Are you concerned?

[Rochester2013]

With all the new updates on the Swine flu (though personally I think it could be being blown out of proportion, feel free to disagree with me) lately, what is your take on it?

As of today, I have heard it was at "Outbreak stage 5" which is one step away from a Pandemic.

[Wyvern]

I am not particularly concerned from a personal health point of view as most who have caught outside of Mexico have not been seriously sick and appear to be recovering.

However what I am concerned about are the effects it is likely to have on day to day life, including (important to us musicians) the likelihood that all public venues will be closed with gigs cancelled for several weeks - maybe months.

So a pretty depressing time ahead if a level 6 pandemic is declared

[bort]

I'm not worried at all.

No Swine in '09.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I'm still trying to figure out how the CDCs recommendation for covering my mouth when I cough or sneeze helps prevent me from getting sick.

Perhaps they mean that if everyone did this, then there would be less chance of the virus being spread. However, since I have no control over anyone's actions but my own, my faith in this strategy's effectiveness is microscopic.

To answer the OP: No, I'm not concerned. I give this scare as much credence as the former CDC warnings about SARS (27 cases in the US, 0 deaths) and the bird flu scare of 1997 (which never reached the US at all). Frankly, this isn't 1918, and there are effective antiviral treatments (Tamiflu and Relenza) widely available.

I'm sure some folks are upset by hearing today that there has been a confirmed US death related to this virus...I wonder how many of those people understand that case was a resident of Mexico visiting in Houston?

Wash your hands regularly (after using the restroom) with warm water for at least 60 seconds at a time. Get a Tamiflu shot if you're really worried or live in a high-risk area (near the Mexican border). Live your life with all the joy you can, and don't get bogged down in the doom-and-gloom predictions of the spinmeisters in the media.

[Nick Pierce]

One death so far in the U.S. I believe, a child in Texas or somewhere thereabouts. Tragic? Yes. Pandemic? Yeah, right.

[MartyNeilan]

I'm Married.

Nothing scares me.

[TubaRay]

One death so far in the U.S. I believe, a child in Texas or somewhere thereabouts. Tragic? Yes. Pandemic? Yeah, right.

And this child came to Texas from where? Mexico!

[TubaRay]

I'm Married.

Nothing scares me.

Does you wife read you posts on TubeNet? Perhaps you should be scared.

[tubashaman2]

.

[Rick Denney]

Two issues seem to be important when discussing influenza: 1. Infectiousness, and 2. mortality.

The problem with avian (bird) flu is that its mortality is very high. The reason it isn't a current headline is that none of its mutations have yet proved to be particularly infectious, in that they don't get passed from human to human easily. If a mutation crosses that boundary, batten down the hatches.

The current swine flu is an unknown. It seems pretty infectious, just like all flu. But we don't yet know its mortality, because we don't really know the denominator. If there have been 150 deaths out of 10,000 infections, then a large outbreak could result in a very high death toll. But if there have been 1,000,000 infections and most of them have gone unnoticed (at least as this strain of swine flu), then the likelihood of a high death toll is much less.

So, when we don't know the answer to these questions, what do we do? Exercise caution. How much caution? That depends on the outcome. If it turns out that it's no big deal, then any reaction is likely to be seen as an overreaction. But if a year from now we are using five or six-digits to count those who have died (as has happened a couple of times in the last century), then the public will complain that the reaction was insufficient no matter how much was done. I'm glad I'm not the one who will be held accountable either way.

Don't blame the media. Blame your neighbors, who keep expecting the government to keep them from having to suffer even the slightest mishap in a dangerous world.

Rick "who knows a no-win situation when he sees one" Denney

[tubashaman2]

.

[Rochester2013]

With most of the viruses I read about on CNN, the flu, the bird flu, and swine flu affects the elderly and the young mainly and people with current complications of the heart and lungs. I am scared I might have it, as I have been having flu-like symptoms, but I am waiting a couple of days to see if it gets better or I am stressing about my last weak of school which lowers my immune system. I am not freaking though.

From what I heard (school had a safety announcement on it today), if your temperature goes above 100.6 you should get tested for the swine flu. But I am not sure if that is true, since I am not sure where the school got their information from.

[Ed Jones]

The Fort Worth School district cancelled all classes through May 8 beacuse of the Swine Flu outbreak. In the entire FW district there is one confirmed case and three probable cases out of an enrollment of 80,000 students. Does anyone else think they might have hit the panic button a little early?

[TUBAD83]

One death so far in the U.S. I believe, a child in Texas or somewhere thereabouts. Tragic? Yes. Pandemic? Yeah, right.

This has been so blown out of proportion its unreal. A little over a hundred cases and one death in a population of over 300 million people? The media has gone completely overboard with this--I can't turn my tv on without seeing a damn swine flu update--someone stop the madness!

[tubashaman2]

.

[TubaRay]

My normal body temperature is a 97.2----I have low body temperature--it runs in my family....going now to buy a good theormeter

I don't understand how this will do any good.

James, I hope you don't have the flu, but I believe you are becoming overstressed. Either do something, or don't. Worrying can only do one thing, and that is negative. If you want to evaluate your temperature, understand that your normal temperature may be lower than some, but it fluctuates a good bit, normally. If you want to check your temperature, I'd recommend you go buy a good thermometer.

[Rochester2013]

The Fort Worth School district cancelled all classes through May 8 beacuse of the Swine Flu outbreak. In the entire FW district there is one confirmed case and three probable cases out of an enrollment of 80,000 students. Does anyone else think they might have hit the panic button a little early?

What I am concerned about is what are all of these schools going to do about the College Board AP exams? They start next week on Monday (the 4th). I hope that they will proceed with giving these exams, or else it could be a year almost wasted for the kids in these classes.

[The Jackson]

I hope that they will proceed with giving these exams, or else it could be a year almost wasted for the kids in these classes.

"Almost" ??

[tubashaman2]

.

[Rochester2013]

I hope that they will proceed with giving these exams, or else it could be a year almost wasted for the kids in these classes.

"Almost" ??

Well if they don't take the test, they will still have some knowledge for when they take it in college .