94 replies to this topic

[ducky]

What about the grocery store, the gym, sporting events, retail stores, parks, restaurants, etc? I'm just wondering how we can honestly avoid exposure. I've just taken the stance that we are most likely going to catch it and we should hope for the best. I'm vigilant about hand-washing, but honestly, with kids, there isn't a lot you can do short of sequestering them.

As for the triathlete, I read somewhere that she had MRSA. I don't recall where I read that, or if it was confirmed, but that would mean she had other health issues.

eta: Also, avoid the ER as much as possible. If you think you or your child may have the flu (H1N1 or other), call the doctor, rather than going to the ER.

Very level-headed attitude. Frankly, I'm wondering if I and my family haven't already had it. We all had a respiratory type of cold/flu in the spring. I went to Kaiser but they wouldn't test for it. I didn't really worry about it because it felt like any other flu except the cough took a long time to go away.

Does anyone know if you've already had H1N1 if you will still need a vaccine or are you better off without it since your body has already fought it off?

[cw68]

Like I have said before, if I had children in school, I'd be keeping them home this winter, and doing home schooling. The lives of my children would be far more important than to risk the authorities being wrong or the threat being down played in order for commerce/education to proceed as usual.

All great in theory, but what do those of us who can't homeschool do? My children's lives are paramount to me, but I can't just NOT work and it's not because commerce is more important, nor is it because education needs to proceed as usual. It's reality. I have one income for my family and can't just choose to stay home.

"It's the economy, stupid." But not the nation's economy - mine!

[randb]

Statistically your child is far more likely to die on the way to school then they are to ever die of swine flu. I'm just sayin'.

[Dave Burrell]

Statistically your child is far more likely to die on the way to school then they are to ever die of swine flu. I'm just sayin'.

very true

[forumreader]

I am not unconcerned about a major swine flu outbreak. However, it is very frustrating to wade through the media hype to make intelligent decisions.

The title of the "Telegraph" article is just one more example of media hype or inaccurate reporting. There has been no outbreak of H1N1 at Vista. A Vista student became ill BEFORE school and orientation began. As stacycam pointed out, it is much more likely that someone in the community had contact with the student at the movie theatre, a retail store, a restaurant, etc. Why heighten the worries among parents, teachers and students?

Hopefully schools are taking preemptive measures this first week, and discussing the steps we can take to not share germs (i.e. proper handwashing, sneezing/coughing manners, staying home if you are ill, etc.).

Randb pointed out that statistically speaking, a child is at greater risk of dying due to injury on the trips to and from school. Also important to keep in mind is that more people died from the effects of the swine flu shot in the 1970s than did from the disease itself in this country. Consider the ill effects of the anthrax vaccine mandated for our military. The Gardisil vaccine is a prime example of how marketing can create a "need" for a vaccine that has demonstrated dangerous and serious side effects.

I am concerned about the rush toward mass vaccination with the new (experimental) swine flu shot.....Thimerosol and squalene are adjuvant ingredients. These are know toxins, and ironically, these toxins are more likely to be dangerous to the "priority" groups (i.e. young children, pregnant women, etc.) that are targeted for the first round of available vaccine.

I'd urge all to do their homework before putting such faith in the FDA, WHO and CDC, and running out to get the vaccine.

[asbestoshills]

Why do they put thimersol and squalene in the vaccines when it's not necessary? Are there not safer alternatives? Also, to me the most important thing is to have a test that can tell you if you have the swine flu immediately...This is the easiest way to treat it, instead of taking days to actually diagnose the patient, then they become to sick for treatment...Also, I'm not so sure it's a good thing to be making flu shots....Perhaps all of these flu shots are creating more resistant strains b/c each year they seem to get worse...

[ducky]

I am not unconcerned about a major swine flu outbreak. However, it is very frustrating to wade through the media hype to make intelligent decisions.

The title of the "Telegraph" article is just one more example of media hype or inaccurate reporting. There has been no outbreak of H1N1 at Vista. A Vista student became ill BEFORE school and orientation began. As stacycam pointed out, it is much more likely that someone in the community had contact with the student at the movie theatre, a retail store, a restaurant, etc. Why heighten the worries among parents, teachers and students?

Hopefully schools are taking preemptive measures this first week, and discussing the steps we can take to not share germs (i.e. proper handwashing, sneezing/coughing manners, staying home if you are ill, etc.).

Randb pointed out that statistically speaking, a child is at greater risk of dying due to injury on the trips to and from school. Also important to keep in mind is that more people died from the effects of the swine flu shot in the 1970s than did from the disease itself in this country. Consider the ill effects of the anthrax vaccine mandated for our military. The Gardisil vaccine is a prime example of how marketing can create a "need" for a vaccine that has demonstrated dangerous and serious side effects.

I am concerned about the rush toward mass vaccination with the new (experimental) swine flu shot.....Thimerosol and squalene are adjuvant ingredients. These are know toxins, and ironically, these toxins are more likely to be dangerous to the "priority" groups (i.e. young children, pregnant women, etc.) that are targeted for the first round of available vaccine.

I'd urge all to do their homework before putting such faith in the FDA, WHO and CDC, and running out to get the vaccine.

Another good post. I am more afraid of the vaccine than getting the swine flu.

[bordercolliefan]

Yes, I'm nervous about the vaccine, too. There is a syndrome -- Guillian Barr (wrong spelling), I believe -- that one can get EITHER from a virus or from a vaccine containing weakened/killed virus. During the last swine flu epidemic, a lot of people got Guillian Barr from the vaccine.

Last night I was trying to tell myself that a kid is more likely to die in a car accident, etc. It didn't really work to calm my fears! I think the difference is that somehow we FEEL we have more control over things like car accidents -- I always drive carefully, under the speed limit, etc. I realize this sense of control is more psychological than real...

[wreathlady]

Why do they put thimersol and squalene in the vaccines when it's not necessary? Are there not safer alternatives? Also, to me the most important thing is to have a test that can tell you if you have the swine flu immediately...This is the easiest way to treat it, instead of taking days to actually diagnose the patient, then they become to sick for treatment...Also, I'm not so sure it's a good thing to be making flu shots....Perhaps all of these flu shots are creating more resistant strains b/c each year they seem to get worse...

I agree with forum reader and asbestos hills. Firstly, the main prevention is hygiene. But kids are kids, but I hope Folsom is teaching that this first week. You have all seen my previous posts and I totally agree with the vaccination issue until it proven and this one is not and in my opinion a big money maker. I am not downsizing the seriousness of it, but we all need to do our homework and not be pushed into anything without checking into the safety of it. They put all types of toxins in these vaccines. I guess it makes it work better for them.
No one knows how this is going to play out, no one, because it is a new virus, so if they do not know then how can they give us a vaccine, when they do not even know if it is going to mutate. At that point, it is a mute point anyway.
I just pray for the safety of all of us and I too agree and do not trust the CDC or WHO, they know things and are not telling us. My opinion only.

[AMETHYST PRODUCTIVITY]

Just published on the BEE.

Four swine flu cases confirmed at Granite Bay High School
mgutierrez@sacbee.com
Published Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009

Granite Bay High School has four confirmed cases of swine flu and another 11 students reporting flu-like symptoms, school administrators said Tuesday.

None of the four students with a confirmed case attended classes that began Monday. Three of the four cases are members of the school band.

Granite Bay principal Michael McGuire said the first case was confirmed last week during a band camp at the school, which was attended by 130 students. McGuire said he notified parents of band members through a voice message service and through email. Another message is being prepared for all parents after the school sent home several students with flu-like symptoms during the last two days.

"We aren't taking any chances," McGuire said. "If kids are complaining they are sick, we send them home. Where parents used to say tough it out or a teacher says put your head down, that is no longer the plan."

Granite Bay isn't the only school with a confirmed case of the H1N1 virus. A ninth grader at Vista del Lago High School in Folsom was diagnosed Friday with the virus. She had not attended school, which also began for that district on Monday.

At Granite Bay, McGuire said he will continue to monitor how many students report symptoms and he asks that parents get their children tested if they suspect swine flu.

"As soon as I heard of the first case with band, the first question that comes to mind is how many kids was that band kid in contact with?" McGuire said. "But, there is no way to predict if we have spiked at four (confirmed cases) and we'll level off."

[Robert Giacometti]

All great in theory, but what do those of us who can't homeschool do? My children's lives are paramount to me, but I can't just NOT work and it's not because commerce is more important, nor is it because education needs to proceed as usual. It's reality. I have one income for my family and can't just choose to stay home.

"It's the economy, stupid." But not the nation's economy - mine!

They just increased the amount of funds that single stay at home moms get. Maybe if they keep rasing the incentive to stay at home, instead of working, you can home school your kids and make more money.

[Baldguy]

I am a confirmed H1N1 survivor of about two weeks. I'm male and 46 yrs old and I'm not sure how I contracted it; it's possible my son was a carrier since he was in contact with another confirmed case in Cameron Park. We live in EDH.

Here is my experience.

• Tues, at work with a cough that I thought was allergy related. By the time I got home, I felt very very tired.
• Weds, home from work with aches, chills, 102.5 fever, and massive coughing weezing chest congestion. Still have appetite and drinking tons of fluids.
• Thurs, wife looks up symptoms on internet and says it sounds like H1N1. Calls Dr. and makes appt. Dr visit involves vital signs, treatment on asthma nebulizer (sp), test for H1N1, prescription for Tamilflu and inhaler. Note: I'm not asthmatic.
• Fri, Tamilflu is fighting the virus and I'm out of bed. Fever back to almost normal. No appetite possibly due to the Tamilflu also have headache. Cough is subsiding.
• Sat. same as Fri and still have headache.
• Sun. I stop taking the Tamiflu as I don't have an appetitie, my vision is a little blurry, and the headache is still there.
• Mon, Up and about the house. Headache is gone, temp back to normal.
• Tues. back to work. Still have a little cough.

On Thurs, one week after the dr. visit the Dr. calls with the positive results of the test. That's a long time. Says that I'm contagious for seven days after initial onset of the flu. Initial onset would be Tuesday.

In my opinion, this flu was bad, but not nearly as bad as flus I've had in the past. It is highly contagious, but the rest of my family was able to avoid it. I am now immuned to this strain of the virus. I would suspect that people with respiratory problems as well as the young and very old, would have a hard time with this virus.

As for the nurse triathlete that died from complications of the virus, I'd venture to guess that she died from pneumonia and due to her work she more than likely was resistant to the antibiotics that are used to fight the pneumonia infection.

[Moon over my Hammy]

Do we know what elementary school the Vista's sibling goes to?

[bordercolliefan]

Also, it would be nice (hopefully reassuring) if we knew the course of the 4 confirmed and 11 suspected cases at Granite Bay. Were any of them hospitalized? Have they all recovered? Let's hope.

[Darth Lefty]

Statistically your child is far more likely to die on the way to school then they are to ever die of swine flu. I'm just sayin'.

This would be true if there weren't a confirmed case at the school.