Posted on 04/29/2009 10:07:29 PM PDT by penelopesire
MEXICO CITY/GENEVA, April 30 (Reuters) - Mexico's president told citizens to stay home from Friday for a five-day partial shutdown of the economy, after the World Health Organisation raised its alert level and said a swine flu pandemic was imminent.
In his first televised address since the crisis erupted last week, President Felipe Calderon told Mexicans to stay home with their families. The country will suspend non-essential work and services, including some government ministries, from May 1-5.
"There is no safer place than your own home to avoid being infected with the flu virus," Calderon said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
And we can be sure that Mexico will be coming hat in hand seeking financial assistance from Uncle Gringo, the United Numbskulls, the World Bank, IMF, etc., to offset this terrible shutdown of the Mexican economy.
Meanwhile, as Cinco de Mayo approaches, it’s all day fiesta! All night siesta!
Just advise him that the first 2 days of being infected won’t manifest symptoms, either from himself or others.
The Marines who were quarantined all appear healthy, except for the one confirmed case who is reportedly getting better, but they were reportedly all out playing cards last weekend.
Might not be the best time to visit the casinos, swapping coin and chips and cards, (and who knows what else).
I wonder how stocks in pharmaceuticals are doing tonight.
This has the potential to become Obama’s “Katrina”. He seems to be asleep at the switch. The only thing he can tell us is to “wash your hands”.
If a few hundred thousand (or more) Americans end up dying from this, the wrath of the American people will come down on him so hard, he’ll be wishing he had lost the election.
I wish I were making this up.
He did say he was staying home this weekend..not going out to bars, etc. I guess I should be thankful for that.
Pharms were ticking up today. It will probably remain in the uptick for the rest of the year, given that Phase 5 and 6 signals a ramp up in production of anti-virals and vaccines. Some fear the virus will come back in the fall with a vengence much like it did in 1918.
Thanks for the info.
x
Although it might not kill large percentages, the quick spread of its effects will impact productivity and alertness of the nation as a whole.
If I were concerned at a national level of security in the North American theater, I’d make sure redundant intel resources were available tracking any movements using this as a method to seal off the southern borders as a likely avenue of approach or as a mechanism to reduce congestion in lines of communication from the south.
IMHO, the scenario would make a good Naval War College or Command and Staff research topic on biological warfare in maneuver war.
I agree. I don’t even think it will take that many deaths though. It is clear to many that he has already dropped the ball. With a threat like a ‘global pandemic’ hanging over America’s head...he tells us to wash our hands and refuses to close the borders?
That is not going to sit well with the American people, even if this turns out to be a minor epidemic. His failed ‘practice run’ at protecting this country will be plain for all to see.
Thanks for the insult. Advocating personal responsibility and self-reliance used to be core Texas values. Whining about a centralized federal government failure seems to be all the rage now. Take care, and I sincerely hope that you and yours do not fall ill. If more people had kept their sick at home, and followed common sense; we would not be in this situation. But here we are. Panic kills.
FS: See my post at #34 — my whole family just got over SOMETHING, and I’ve had a nagging feeling since hearing about this that it wasn’t the “regular” flu.
Penelopesire (and FS, LOL) —
That’s what I’m REALLY hoping and praying for at this point. But unless there is some kind of test developed to test for antibodies to this particular virus or something, I don’t think they could tell now. [Pretty sure the swab for my daughter’s “long” strep test was used and thrown out, as well as the petri dish they cultured her sample in... LOL]
After we started homeschooling 10 years ago, we’ve NEVER gotten sick like this as a family — sure the occasional colds, something my husband got from work, etc... but this hit everyone except me within a 24 hour period (by the next day I had 5 sick family members on my hands all with fevers, coughing — your regular flu symptoms). It was strange to say the least. It didn’t suprise me all that much that I remained healthy for a few days, but I just remembered that the pain meds I take for my back contain acetaminophen. Heck, I could’ve been sick for days with a low fever, and not even realized it — until the acute bronchitis infection hit me... In fact, that’s probably a more likely scenario, that my case was mild in comparison, and due to my nursing all of them and tiring myself out is the reason it turned into a bad infection in me or something...
Sorry, don’t mean to take up this thread with our personal medical history of the illness we suffered this month. It’s just rather weird, and coincidental — and actually, the thought that we may have already had this decreases my worries! :)
Prayers for your son, and for peace and comfort for you while he’s traveling. [Being a mom is a hard job when things like this happen — very stressful. I wish we could keep them all in a safe little bubble or something, but that would be impossible, and it would hurt them much worse than the chance of infection! LOL]
LOL...I did the same thing. Seriously thinking of going to Walmart and stocking up. I’ll be up all night anyway
When it comes back in the Fall like you mentioned... THAT is what scares me to be totally honest with you...
Didn’t mean to insult you. Obama ended his speech tonight though repeating the barn door story. I am all for personal responsibility and self reliance, but when people get gravely sick,they need a doctor and a hospital. You cannot be ‘self reliant’ enough to cure yourself from a pandemic flu.
According to numbers posted online the US/Mexican suspected fatalities and suspected cases works out to about a 5.5% mortality rate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_swine_flu_outbreak
This is well within the normal range of the typical “seasonal” flu.
“About 5-10% of hospitalizations for influenza lead to fatal outcome in adults” - http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-pandemic-deaths.htm
Of course early numbers in a case like this are probably worthless given what we have seen with poor reporting during outbreaks of SARS, Marburg, ebola etc.
“yet Obama is not closing our borders!!”
He’s so afraid of losing Hispanics, that he is willing to RISK YOUR LIFE, rather than a be pro-active.
Ask your friends this imortant question:
IS OBAMUNISM WORTH DYING FOR?
Thanks for the info. A bit reassuring.
Checkin out for the night. See you all tomorrow. Headed to the store to stock up just in case.
Back in the 13th century there was little concept of quarantines and news traveled slowly, so folks with the bubonic plague fled from country to country and town to town. In a couple of years everyone in Europe had been exposed, and a third of them died. These days news travels much faster but so do people. AVOID ANY PUBLIC CONTACT!
So, you prefer no safety precautions, no advisories, no news reports - just let the government keep us ignorant and happy?
I want to know.
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