Swine Flu news and updates thread

Testing underway in Scotland to determine community spread...

thescotsman.scotsman.com...

"Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said that the fourth probable case was a 16-year-old girl in Greenock. But she does not appear to have any obvious links to any of the other cases or the teenager currently still in hospital with the infection.

A further 14 possible cases are being investigated – seven of which are related to travel to affected areas.

Five cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Scotland. Yesterday three new cases in England were confirmed, bringing the total in the UK to 71.

Ms Sturgeon said it could not yet be concluded that there was no link between the 16-year-old and other cases.

"Should it turn out – and I stress 'should it' as we are far from certain about this yet – that there is no connection between this case and the other cases, then that would give us some initial emerging possible evidence of community transmission"," she said. "But we are not at that stage yet."

community transmission in the UK = Phase 6... ?

yes, maybe, or not?

---###---

Summary of my reactions to today's various, hard-to-find snippets of news...

* I'm beginning to sense that this is a stealth virus (reports say that some victims will not experience fever).

* China quarantines "hundreds"... drama on the mainland, but they don't seem to have found absolutely all who were exposed to multiple travelers who reportedly brought Novel H1N1 in and then sounds like some of them took off to all points before the crackdown, so it may be "out there" on the Chinese mainland (developing).

* a vaccine will be in the headlines (or buried off somewhere deep behind the front pages as per blackout) in the next few days... that is, if a dozen experts debating the formula for WHO can agree on anything... meanwhile Glaxo, Squibb and others are waiting in the wings for manufacturing contracts.

* perhaps when the vaccine actually goes into mass production, WHO will finally announce Level 6.

* current themes in the propaganda campaign: dangerous mutation expected... Novel H1N1 will infect a third of all humans... watch for southern hemisphere to take a hit and then northern hemisphere ETA Sept-Oct

* partial news blackout continues or is it sheer lack of interest? You tend to believe the latter which is what they want you to believe. Still no H1N1 news out of Africa.

* enjoyed the bush meat video

* I'm also making big time mental note of the cryptic blog comment about the "fedayeens", "deodorant cans", etc... WTF? Good find and excellent remarks as usual from ecoparity

Originally posted by worldwatcher
Confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu rise to 60 in Florida

and see this site for state by state totals, I didn't realize that Illinois and Wisconsin had the largest outbreak of H1N1 in the US.
USA ill-equipped for a swine flu pandemic, experts fear

If this thing was deadly, we'd all be locked in our houses right now, but with the media hype gone, we all continue our daily lives, I just hope people will not quickly forget about washing their hands and practicing good hygiene and sanitation habits.

As I posted yesterday, keep an eye on Wisconsin and Illinois as the totals vs. places like TX and California don't compute. Another poster replied with the info that those two states were still testing and reporting all new cases vs. most every other state who have announced they will no longer be testing every new patient who comes in with symptoms.

I saw my Dr today and she told me with absolute confidence that all of the public stats are being under reported including deaths. She said the number of deaths from sudden illness, pneumonia or complications involving pre-existing conditions has tripled since the flu moved into the USA.

One of my medical contacts @ CDC told me today that the nasal swab tests were known to have a false-negative rate of 35 to 40% and a lot of people want to know why those tests were chosen to lead the epidemic detection methodology.

I'm guessing an examination of the board of directors and major stockholders for the companies who make and sell the nasal swab test kits will read like a who's who of Washington DC current and former politicians / staffers.

Originally posted by switching yard
2-hour WHO teleconference 14 May 2009 to focus on vaccine...

www.bloomberg.com...
-edit-
Pneumonia countermeasures for healthcare workers discussed...

"Public health advisers on CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met yesterday to discuss whether pneumonia caused by bacteria called pneumococci is a significant complication of swine flu infection, Schaffner said. They may recommend the U.S. government purchase and stockpile pneumococcal vaccine for use in health-care workers likely to be exposed to swine flu, he said."

Was it yesterday or day before I told everyone to watch for press announcements regarding pneumonia vaccine as a preventative measure?

They will of course want to take care of first responders prior to the public. Again, anyone over 14 can get the pneumovax 23 vaccine from Walgreens that have an immunization center in them. If you are not currently sick it would be a good idea to hurry and get one now before they pull them from stock in order to reserve them for hospital staff and police / EMS.

[edit on 13-5-2009 by ecoparity]

Im not sure whose board these folks sit on, but a company in my home town was actually given the job of coming up with a rapid test kit. They ran an article in our local paper, The Huntsville Times, twice on his creation of this test. I'll see if I can find the link for you.

Company's name is Hudson-Alpha Institute. Huntsville AL.
Dr. Jian Han


www.hudsonalpha.org...

www.hudsonalpha.org...

And in related Intel...

Chasing a Unicorn here?

Messenger RNA
en.wikipedia.org...

~
Transport

Another difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes is mRNA transport. Because eukaryotic transcription and translation is compartmentally separated, eukaryotic mRNAs must be exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Mature mRNAs are recognized by their processed modifications and then exported through the nuclear pore. In neurons mRNA must be transported from the soma to the dendrites where local translation occurs in response to external stimuli.[1] Many messages are marked with so-called "zip codes" which targets their transport to a specific location.[2]

~
Monocistronic versus polycistronic mRNA

An mRNA molecule is said to be monocistronic when it contains the genetic information to translate only a single protein. This is the case for most of the eukaryotic mRNAs[5][6]. On the other hand, polycistronic mRNA carries the information of several genes, which are translated into several proteins. These proteins usually have a related function and are grouped and regulated together in an operon. Most of the mRNA found in bacteria and archea are polycistronic[5]. Dicistronic is the term used to describe a mRNA that encodes only two proteins.

More at Link...

Originally posted by Hx3_1963
reply to post by ecoparity

 

Speaking of Ventilators...

In a pinch would a CPAP Machine be of any help at all?

Using one at it's highest pressure settings "seems" to force a good amount of air into my Lungs...opinion?

No, it's not going to help you because you don't have an open airway. One of the reason a person goes on a ventilator is to provide an airway that would allow you to move air in and out of your lungs, simulating respiration like Ecoparity said.

I posted this link on one of my earlier threads. Who knows, it may save our lives one day.

How to Perform an Emergency Tracheotomy

link:[www.tracheostomy.com...]




[edit on 13-5-2009 by paxnatus]

Oh no round "2"

We were sick for a week with flu symptoms. This morning my husband woke up sick, and I am sick AGAIN! You may not see me on here for a few days.
Fever is back, sore throat is back and I am throwing up. This is NUTS, not again((((

reply to post by ecoparity



Hey Ecoparity, I just wanted to say good job and thank you too. You and Hx3 Have been keeping us up to date informed and looking in the right direction. My thanks.

... I have been watching the mortality rate on this thing drop and drop unrealisticly to its spread... I am thinking that this mortality rate is still 2.5 % ...

Do you know anything new about that?

Swine Flu—What Should I Do?
by Jerry Tennant, MD
April 30, 2009
drkentshow.com...

~
Except for the fact that the DNA of this virus is suspect, we should not expect to have an epidemic that kills many people. One of the reasons is that viruses usually do not kill people—they just make you feel bad. What killed the majority of people in 1918 was that the flu allowed people to get bacterial pneumonia from Streptococcus. That is what kills you. We are much better able to deal with bacterial pneumonia now than they were in 1918.

However, the genetically altered viruses like the AIDS virus have killed many. That is the reason for current concerns.

In 1897, the German company Bayer patented aspirin. Their patent expired in 1917, just at the end of World War I. Many of the returning American soldiers brought it back to their families. It was the first time that there had been widespread use of aspirin with the flu. It is known that when a virus attaches to a cell, it cannot duplicate if there is a fever, but it will make a million copies of itself if the temperature is low. Thus lowering temperature with drugs allows viruses to multiply! It is also known that aspirin and drugs like it suppress the immune system making it easier for bacteria to grow. This makes it easier for pneumonia to occur. It is not clear how much aspirin contributed to the spread of the 1918 flu. A current problem is that the antiviral drugs, Tamiflu® and Relenza® lower body temperature. It is not uncommon to see people get the flu and start one of these drugs. They feel better. Then a week later, they have pneumonia.

More at Link...

[edit on 5/13/2009 by Hx3_1963]

Originally posted by titorite
reply to post by ecoparity

 

Hey Ecoparity, I just wanted to say good job and thank you too. You and Hx3 Have been keeping us up to date informed and looking in the right direction. My thanks.

... I have been watching the mortality rate on this thing drop and drop unrealisticly to its spread... I am thinking that this mortality rate is still 2.5 % ...

Do you know anything new about that?

Thanks, the goal is to look out for ourselves since we're the few who know the government and news media aren't looking out for anyone's interest but their own and the people who own them / pull their strings.

The actual fatality rate is said to be around 4% on the low end and as high as 30% if we run into a situation where a flood of secondary infections overwhelm the medical system with critical patients in need of life support to breathe.

Anyone who has had the swine flu and starts to feel sick again anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks later should get to a Dr to be examined for pneumonia. There are also reports the cyto storm immune response was a late stage occurrence.

[edit on 13-5-2009 by ecoparity]

reply to post by paxnatus
Just to throw it out there...

What about using a CPAP/Bi-PAP with a Trach???

A make-shift "adaptor" inserted into the windpipe?

Just thinking out loud...Hmmm



[edit on 5/13/2009 by Hx3_1963]

When there is 10.000 confirmed cases worldwide (and we are not far distant from that), then the media will remember the swine flu

Why does your body temperature rise when you have a virus such as the flu?
health.howstuffworks.com...

How Viruses Work
health.howstuffworks.com...

Hmmm...
Low Body Temperature
www.kyrieology.com...

Hmmm...
Genetic resistance to porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome virus
www.pork.org...

Effect of Temperature on the Multiplication of an Influenza Virus
vir.sgmjournals.org...

[edit on 5/13/2009 by Hx3_1963]

Originally posted by Hx3_1963
reply to post by paxnatus

 

Just to throw it out there...

What about using a CPAP/Bi-PAP with a Trach???

A make-shift "adaptor" inserted into the windpipe?

Just thinking out loud...Hmmm

[edit on 5/13/2009 by Hx3_1963]

Unfortunately, while it sounds like a good idea, it will be very ineffective.
The amount of air pressure flowing through the machine is too great even on its lowest setting, to effectively assist in ventilation. You will end up blowing a tremendous amount of air in and out of upper airways and most likely you will blow your makeshift trach out, causing the patient to lose the only airway he has.

This really is an odd one.

No fever! Wow. That's really something else. And diarrhea and vomiting added in.

So really if you did not spike a fever you'd probably never be taken seriously by a doctor. If you presented with no fever, and stomach trouble you'd still not be treated seriously for what you actually have.

The list of symptoms

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, and sore throat. Some people with H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu) have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.

You'd look like someone with a cold and food poisoning. Serious fatigue is about the only defining feature if you remove the fever!

So...is it possible to have a SIT-6 in the NAU and a SIT-5 in the EU???

Swine Flu Is Now in 33 Countries, W.H.O. Says
May 14th
www.nytimes.com...

Swine flu has reached 33 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, and there have been deaths in four nations: Mexico, the United States, Canada and Costa Rica.

The agency, based in Geneva, is under pressure to change how it issues pandemic alerts, which go up as a new virus spreads even if it is relatively mild. But Dr. Sylvie Briand of the W.H.O.’s global flu program said it would be “not very helpful” to switch to alerts like those for hurricanes, which are based on wind speeds. A virus’s severity, she said, varies from country to country, depending on the population’s previous immunity, average age, the level of readiness of the health care system and the prevalence of diseases that could make people more vulnerable.

WHO: Too soon to comment on human error behind A/H1N1 virus claims
May 14, 2009
www.lookatvietnam.com...

[edit on 5/14/2009 by Hx3_1963]

reply to post by ecoparity


Disclaimer: I've tried to translate the statement I was given into something approaching English. Any weirdness would be the fault of myself and the online Roget's Thesaurus.

Ecoparty,
does this mean your source spoke/wrote to you in a different language to English ? This might sound like a weird question but if he doesn't speak English how can you converse with him with such detail as exhibited in previous posts ?

[edit on 14/5/09 by cosmicpixie]

Originally posted by cosmicpixie
reply to post by ecoparity

 

Disclaimer: I've tried to translate the statement I was given into something approaching English. Any weirdness would be the fault of myself and the online Roget's Thesaurus.

Ecoparty,
does this mean your source spoke/wrote to you in a different language to English ? This might sound like a weird question but if he doesn't speak English how can you converse with him with such detail as exhibited in previous posts ?

[edit on 14/5/09 by cosmicpixie]

In this case I was talking about taking big medical terms most people aren't familiar with and switching them for synonyms which are more common. We don't need to get into anything beyond that.

reply to post by ecoparity


ok, was just curious. You are doing a great job on this thread, thanks for all the hard work

Not forgetting everyone else too of course

[edit on 14/5/09 by cosmicpixie]

Why the CDC ignored Swine Flu warnings: Type I vs. Type II Errors
healthcare-economist.com...

satya_dev: 3 Suspected #Swine Flu patients in Hyderabad half a minute ago from web

(Confirmed Summary) Manitoba, Canada: Total: 4 confirmed cases3 unknow regionsSource: Public Health Agency CanadaDate: 13 May 20091 minute ago from twitterfeed

China hunts for possible swine flu carriers
news.yahoo.com...

Swine Flu shuts down school district an hour south of Austin.
May 14th, 2009
swineflu.onepub.com...

H1N1 Swine Flu - Update 38, May 14, 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009, 1:54 pm
www.scoop.co.nz...