The Swine Flu thing...

[WOODMAN]

Apropros of nothing in particular, I continue to see various references made to use of face masks as part of your general precautions, and even a few cute pictures of them on statues. The WHO continues to advise their use in certain circumstances, but only as part of a much larger program of preventative measures. They acknowledge that generic face masks have serious fit and leakage problems, and mention usage of N95 respirators as an alternative choice. But, N95's are more difficult to breathe through, and much less likely to be used on a consistent basis due to this. Also, they are much harder to find, I would imagine.
On that note, I noticed that a local news reporter decided to do a fluff piece on face masks, and went out to buy some in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Sorry, Charlie! All gone! He went to about 15 various outlets, and although they all said they carried masks, no one had any. Interesting, no? Woody

 

[Christi]

Firefyter & Christi, if I'm reading the results of the the flu mortalities correctly, more people have died in Mexico from the swine flu than diving fatalites WORLD WIDE - since the outbreak of this flu. Anyway, as in diving, you take precautions to minimize/avoid risk and you should do the same with regard to this flu outbreak.

I don't know what you think the death toll is Pilot - but the confirmed death toll in Mexico from the swine flu as of yesterday was less than 10 ( I say less than 10 because I've heard 7 and I've heard 8). That IS NOT a staggering number. Of those deaths, it is also reported that they suffered from other underlying health issues as well. The flu complicated these existing health issues and/or due to their weakened immune systems, they were unable to fight off anything.

I'm not sure where your comparison with diving comes in there.

As has been posted by others already in this thread overnight, the WHO states that travel cancellations are unnecessary - but to take normal precautions.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't know what you think the death toll is Pilot - but the confirmed death toll in Mexico from the swine flu as of yesterday was less than 10 ( I say less than 10 because I've heard 7 and I've heard 8).

Your sources limited, or filtered?

"The flu complicated these existing health issues and/or due to their weakened immune systems, they were unable to fight off anything." Duh, that is always the case. The human body was designed by nature to last around 35 years, the average life span a hundred years ago - so we're always on borrowed time after that anyway.

See Mexico's swine flu death toll at 16 - which is more about how many were actually tested before burial as well as waiting on time consuming test results on others. Not sure about the reasons more testing wasn't done?

Or Mexico Flu Deaths Rise to 168

MEXICO CITY The number of deaths authorities are blaming on MexicoÃÔ swine-flu outbreak stood at 168 on Wednesday morning, though only 20 of those fatalities have been definitively linked to the A/H1N1 virus.

This one would seem more convenient tho: Mexico revises down suspected swine flu deaths

Outbreak may be no worse than seasonal flu, says health minister, with deaths under investigation cut from 176 to 101

Boy, the UK just reved up: TUI, Thomas Cook Cancel Mexican Flights From U.K.
News media took some pics of people who went to the airport without last minute confirming their flights - a mistake I have made at times.

TUI AG and Thomas Cook Group Plc, EuropeÃÔ two largest tour operators, canceled all U.K. flights to Cancun following MexicoÃÔ swine flu outbreak.

TUI said customers of its Thomson and First Choice units will return from Mexico on their scheduled flights and the company wonÃÕ send any more vacationers to the country until May 8. Earlier today, TUI said it would repatriate customers and wouldnÃÕ resume flights to Mexico until the Foreign and Commonwealth Office changed its advice that Britons should avoid all but essential travel to Mexico.

Also from the UK: Swine flu: Mass advertising campaign as ministers step up fight

Every household in the country will have a leaflet through the door from next Tuesday onwards also giving information on the disease and what to do in the event of someone showing symptoms.

Also from the UK, this one is wild in a morbid way: Inflatable mortuaries and 'express' funerals planned for flu pandemic

"As has been posted by others already in this thread overnight, the WHO states that travel cancellations are unnecessary - but to take normal precautions." What the WHO actually says...
'All of humanity under threat', WHO warns

The Google spotting map was overwhelmed by the increasing amount of data, and was moved to a more scalable mapping/data tracking system provided by Rhiza Labs: FluTracker

Tracking the progress of H1N1 swine flu

This map and the data behind it were compiled by Dr. Henry Niman, a biomedical researcher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, using technology provided by Rhiza Labs and Google. Dr. Niman has the most comprehensive H1N1 swine flu tracking system on the Web. The map was compiled using data from official sources, news reports and user-contributions.

Rhiza's web-based mapping tool, Insight, is helping Dr. Niman get official and unofficial data into the tracking system faster while giving researchers and the public many options for viewing the data in a useful and understandable way.

Dr.Niman's credentials: Recombinomics | Elegant Evolution

Let me know if any of those links are blocked for you and I'll get the full info.

This 5:40 minute clip from Dr.Niman is quite informative, but the 26:30 minute video offers much, much more. See full length video at: Video
The trailer...

​

 

[don Francisco]

One of the problems with the CDC and State department travel advisories is they paint with an overly broad brush. They usually refer to countries an single units without taking size and geography into consideration. I don't know if they're just trying to keep things simple for us poor folk who can't put various cities on a map, or have a policy of keeping things concise and conservative. Either way, it pays to look closer when reading them.

Like the earlier warnings of drug wars and murders, the generalized "do not travel to Mexico" advisory is overly broad. You can bet that folks in California would be screaming if the Europeans issued a travel advisory for all of the USA based on reported H1N1 cases in New York, and Texas.

Based on the documented cases so far in both the USA and Mexico, you're still more likely to encounter H1N1 at an airport here in the USA than in Cozumel itself. It doesn't mean you should ignor advisories, but that you should make specific decisions based on specific information, not vague generalities.

 

[dive pro]

LATEST REPORT FROM WORLD'S HEALTH ORG., THEY MENTION THE REAL NUMBER OF CASES OF INFECTION, AND DEATHS PER COUNTRY, WE ALSO GOTTA REMEMBER, THERE ARE OVER 100 MILLION MEXICANS THE LAST CENSUS REPORTED 20 MILLION LIVE IN A VERY SMALL CITY (MEXICO CITY), WHO STILL DOES NOT RECOMMEND NOT TO TRAVEL UNLESS YOU ARE ILL. A PERSONAL FRIEND WORKED FOR THE UN'S WHO IN MEXICO CITY AND THEY DO TAKE MATTERS REAL AND SERIOUS.

HERE IS THE LATEST REPORT: AND OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE MAY GET AND FOLLOW "OFFICIAL" INFO FROM MEDIA, NEWS ETC. AS FAR AS MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE THE WHO ARE THE WORLD WIDE OFFICIAL INFORMATION FOR THIS CASES


Influenza A(H1N1) - update 9
2 May 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve. As of 06:00 GMT, 2 May 2009, 15 countries have officially reported 615 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

Mexico has reported 397 confirmed human cases of infection, including 16 deaths. The 241 rise in cases from Mexico compared to 23:30GMT of 1 May reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States Government has reported 141 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (34), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Denmark (1), France (1), Germany (4), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (13).

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

Related links
Influenza A(H1N1) web site
Daily updates will be posted on this site.

 

[Mawg]

I don't know what you think the death toll is Pilot - but the confirmed death toll in Mexico from the swine flu as of yesterday was less than 10 (

We should all get down on our knees and thank God that this is not an outbreak of the deadly BURRO FLU. If you've been in a bar in Cozumel and got completely sloshed on tequila and beer and then made a huge JACKASS of yourself and survived, you probably have a dormant case of the BURRO FLU. The symptoms of this malady are tricky. The following morning you feel terrible. You may even hurl and have a horrible headache. This will pass. As months go by , you start to feel paranoid. You're afraid to be alone at night. Even loud noises put you on edge. You shun people and the outdoors in particular. Cant trust them. You find yourself watching TV 18 hours a day. Soon you become convinced that you are the only one who knows the truth.You decide that only you can save the world and you start by speaking out on internet threads. But, they laugh at you and make snide remarks. Not on the thread BUT , you KNOW they are doing it.

Now you are depressed and it is this depression that triggers the final fatal phase of the BURRO FLU. You wait til it's Saturday night. You go to your nearest Sports Bar. It's full of course. You start drinking shots of Jose Quervo and chasing them with Tecate. The Burro rises. You start acting like a Jackass. You eavesdrop on the conversation between the 2 guys standing next to you at the bar. They've just returned from 6 fabulous days of diving in Cozumel and are already planning on going back as soon as possible. You call them idiots and point out to them that hundreds of people have died there in the last hour from the flu. One of them picks up a heavy wooden chair and beats you to death with it. Burro Flu 1 , Dumba$$ 0.

I'll be in Cozumel on May 26th. I will not be wearing a surgical mask. I wouldnt want to hide the huge grin that will constantly be on my face. My first meal will be a Burrito Grande, pork of course.

 

[MMM]

The reason the Mexican numbers differ now from earlier reports is that the WHO requires very specific tests occur to confirm the virus. In Saskatchewan, our lab is able to rule out the presence of the virus but can only provide a "98% probable" on those not ruled out. For confirmation to meet WHO stds, we need to send to another lab in Winnipeg. There are various labs across the country that could do this in one step. Our "pre-testing" in Sask helps keep the workload down in the other labs but does slow confirmation down by a day or two.

So when the cases broke in Mexico, I expect their labs were swamped due to the sheer volume and they were unable to do, in some cases, the tests WHO requires to enter into the record books as confirmed. You can't do the confirmatory tests on peoplewho have died and been buried. Hence the revised numbers. This does not mean malice on the part of Mexican authorities...simply compliance with testing and reporting protocols. Canada is now assisting Mexico by taking on some of the lab testing of Mexican samples.

PS. By Monday we should have the kits that will enable us to do confirmatory tests in Sask w/o having to send to Winnipeg.

 

[Prop Joe]

The Sky is falling!!! Oh wait maybe not?
The press blows everything out of proportion. This another example. I Like Mawgs out look. If I could get the time off I would be on a plane down to Cozumel and not even think twice about it.

 

[jayjoans]

Pilot Fish and DandyDon, I just figured out the fix for all of this.

You two stay home and look for the next killer wave of flu, I'll be out in the field and let you know if I notice any.

 

[DandyDon]

The Sky is falling!!! Oh wait maybe not?
The press blows everything out of proportion.

And - you're not interested in the 26 minute video by a renown doctor in the field either, right...?

Sure the press screw up facts. So nice that we can access CDC, WHO, etc sites - if one bothers to do so.

Pilot Fish and DandyDon, I just figured out the fix for all of this.

You two stay home and look for the next killer wave of flu, I'll be out in the field and let you know if I notice any.

Actually I do not have any selfish interest here. I'm over 60, the immune generation.