Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

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Specializes in School Nursing.

For those who know more about this than I do...is it possible that this particular strain has been around for much longer than we think? Could some cases of what we thought was "plain old flu" this past fall have actually been swine flu? Could some of the regular season flu deaths been swine flu, and if so how would be know it now?

I am trying to balance all the hype/hysteria with cold hard facts. As of now I am not any more concerned than I would be from an outbreak of "regular" flu. If we start seeing deaths in the 20-40 population here in the US, I will be more concerned. Any thoughts?

Specializes in Too many to list.
For those who know more about this than I do...is it possible that this particular strain has been around for much longer than we think? Could some cases of what we thought was "plain old flu" this past fall have actually been swine flu? Could some of the regular season flu deaths been swine flu, and if so how would be know it now?

I am trying to balance all the hype/hysteria with cold hard facts. As of now I am not any more concerned than I would be from an outbreak of "regular" flu. If we start seeing deaths in the 20-40 population here in the US, I will be more concerned. Any thoughts?

Good point about deaths in the 20 to 40 age group.

It is hard to sort out what is happening but,if you have the time, all of the questions that you have raised are addressed in a public radio broadcast. It is a two part interview, and very well done, imo. I am more familiar with the first speaker, but the second part of the interview also answered many questions as well.

I'll let FlaMedic tell you a little more about the program from his blog over at Avian Flu Diary. Seriously, everyone should listen to this broadcast.

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2009/04/audio-npr-interview-of-michael.html

Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

MB's post quote: "Now, first let me qualify this whole post by saying THAT "if" you are SERIOUSLY sick (IE: fever, chills, rigors, myalgias, massive URI syptoms) then YES, you have no business getting out of bed - BUT what are you to do while out of town???? "

Thank you for getting your mind set for possible events!

You'll probably DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS (not all milk shakes) sleep, read a book you brought - not work related, and watch TV, AFTER YOU GET THE CARE YOU NEED. Your employer should have given you a company credit card, or call to give them your status and ask them to call the hotel manager with the number of one, keeping your medical info private. Better still, take care of that later......

Even if I wasn't "SERIOUSLY" sick, but had prodromal symptoms:T over 100, or mildly sore throat, rhinitis before congestion, slight HA, muscle aches, etc. I'd act quickly, unless it's midnight. Whatever you do, take action hours before the end of the business day!! If it's after hours, call the ED at an appropriate large, University affiliated hospital - ask the person who answers the 'phone there for information about the size of their facility and

possible affiliation with a University Medical School or refer you to a larger hospital with University connections.

Whatever you do, don't go to an "Urgent care, "doc-in-a-box" type place. They probably have no triage, plan or supplies for a pandemic.

I'd look in the 'phonebook in my room or call the front desk for one to be left outside the room! Look up the nearest hospital (best bet, a University Medical School's one that has a virology lab). Then I would call that hospital, ask for the Infection Control Nurse and ask her what strategy would be best, in her community, for getting Tamiflu or something like that. Hopefully he/she will know about IC doctors' office policies for treating outoftowners.

I would NOT got to ED or some doctor I found in the yellow pages. The Public Health Department is another possibility, but the average employee

answering the 'phone there may not give reliable advice. Ask for the Nurse working on Swine Flu cases, in your best professional voice (even though the tendancy when you're not feeling so good, is to regress). Tell him/her what your predicament is (being in a hotel).

Those people will direct you correctly to an IC doctor where there are good respiratory/droplet isolation practises in use, in case you don't have Swine flu. Then unpack the N95 properly fitted mask in the plastic baggie that you keep with you at all times.......... Wear it wherever you go, no matter what

the result of your test for swine flu reveals. Wear a hoodie, if you have one and it isn't 90 degrees in the shade, in which case you'll need a wet washcloth in a baggie, to frequently mop your brow with ice water you get from the ice dispenser, in the hallway, into the bucket lined with a plastic bag from your room.

If your symptoms are getting worse, get yourself any way you can (taxi?) as fast as you can to the place you were told about, for which you've written the address down, and called for the soonest appointment they can give you that day, and taking ice with you, wearing your N95 mask, go for Tamiflu or another similar antiviral, for as often as is recommended. Order lots of fluids from room service when you get back, but ask that the tray is left outside your door after they knock. Think of yourself in a protective bubble.

When you call the Manager at your hotel/motel, to ask how much longer you can keep your room (perhaps with an innuendo about how great your business is going, and how comfortable you find this particular room), for heavens sake don't scream "I'm dying of Swine flu"! You don't want to contaminate another room!!!!! Say anything you need to, to stay in that room!!!!! There's time enough, when you check out, to recommend to the manager (by telephone) that special disinfective routine is used to cleanse

your room, as you were diagnosed and treated for Swine flu, while you were there.

Hopefully you'll never have to implement this information, just take preventive action as the CDC recommends, online!

just reading around the net, 91 confirmed us cases in 10 states. the little one in texas who died came from mexico to visit family. a marine at 29 palms base has tested positive as well(just on cnn now).

Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or joking or just what....

I was looking for serious, thought-provoking information/discussion.

i'm very concerned that many acute care facilities aren't taking this seriously enough. i read a crazy article for health care administartors here: http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/232100/topic/ws_hlm2_qua/swine-flu-hospitals-should-get-proactive.html

it amazes me that instead of taking about the need to do things like having a plan to call in staff, instructing staff when they should come in versus saty home, etc, they're talking about stuff like this:

patty skoglund, scripps' director of disaster preparedness, advises hospital officials to track the number of flu lab tests and not the number of patient visits, and track costs related to serologic testing of staff and inpatient costs with h1n1 diagnoses. they ultimately may be federally reimbursable, she says.

they also sound like they view the cdc's info updates as an inconvenience:

[color=#4a4840]
the university of pittsburgh medical center (upmc) is among countless hospitals bracing for a local outbreak of swine flu cases. "we have spent most of our time concentrating on developing the proper communication for staff and physicians," says william smith, senior director of emergency preparedness for upmc. "this has been difficult as the cdc information keeps changing."

[color=#4a4840]do you all feel like your facilities are being proactive? i'm also really worried about er capacity since ers seem to o on diversion just during normal day-to-day census fluctualtions at baseline!

Specializes in Too many to list.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/

Do not panic, but the WHO has just raised the Pandemic Threat Level to Phase 5.

I would suggest that you do some prepping if you have not done so. Be calm, and be practical. What does your family need to have on hand?

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan declared the phase 5 alert after consulting with flu experts from around the world. The decision could lead the global body to recommend additional measures to combat the outbreak, including for vaccine manufacturers to switch production from seasonal flu vaccines to a pandemic vaccine.

"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans," Chan told reporters in Geneva. "It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."

A phase 5 alert means there is sustained transmission among people in at least two countries. Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different regions of the world a full pandemic outbreak would be declared.

Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

staff note:

request to please keep off-topic and/or other unnecessary input out of this thread.

this is a serious matter and many here at allnurses.com are attempting to post news updates as we get them.

thank you.

My family is laughing at me when I tell them to go to store before everything is gone. I told them to get 3 weeks worth of H2O and canned goods. I am stocked up, have been for awhile. This is getting a little concerning, and my family comes first. Thanks Indigo girl for all of your hard work on this subject, you amaze me! How can I make my family understand that this is serious??

i found this list:

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/checklist.html

its' also available in different languages. i already got the rx filled, just have to get through clinical tomorrow, then i can stock up-i need to anyway, i think i said a few pages back hurricane season is coming up soon.

Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Thanks for the list, it really is not much different that our hurricane supplies we started getting together.

Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.

If you're wanting to provide a "news feed" with updates, maybe you should consider starting a NEW thread/discussion dedicated SOLELY to flu updates and one in which posts must be approved.

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