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 ...
In fact, I just read that hundreds of Mexicans have trips booked from Mexico to the US for Cinco de Mayo.
CLOSE THE BORDERS!!
5 deaths equal a pandemic?
Only in a banana republic.
This may be encouraging though:(further in the article)
“Almost all cases outside Mexico have had mild symptoms, and only a handful have required hospitalization.
Masato Tashiro, head of the influenza virus research centre at Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Disease and a member of the WHO emergency committee, told Japan’s Nikkei newspaper it appeared the H1N1 strain was far less dangerous than avian flu.
“The virus is relatively weak and about the same as regular influenza viruses passed on via human-to-human contact. I don’t believe it will become virulent,” he was quoted as saying.
“The threat to health from the avian influenza and its fatality rate is much greater than the new flu,” he said.
“I am very worried that we will use up the stockpile of anti-flu medicine and be unarmed before we need to fight against the avian influenza. The greatest threat to mankind remains the H5N1 avian influenza.”
Chan urged companies who make the drugs to ramp up production. Two antiviral drugs — Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) and Tamiflu, made by Roche AG (ROG.VX) and Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) — have been shown to work against the H1N1 strain.”
I would think that Japan has alot of experience with this stuff. I tend to trust their experts at this point.
The Mexican deaths are a demonstration of the failures of socialized medicine.
Last I checked, there were 150 deaths in Mexico alone.
I pray you are right. I was not that concerned until today....especially for Texas(my home).
This post was very alarming(from another thread):
“A friend of mine on another board posted this email she received from her doctor in Texas. It’s sounding pretty scary to me:
New Braunfels, TX
After I returned from a public health meeting yesterday with community leaders and school officials in Comal County and Hays County, Heather suggested I send an update to my patients in the area, because what we are hearing privately from the CDC and Health Department is different from what you are hearing in the media. Some of you know some of this, but I will just list what facts I know.
- The virus is infectious for about 2 days prior to symptom onset
- Virus spreads more than 7 days after symptom onset (possibly as long as 9 days) (this is more unusual than ordinary flu)
- Since it is such a novel (new) virus, there is no “herd immunity,” so the “attack rate” is very high. This is the percentage of people who come down with a virus if exposed. Almost everyone who is exposed to this virus will become infected, though not all will be symptomatic. That is much higher than seasonal flu, which averages 10-15%. The “clinical attack rate” estimation from CDC and WHO may be around 40-50%. This is the number of people who show symptoms. This is a huge number. It is hard to convey the seriousness of this to those outside of the medical fields.
- The virulence (deadliness) of this virus is as bad here as in Mexico, and there are folks on ventilators here in the US, right now. This has not been in the media, but a 23 month old in Houston is fighting for his life, and a pregnant woman just south of San Antonio is fighting for her life. In Mexico, these folks might have died already, but here in the US, folks are getting Tamiflu or Relenza quickly, and we have ready access to ventilators. What this means is that within a couple of weeks, regional hospitals will likely become overwhelmed.
- Some of the kids with positive cases in Comal County have had more than 70 contacts before diagnosis as a minimum figure.
- There are 10-25 times more actual cases (not “possible” cases — actual), than what is being reported in the media. The way they fudge on reporting this is that it takes 3 days to get the confirmatory nod from the CDC on a given viral culture, but based on epidemiological grounds, we know that there are more than 10 cases for each “confirmed” case right now.
- During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our lifetimes so far. We are in uncharted territory.
- They are advising President Obama to declare an emergency sometime in the next 72-96 hours. This may not happen, but if it doesn’t, I will be surprised. When this happens, all public gathering will be cancelled for 10 days minimum.
- I suggest all of us avoid public gatherings. Outdoor activities are not as likely to lead to infection. It is contained areas and close contact that are the biggest risk.
- Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will have to be carefully managed for law enforcement and first responders as it is not enough to treat the likely number of infections when this is full-blown. I don’t think there is a big supply of Relenza, but I do not know those numbers. If I had to choose, I would take Relenza, as I think it gets more drug to the affected tissue than Tamiflu.
- You should avoid going to the ER if you think you have been exposed or are symptomatic. ER’s south of here are becoming overwhelmed today— and I mean that — already. It is coming in waves, but the waves are getting bigger.
- It appears that this flu produces a distinctive “hoarseness” in many victims. The symptoms, in general, match other flu’s; namely, sore throat, body aches, headache, cough, and fever. What is not too common in regular flu cycles is vomiting and diarrhea which seems to be associated with this, further dehydrating victims. Some have all these symptoms, while others may have only one or two.
- N-Acetyl-Cysteine — a nutritional supplement available at the health food store or Wimberley Pharmacy, has been shown to prevent or lessen the severity of influenza. I suggest 1200mg, twice a day for adults, and 600mg twice a day in kids over 12. It would be hard to get kids under 12 to take it, but you could try opening the capsules and putting it on yogurt. For 40 pounds and up, 300-600 mg twice a day, for less than 40 pounds, half that.
- Oscillococinum, a homeopathic remedy, has been vindicated as quite effective in a large clinical trial in Europe, with an H1N1 variant. You can buy this at Hill Country Natural Foods, or the Wimberley Pharmacy.
I will try to keep everyone posted if I have any new information. Meanwhile, don’t be afraid, stay informed and try to avoid infection. The fewer people infected the easier it will be for our public officials to manage it.
If any of my patients become ill, or suspect infection, call the office, do not come without calling and DO NOT go to the ER. If one member in a family is identified all would be given the Tamiflu or Relenza (that is normal course of action) if there is enough distributed to fill prescriptions. Public health stated that one family member identified or suspected to have contracted the flu it will require the whole family to be ‘quarantined’ in their own home until enough time has passed for the remaining household to have contracted it or be considered infection free ( 7 to 10 days per person). As another suggestion, if any member of the family is on routine medication- fill those prescriptions now. Have plenty fluids, Motrin, soups, etc available and make contingency plans in case your family is affected.”
114 posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 10:15:15 PM by battletank
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But earlier today, the WHO reduced from 152 to 7 the number of deaths attributed to this flu worldwide.
I've been hearing that too. However, I would also point out that the symptoms of this aren't very much different from the symptoms of the normal flu yet the existence of this new strain has only been widely known for about a week now. This means that it is not at all unlikely that this thing started off relatively weak in Mexico before gaining strength and causing fatalities. Who's to say that people in Mexico weren't getting sick with this strain a month ago - before it got stronger - recovered, and assumed that they just had the ordinary flu?
Just because it's effects have been relatively mild outside of Mexico doesn't mean that it will remain that way. This thing is global now and new cases are being reported at a pretty fast rate. I don't see how the severity of a disease will remain so drastically different from one country to the next. I for one am starting to take this very seriously.
I was just going to say the same thing. CLOSE THE BORDERS.
But, Janet Napolitono said there was ‘no need’ to do that. Stupid.
“And the USA.... this whole thing is a hoax to allow Obama to grab the healthcare system and nationalize it.”
I don’t believe for one minute that Obama will not try to use this crisis for his socialized healthcare...however..this is no hoax.
You think the whole world is collaborating with Obama in order to see socialized medicine in America?
Not likely.
No, WHO said they had only confirmed 7 deaths. It will take a long time to determine how many people have died from this.
“I for one am starting to take this very seriously.”
Me too. Read the post above..#8
I made a pot of coffee so I could stay up and catch up on the news of this stuff because I have not taken it as seriously as I should have this past week. I will probably be up for quite awhile now.
I don’t trust Obama and his band of thugs to protect this country. We are all going to be on our own.
One thing I was wondering..Do border states have the right to close their border crossings without federal approval?
My guess is no because of ‘interstate commerce’ and such, but I don’t know for sure.
???
WTH.......?
Yikes
Yep, I don’t think people are understanding the reason why doctors are worried about this new virus.
It’s not like Obama has control of the whole WORLD right now and it’s not like it’s just the U.S. — we’re talking about confirmed cases WORLDWIDE ALREADY.
Another thing people may not realize... We don’t know if it will be virulent or not (as the man in the article stated), but these health organizations WILL act on possibility or probability because that’s the ONLY way to “get ahead” of things like this...
Also, people need to realize that the “death count” alone are NOT the only reason places like WHO and the CDC raise pandemic level warnings.
Plus, as you pointed out — many more than just “5” have died. Since when does ANYONE here at FR trust pure number statistics (don’t we all know better than that?).
Sorry, this is just so frustrating. I see so many people here treating this with total disregard, or saying it’s all some big conspiracy manufactured by Obama. While I believe in my soul that Obama IS a fascist dictator that WOULD use a crisis to his advantage, I don’t see ANY evidence that he has CREATED this crisis as some appear to believe. THAT in itself is rather scary.
As much as Obama himself would like to believe, the world doesn’t revolve around him, and his plans to destroy our country and turn it into a fascist state.
The virus is REAL. Even the researchers and doctors don’t know EXACTLY what we’re dealing with yet. Again, not a time for PANIC, but not a time for disregard either...
Cautious optimism, vigilance, and common sense health precautions remain the “order of the day”.
I think it's all a matter of enforcement, though I don't know what the particular federal laws concerning that are.
I don't see how the federal government can over-ride a state's sovereignty by forcing them to keep their own border open to international traffic.
The feds can try, but as I said, it's a matter of enforcement. Who's gonna stop a border state from closing off the traffic coming across the border into their state? Obama? Napolitano? LOL!
Ping to Penelopesire’s post at #8 — some VERY interesting info. there...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2241041/posts?page=8#8
Thank you for sharing that penelopesire... I only hope that the FReepers here who are saying it’s all a bunch of BS wake up...
Praying here... One of my daughter’s online friends who lives in Texas (near Pasadena, IIRC) came down with cold symptoms yesterday (stuffy nose, cough, no fever), so we already know someone personally who could very well have this new virus.
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