Swine flu precautions

[navychop]

Now that it's started up again, and the feds are predicting 90,000 deaths (usually around 40,000 for regular flu) from Swine flu (excuse me H1N1) alone, and maybe half the population coming down sick- what can we do about it? Peak is only a month or two away. And note that the vast majority of us will not be able to get a Swine Flu shot, just the regular shot. Not enough serum to even cover the high risk people (health workers, young people etc).

Anybody taking special precautions? We put up handwashing signs at work, and might get some N95 masks, and bought more lysol. Oh well. Anybody else doing anything? Any ideas? We are in service work, and cannot avoid public contact. Local libraries are about to release some sort of plan.

Or is it just overblown again?

 

[Van]

Washing my hands more than before and staying in the cooler at work as much as possible but my daughter is my concern because she is starting Kindergarden next week. With that in mind we will be monitoring the sick population at her school and pull her out as necessary should it get bad.

 

[rogerpl]

I'm around people and handle money and trying to wash my hands more often. This might turn out to be overblown but why take chances AAACHOO! Sorry!

 

[Van]

BTW, N95 masks do not prevent the wearer from getting any airborn infectious diseases, what they do is minimize the potential for expulsion of bodily fluids of the wearer from becoming airborne and potentially infecting those around said wearer. The only way to truelly avoid airborne viral infections while working in an environment potentially laden with them is to wear an airtight respirator with a biological filter media and the mask itself should encompass the full face including the eyes.

 

[navychop]

Oh joy.

 

[Van]

Well keep the N95 masks on hand for those who are exhibiting cold and flue like symptoms and have them wear one until they are able to go home. Also be sure to keep several cans of Lysol on hand in the offices and out in the mechanics bays and be sure that the janitorial staff uses bleach or one of the Zep cleaning products when wiping down surfaces. I would also position any desks that are near doorways further away lest someone come through on a windy day and sneeze which a sneeze can already expel fluids up to 35ft from the host. Another thing that I have seen lately is businesses putting out large half gallon size hand cleaners at the front desk or right at the main entry into the establishment along with large boxes of tissue paper with a sign requesting the use of these products for anyone who feels ill or off.

Some of the best things you can do though is to eat well and properly, drink plenty of water and OJ, get enough sleep every night and minimize your stress levels. All of these are some of your best lines of defence and trust me all it takes is a lack of any or all of these and you'll get whammed before you know it while the guy the next desk over is sittin pretty because he did it all right.

 

[nsaspook]

Got the shot in 76, maybe some protection

I got the shot in 1976 (military) so I'm hoping I still have some protection from the current strain. So far for healthy people it seems to be nothing special.

 

[navychop]

For the life of me, I can't remember if I got one back then or not. Doubtful I could find out in my old paper medical record. I noticed not a whole lot got transferred to the new electronic version.

 

[jayn_j]

Got the regular flu shot last Wednesday.

Got the flu Saturday

 

[HD MM]

No way in hell I'm injecting myself or my family with chemicals that haven't fully been tested or studied. IMO, the new "H1N1 shot" is more dangerous than the actual flu....

In 1976, the government decided to vaccinate 43 million people against swine flu -- it backfired badly.

Not only did the dreaded outbreak never materialize, but some 500 Americans who did get vaccinated came down with a rare neurodegenerative condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which many experts believe was linked to the shot. In addition, twenty-five of those 500 people died.

 

[navychop]

Youse pays youse money and youse takes youse chances.

 

[wolfjc]

I think that this Swine flu is going to be like the Bird flu, remember that one.
I relay don't know what everyone is worried about if I am right there have been less than 2,000 deaths WORLD WIDE do to the Swine flu. Most of the people who died had other underlying medical problems which caused the flu to take them out.
The regular flu causes over 30,000 deaths EVERY YEAR and I have never heard any one getting their panties all in a bunch over that.

 

[HD MM]

The mass hysteria is a method to sell more drugs. I even noticed the local drug store (Walgreens) is offering in-store flu vaccines! All to capitalize on scarred people.

 

[tigerprowler]

Our Wal-Mart is doing flu vaccines this year, too. I laughed! What won't they do at Wal-mart anymore?!

 

[rogerpl]

No way in hell I'm injecting myself or my family with chemicals that haven't fully been tested or studied. IMO, the new "H1N1 shot" is more dangerous than the actual flu....

In 1976, the government decided to vaccinate 43 million people against swine flu -- it backfired badly.

Not only did the dreaded outbreak never materialize, but some 500 Americans who did get vaccinated came down with a rare neurodegenerative condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which many experts believe was linked to the shot. In addition, twenty-five of those 500 people died.

Understand your concern, especially with kids, but i think the odds are better in getting vaccines than not getting them but it is certainly a personal decision.

 

[navychop]

I think that this Swine flu is going to be like the Bird flu, remember that one.
I relay don't know what everyone is worried about if I am right there have been less than 2,000 deaths WORLD WIDE do to the Swine flu. Most of the people who died had other underlying medical problems which caused the flu to take them out.
The regular flu causes over 30,000 deaths EVERY YEAR and I have never heard any one getting their panties all in a bunch over that.

Because they don't know for sure what will happen. They expect about half the population to come down sick. That is a major hit no matter how you look at it. They expect 90,000 deaths when the regular flu normally kills about 40,000. They do know one thing: This swine flu hits the younger crowd, and is more deadly in that group. Normally, it is the elderly that have it the worst. Actually, they know at least one other thing too- it came back a bit faster, and more widespread, than they expected just last spring. It has spread quite widely- the Ole Miss football team has been hit, and U of MD has almost 100 cases. Etc etc etc.

Of course, it may in fact be much ado about nothing- again. But I suspect we're going to get hit & it's just a matter of how bad. I have this feeling of doom because of my vulnerability. I am in a service industry, and my wife runs a library. Little blighters come in and spread every illness they get. I'd get the shot if I could, but I'm not in one of the favored groups.

Since it lasts about a week, I just can't imagine how we're going to get thru our busiest season of the year with workers dropping like flies (if in fact half get sick).

I guess the fear is for what could be, and repercussions if they didn't raise the alarm. It sells newspapers.

 

[Van]

Ok I have to weigh in on something here, it has been common practice for walgreens as well as krogers and several other retail supermarket and drug store chains to offer flu shots for the last 10+ years. I remember Rite Aid doing it as well as Walgreens and Krogers plus Meijers and Perry Drugs before they were bought out doing this back in Michigan so this atleast has nothing to do with the swine flu. And if you look at it the cost for the shot at a clinic or your doctor is roughly the same from what I've seen so $40 for a flu shot to me is well worth it specially considering that you don't have to make an appointment with a clinic or one of the retailers that is hosting it.

 

[Bobby]

My HMO, Kaiser Permanente, is giving out the shots for free. They have for years.... I just don't get them.

 

[Van]

I'm gonna have to get both with my working more directly with the public enmass and going to school plus my daughter going to school and believe me these two shots hold allot less toxic stuff as compared to what we eat on a daily basis that's been grown and processed by big corporations.

 

[navychop]

You may not be allowed to get the Swine Flu shot. Very tightly controlled.