Swine Flu

You know, the ordinary flu manages to kill people every year - yet you don't hear about that. It tends to wipe out people with compromised immune systems, elderly and in general the biggest cause of death tends to be from dehydration!

Goes back to drinking your fluids, resting, keeping your fever as controlled as possible. Same thing with the swine flu. Yes, wash your hands, keep rested, etc. I'm going to DC second week in June and that was the first thing that popped into my head was "Geez, maybe I shouldn't fly, shouldn't ride the train down there, etc." and yet here I work at a state university and have a part-time job at a very busy restaurant and really I'm probably just as vulnerable there than anywhere else.

Live your lives!
 
We had a nice three hour meeting today on this issue at my work. I work for a Global Health Care Company, and we are also now at alert status 5.

We have implemented our business continuity plan to ensure we can continue to operate in the event of a pandemic, which means we have pandemic managers located at all our sites worldwide to over see continued operations no matter what. Right now we are trying to stay up with the high demand from our customers (both doctor offices and hospitals) for Tamiflu, Relenza, masks, gowns, gloves and hand sanitizer, etc.. but we were told today that if any of our regions or distribution centers has just one reported case of the H1N1 flu they will be on immediate shut down. We'll either work from home if we are laptop equiped or have a little vacation courtsey of the company. We will just have to move product through other channels. We also have a plan in place to increase the production of our respiratory systems if needed.


Am I worried? Not really



Did I use the antibacterial wipes that were sitting by the copy machine today when I went to use it? Yup
 
I think it's out of control. There was one possible case in my son's school district and they closed the entire city for 2 days. They've passed out hand sanitizer at work and I refuse to use it. I hate the smell, it dries out my hands. Besides if every body else in the company is using the sanitizer, then there is no reason that I need to use it as well, right? By proxy, I'm not getting germs from anyone at work.

*sigh*

I do have a plastic pig nose that I think Im just going to start wearing all around.

-MetalRose
 
I do have a plastic pig nose that I think Im just going to start wearing all around.

-MetalRose
Only from the mad mind of MetalRose would we get this hehehehehehehehe


It is truely on the verge of being out of control, we have had 8 cases of Human type A flu confirmed here so they sent the samples to CDC for further test. Okay not to bad, but my better half is having to work like 14 to 16 hours a day(all Clinical Lab Scientist in the lab she works are doing the same) just to keep up with the 800 to 1,000 people a day that show up in the ER because they have a runny nose. But one good thing woooohooooo the overtime pay, and at over $1500 a pop for the ER visit the Lab and Hospital are making out, but I would like to see my better half some.
 
The high school in my town got shut down a few days ago until next monday, as did another local school due to multiple cases. The school I work at in the town next door is pretty much ready to pull the trigger too on closing the doors for a few days.
 
If I remember correctly:

The Servsave (national food service safety authority) course that is required to be learned by part of your staff in any food based establishment bases an outbreak of any illness as two or more cases.

With that being said, in a nation of about....600 million or so, I just consider this another form of population control.
 
It is truely on the verge of being out of control, we have had 8 cases of Human type A flu confirmed here so they sent the samples to CDC for further test. Okay not to bad, but my better half is having to work like 14 to 16 hours a day(all Clinical Lab Scientist in the lab she works are doing the same) just to keep up with the 800 to 1,000 people a day that show up in the ER because they have a runny nose. But one good thing woooohooooo the overtime pay, and at over $1500 a pop for the ER visit the Lab and Hospital are making out, but I would like to see my better half some.

Yup, same at my lab. We're doing over a hundred flu PCRs a day (normally this time of year, we'd be doing about 10% of that) and sending all our positives to the CDC... and we're only *one* of the huge medical labs in the area. At least you live in Texas, and there's an actual *chance* that someone there might have the bug.

I've had a head cold for the past few days... my coworkers are jokingly accusing me of having the "swine flu", "elephant flu", "rhinoceros flu"... you name it, I've got it. :lol:

Look forward to the paycheck, and how much fun it will be to spend it after this all blows over. :)
 
Yup, same at my lab. We're doing over a hundred flu PCRs a day (normally this time of year, we'd be doing about 10% of that) and sending all our positives to the CDC... and we're only *one* of the huge medical labs in the area. At least you live in Texas, and there's an actual *chance* that someone there might have the bug.

I've had a head cold for the past few days... my coworkers are jokingly accusing me of having the "swine flu", "elephant flu", "rhinoceros flu"... you name it, I've got it. :lol:

Look forward to the paycheck, and how much fun it will be to spend it after this all blows over. :)

No Shit Sherlock, that pay check is going to be tremendous, and at a good time also with our vacation to Hawaii and then Finland coming up. Also same here I have had a touch of a cold, and my better half keeps threatening to draw a sample and send it in for testing, she calls it the "Progressive" Metalhead flu.:headbang::headbang::headbang:
 
I believe kids all over America have caught the swine flu. Symptoms are a bad haircut, bad hair dye, and bad makeup. Also it causes them to uncontrollably bree to trite music.

Here is video evidence:

 
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Goes back to drinking your fluids, resting, keeping your fever as controlled as possible. Same thing with the swine flu. Yes, wash your hands, keep rested, etc. I'm going to DC second week in June and that was the first thing that popped into my head was "Geez, maybe I shouldn't fly, shouldn't ride the train down there, etc."

heh. According to our illustrious Vice President, Joe "please keep your mouth SHUT" Biden, taking a plane or a train or any public transit was the last thing you'd want to do. --Until the Obama Administration stomped on his comment like a burning bag of dog poo on your porch.

I've noted most of the press coverage on H1N1 is now downplaying the severity of the outbreak, so we can begin treating this as "the little news-story that tried."
 
I've noted most of the press coverage on H1N1 is now downplaying the severity of the outbreak, so we can begin treating this as "the little news-story that tried."



No. Perhaps the severity of the actual virus is being downplayed, but is ability to spread has not been downplayed at all. The totals have grown daily, as has the list of countries affected.


The problem is that everyone wants to be a cynic and label this as hype, a political stunt, etc. The reality is pretty damn simple and its called "better safe than sorry."


And...it's been fairly well publicized that the major concern is the second and third waves that may potentially hit next fall/winter. Historically, those have been much more devastating regarding flu pandemics.


So yeah...guess I must've missed all the downplaying.
 
One of the major reasons that this "Outbreak" is waining is the time of year. Flu viruses can't not survive in the warm, humid air that is around at this time of year, yes the virus is spreading quickly but not as quickly as it would in the fall and winter. Most CLS.s (that's Clinical Lab Scientist) beleive it will die out by the end of May, but may come roaring back in Nov and Dec, but by then there will be a vaccine available.