Swine Flu in Idaho (Bonners Ferry, Iona: public schools, living in, professionals)

[Mtn. States Resident]

This is old data, but important to read.

In NYC, 341/553 patients required hospitalization.

New York City reports two new deaths from H1N1 flu | Reuters

I know from professional experience and in listening to colleagues that many patients are having mild symptoms now for WEEKS, then suddenly something happens and they require hospitalization. Hopefully, with enough supportive care those patients can be discharged from the hospital when they are well.

For all of those who think this is no big deal no one is going to change your mind until someone you know or love is infected, is very sick and hospitalized, or dies. I'm personally becoming very fatigued in updating this thread so Idaho residents have the opportunity to have the latest information.

Besides, it is getting to a point that there many things I can't write. I dread seeing headlines now knowing several MDs have had to transfer care of patients (or were called in as consultants) and for which age groups. I know it's only a matter of time until some of my colleagues start losing patients. One in particular who blew off most of the info I first presented here told me last night about his LATEST hospitalized A/H1N1 patient. However, he is in a different state, but reads updates in this thread when I post them.

Like he asked me, "Why bother with Idaho? Why don't you post where you know more people who need to read what you've compiled will?" I admit, I'm asking myself those questions now too. I know the answer is so I will KNOW I did everything I could, without breaking HIPAA protocols, contract agreements etc. in trying to alert others from my home state, that one bordering state has the third highest rate of infection in the U.S. All sorts of signals are being sent to CDC and elsewhere of what could happen regionally.

A/H1N1 is NOT LIKE REGULAR FLU. PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE DYING OF THE FLU IN THE NON-FLU SEASON! The pregnant women who are dying, don't usually die due to flu like they are with H1N1. Kids shouldn't be dying at the rate they are from flu. This virus is DIFFERENT AND IS CHANGING.

For those who like to resort back to the 36K deaths in the U.S. each year due to flu, are 3/5 of those who are ill with the flu in NYC hospitalized each flu season?

As an MD in Canada asked me this week, did I consider the state bordering Idaho with two deaths, hundreds infected and dozens hospitalized a "hotspot" area? YES, I do. So I tried to post more information with the hope some would pay attention here and realize the incubation period can be much longer than originally thought and patients can change from "mild" to being in the ICU within a day.

I'm also Idahoan enough to know one can lead a horse to water, but one cannot make that horse drink.

Is it a blessing or curse that I received my higher education in different states, yet I still feel like so much of who I am is due to being born and raised in Idaho so I feel I should share what I know with Idaho residents? Currently, it feels pointless to ask people to prepare and take precautions in Idaho. At least my own family and some others close to me have.

However, with the research I've done daily, perhaps one of my very close MD friends may have saved the life of a pregnant mother, or perhaps more accurately put: He may have given a baby a better chance of being delivered at a viable age, before another young, pregnant mom who had mild symptoms, who suddenly got worse and had to be hospitalized, is taken off of life support the day after she gives birth.

I am praying for that mother and her baby.

What are you doing to prepare or ignore A/H1N1 coming to Idaho as part of the regional spread?

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Published on 06/05/09 - Utah is 3rd in the U.S. for the rate of infections/residents. Do you really think that pattern won't travel through ID?

One of the best articles I've read in a non-scientific paper.

Deseret News | Utah child dies of H1N1: 489 people confirmed to have virus, state says

My sympathies to the family who lost their child to H1N1. Unfortunately, a child died in CA the same day, and additional children in AZ and I believe TX were also lost this week. My condolensces to all the families.

As a mother of a patient who has tested positive for H1N1 asked me, "Why weren't we told? Why didn't anyone tell us our kids could get sick in school or at church or sports?"

I have tried to tell the risks and changes were very different for H1N1, than regular flu, for over a month. As new informatin became available, I added it here. I also posted CDC reports so people could study the trend of how spreading has happend. Did they? Some have, most don't think they or those they love could have a serious illness or death from this strange flu.

I printed these CDF pages and gave them to the patient's mother. I said, "Who wants to listen? Many think it can't happen to them, certain government leaders and schools have downplayed the risk. Like this article says, Utah hasn't even begun to peak yet."

Maybe when her child is better this patient's mother would be willing to write in this thread of what she USE to think vs. what she NOW KNOWS, but I won't ask her to do that. She needs to focus on helping her child get better.

Will it be your relative, friend, co-worker next?

Again, I know horses can only be lead to water. They have to drink the water themselves. I just hate admitting what is most likely on the horizon and the lasse farre of most in the Intermountain Region. At least some in UT are starting to wake up and realize the problem. Unfortunately, I do think it will take deaths in ID for some in ID to even admit how infectious this virus is.

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

I really had no intention to post here about the latest death in WA state. If you want the info, you find it.

What I did want to add and the reason I am posting this, is I found a great graphic that is horribly outdated (the U.S. has more than 30 deaths and this graph only says 18, but as all have stated, not even the CDC can keep up with the individual states deaths currently). Nonetheless, I hope it helps some to learn about infection spread.

The next generation of scientists, researchers, healthcare providers will have some great advantages being able to use graphics like these in talking about spread of bugs.

www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8021547.stm

BTW - Newsweek has a marvelous article about NO TESTING in the UK even on hospitalized Pulmonary Patients for H151. Epidemiologists are recommending to follow a survalence like the U.S. The next world hotspot will be the UK, or at least it will be ONE of the next hotspots in the world, given the lack of testing of 100s to 1,000s of patients who had pulmonary complaints.

As one clinician wrote, one reason more tests weren't ordered were they weren't authorized. Think health care in the U.S. and who is in charge isn't a big issue? People point to England, which is smaller than ID, as how a country can run healthcare so all receive care. Yet, that isn't what their practitioners are saying is happening.

Sorry for the drift of into the orther article. If you want to see , look for Newsweek of today's date and the lead article about H1N1.

MSR

[pimit2]

Dear MSR,

Your thoroughness in keep us informed, concerned, and cautious about H1N1 should not go without our deep appreciation of your efforts. As I reviewed your extensive posts in this thread you initiated, it's hard to imagine the work you have gone to gather the information you have provided us. I'm afraid none of us have the sources, resources or knowledge to "dig out" this critical data for ourselves.

Kudos to you for keeping us abreast of this deadly flu virus. You are to be commended for your undertaking. While the media has apparently forgotten the outbreak, your frequent updates helps us be aware of its spread.

Thank you very much. Keep up the good work, MSR.


pimit2 (Bob)

[norcalmom101]

Yes, please don't stop!

[AlwaysLooking]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8021547.stm

MSR

Link isn't working and I couldn't figure out where to fix it for ya...
I too appreciate reading your posts MSR although I'm an interloper from CA. I truly believe there are more cases than are being recorded simply because the doctors aren't testing for it.

[pimit2]

Quoted from SeattlePI.com (June 8, 2009):

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- One person with a confirmed case of swine flu and seven others with possible cases were recently visiting Bonner and Boundary counties in the Idaho Panhandle.

Local health officials say one woman in the group of about 100 people became ill last week and tested positive for the virus. Seven other group members are being tested.

Health officials are trying to determine if the swine flu spread outside the group.

It's peak tourist season. They used to only bring money....


pimit2 (Bob)

[Mtn. States Resident]

Thanks, Bob, NCM and Always Looking for your comments. They do help.
Also, thanks to others for private comments, which helped as much.

Darn, Always Looking, the BBC had a great sliding graphic showing the spread of A/H1N1 from Mexico to each nation and how many cases/deaths each day. They covered about a month and the outbreak to more than 60 nations. For those who haven't really thought of where we get our goods from (or send them to), all the doornobs, papers we give each other etc. and don't know for sure who has touched them (and whether they could be carriers or not), it really makes one think abou the global spread of germs/bugs.

It's a cool tool as it is so much easier to understand, at least I think, than sitting through classes and having home work assignments asking students to map or track down the original source of an infection by going through a lot of old records.

Unless someone else got it to work, you may want to see if you can access the BBC from Sunday. I sent it to someone via email. I'll see if that cut and paste still works. If so, I'll send you the DM, if you want, Always Looking.

I do agree this is being under-reported - the CDC says so. Now, the CDC has moved to updating its webstie to WEEKLY as they can't keep up with the numbers. They update it every Friday, which bothers me a bit as one can't plan business trips or others to area "hotspots." This is what the CDC has posted all week: CDC H1N1 Flu | CDC H1N1 Flu Update: U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection We know there have been 4 deaths in CA, for example, just to show how updated this is.

Bob, I did read your comments on Sunday. They meant a lot. Don't underestimate what you can pull up online as just a good researcher. The journals are very limited in what they say. Some heathcare organizations are updating info on their websites - might want to look at specific hospitals, or their parent corporation for info as they do stay current. But, I appreciate your heart-felt comments.

Teach your family/friends and others how to be pro-actively safe, hand washing, coughing one's mouth when sneezing and thinking more about what people hand you (such as a book etc.) which before probably most would just put away or use. Now, one has to think if the person who handed it to them could have sneezed on that book, for example. May want to wipe it off with an alcohol or Clorox-type wipe, if you're in or will be visiting a hotspot.

Thanks again for your encouragement

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Somehow the "computer goblins" played with, ate or whatever my second post here today. I want to write an abbreviated version for NCM and others who are contemplating trips soon to UT.

This is an extremely important article. Not only have the cases in UT doubled this last week to almost 800 (probably that today, at least if not 900) from one week ago. If you read the article I posted a week ago, the medical director of the Salt Lake Valley Health Dept. said she didn't think UT had even peaked for infections. Nonetheless, churches, scout camps and other facilities/organizations are FINALLY getting the drift this stuff is spreading person to person in UTAH.

Deseret News | Utah H1N1 virus cases nearly double since last week

I believe the article says the chances of getting A/H1N1 in UT now are 1/3. Many people are felt to have had the virus and had a more mild version of A/H1N1, or just be carriers. I do agree with Always Looking the numbers are greatly under-reported!

Additionally, the article talks about the various area organizations/churches not holding any services for a week and other situations to limit person-to-person contact.

The CDC only is updating their website now every Friday. too many cases, and even deaths, are overwhelming them despite all their new hires. Data shown in this graph is almost a week old. NONE of the CA deaths (of which there are now at least 4,) are even reflected in what is posted. It should be updated tomorrow.

That being said, in 4-5 state random checks I've looked at, every state has said the CDC doesn't have a high enough count for their state. I'm certainly NOT bashing the CDC, as there is wonderful information of how to care for a sick patient at home, when people should stay home, how to make work safer from infecting co-workers etc.

At the moment, I can't remember the other point I wanted to make as I'm being called away, but will post it later if I can remember.

I do think this is a time to take precautions. Even though many have said their kids have had mild symptoms, many have had mild symptoms for 1-2 weeks and then been hospitalized in the third week.

If people think this isn't going to spread into Idaho, I'd ask you to think about the shuttle that travels from Rexburg to the SLC International Airport daily, with several ID stops along the way. Add that to normal traffic of people going to UT or vice versa (those escaping UT for weekends in ID) and it's easy to see how ID could become a part of the regional spread.

Oh, I suddenly remembered the second point I wanted to make and I've only be called two times. I can probably add this without too much hassle here, if I do it quickly.

PLEASE note the article says, ONLY THOSE HOSPITALIZED FOR PULMONARY INFECTIONS WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR A FLU WILL HAVE SAMPLES DRAWN FOR A/H1N1 CONFIRMATION. This means anyone in the community who has symptoms and sees a healthcare provider won't have blood drawn anymore to confirm the virus. The State of Utah Health Dept. Lab is overwhelmed with samples. As the article says, it is in the community. I'm guessing those in charge feel it is pointless to test samples that will probably be positive. That is frightening information to me!

If one is traveling for whatever reason, please take preventive measures to be safe or re-consider if you really need to take this trip right now. UT, along with border states of CA, AZ, TX and other states like WI, IL, MA, NY and potentially others are now designated as the "hottest spots" to become infected, given the rate of infection per capita.

Must go for now. Please post any questions or ideas.

Thanks for being patient, hope this post goes through and is useful!

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Having some technical troubles at this end. Just wanted to say, Sage, PLEASE forgive me using all the different colors in the last post. I needed to make sure certain points were emphasized.

And OOPS, I forgot the CDC link to show it is now only updated on Fridays. www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

MSR