Needed, Flu Summit

[oramar]

We are going to have a economic summit in Pittsburgh soon. North and perhaps South America needs to have a similar summit to discuss H1N1 and H5N1. No I don't want to send a bunch of public servants off to some resort at the public expense. It should be an electronic summit. Most people can use their blackberries to participate. How many public officials know how dangerous this virus is to pregnant women or how there is a different in spread patterns in countries that shut schools as opposed to those who do not? They are not acting like they know anything about current flu outbreak in other countries.

[indigo girl]

Some of them know but, doing the right thing is expensive.

Closing schools causes economic consequences.

Hospitals would need to place pregnant HCP out of harm's way, and that is very inconvenient which is why they are not telling their staffs about the CDC guidelines for HCP.

[oramar]

I keep thinking about how Mayor Bloomberg dragged his feet and denied and how it almost got away from them, some would even say it did get away from them. If they started to talk about closing schools right now, parents could prepare. Also, I really think this thing as emerged at this time simply because there is such a large pool of humans that have no immunity. It is going to work it's way through the population in one time frame or another. Sooner or later 80 or 90% of the non-immune population will be exposed, vaccines may help those numbers but that depends a lot on how much vaccine how soon. However, if it runs it's course over a 5 year period instead of a 18 month period that means the peak number of cases will be spread out and the medical system may be able to handle it. School closing and isolation might help slow the curve. Did you read that article about how the NHS in Canada is bumping up the numbers ventilators it has because they fear being in a situation of losing children due to a ventilator shortage. They article said something like, "OMG we are going to have to decide which child lives and which child dies, we thought we were going to have to limit use in the old and sick to save children but it appears we will be choosing between children". In the US the politicians and health care leadership have no idea the extent of the rage that is going to be unleashed against them if this thing goes really badly. I feel bad for nurses like you in the front lines because you will not be responsible for the shortage of help and equipment but as usual you will take the heat.