. Lawsuits put the flu vaccine manufacturers out of business in America so that now only one company is left to produce the annual vaccine.  They can only produce 25 million doses a year and have to start producing the vaccine the year before without knowing what strain of flu they need to protect against. The shot is probably better than nothing but you'd better get there early! 
General contractor and carpenter for 50 years.
Retired now!

Dana

Pappy19 If you haven't done so yet you should take him to the hospital to be looked at. At least that is what the media says the recommendation is. I hope he is doing better.
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

donny hochstetler

quiet down guys ,our OBAMA can and will fix it . 8) 8) :D :D

Warbird

Given that there are no drugs that treat this and all they can do for you is make sure you don't get too dehydrated, I wonder if the reason they want folks to go to the hospitals is just so they can track numbers?

OneWithWood

Quote from: donny hochstetler on May 01, 2009, 09:01:37 AM
quiet down guys ,our OBAMA can and will fix it . 8) 8) :D :D

Let's keep the political pot shots in the restricted area.  These comments do nothing to further a discussion that could contain meaningful information.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

DanG

I agree, OWW!

WB, I'm sure that tracking has something to do with it, but people with severe dehydration frequently need IV fluids.  The flu can prevent you from taking enough fluids by mouth.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Warbird

Agreed, OWW.  DanG, I've only been that dehydrated once in my life and it wasn't any fun.  It is odd that this flu apparently hits 20 - 40 year olds harder than everyone else.

pigman

Me thinks this strain of flu is similar enough to a flu that was around over 40 years ago that us Ol'farts have some immnuity. 8)   :-\
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

tcsmpsi

Perhaps even old swine raisers?   :D

Well, if years of being continually and intimately subjected to swine fecal matter helps, I'll be good to go.

On another note, I do not understand the full disclosure of the Swine Flue scare.  Tens of thousands, in this country, die every year of some type of flue virus.  I'm certain the numbers in other countries are similarly reflective. 

I can very easily imagine the numbers of deaths annually in a city and area as densely populated as Mexico City. 
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

Warbird

I just got back from a church retreat.  While there, got to talking to the Elders about all of this.  One of them is 80 years old and another one has a doctorate in Biology.  Between all of us, we came to the conclusion that most of this is just hype.  We'll see...

Paul_H

My eldest daughter called to tell us they dicovered a cure.It's an oinkment.
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

DanG

"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Warbird


Brucer

The virus has genes from human, pig, and avian flu viruses. And it seems that pigs can get this version from humans.

A farm worker in Alberta returned from a trip to Mexico and came down with the virus. Subsequently 220 pigs (about 10% of the farm population) became ill. And yes, it's been confirmed that it's the same virus.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/05/02/swineflu-ns-cases789.html

Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

OneWithWood

Pigman I think you are on to something.
On the way to work this morning I heard a piece on H1N1-A.  According to the reporter this is not a totally new strain of flu. H1N1-A was fairly prevalent in the 70s and 80s.  Hence many of us seasoned life-veterans carry some immunity or at least anti bodies against this strain.  WHO reported the strain contained and all but erradicated by the end of the 80s.  Unfortunately an accident in a chinese lab released the strain back into the environment.
I think it has been a bit over hyped but the exercise in mobilizing a response will bear fruit should something cut loose this fall. 
This is a good test of the mechanisms put in place late in 2008.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

Bibbyman

Son Chris is an RN working in a KC hospital.  Just got an e-mail from him saying that they are treating everyone coming in with flu-like symptoms like it may be swine flu.  Unfortunately,  the government is preventing them from getting any more mask – saying they are using too many.  He say the masks are only good for 5 exposures so if you have to attend to a patent that requires that you use a mask, you can run through quite a few of them.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Gary_C

I just heard last night that the MN governor already has a bill on his desk that will allow the government to take anyone, by force if necessary to isolation if they feel your health is threatining the public health.

Hype indeed.  ::)
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

StorminN

Talked to my Dad yesterday... as I said earlier in this thread, he lives in southern Mexico, in the mountains of Chiapas. He said the country has been basically closed since April 29th or so... the government ordered all shops, businesses, everything closed except hospitals, doctors, and grocery stores... so everyone has been holed up at home. The government had said people could get back to work on May 6th, but some schools and such aren't open yet, so lots of people are at home until Monday, when all the schools will be open and things will get back to "normal".

Despite this quarantine, 10 people in my Dad's town have come down with the H1N1 flu... DURING the quarantine... one older woman is hospitalized, the other nine are non-life-threatening cases. My Dad thinks it's going to be interesting next week when everyone starts socializing again, going to work, school, etc. The weather is getting warmer down there, though... so it could turn out to be nothing.

He said the big panic was that Mexico initially thought they had more deaths... like 180... attributed to the H1N1, and that's what they reported to the WHO, which is what started the hype. With further testing, it's turned out that many of those initial deaths were actually cases with older strains of flu.

A doctor friend of mine here said the real test will be next winter, since this hit at the very end of flu season here. Someone else pointed out that it's been found in New Zealand, and they are just coming into winter down there, so we may see some spread in the southern hemisphere during their winter.

-Norm.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

SwampDonkey

I was talking to the girls in the barber shop, and no swine flu is keeping them from Mexico they said.  ;D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

DanG

GIRLS in the barber shop?!?  ???
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Radar67

He meant the salon DanG.  ;)  :D :D :D
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

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SwampDonkey

Yup, lady barbers, barber's post outside the door and all.  Call it a salon if you want, to me it's barbers. Even us baldies need a trim now and then. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Bibbyman

It's the end of the school year and the yellow Blue Bird buses are all up and down the highway hauling kids to "field trips".  One popular place is the state capitol building.  But not this spring.  I hear they have closed it off to school children due to the swine flu deal.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

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