Posted on 04/24/2009 2:42:42 PM PDT by Crazieman
CTV EXCLUSIVE: Two quarantined at Lakeshore General after returning from Mexico
Updated: Sat Apr. 25 2009 2:15:47 PM
ctvmontreal.ca
Two Montrealers are under quarantine at the Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe-Claire after vacationing in Mexico, CTV News has learned.
In a telephone interview with CTV Montreal’s Rob Lurie, hospital spokesperson Louis-Pascal Cyr confirmed that the patients were put in isolation as a precaution, because of a deadly swine flu outbreak in Mexico.
Health officials in that country are scrambling to contain a severe strain of flu that is believed to have killed dozens of people, and caused hundreds more to fall ill.
According to WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl, at least 62 people have died in Mexico from severe pneumonia caused by the flu-like illness.
Mexican officials put the death toll at 68, with 20 confirmed to be linked to the new swine flu strain, known as A H1N1.
“Because of the guidelines sent out by the Health Ministry, we’re taking no chances with anyone coming from Mexico, and presenting with flu-like symptoms. Those people are being put in isolation for further investigation,” said Cyr.
“So far, we have no reason to believe that this is the swine virus, but we are investigating. There is a good possibility this is something more common,” he added.
Daughters speak out
Tanya Whelan, the daughter of one of the patients under quarantine, said her mother returned from Mexico in late march, and has been feeling sick ever since.
Whelan said her mother went to see a doctor, who informed her she had a virus that would eventually go away on its own.
Weeks later, she was still suffering from a number of symptoms, including respiratory problems and fever.
“She still felt very ill after having been on antibiotics. It’s been a month since she’s been home and her symptoms have not gone away,” said Whelan.
Tanya’s sister, Monica Whelan, said they were both surprised to learn that their mother was so sick.
“My mother never catches a cold, and she’s always very strong,” she said.
WHO convenes emergency meeting
The head of the World Health Organization has convened an emergency meeting at the agency’s headquarters to determine if it’s necessary to raise the pandemic alert level, as officials work to contain the deadly swine flu outbreak.
Margaret Chan cut short a visit to Washington and returned to the WHO’s Strategic Health Operation Center in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday, and was immediately briefed on the latest developments.
The strain has not been previously diagnosed in either pigs or humans and appears to spread easily from human to human.
More than 1,000 people in Mexico have fallen ill, sparking concerns of a pending public health crisis.
The mayor of Mexico City mayor has cancelled all public events for 10 days, in an effort to contain the swine flu outbreak.
Warning from Canadian health officials
An advisory sent by the Public Health Agency of Canada to health services across Canada warns that Canadians who have recently vacationed in Mexico should stay on alert for severe flu-like symptoms that could be connected to the respiratory illness that has surfaced in that country.
Anyone who has returned from Mexico within the last two weeks and is suffering the following symptoms should contact a physician:
fever
cough
sore throat
shortness of breath
muscle and joint pain
extreme fatigue
My earlier comment with the link is #196.
As far away as Hong Kong and Japan, health officials said they were stepping up surveillance of travelers for flu-like symptoms.
No countries or global bodies have issued travel alerts about Mexico, but a significant worsening of the flu outbreak could damage the tourism and retail sectors in an economy already hit hard by the global crisis.
MORE CASES COULD EMERGE
The WHO says the virus from 12 of the Mexican patients is genetically the same as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas. All of the eight later recovered.
Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working on a vaccine against the new strain but it could take months to make.
More cases could come to light as patients are tested in California, said Dr. Gil Chavez, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health and the state’s chief epidemiologist. “The more we look the more we are likely to find,” he said.
In New York City, health officials were looking into what had sickened scores of students who fell ill with flu-like symptoms in a Queens high school on Thursday and Friday, although the symptoms were reported as mild.
“At this point we have no evidence to say what’s going on in New York is related to this,” Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, told CNN.
Little can be done to prevent an outbreak of flu from spreading, health experts warn, but common sense measures can help people protect themselves. No. 1 is hand-washing.
In Hong Kong, the epicenter of the 2003 SARS epidemic and a city especially vigilant about any threat of infectious disease, the government said it was ramping up safety checks at airports and the border. Authorities have also said they would analyze flu samples in the territory.
Cordova said Mexico had 1 million doses of antiviral medicine, easily enough to treat the cases reported so far. Roche AG’s Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline’s Relenza are both recommended to treat flu and have been shown to work against viral samples taken from the eight people infected in the United States.
Last Modified: Saturday, Apr. 25, 2009 - 11:26 am
Sacramento International Airport is taking extra precautions ... custodians have been advised to be more vigilant and use gloves and other protective wear, said spokeswoman Gina Swankie.
Airport staff members have also been familiarizing themselves with an action plan in the event health authorities declare a pandemic of the flu virus.
The action plan includes making available breathing masks for people on flights where passengers may possibly be infected, and separating infected individuals from the rest of the airport population.
Hand sanitizers are already available throughout the airport, Swankie said. They can be found near the baggage claim area in Terminal A, the lobby waiting area of the international building, the lower floor of Terminal B, and near the food areas.
I’m back! I had tried to block out that book, but I just remembered what my thought was as I was reading. The evil right wing republican reminded me of Soros and the perfect hero reminded me of Obama. Not to mention it was up there with Outbreak and The Stand on biological terrorism. It reminds me of this Swine Flu.
“Texas Health Department will be holding a news conference at 2 p.m. local time”
Needs its own thread.
Wait...Obama is going to save the day? It MUST’VE been fiction. ;-)
M-O-O-N, that spells we're screwed.
That made me laugh..I was just telling my hubby this event reminds me of “The Stand”
I am heading to Sam’s Club. Our fridge went out while in Chicago last week......you know where the
Baxter headquarters is? Not only do I have to replace the ruined groceries, but stock up too!
But since Hillary signed away our land to China in case we default, I might as well spend the mortgage payment! ;0)
CDC travel guidelines
It’s not too late, but they refuse to create a panic by quarantining the entire world. (not that I’m suggesting that). The consequences of their actions could be catastrophic in and among themselves. So, who do you think is going to stand up and do the right thing (when they are not sure of the results)
It’s not too late, but they refuse to create a panic by quarantining the entire world. (not that I’m suggesting that). The consequences of their actions could be catastrophic in and among themselves. So, who do you think is going to stand up and do the right thing (when they are not sure of the results)
Go ahead and eat the carrots and potatoes. Who do you is breathing on them and picking them after not washing their hands?
I would be worried about more than pork and chicken if you are putting that tin foil hat on. (No offense, I think some people use the tin foil comments to block out their fears)
We just need to be realistic. I don’t think we will know the dangers until it is too late (if there are dangers....)
No No No! The perfect democrat hero was really a bad guy. In cahoots with the republican.
I know you weren’t being sarcastic, EBH. S’ok. I had two relatives who contracted SARS a few years back from a cruise boat. One of them was elderly and nearly died. The spread of diseases is easy, and we are seeing illnesses we haven’t seen in the US.
That we could have a serious outbreak of something here that spreads quickly is cause for concern. I also think the martial law possibility is a curve ball method to declare it but possible nonetheless. I am just used to not being around such an illness as this, although I know folks who came down with SARS a few years back.
What a dizzing plot line. So it is a better book than that review?
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