Swine Flu might be here

[hey teach]

I've had sinus infections and I have had the flu. Frankly, I do not even find them in the same catagory. When I had the flu I could not function. All I could do was lie in bed and hope no one would turn on the light, shake the bed, or say anything to me in more than a whisper. I ached all over. I had a fever and chills, sometimes a cold sweat. I have only been sicker on two other occasions. Both times I was in the hospital, attacked to a machine and near death.

[A&M Bulldawg]

Originally Posted by hey teach

I've had sinus infections and I have had the flu. Frankly, I do not even find them in the same catagory. When I had the flu I could not function. All I could do was lie in bed and hope no one would turn on the light, shake the bed, or say anything to me in more than a whisper. I ached all over. I had a fever and chills, sometimes a cold sweat. I have only been sicker on two other occasions. Both times I was in the hospital, attacked to a machine and near death.

Well, you sinus affects people in different ways. I've done research on the two; yes, they can be placed in the same category. They both have similar symptoms. The symptoms that you listed for the flu, I have them when I have sinus infections. I have one now, and feel like I have the flu, but it's sinus infection. Sinus infections can feel like asthma, allergies, the flu, and others.

[Charles]

Madison County Record : News, H1N1 virus reported at Madison Elementary

[1984vt]

A case was officially announced by Briarwood School in Birmingham Al. The case was at the highschool and they have siblings at the elementary.

[Cha Ching]

Originally Posted by 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.

Thank you, Alice!

I have to take medication to zap my immune system so it does not attack what it's not supposed to. Other folks at least have some chance of surviving swine flu. If I get it, I'm pretty much a goner.

[AliceT]

Originally Posted by Charles

Madison County Record : News, H1N1 virus reported at Madison Elementary

And for the whole country, more than 500 dead... Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV - School and the flu: Local schools must remain vigilant

[zenjenn]

And for the whole country, more than 500 dead...

And the regular, ol' seasonal flu that we yawn at every year is estimated to kill tens of thousands.