Here it is. United States is now officially under a "Public Health Emergency"

[Horse with no Name]

Will provide link as soon as one available.

There goes my requested vacation...

Not to be flippant, but the ER's will be overrun today by anyone with symptoms. Watch out!

Edited to add link:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/us-declares-swine-flu-a-public-health-emergency.html

>>>snip
The United States government has declared a public health emergency over the swine flu today.

The chief of the Centers for Disease Control chief says the United States has 20 swine flu cases in 5 states, the latest in Ohio, and expects to see more.

More information to come.


edited to add further info:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/

>>>snip
The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency in connection with the swine flu outbreak that has killed people in Mexico, Janet Napolitano, director of Homeland Security said today.

The number of cases confirmed in the United States by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now 20, including eight New York City high school students. Other cases are in Ohio, California, Texas and Kansas. Patients have ranged in age from 9 to over 50.
>>>snip
“As we look for swine flu, we are seeing more cases of swine flu and we expect to see more cases of swine flu," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, during a White House press conference Sunday. "We view this more as a marathon."

Napolitano said the emergency declaration is a warning, not an actual imminent emergency, similar to preparing for a hurricane.

[Riley18]

1. Not to be too cynical but sick kids will also go to school anyway.

[Horse with no Name]

3. My guess is that they will be screened and sent home if they are

symptomatic.

[FirstLight]

10. Don't count on it...

You may see a heightened awareness in denser populations...but I live rurally, and the idea that "it can't happen here" is quite common.

then again, we have a pretty big crossover population here from mexico, so I could be surprised by the city/county response.. we shall see...

[havocmom]

60. Absolutely! Schools get paid for 'butts in chairs' and some really care more about the $$

Local school here punishes kids (more tests required) who stay home when sick; reward (fewer tests) kids who are absent less than 2 days a semester. Lots of really sick kids at school, lots of puking, coughing (Pertussis is a constant thing here now with teens and adults) and general ill health, but by god they have their butts in chairs so the administrators are happy.
:banghead:

Several kids passed out a year ago when some viruses raged through town, but the administrator would not back down from her policy of punishing kids who stayed home. One student has serious physical problems and a common virus will have her hospitalized and running up bills in tens of thousands of dollars. Threatened with lawsuit by kid's parents for policies that encouraged sick kids to come to school, the administrator STILL would not back down.

Add to that economy, bosses who don't want workers home tending to sick kids... Gonna be bad.

[underpants]

11. to who?

mom and dad are (hopefully) at work

just saying

[FirstLight]

14. very good point...

wanna see our economy come screeching MORE to a halt? start closing schools and public offices...yikes

[northernlights]

33. that's why it's considered so serious

Even though mild (in the US anyway) it can bring a lot to a screeching halt, as well as overwhelm hospitals and clinics.

[Horse with no Name]

15. I guess I forget those details

living in a rural area where most have extended families to come and pick up kids.

[underpants]

17. YEah a lot of people do

but a lot don't. That is why sick kids go to school in the first place.

[sufrommich]

27. My guess is that by the end of school day Monday,

there will be a message sent home to parents that no sick kids will be allowed in school. Schools will take this very seriously as it is an easy way for the flu to spread.Mom and Dad won't be able to use work as an excuse to send a sick kid to school.

[Donnachaidh]

30. Not at my kids school.

I've already had 2 run-ins with the school nurse about her NOT calling me when my kid felt ill. And then the school wonders WHY so many kids are out sick. A nurse who is more interested in keeping her numbers down does nothing for a school.

[Horse with no Name]

35. My grandchild goes to a very good, small, rural school

they will call you and let you know when a child feels ill and leave it up to you whether they stay or go home.
One reason that keeps me in this godforsaken area.

[Donnachaidh]

40. on two occassions my son had to find a phone in a teacher's office AFTER

he'd been told to go back to class by the nurse.

I finally confronted her, and she tried to blow me off. So I planted my foot on her forehead (figuratively) and went to the principal, the very same day. Needless to say, her attitude got adjusted towards MY kid very quickly. She still gets nervous when she sees me coming down the hall. I don't play well with people who have more interest in their gossip groups than doing their job.

But considering this is a LARGE high school with a couple of thousand kids - I still expect to see lots of kids sent back to class when they should be going home.

[Horse with no Name]

42. Yeah that sounds horrible.

I hate where I live, but I am in a bubble and that far outweighs the bad things.
Good schools, pretty much recession-proof, cheap living, the whole shebang. The location sucks, however.:(

[sufrommich]

43. I honestly don't think you'll see typical behavior from

the school systems, they'll be overly cautious until this passes. Schools don't want to be held responsible for possible catastrophes if they can avoid it.

[Donnachaidh]

72. From your lips to whatever deity you believe in's ears, sincerely

But I don't hold out much hope with this nurse. She left my kid in a classroom with a bag of ice, far from the front door, after he severely sprained his ankle. He has a bleeding disorder, and in the case of ANY joint injuries, he must go to the ER. He had to borrow a phone to call me, and I got to the school as she was leaving and had to get snippy to get her to get a wheelchair and go get him. We spent 4 hours in the ER that night. And he was freaked because she claimed that he was not only okay, he could take the bus home as well. Kind of hard to do when you have one ankle that can't bear weight. :grr:

I truly hope the principal gets into the act, and makes her do her job vigilantly.

[Posteritatis]

48. No they won't. (nt)

[NashVegas]

5. Not To Be Even More Cynical

But I wonder what's going on in Iraq today?

[havocmom]

64. Me too. After the other day....

flu comes all the time, but there is sure a big ruckus about this one.... at 20 reported cases nation-wide?

One does have to wonder about diversion.

[jimlup]

50. yep!

I teach and our parents are rich bastards. They don't give a fuck. They send their kids to school when they are sick because they want the free day care and can't be troubled to stay home with a sick kid. It is terrible. We have a policy of sending the kids home but then the parents "aren't available". Its really really sad for the kids.

My guess is that my school will enforce our policy under current circumstances but that will only help about 80% of the time.

[Control-Z]

61. Our schools are pretty good.

They have shut down when the air quality has been poor due to fires. They let us know what's going on each step of the way via phone calls. I would expect the same if this starts to develop here. And I would bet that they send any child with symptoms home immediately.

[cwydro]

2. Link?

[Horse with no Name]

4. it's breaking

will provide as soon as it is up.

[Horse with no Name]

8. Here you go

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/us-declares-swine-flu-a-public-health-emergency.html

[Skink]

6. Meanwhile Blackwater trucks move into position.

[SammyWinstonJack]

29. .

:thumbsup:

[sufrommich]

31. Unless,you're a freeper, then it's an obvious

distraction from "Obama's failures. Shit happens that has nothing to do with politics,this rush to find a conspiracy makes us look as dumb as them.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Incubation 24-48 hours???

Yikes.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. When did that change? yesterday they were saying 6-9 days,

in relations to Obama's contact with that guy in Mexico.
and now it is 1-2 days?

[Horse with no Name]

22. that's what the guy on the presser just said

:(

[Horse with no Name]

23. Here you go

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/
...SNIP
The incubation period for this virus is 24 to 48 hour period. President Barack Obama recently traveled to Mexico but the president’s health was never in any danger, Brennan said.

[BlooInBloo]

9. "the ER's will be overrun today" - (facepalm)

[Horse with no Name]

12. Yep. I just turned my phone off.

:(

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

13. Well, look at the good side:

In his first 100 days, President Obama actually got the public health system to do something, anything.

That is, in and of itself, amazing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Hold it, but we were all just ahem panicked

:sarcasm:

Living in one of the ground zero I will get more canned goods today.

If, big if, but not out of the realm of possibility, this gets "out of hand" home bound general quarantines are possible

[Horse with no Name]

18. Yes. I prefer to be prepared. Not panicked.

And I am thinking of my much-needed vacation that will go on hold.
Selfish, yes but also necessary.
I will get some bottled water and some Emergen-C (cause I like it more than anything) and some groceries today.
Some Tylenol, juice, antibacterial soap, etc. "just in case" someone in the house gets symptomatic.

[marketcrazy1]

19. I am not buying into panic

or even caution at this point. 300 million people in the U.S. and only 20+ cases so far with no deaths. odds are this blows over ( until sep/oct , flu season ) my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who have died. we need to be calm and rational I have a feeling this will be more hype than substance. ( at least here in the U.S. )

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. The problem is not the 20 positives we have so far

but the many we don't know about... that's why they are now going there

Worst case scenario we have a series of patient zero all over the place

Watch for this at CDC and me, actually mapping the damn thing

Standard practice in epideomolgy actually

[Control-Z]

59. Where are you?

I'm a few minute from San Diego. Less than 2 hours from Mexico. Not sure if I'm the only one who considers it a potential early hotpot. I'm about to go out shopping. I think I'd be crazy not to, just in case. I will keep my family home if it becomes necessary.

[arcadian]

24. 20 cases of swine flu in the United States and this is an epidemic?

If that's the case then the number of motorist killed on the nations highways must be a holocaust.

[Horse with no Name]

25. 20 when you weren't looking

How many when they actually start looking?
As I said in a different thread, with flu season almost over, those with flu symptoms are usually "treated and streeted" from the ER with symptomatic treatment only--no testing.
What happens when they start testing those?

[skooooo]

28. Here's my question....

Why is this killing people in Mexico (if that has been proven the cause) and is only appearing with "mild symptoms" in the US??

[Horse with no Name]

34. I am not an epidemiologist

and I don't even pretend to be one on TV. But my guess is that it has to do with the number of people who already got the flu vaccine and the pneumovax (which to me would explain why the core group affected falls inside the "healthy" population). Also, I would guess it has to do with symptomatic treatment at ER's and PCP offices.
At this point in time, it is too soon to tell why.

[northernlights]

37. possibly mutated to milder form

already. Pathogens that kill their hosts really quickly tend to die out, whereas less successful pathogens survive.

Also, pathogens and hosts tend to "co-evolve" toward equilibrium, where a residual amount of pathogen survives under the radar in the host and periodically "breaks out" if the host is compromised.

[arcadian]

32. The scare tactics are all over this one.

Deadly disease from what most Americans consider to be a backward ass country with scary undocumented people who freely roam back and forth across our southern border. Show pictures of these scary people wearing surgical masks in their home country to confuse people. "Surely Mexicans can't afford surgical masks, hell those people are still living in thatched mud huts."

Come on, 20 people, when it starts getting into the hundreds or thousands that's when I will take note. By the way WHEN the numbers don't get that high the HHS will take credit for handling this "natural disaster" and people with think that we dodged a bullet.

[Horse with no Name]

36. Yeah I agree with that

Personally I am not so convinced it originated in Mexico.:(

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. And when as predicted by the WHO one of these duds actually becomes

the real thing?

What then?

And I do love your racist statements in there

By the way, riddle me this batman, if this is not serious why has DHS gone ahead and activated the plan?

And why has the Mexican Government gone ahead and activated the DN-III-E disaster plan?

And why do BOTH have in common the authority for mandatory quarantines given to federal officials?

Unlike random person on the net that cannot trust (for good reasons mind you, chimpy did a lot to erode the confidence of people in their government... nor would they have activated shit until you got it into the hundreds of cases, if not outright thousands, see Katrina), I have actually the experience of having talked to WHO personnel back in the day....

They were pretty flat on this. This WILL HAPPEN, we are overdue.. and when it finally does, the numbers of dead across the world in a WORST CASE SCENARIO are 500 million

Perhaps that will sober you up.

Oh and MOST of those 500 million are expected to happen in places like Africa, SE Asia and Latin America.

Should make you a little smug

[arcadian]

45. racist statements? please point them out.

edit: I was pointing out the way most Americans feel about Mexicans, that is not my opinion.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. You might want to clarify your statement

because it reads in a different way

hell those people are still living in thatched mud huts.

Forgot the sombrero and the burro too

[arcadian]

47. The comment was about American's misperceptions of non-Americans.

There isn't a racial remark in anything I said. I put it in quotes to point out that it wasn't my opinion but the over all opinion of a country that is full of xenophobes and how the media plays on those misperceptions.

[Overseas]

55. Reports from people in Mexico, including health workers on the scene

indicate a situation far worse than we have heard so far, looks like we've reached "getting into the hundreds".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8018428.stm

[Obamanaut]

68. You have hit the nail on the head. nt

[Ikonoklast]

74. I'm glad then that you are not making the determination.

Look up 'geometric progression'.

[northernlights]

39. 20 identified in the US

with up to 75+ more in NY to be confirmed tomorrow. And cases in New Zealand and possibly Canada.

And over 1,000 in Mexico with 6-7% mortality.

However, with such a short incubation period, I suspect it may fizzle out rather quickly. Seriously reduces the amount of time people are unknowingly spreading it...

[Warren Stupidity]

51. 20 confirmed across the country and more outside in a very short time

with significant lethality in Mexico in age groups that usually are not killed. The emergency does not declare this to be a pandemic yet, it means that the government is taking precautions and may ask all of us to alter our behavior to reduce the transmission rate.

Seems like a sensible step.

[Sheltiemama]

56. I don't want ANY kind of flu.

Heck, I don't even want a swine cold. And I certainly don't want my 75-year-old parents, who have some health problems, to get it. Taking measures to nip it in the bud, as Barney Fife would say, is smart.

[Roon]

66. I have major health problems too..

I am keeping an eye on this thing, but not really panicking. Just thinking "what if" and what I should do to avoid getting sick.

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. Here is the National Strategy For Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan

Developed in 2006, under Bush, for the Avian Flu threat.

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/federal/stratergyimplementationplan.html

[Horse with no Name]

38. Interesting. Thank you.

Very good for its own thread?

[michaz]

44. Monitoring those coming across the border by asking if they are sick or have been sick.

Yes, and what if you happen to be one that can carry it and not be sick?

[rainbow4321]

49. Or if you worry "what will they do to me if I am sick?"

Will a mom or dad travelling with small kids worry that they are going to be separated from them? Or will they all be thrown into isolation (job security at risk, school issues, money issues). The list goes one and on. Is asking "are you having any symptoms?" enough to get people to say "yes, we are".
They say that they are monitoring people coming across the border for symptoms---including the buses??? Not going by what one county official says:


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042609dnmetwfaaswineflu.11236f4f3.html

"We cannot wait on the CDC. We have to begin to take precautions now," he said. The target of the alert: bus companies in the county that specialize on travel to and from Mexico.

He's worried that passengers coming into Texas are not being screened.

"The key aspect is monitoring the passengers, we need to make sure that if any passengers are sick or have flu-like symptoms that they are recommended to go see a physician when they get here to Dallas," he said.

The Americanos bus company in Dallas told News 8 over the phone that crews are disinfecting buses and keeping a close eye on the situation.

[hedgehog]

53. "Crews are disinfecting buses" What were they doing before,

letting people ride around in dirty buses?

[DearAbby]

52. I worry about the 55 MIllion without Healthcare insurance

they will postpone seeking medical help until it's dire. Self medicating to save money. This is a mess.

[Warren Stupidity]

54. I worry about our collapsed public healthcare system

closing beds in cities across the nation, we are not well equipped for a real crisis.

[Lucian]

57. Oh good god.

:eyes:

[FloridaJudy]

58. Oh noes!

The majority of my neighbors are Latino! Should I evacuate? <---:sarcasm:

There's no doubt this is a huge potential catastrophe, but there's no need to panic. Just be sensible: avoid crowds when possible. Make sure you wash your hands frequently, and encourage those around you to do so as well. Eat lots of fresh produce and get enough sleep: viruses can hit harder when you're run down. Call your doctor at the first sign of illness if you have any chronic disease or a history of respiratory problems. There are some medications that can lessen the severity of the flu.

This has always been the biggest threat: not bioterrorism, but a naturally evolving illness that gets into a population with little immunity. It's not a question of if but when.

Stay sane and be grateful that eight years of naming clueless ideologues to crucial scientific and health positions are over.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

62. Hey! Wait a minute!

In the 70's the punchline to the joke, "name a cure for which there is no disease" was 'the swine flu vaccination'.
It is extrememly interesting how this comes to be in the news at a most convenient time. The torture memos are picking up speed and then WHAM!
I'm skeptical................. how about you? :shrug:

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

63. Breaking - Forgetting he's not president any longer, Bush goes on vacation.

[Divine Discontent]

65. I know it's only about 10%-20% of posters, but I cannot believe the negative flippant sarcasm to

dozens dying of this flu in Mexico, and it having a 24-48 incubation period and you have to get treated within 48 hours of getting sick or the drugs don't work, and we had a hundred at the nation's largest Catholic school say they had flu symptoms and Bloomberg said many in their families are saying they're sick now, 8 confirmed have the flu out of 100 as of now, and yet, there's all this ridiculous scoffishness about it all from some pretty pissy people on here.

If you're elderly, have small kids, or know or work with immune-compromised people, this isn't funny or bullshit scare tactics, it's a cross species mutation of influenza - c'mon people, quit being weirdos. We're not screaming in the streets, we're telling how we're preparing, giving advice, and keeping up on this - lay off with the stupid comments or is that all you have in your life?

[Texasgal]

67. I don't think it's flippant

the Flu causes thousands of deaths annually all over the world. :shrug:

We should all be flowing basic hygiene practices all of the time...

[Divine Discontent]

69. we should, I agree. This isn't a normal strain, that's why the govt is getting so involved

they're simply trying to keep it from blowing up into an epidemic that will hurt those who are the weakest health wise. Nothing wrong with that.

Here's to our health! :)

[sufrommich]

70. Excellent post and I agree. nt

[Divine Discontent]

73. thank you! and kick! eom

[Liberal_in_LA]

71. anonymous posting on the web brings out the sarcastic and insenstive folks

:shrug: