WHO raises alert status to five and what it means

[nadinbrzezinski]

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/index.html

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html

Ok here is what the levels mean

Like any disaster plan, and this is what it is, with each uptick emergency measures that member countries have to take come into place

We are now, by the WHO definition in the pandemic stage

This means that your local health authorities have the authority, legal and otherwise, to take measures community wide

So far we have seen isolated cases of people ordered into quarantine... now most people don't realize that this does not mean packing up and going to a guv'ment place, unless you are actively infectious and sick... deadly ill, in which case the place will be your local Hospital

Some things that may happen (wait Perry started this already) is what you saw happen in Mexico... they first started by closing museums and other places, and yesterday they essentially closed down the city. Now that is quite standard to try to slow it down. Perry has cancelled all sports events, at the HS level, this is probably the beginning

We will also see more widespread school closings as well as child care facilities... and we conceivably could see movie houses, shopping centers and other places closed. Think of the economic effect

So yes, that is what these alerts mean... and those meassures are taken by Public Health Authorities to try to short circuilt the progress of the disease

Now Mexico was reporting that the rate of infection MIGHT be stabilizing, I need to troll the Mexican Media, if that is the case, thank the pretty draconian measures taken.

Now common sense means you should get ready to spend some time at home... DHS has the protocols in place

And no, this is not panic inducing, just common sense

(Necessary disclaimer: If this scares you I am sorry, and I feel sorry you need to belittle this information)

[LaurenG]

1. Thanks - I have always trusted your no nonsense approach regarding

safety measures. You did a great job with teaching us about water guidelines - so I hope you don't get any flak from this. edited for link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3441130

:hi:

[JuniperLea]

2. Common sense! Hear, hear!

To be forewarned is to be forearmed!

Thank you, nadinbrzezinski, for staying on top of this. I for one do not have the time to search around for all of the excellent information you and others have provided.

[kestrel91316]

3. I don't think there have been any formal quarantines. In the US the policy is

just voluntary isolation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. CDC orders them rarely, they have authority thought

now local official on the other hand... fear... they may order them

[kestrel91316]

6. I doubt it. Unless this turns out to be much more deadly than normal

flu it wouldn't just be silly overreaction, it would be insane.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. I count on the insanity of local officials

my mayor for example

Or a few others in this county

Or the even worst county officers

Yep, I count on STOOPID happening and I am always glad when it does not

(For the Record san diego has a fairly largish cluster, nothing like NYC, but still)

[uppityperson]

5. It also means they are diagnosing more people, have more diagnostic tools, and are able

to do more testing and monitoring. I'm glad they are taking this seriously, but from the press conference it seems there is much more concern about lesser developed countries and countries without as "good" health care as the USA.

In which case, snarking comment, the world is f*d.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Yep, WHO has always warned that in a pandemic

the emerging economies (current PC term) would get most of the hits

[BuyingThyme]

7. Sorry Nad, but you're way off the reservation now.

The WHO does not assign authority to members of our government to do anything. Ever.

Further, the WHO is fucking up royally in that the rhetoric accompanying the latest statement does not justify the conditions required to move to phase five.

This does not mean we're all not going to die very soon; it just means that what you are saying is not true.

[LaurenG]

11. Other than the WHO - it could be FEMA in charge, what is off about the post?

:shrug:

[BuyingThyme]

18. In charge of what?

[LaurenG]

24. the assignment of power - other than that, which I have no clue about nor do I care,

who is taking over, what was wrong with the post?

[BuyingThyme]

25. Nobody is taking over anything.

We have laws in place which allow various health agencies at various levels of government to take action if or as necessary.

[LaurenG]

26. OK I can tell I'm not getting my point accross... nevermind.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I am off the reservation? Why don't you go read on the

international agreements and national plans and trigger events, see bird flu agreements

We signed them

And yes, the DHS already has the authority by the by

See NATIONAL DECLARATION OF HEALTH EMERGENCY on SUNDAY

[BuyingThyme]

17. You seem to have completely abandoned your WHO post and are now

talking about some other stuff.

The WHO's statement does not give authority to anybody in this country to do anything. Nor does the WHO statement mean that we will be taking a different approach to the swine flu. That doesn't mean we won't, however. (I'm talking about the health organization, not the band.)

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Yes it does

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/nationalpandemic/en/index.html

United States of America

- HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan

Notice we are part of this list

You try to connect some dots now ok

By the way, like AIDs in Africa this was actually shepherd by one President Bush in 2005 iirc, and the agreements that followed

Purely a case of stuck clock is right twice a day

[sfpcjock]

8. Don't know: just use your sanitary precautions

and avoid unnecessary travel. WHO probably decided that existing flu shot stocks are not adequate and that they need to distribute Tamiflu. Not sure.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Trigger is person to person infection in NYC, I am willing to bet

and Spain

Has little to do with the flu shot

After all the CURRENT vaccine for this year's flu does not work against THIS STRAIN

In fact, one of the effects though is that instead of playing the guessing game for next year's strain, they are now going to produce a vaccine for the H1N1, and it will not be ready until September at the earliest

If this behaves like the other pandemics, it will be the H1N1 anyway... see waves

[sfpcjock]

31. I think this years flu shot may convey some immunity

That is what Laurie Garrett from Council on foreign relations said Monday on Charlie Rose. Video here:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/clip/10265">Charlie Rose, Daily Highlights Monday April 27, 2009

below is a link for the whole segment that's about 10 minutes long.

[Mojorabbit]

15. The existing flu shot does not work for this flu

and we do not have enought tamiflu tor the US population. The worry is it may mutate into something more serious but I am still surprised they upped the level to 5.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5543387&mesg_id=5561803
A couple of weeks of groceries would be a good idea just in case.

[uppityperson]

16. regarding the vaccine, they don't have one made for this strain yet

this is a newly found virus and they are just in the process of making vaccines now.

[Fumesucker]

14. Thanks for keeping us informed..

You are providing a public service and I know a great many of us appreciate it.

It's now what we don't know that hurts us so much as that which we think we know that isn't so.

[oregonjen]

20. Do you think closing schools for a couple of days would be in order?

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. I have no access to the full data

but if it were me... I'd consider that in NYC, where they seem to have a large cluster

as well as a couple other areas where we seem to have largish clusters

Fortunately I am not the one making that decision... because it comes with the child care concerns and cabin fever

[earth mom]

22. Wow, you just love fanning the flames of fear don't you? You did it with the bailout & now the flu.

:eyes:

:thumbsdown:

[oregonjen]

23. My husband's Japanese company has asked its employees to not travel by air

His company is not panicking, but trying to protect its employees and the country of Japan as a whole.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Read the disclaimer I put at the end

Oh here you go

If information scares you, I am sorry; if you need to belittle the information in this post, in this case your problem

:-)

[AngryOldDem]

28. How is she "fanning the flames"?

There is so much technical information and conflicting information and just plain unintelligble information that it's good to have a breakdown of what this all means.

Forewarned is forearmed.

[uppityperson]

29. Level/phase indicates spread, not deaths.

Raising the level opens up other things to help prevent further spread and deaths.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Exactly why the authority that goes to national plans

and expected actions

Now her worlds this is the first time we see this in real time... well not quite SARS also we did... but it wasn't as exciting

[Iggo]

32. First base!