Swine Flu news and updates thread

A nurse associate of my business just stopped by who also works at one of our local 350+ bed hospitials told me that at least 12+ people have tested positive but are not being counted by the CDC in our state numbers(as of yet)......and I live in rual America.......

This nurse (of 20 years) two weeks ago believed everything the CDC was saying.........and followed protocals to the tee.......

Now her tune has changed......When this flu hit she started handing out Swine flu info sheets in her business which provided precaution information. I have one and its a one sheet flyer with your basic info.......

The director of our health dept reprimanded her for passing out this info....

Her eyes where opened at this point.............She also said that he flat out lied to the healthcare dept heads in a meeting she attended.........down played this whole swine flu issue........reporting no confirmed cases.......

Where is all of this headed??

Originally posted by phoenixs1
Interesting article on Reuters dealing with the change in position re what is a pandemic....glad someone in the MSM is noticing the changing definition of pandemic.

Chan appeared to stray from the WHO's textbook definition of a pandemic -- which would only require the virus to be spreading in two regions of the world -- saying that she is waiting for it to take hold in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

www.reuters.com...

Yes! The Pandemic definition scandal of WHO is irresponsable at least!

When should we call a pandemic a pandemic?

Originally posted by Aeons
Level 5 IS a pandemic.

Several nations are also lobbying right now to have the severity of a virus be considered in the pandemic scale. So you have a level 6 severity A and a Level 6 severity B sort of scenario.

I believe you'll see the world health organizations drag their feet while they look into these concerns.

[edit on 2009/5/21 by Aeons]

Not according to WHO. Level 5 is pandemic is imminent....Level 6 is a pandemic.

The Spanish Flu qualified as Level Five.

reply to post by Aeons


To be fair on them its probably actually a good idea, i mean i would have always thought pandemics should be judged on severity. I can understand why people would be annoyed if the level was raised to 6 and panic insued even when the h1n1 strain was apparently "mild".

However i think it should be a 6 now because im sure quite a few deaths havnt been reported or have been changed on the certificate and many, many more have been infected than reported.

[edit on 21-5-2009 by jonny2410]

Another case of swine flu in Belgium, total there is now 6. 4 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Another swine flu case confirmed in Saline County
www.salina.com...

Mexico City drops emergency state over flu
news.xinhuanet.com...

Erysipelas, Not Swine Flu, Likely Killed Pigs in Bali
www.thejakartaglobe.com...

1st A/H1N1 flu case confirmed in RP
www.philstar.com...

DeWitt Health Care Network reports first confirmed cases of H1N1
www.belvoireagle.com...

42 more swine flu cases in MA
www.myfoxboston.com...

New swine flu cases diagnosed
www.teletext.co.uk...

Nine cases of H1N1 flu at St. Luke’s
www.oakvillebeaver.com...

Researchers Seek Out Origin Of Swine Flu Virus
www.redorbit.com...

Attendance drops amid health concerns
www.wkyt.com...

[edit on 5/21/2009 by Hx3_1963]

Originally posted by fleabit

Based on the fact that most of the posters from the US in this thread have had or are having all the H1N1 influenza symptoms, I can conclude that at least half the US population have been infected with this new virus.
In this case, unfortunatelly, there'll be many more deaths.

Or perhaps people are just freaking out? I keep hearing "No panic!" and "It's all calm, we are just dicussing it.." and yet, suddenly, the entire board is inflicted with H1N1. Yet no one has been tested positive. "many more deaths..." I keep hearing this. No basis for this other than speculation, and when I tell folks this is fear-mongering, I am told I have no basis to say this.

Fine.. I'll just follow along and let you folks writhe in your self-inflicted terror of this flu. We are all gonna die after all. It's a certainty it's going to mutate, right? A second horrible wave is assured, yes?

I just get irritated at the level of doom and gloom. I fully believe many people here WANT a full-blown pandemic. They WANT the 'thrill' of a level 6, and possible martial law. I don't know why... I see it with many other subjects on these boards, I just don't get it.

In my mind, common sense says: This is a flu which could become more dangerous, it's still mild however. We've had these scares and media hype before with prior 'pandemics,' which turned out to be pretty mild when all was said and done.

I still don't know ONE SINGLE PERSON who is sick. No flu, no coughing, nothing. My office is good, my home, friends, when I went out the other night.. nothing. Maybe the state I am in got lucky eh?

What I don't get is why you lurk and post here if you think it is soooo irrelevant to your life?

You are lucky you don't know anyone who is ill....unfortunately there are many others sitting by their loved one's bedsides hoping they recover, with over 50% of USA hospitalized cases requiring ventilators to breathe. Almost all the deaths are in young people...something we've never seen before (not in my lifetime).

One think I know for sure, is if I thought it had no relevance, I wouldn't be wasting my time lurking and posting on a board dedicated to posting the latest news on the subject, and I'm very confused why you spend so much time here.

Originally posted by jonny2410
reply to post by Aeons

 

To be fair on them its probably actually a good idea, i mean i would have always thought pandemics should be judged on severity. I can understand why people would be annoyed if the level was raised to 6 and panic insued even when the h1n1 strain was "mild".

However i think it shouldnt be a 6 now because im sure quite a few deaths havnt been reported or have been changed on the certificate and many, many more have been infected than reported.

To maintain people's trust and acceptance of risk, a system that splits the difference between "This Flu Will Kill 1% Who Catch It" and "This Virus Is Global Ebola."

Taiwan confirms third case of swine flu

TAIPEI (AP): Taiwan says it has confirmed its second and third cases of swine flu.

Spokesman Shih Wen-yi of the Centers for Disease Control said Thursday the two patients are a 22-year-old female student who returned to Taipei a day earlier from New York via Hong Kong, and a 23-year-old female student who arrived in Taiwan earlier in the day from San Francisco.

The island's first case was reported Wednesday.

www.hindu.com...

So here comes case number 3 in Taiwan!

Unforunately I think more people from those planes will be tested positive when they starting to feel ill and seek help!

Originally posted by Aeons
The Spanish Flu qualified as Level Five.

They only brought the Alert Level System in a few years ago...it wasn't even around in 1918! This is the first time it has ever hit level 5.

1918 was a pandemic....no question about it, and would not have been a Level 5 had the system been in place then.

reply to post by phoenixs1


Obviously the people who are here but aren't terrified, recognize the potential and are curious to see what will happen, and are interested in the less common sources of information.

The terrified and paranoid are not actually the ONLY people allowed to be on the board. Yet.

reply to post by phoenixs1


Thats the article I linked to.
Whats your oppinion of what her position really is now?
Just a voice puppet?

Originally posted by Hx3_1963
Three more 'probable' cases of swine flu confirmed

UK swine flu infections reach 112
news.bbc.co.uk...

[edit on 5/21/2009 by Hx3_1963]

These UK figures are ridiculous!
It's an insult to our inteligence!
Who they think they are fooling?

reply to post by fleabit


While you do have a really irritating tendency to exagerate and use sarcasm every other line i can agree with you that not everyone on this board is infected with h1n1, yet they are not claiming it either you need to realise.

You should also note that even if they were claiming they have h1n1 they wouldnt even be tested as people are being turned away unless they are at deaths door.

I am sure and hope nobody on this thread wants this to get worse, i am sure nobody wants this but we are just being cautious.

Unfortuently you do resemble the vast majority of people who will not stand up and take notice untill it happens around them. You may not see it around you but there is absolutely no doubt you can add 1 or 2 zeroes onto the current case count and still have a little extra probably.

Overall as usual from reading your posts you are blowing things out of proportion, nobody is panicking we are just watchful and cautious. People are on this thread because it is the only place we can get information quickly due to the msm under reporting.

I suggest think about why you are posting in this thread because you obviously are not checking for updates as you do not care about this thing known as "swine flu". I suggest you leave.

reply to post by fleabit


I can say that I bet there is not one of us here that wants to see this as a level 6 pandemic for any other reason than awareness for everyone else that is just blowing this off.

I have not seen a single person sick either, I live in a small town, but that doesnt mean it isnt out there. We are all just here to see what the latest news is on this situation and how it is progressing along. And I thank everyone tahat is giving us all of the great information to keep us up to date and to give us the info to make any preparations that we see fit.

On another note, I called my local public heath office and asked if I could get the pneumonia vaccine and they told me they don't have it anymore and will not be getting anymore anytime soon. I asked why the wouldnt be getting anymore and she said she didnt know why. She was kind of cranky to me so I just said ok thanks.

I am going to call around to the few clinics that we have here and see if anyone else has the vaccine.

People might want to go out and get them now if they can find them.

Please post back if you are able to get them as this could just be a local thing.

Originally posted by phoenixs1

Originally posted by Aeons
The Spanish Flu qualified as Level Five.

They only brought the Alert Level System in a few years ago...it wasn't even around in 1918! This is the first time it has ever hit level 5.

1918 was a pandemic....no question about it, and would not have been a Level 5 had the system been in place then.

For probably more than a year it would have qualified as a Level Five.

LONDON -- Flu experts are looking very closely at Britain _ and some have decided that the U.K.'s swine flu-fighting tactics are seriously off the mark and may be hiding a much larger outbreak.

Washington Post

reply to post by gallifreyan medic


She's certainly not immune to political pressure, which in my opinion is sad. She should only care about World Health, after all that's the name of her organization.

I have a bad feeling that in a few days, when it becomes obvious it's spreading in the southern hemisphere (I think Australia is on the brink now), they'll change the definition again.

reply to post by Aeons


I am seeking what is really going on.Unfortunately the MSM
are not to helpful with that.

Myself I am not terrified nor paranoid.
My job as a parent is to prioritise my daughters welfare above all else.

So knowing what really is happening out there by following this thread,
it helps in being one step ahead of the rest in being prepared.

Aeons...I am not terrified or paranoid either....haven't seen anyone here who falls into that category.

I'm 95% sure I've already had it and recovered, so I'm not all that worried for myself. However, I am worried that so many others are being misled into believing this is nothing but a mild illness and fear because of that misinformation, many people will unnecessarily die from this.