Swine Flu might be here (Huntsville, Madison: schools, closing, dangerous)

[mimpdaddy]

You got to be kidding me!!!
Only Huntsville

[AliceT]

And this is exactly why the WHO and CDC have to get involved and why schools have to close. There are people that #1 don't know there have been cases of this highly contagious and serious illness in their state or region; #2 People will go into public places while coughing and sniffling even amid front page headlines all across the nation about the danger of this flu becoming a pandemic - and of course, not think anything of it until after the fact and #3 people think that all the talk of the swine flu is just overblown and making a mountain out of a mole hill.

The very sad reality is that so many individuals refuse to be inconvenienced to the point that they walk around in public with flu-like symptoms and *don't think anything of it* until the damage has been done. Of course by then, it's a little too late to start thinking.

I started out quoting one poster and then thought better of it. For everyone one person who will post their thoughts, there are usually hundred others that feel the same way that never bother to share those thoughts. There are always going to be people that don't believe or heed health warnings and those are the people who will take no precautions for themselves nor for others and will watch in idle curiosity as more schools close, more people wear dust masks and gloves while an alrming number of others wonder what all the fuss is about.

One poster is adding up the numbers and thinking 150 documented cases isn't a high enough number to be alarming amid a population in the millions. And that is also why we have pandemics and an endangered public. These people are waiting for the numbers to be higher, more significant, cause for alarm to their way of thinking. My question is, how many people have to die needlessly before others take it seriously? And if we didn't have the WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) monitoring such things as infectious disease outbreaks, we would have all perished a long time ago.

For those who feel indestructible as they never get sick, rarely have a sniffle and are blessed with no known allergies and can't recall the last time they felt the need to go to a doctor, I congratulate you. However, just because you are not affected doesn't mean you can't carry the virus on your person or clothing and infect those around you who are more susceptible to illness.

Please, get off this *It's all about me* mentality when there are so many people at risk. If one person dies of an infectious disease, that should be plenty to sound an alarm around the globe. Please heed the current warnings, take this seriously and think of something bigger than just the space you occupy.

And if you wonder why I take this so seriously since there have been no reports of the disease in my state - and are thus wondering why I am posting on the Alabama thread at all - I have family in Alabama, income property in Florida, vacation property in Maine, friends in Texas. It's not all about me.

[Pirat_cat]

Sheesh. It's springtime, I have allergies, pardone me. If I locked myself inside the house every time I had the sniffles I'd never see the outside world again.

[AliceT]

Originally Posted by Pirat_cat

Sheesh. If I locked myself inside the house every time I had the sniffles I'd never see the outside world again.

Do the world a favor and take better care of yourself. Find out why you have the sniffles so often, what you are allergic to, if anything, and rectify it. Making light of a worldwide pandemic alert is irresponsible, at best.

[Pirat_cat]

I'm allergic to lots of things. My cat, tree pollen, etc. I could give up the cat, and move, I suppose, but there's not a whole lot I can do right now besides take some meds.

I realize that no one wants to see swine flu (or any flu) spread around unneccessarily, and that's it's a serious problem. However, I can't really go back in time and change the fact that I went the the pharmacy yesterday, so I'm not going to worry about it now.

[gsp4ever]

Originally Posted by AliceT

And if you wonder why I take this so seriously since there have been no reports of the disease in my state - and are thus wondering why I am posting on the Alabama thread at all - I have family in Alabama, income property in Florida, vacation property in Maine, friends in Texas. It's not all about me.

Wow--you have so many posts, I would think that you must participate in tons of different threads. WELCOME TO ALABAMA!!! Now come on down and join us in our tornado shelters with our bottles of bleach and face masks.

[Charles]

Redstone is enacting liberal leave policies for those who need to stay home with sick kids. My two oldest have fevers and I'm sick so I'm staying home with the two youngest while the wife takes the two oldest to the doctor.

Redstone Arsenal ceases youth activities and allows employees to take needed leave - Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com

[gsp4ever]

Originally Posted by Charles

Redstone is enacting liberal leave policies for those who need to stay home with sick kids. My two oldest have fevers and I'm sick so I'm staying home with the two youngest while the wife takes the two oldest to the doctor.

Redstone Arsenal ceases youth activities and allows employees to take needed leave - Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com

Hope you and the girls feel better. You think it's a routine virus or flu? Surely not. I'm glad the arsenal is stepping up to help everyone who is affected by this disruption in routine (and it can't help to have all the schools and daycares suddenly close)

Get well soon and keep us posted!!!

[zenjenn]

The very sad reality is that so many individuals refuse to be inconvenienced to the point that they walk around in public with flu-like symptoms and *don't think anything of it* until the damage has been done.

It's not "flu-like symptoms". It IS the flu.

If one person dies of an infectious disease, that should be plenty to sound an alarm around the globe.

No. It's not. That's called "hysteria". On average 36,000 people Americans die each year from flu complications. About 200,000 hospitalized. The normal, seasonal flu. Should we "sound an alarm around the globe" and shut down our schools every winter when someone gets the flu? This is not to trivialize those who suffer or die from these viruses, but we can't stop the world every time someone gets sick.

Right now, because it's NOT flu season, and conditions are not as ripe for the spread of this flu, it's unlikely to be any worse (or even as bad as) seasonal flu.

For those who feel indestructible as they never get sick, rarely have a sniffle and are blessed with no known allergies and can't recall the last time they felt the need to go to a doctor, I congratulate you.

I don't feel indestructible. I get the flu almost every. darn. year. Even when I get a vaccine. For some reason I am highly susceptible to these respiratory bugs. I have even had complications. But at the end of the day, it's just the flu. I don't expect the world to stop for it.

We live in an age of hysteria. Everyone fears under-reacting so they over-react. And "better safe than sorry" isn't always true. These hysterical reactions *do* come at a cost to individuals and to society. I can also throw at you "For those who have enough money to can afford to pay for extra child care or miss work without sacrifice in order to accommodate these closings, I congratulate you."

There are ways to take reasonable precautions that don't involve shutting down the entire county's school system.

[backstaber]

soap over corporate gossip