US in Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu

. Sunday, April 26


Dr Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC said this afternoon that he expects to see a broader spectrum of the swine flu and more severe cases here in the US. There are now 20 cases in five states: New York, Ohio, Kansas, California and Texas. This declared public health emergency means that the government views this as 'standard operating procedure' according to Janet Napolitano, and that all appropriate steps will be taken to minimize the impact of the outbreak. The first minimizing step planned is to send 12 million doses of Tamiflu, taken out of the federal stockpile, to the states with cases already reported.

The swine flu outbreak of pandemic proportions is called "emerging" as one way of detracting from the fact that little is yet known about it. There is no explanation of why the flu in Mexico, thought to be ground zero with 1,400 reported cases and 86 deaths, is lethal to the strong of the population instead of just the very young and very old that is usually at the highest risk. There is also no explanation of why people in Mexico are dying, but those who contracted it in the US are not.

What is known so far:
  • The flu shot offers no protection for the swine flu.
  • Only two drugs have been effective in treating it: Tamiflu and Relenza.
To protect yourself, use routine precautions:
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.
  • Avoid close contact with sick people.
  • If you are sick, stay at home.


4 comments:

Carl said...

OMG!!! We are all gonna die...

Unknown said...

LOL, Carl! I found it interesting - what a great way to create a panic and a run on the health care system to prove a point! It's ingenious. Swamp the docs and hospitals with people with no health insurance over a few sniffles and coughs just to prove the great need for universal health care.

Or maybe it's a way to eliminate the drain on unemployment insurance. The law states that if you are not able and available for work, you cannot draw your benefits.

It's all sick sick sick!

Jude said...

Everything of late seems sick. I'm always at home sick or healthy, but Bill loves to share with me so when he picks up a bug at work I always get to enjoy it too.

Tikno said...

Hopefully these pandemic will end soon, so the global financial crisis will not "more crisis"