Poll: Swine Flu contact, page 3

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reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 02:27 AM by Raverous

I live within 30 miles of Sacramento, California and I have not seen anyone who appeared to be infected, and I myself have not been sick for years.

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 02:51 AM by zetabeam

Here in Adelaide, South Australia ... the media has just about stopped reporting on the Swine Flu ... well, except to mention the 1st confirmed death of an Aboriginal person from northern Western Australia.
Otherwise you could be forgiven for saying "Swine Flu ? ... what Swine Flu ?".

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 06:23 AM by CultureD

reply to post by zetabeam

Zetabeam- that's why I keep posting this- to see if ANYONE is experiencing what we are here?!?!

There are Chicago events going on (Blues Fest- normally 1+ million people in the park- about 20,000 showed up). We have the "taste of Chicago" every year- vendors set up booths and it draws millions. Traffic pylons are gong up and yet we can STILL travel easily.

There's ZERO coverage here about it- the main suburban traffic route behond our house is now mostly large trucks, municpal police, and a few commuters.

This is Chicago, for (^*)&^*&'s sake! Is there anyone else here who can correlate what we're seeing?

I feel like I'm in the Neville Shute novel, "On the Beach" and we're the last to know....

There IS traffic in the City- we're a huge metro area- but it's so markedly changed, I can't explain it.

For example- we're in the middle of a thunderstorm here- and traffic is STILL only 30 minutes downtown, from the outlying suburbs- on a day like this last year, traffic would be 2 hours, minimum.

My best conjecture is that people are ill and staying home/telecommunting; afraid of getting sick, so taking vacation days, or god forbid- something more nefarious.

I would bless info from anyone else about this.

reply posted on 22-6-2009 @ 09:14 AM by zetabeam

C'mon people ... there HAS to be someone out there also from Chicago who can back up the impressions & feelings as described by CultureD in her posts. Surely if it's that marked a change from normal, then someone else MUST also be wondering ...

reply posted on 24-6-2009 @ 06:11 AM by CultureD

reply to post by zetabeam

Thank you, Zeta.

Today we went in and out of downtown Chicago- in rush hour each way. 45 minutes each way (with construction zones). Normally, 2 hours each way- 1.5 each on a good day.

The City was moving, but parking lots (normally at capacity) were maybe half-full; we're getting weekly calls from club promoters inviting us to events to fill the rooms (we used to be active in promotion/booking, etc., as a sort of hobby, so when there's an event we get phone calls). Crobar- a huge night club we all grew up going to is offering $1 drinks on Fridays with free admisssion (most likely from the economy), but when we drive by that area, it's DEAD- you can park across the street.
One of our good friends is a model who's all over the world, working. No one's booking- because none of the models/hair/makeup people will fly, risk illness or quarantine.
It was 90 degrees here today and no one was at the movie teatre, local restaurants- anything- and we live in an affluent suburb, where people are out all the time, despite the recession.

Two friends who are sisters and nurses at two suburban hospitals have said they're at capacity with respiratory illnessess, and each is taking vacation time in advance of the autumn season- to the despair of their superiors, as they're needed now.

A former client and friend- an MD/PhD at the University of Chicago Hospital has reported capacity admissions, when I called him yesterday, and many people are being sent to Chicago's Cook County Hospital, Illinois Masonic, Stroger, Northwestern, etc.

My neurosurgeon, who normally does about 50 procedures a week is keeping nearly full office hours, and only doing critical surgeries, as beds are needed at the three hospitals out of which he operates.

I have 7 girlfriends who've had their day care centres closed, and have had to take Family Medical Leave from work to care for their kids. Campsites are closed between here and Wisconsin.

We're in the middle of a terrible heat wave and the City shelters are only about half full.

Chicagoans- talk to me! Our mayor wants the 2016 Olympics and we've nowhere to put the people who would come, but this month I'd say there would be no problem in accommodating a few extra million people. It's still a functioning city, but there is something REALLY wrong with it.

Again- anyone who knows the city- talk to me