Swine Flu: What Are You Thoughts

Hi M.:

In my opinion, the whole thing is so blown out of proportion. Just look at how many people die every year from the regular flu. Health officials say that this flu strain isn't more aggressive than the human flu, so just take regular flu season precaustions and you should be fine.

Have a great one and stay healthy!

Cheers S.

M. - I am SO not worried about it at all.
My husband is Mexican (but no worries, he hasn't been back for 12 years) and we talk to his family quite a bit. So, here's what we have learned from "ground zero"
In Mexico, if you get sick and go to the doctor, you must pay first to see the doctor. There is no "bill me later". This is not only for sicknesses, but also broken bones, LABOR, shots, anything. So what happens? People get sick and they wait. They go to their neighborhood "nurse" (usually an older woman who treats things with herbs) in the hopes that they feel better. They wait until it is sooo bad, and then round up the money to go to the doctor. FOR US, it doesn't seem like that much money, $50-$100, but that is what someone's MONTHLY salary may be (at least in the "poorer" sections of Mexico.....are there rich? OH YEAH, CABO, CANCUN....tourist) and most people are not willing to fork over their monthly salary unless necessary. AND THEN, you have to pay for medications...you can't afford it, too bad.
WATER is not something you can just turn the tap on. It is disgusting and will make you sick. It is hard to keep yourself hydrated if you can't drink the water...but you could buy it or buy gatorade with the piddly $30 a week you make!
People in Mexico City (where the "outbreak" occured) live on top of each other (practically). They are breathing out while someone else is breathing in. Think, 3-4 families in the same 2 bedroom house.
I looked it up on the internet a couple of days ago when this whole thing was starting up. My numbers are not the same as Zoe's but they are along the same line. 20,000 people a year die from normal flu, at least 100,000 are hospitalized.
Take the same preventative measures you take during the normal flu season (wash hands, cover mouths, ect).
Don't you rememebr a few years ago, SARS, Bird Flu...what ever came from that?
(oh yeah, I didn't read that the swine flu came from fruits and veggies....just do everything normal!)
L.
Also, if you think about pulling your daughter out of preschool....will you stop going to the grocery store, neighborhood parks, SEATTLE (which just closed 3 schools for the week), gas stations (the pumps), library, mall.....I mean, there are so many places you come into contact with other people!

did the research. not worried. in fact, i agree with pretty much everything zoe said. i'd like to add a couple points.
--only 8 of the deaths in mexico are actually contributed to swine flu; the others are suspected but unfounded.
--there are only 108 confirmed cases in the states. that's so much less than 1% of the US population, to put that in perspective for you.
--swine flu isn't new. there were 12 cases in the states between 2005 and 2009, and no one died.
--did you know, the mexican government had known about this for weeks, and didn't do anything about it until after obama's visit a couple weeks ago? their poor response to this is what's caused the outbreak, not that this is particularly horrible or anything. also, mexico isn't exactly known for its water quality, and clean water is paramount in treatment of any disease, including the common cold. in fact, it's entirely likely that some of the deaths were a combination of many factors, and not swine flu alone.

so yeah. i understand your concern, but arm yourself with facts and information before you panic.

Hey M.,

I'm pretty relaxed at this point and we're not going to take our dd out of preschool. If you and your family have medical insurance, I especially would not be overly concerned.

That being said, I would definitely take into consideration how carefully your preschool monitors hand-washing and keeping the place clean.

My dd's current preschool is meticulous about disinfecting everything and making sure the children wash hands a lot AND that the children wash their hands thoroughly with warm water and soap.

My dd's former daycare, while a very loving place, was not as meticulous. Once a child was potty-trained or able to step on a stool and put their hands in the sink, the daycare provider would simply say, "go wash your hands," and trust that all these 2, 3 and 4 year olds would wash their hands well. I know for a fact they didn't (I was there at various times and witnessed my own 2 year old daughter simply shove her hands under the water and then run out to eat a snack with the others).

So, if my daughter was still at the other daycare, I would be more concerned. The kids there got sick a lot. The kids at her current preschool don't get sick very often.

Finally, what Zoe said about the flu is true - thousands die every year from flu in this country and thousands more outside of this country. This new Swine Flu is scary because it's a new strain and there currently exists no vaccine for it. People don't want the strain to spread so quickly that our hospitals and medical staff simply can't reach everyone in time.

My advice is: keep up on the news, have everyone wash their hands like crazy, eat healthy foods, and be ready to go to the doctor asap if anyone has a fever plus other symptoms.

I feel that it doesn't make any sense for everyone to freak out and just stay home. The health department says to wash your hands, sneeze or cough into a tissue, and wash your hands and stay home if sick. This flu is not all that different from everything else that our children can catch out there. Just make sure that your daughter's preschool has strict hand washing policies and disinfects their toys and tables.

My son was a little bit concerned about swine flu, so I went to the CDC website and read about it for him. The symptoms are basically the same as they are for regular flu. The ways to stay healthy are the same as for regular flu. I think the main difference between this flu and the regular flu is that people are panicking over this one. It spreads more quickly because people don't have immunity to it the way we do for some other flus.

I intend to let my kids go to school. I will have them wash their hands before they eat. I'll do the things I usually do to keep them healthy.

Also, another thing to consider - other than the Mexican toddler who died, all the other cases in the U.S. have been pretty mild.

There is a product called Fit Fruit and Vegetable Wash. You may be able to find it in your grocer's produce section. I know that QFC sells it.

As far as the swine flu is concerned, I will follow the same things I do for any flu - I'll wash my hands, sneeze/cough in my sleeve, stay home if sick, and keep my hands away from my face. The most important thing is to not panic.

i fully understand your concern. I leave tomorrow night to spend a week in Disneyland with my kids. Afer I heard CNN reporting a pandemic, I got a bit nervous and called my dr. I was told just to take normal precautions like washing hand all the time, and avoid people that have signs of being sick. not much more than we do already. I have gotten masks for me and the kids to wear on the plane to hopefully reduce how many germs we are exposed too on our fights. We will be taking extra sanitizer too. As close as California is to Mexico it was only the 3rd highest number of confirmed cases (14). Texas had more and one death and New York has had 50 confirmed cases so far.

here is what was sent from my sons school:

From Nurse Martha…

Families and staff members should know the importance of prevention and how to stay safe.

What You Can Do To Prevent the Spread of H1N1 Flu

· Sneeze or cough into a tissue, elbow or sleeve. Throw the tissue in the trash after use.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

· If you are sick, stay home.

Symptoms of H1N1 Flu

· Fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue.

Please remember that students should stay home when they have any of the following symptoms: fever (temperature 100 degrees or higher), vomiting or diarrhea, blistery rash, heavy nasal congestion or frequent cough and if your child has been diagnosed with a contagious disease.

It just boils down to taking care of yourself and limiting exposing others. When I worked, nothing was more annoying about my bosses than them being upset when I stayed home sick and yet they would be upset if I came into work sick and got them and others sick. It was a no win situation. I hope the info has made you feel a bit better.

I agree - it's blown out of proportion, just in time for the national Healthcare Bill.

For a reality check to balance the hype, here's a good article regarding this issue:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/0...

Wash hands well after playing in public areas, get as much sun as you and your kids can get this time of year (to boost Vitamin D) or get a supplement, and avoid processed foods and sugar and eat lots of fresh fruits/veggies. This will go a long way to keeping your immune system in tip top fighting shape.

Blessings,
J. (mom of 5)

It's okay to take necessary precautions anyway, but no need to panic. I learned that if you panic, it puts everything on hold. Personally myself, I have faith that the right people will make sure that this epidemic...of sorts, will be corralled to ensure the safety of the public. I work in the in home health care field and on a daily basis I do what I can in my home to teach my son what steps are necessary to make sure we are safe no matter where we go...I.E...washing hands after bathroom and etc... Since I'm also 5 mo preg, I definitely want to make sure that I follow through with steps to keep myself and my family safe. *hug* :D

I think it is very important to be cautious and careful, but it is equally important not to panic. Every doctor interviewed on television and radio, as well as in speaking with my own children's ped this week ( three of my four children had a flu bug this week)ALL stress the importance of contunuing to live.

Does your daughter's preschool have any other students or teachers who have traveled in the last few weeks, particularly to Mexico? If not, then I wouldn't pull her out just for the sake of the swine flu. My children attend a dual immersion language school where 50% of the population are spanish speakers from Mexico and Central America. Not one single child has had the swine flu, and my own ped suggested the idea of pulling them out would be an overreaction.

Washing fresh fruits and vegetables in water or the fruit and veggie wash is always a good idea, as is changing knives between each product. If you are really worried, you can buy frozen for a couple of weeks, there is no loss in nutrition.

Yes, its scary, but so is every other sickness. The media is hyping this beyond belief. Talk to your Dr, do some serious research. Most of the people who have died, tragic as it is, have died from underlying causes or secondary infections ( such as pneumonia) that went undected and untreated by a substandard health care system.

Best of luck to us all !

GREAT QUESTION!!!

I'm with you on this subject. I am curious what others are going to do and when should we start taking our kids out of school? Along with what others will be doing to keep from getting it? I hope you get tons of suggestions :)

My son is neutropenic, which means he doesn't make enough of a particular type of white blood cell (the ones I call first responders) to fight infection. We just saw our pediatrician yesterday for his 18-month well baby check up and this topic did come up (we'd heard her office had been inundated with calls from concerned parents). Our pediatrician's advice was to consider canceling any travel plans to Mexico (we didn't have any) and follow normal cold prevention things (like washing hands, sneezing in a way that contains the germs, avoiding sick people, etc.).

It might be worth a conversation with the folks at your preschool. You could ask about their prevention methods and whether or not they know of any students, parents or employees who might have come in contact with an infected person. Also, it might be nice to hear what they plan on doing should someone become sick.

I think you can still wash fruits and veggies with water - this flu, while obviously a big concern, is not something that you would pick up more easily than any other illness you could get...I have not seen that it is linked to washing fruits and vegetables...

Okay, this is just my opinion, yu don't have to agree with it. The media is freaking us out for nothing. There is an influenza virus rapidly spreading, yes, but there are not enough deaths for this disease to scare me. there has (at least since yesterday) only been one death in America. Other countries don't necessarily have the healthcare facilities like we do, and possibly why people are dying over there. Yes, I agree, wash your hands, cover your sneezes and coughs, check with your doctor if you start feeling flu-like, but people don't let this run your lives. Your kids need an education and need to be exposed to germs in order for their immunities to grow.

In all, this isn't the plague people. Stay calm and continue on with your lives. thank you for letting me state my opinion, and hopefully you all keep an open mind.

We use a fruit and vegetable wash that I buy at Trader Joe's, but is also available in the natural foods section of stores like Fred Meyer. It works well and gets off the wax and junk that is regularly added to produce.