Swine Flu - what do you think?

[andrew]

We come from all over the world and have contact with all kinds of different people from different places. Its like 6 degrees of separation except with a bug. I realised yesterday how easy it could be to pick up this thing if it got bad. For instance, I found out that I'm two degrees separated from the head of the International Olympic Committee. That got me to thinking about all the dozens of people that I come into contact with every day, where have they been and who have they been in contact with? It's an intersting concept. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in a panic or even too concerned about picking up the pig bug, I'm just interested in what you think.

From your perspective of where you are in the world, is this a real cause for alarm or is the media feeding the fire? There are a few hundred cases now I see but in a world of 6.7 billion, is it a real cause for alarm even with our compromised immune systems?

In Australia it's probably only a matter of time before it reaches here but at the moment we're clean.

Are you stockpiling food and water? Is it a media storm? Are you taking extra precautions?

Discuss

[Sangye]

LOL. I just got out of the hospital (Johns Hopkins) last night, after 7 days with pneumonia. I picked up at least two other bugs while in there. My doc and I were laughing, both agreeing I was much safer sequestered in my tiny basement apartment than hanging out in the nation's largest hospital during a world pandemic....

I think there aren't any cases of immune-suppressed folks acquiring it so far because we already know how to protect ourselves. Today I told my friends, "Everyday is Swine Flu Day if you're on immune suppressants."

Here in the US, I think the media is scaring the pants off everyone. They love fear. Many of the schools that have closed don't even have a single suspected case. That's just nuts. They can't close forever, parents can't miss work forever. What will they do if/when a student catches it? Close again, longer?

[andrew]

They're closing schools? Wowsers. Media has a lot to do with it for sure.

Hey, was just prowsing through another forum and this link was posted there. It's a long, long read but quite interesting all the same. Totally against vaccinations and leaning towards the whole thing being a hoax and/or media beatup to increase the profits of the drug companies.

Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?

[germaine]

From what I've heard in the Canadian Media, the swine flu has generally been pretty mild, no worse than any other flu, and perhaps not as bad. It seems to crop up everywhere, but most of that is directly connected to travel in Mexico. The only worrying thing I have heard is the influenze of 1918 was mild in the spring then returned in a very deadly form in the fall. They are already thinking this flu might be declining and may phase out pretty quickly.

[pberggren1]

I'm slightly concerned but not panicy. I have to the hospital on Monday to have tear duct surgery. I hope I don't catch anything while I'm in there. I am currently on Cellcept. From what I have read Cellcept is certainly milder that Cyclophosphamide. I am also on Cotrimos 400/80mg EOD. So maybe with the milder immune suppressant and the antibiotic I should be OK.

[Jack]

The press love a good story, you can hear the tone of glee in their reporting of each new case.
Unless it becomes widespread in my area, I won't even give it a thought. I've enough to worry about with the stuff I've already got!

[KtheC]

I wear a mask to work as it is now. I work in a sick building and don't take any chances. It would really be no big deal to start wearing it out and about. We're all magnets for this kind of thing.

[coffeelover]

The Media likes to produce fear as it produces ratings for them, so I take most of what they say and downsize it a bit!

I think if we are extra cautious in making sure that we wash our hands alot, keep fingers out of the eyes etc then we WEGGIES will have just as good of a chance of not catching the disease as others. I work in the hotel industry so I see alot of "germy" people and I am rarely sick, so I am thinking positive on the hand washing and plan to take whatever precautions necessary as I would for even the common cold.

Believe me, having a trach and a cold is not a pretty sight!

Keep on washing!
LIsa

[KtheC]

LOL. I just got out of the hospital (Johns Hopkins) last night, after 7 days with pneumonia. I picked up at least two other bugs while in there. My doc and I were laughing, both agreeing I was much safer sequestered in my tiny basement apartment than hanging out in the nation's largest hospital during a world pandemic....

I think there aren't any cases of immune-suppressed folks acquiring it so far because we already know how to protect ourselves. Today I told my friends, "Everyday is Swine Flu Day if you're on immune suppressants."

Here in the US, I think the media is scaring the pants off everyone. They love fear. Many of the schools that have closed don't even have a single suspected case. That's just nuts. They can't close forever, parents can't miss work forever. What will they do if/when a student catches it? Close again, longer?

Hey Sangye, Are you on Bactrim? This medicine is supposed to help prevent pneumonia. Glad your past it! Get well.

[Sangye]

I was on the prophylactic dose of Bactrim while on cytoxan. Bactrim protects against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia only, which is the type of pneumonia AIDS patients get. Cytoxan makes you vulnerable to that, and it's very difficult to treat if you get it.

Actually, Bactrim caused my pneumonia this time. I had a dry cough (no other symptoms) for about a week, which was probably viral bronchitis. My doc put me on Bactrim, and within 24 hours, I had non-stop sweats and was feeling extremely weak. I stayed on it for about 3 days, and we finally agreed I was just getting worse. After that, I continued to go downhill, with more sweats, extreme weakness and finally an all-night fever. I was on 2 antibiotics--one IV and one oral-- to kick it, and had 2 other viruses going on as well.