re: Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

Is it the same strain from the 70's? Would I need to get another vaccine? (yes, I am that old that I've had a Swine Flu shot)

re: Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

No, it is completely different. There is no vaccine yet though the CDC has begun preparing a seed strain for this novel virus for the vaccine manufacturers to work with if it is needed.

re: Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

Originally Posted by Alexk49

Now CNN Is reporting 78 high school students in NYC may have this flu.

I could see it jumping from Mexico to NY skipping the middle of country for the time being. I could see it spreading that way could'nt you? Totally reflect the airline routs. That was the projection, that it would spread via air hubs and then out into the country side.
If there is an outbreak that bad in the north then the CDC was a bit slow on picking this up.

Re: New Flu Virus raises fear of pandemic

Link to the story in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/25/ny...25sick.html?hp

Apparently, some students did travel to Mexico recently.

Re: New Flu Virus raises fear of pandemic

Originally Posted by arelle68

Millions of people across the United Stated today have become infected with hysteria. Hysteria is very highly contagious, and is caused by the hype virus. The hype virus is spread by the media. To avoid becoming infected, don't even believe anything that comes out of those talking heads on the television. Turn that mess off, and go out for some air. (Don't forget your mask.)

The news media knows that this sort of thing increases readership and brings in viewers. They are going to stir the pot because it benefits them. You just have to take this fact into consideration when you make your judgements.

Re: New Flu Virus raises fear of pandemic

WHO sets emergency meeting on swine flu outbreak

http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews...53O1AD20090425

Sounds like they are waffling about raising that threat level, and waiting to see if the virus will spread outside of the continent.

Flu season is almost over in the northern hemisphere but will be beginning soon in the southern hemisphere offering this virus the opportunity to spread from Mexico to South America. Hospitals across the US already have been asked to check ERs and pediatric wards for any spread. They are looking for it to move.

Originally Posted by uk.reuters.com

The World Health Organisation said on Saturday it will hold an emergency meeting at 3:00 p.m. British time (1400 GMT) to discuss a deadly swine flu strain outbreak in Mexico and the United States.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called the "virtual meeting" that will link public health authorities and experts in various parts of the world "to seek their advice and guidance," WHO spokesman Fadela Chaib told Reuters.


The experts will not necessarily issue firm recommendations on Saturday. Once more details are clear about the virus and its risks, the emergency panel could recommend a change in the WHO's pandemic alert level -- currently at 3 on a scale of 1 to 6 -- or recommend travel advisories to control the flu's spread.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...UGI&refer=home

Originally Posted by www.bloomberg.com

U.S. hospitals are being asked to collect samples from patients with flu-like symptoms, said Schaffner, chief of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt, in a telephone interview yesterday.

“They are asking us who work in hospitals to go to our emergency rooms and our pediatric wards to gather specimens and start testing them,” Schaffner said. “This has a sense of urgency about it.”

re: Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

Originally Posted by oramar

Maybe this is a "Herald" event. We talked about them once here. They occur in late winter and early spring, the next year you get a full fledge pandemic.

I was thinking the same thing. This situation fascinates the living daylights out of me, at the same time I'm wondering just how serious it could get.

re: Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

Originally Posted by Alexk49

Now CNN Is reporting 78 high school students in NYC may have this flu.

NYTimes article about the students:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/25/ny...l?ref=nyregion

Absolutely nothing confirmed at this moment. But news outlets benefit from raising fear levels. If swine flu is found in NY, though, it will be pretty sensational.

Re: New Flu Virus raises fear of pandemic

I'm fortunate to be trained for the Biocontainment Unit at my hospital, but in pandemic, resources will obviously be overwhelmed.

http://www.nebraskamed.com/health_ne...ment_unit.aspx

re: Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

The CDC press conference today did not seem to give any new information, I have to say but I did miss a few minutes of it. They did much deferring to state and city health departments and dodging of questions. I found the speaker, Anne Schuchat a bit more diffiicult to follow than the guy they had yesterday.

She did say that it would be "many months" before a vaccine would be available.

It was also announced that the NYC Public Health Department is giving a press conference at 3 pm this afternoon, presumably to talk about the outbreak at St. Francis Prep School. Of course, the CDC has all the info about this already, wouldn't you think?
Inquiring minds would like to know...