Planning for Bird Flu/Swine Flu

[Hiedi]

This is a really good article from Time Magazine, which mention some of the problems that vaccine makers are encountering. The entire article is worth reading, but the last paragraph stood out. To have recorded flu cases in the middle of the summer is extraordinary. For example, I read not too long ago that 67 Air Force Cadets were diagnosed with swine flu.

Think H1N1 Is Bad Now? Wait Till Flu Season

The simple fact that flu cases are still being recorded in the U.S. this summer, during a time when the virus should be virtually dormant, is a sign that things will get worse once the weather cools. The question is whether or not we'll be ready. "We're taking this virus very seriously, and I think it's important for the public to be thinking ahead," says Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This virus is not going away."

 

[Dace]

Hiedi, that was a great article...I sent it to Hubby to read.

Thanks for posting it!

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes, all these summer cases have really gotten my attention. Air Force Cadets??? The air force academy is just on the other side of town.

 

[Dace]

I get this CDC report so I thought I would share.

As of 11:00 AM ET on July 24, 2009, CDC is reporting 43,771 confirmed and probable cases and 302 deaths in 55 states and territories:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

I found this graph interesting. If you look at the weeks listed below, you can see how many deaths are far past the typical time frame for the flu

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Interesting graph, but please explain to me why there are two categories of deaths -- current week and previous week. It seems like an easy way to make the graph look inflated (doubling the number of deaths reported). Am I missing something?

ETA: Actually it says "previous weeks," so is there an explanation of how this is tallied up? Are individual deaths being counted more than once?

 

[Dace]

The way I understand it they are tracking deaths by the week.

To be accurate they are saying (for example) we are in week 12 and reporting a death but it actually occurred in week 11. So no double counting, just being clear in which week the death actually occurred. Does that make sense?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes, that makes sense, but did they state that that was how they were compiling the data? I'm not trying to be obnoxious, it is just that when you process information in a graphical overview, it is easy to manipulate the data to get a desired appearance.

 

[Dace]

Not sure...you would have to read thru the link.
You are not being obnoxious, just looking for clarification

 

[Hiedi]

Someone may have mentioned this already, but has anyone heard about running a humidifier? I read an article today that mentions this, and I am also reading about the vitamin D. What do you think? Here is a link to the article:

The big picture: 9 reasons to RE-worry about the (swine) H1N1 flu - and 7 things to do about it

3) Humidify. Some of the more provocative studies in recent years show that flu virus hates it when the absolute humidity goes up - possibly yet another reason why the tropics don't have a flu season. Not only does the virus die more rapidly on humidified surfaces, but people who are sick with the flu tend to recover faster, and have a milder illness. Even though we get rain in the winter here in the Bay Area, when temps go down and our heaters kick on, humidity drops rapidly indoors. How good were the humidifier results? So good that researchers have suggested that it may be cost-effective to humidify hospitals and nursing homes. Keep in mind that warmed water (or air) humidifiers can grow nasty things and spew them. If you're looking for a humidifier, this is one of those times when cheap may be better than expensive - with the exception of the noise factor. If you buy one of the cheap, clattery humidifiers that then disturbs your sleep, dump and fill it each day with cold water, then run it until your window mist up and turn it off overnight.

 

[Wifezilla]

I usually run one, but Colorado has been so wet this year I might not need to hook it up for a couple more months.