Swine Flu in Idaho (Pocatello, Idaho Falls: law, office, health)

[aulidur]

Hi folks, newbie here. I've been keeping tabs on the swine flu in Pullman, and wondering when we were going to see big outbreak numbers here in quiet little Moscow. With information I heard on Monday and today, I am quite baffled and shocked.
Monday a friend of mine contacted Gritman Medical Center via phone to inquire about swine flu like symptoms her 8 year old daughter was having. The person on the other end of the phone at the ER told my friend that it simply wasn't swine flu, no cases have been confirmed in Moscow, and only to bring her daughter in if her fever spiked really high. ?????
Today I talked with my daycare provider for my son. A total of 8 children and their families are sick, most showing symptoms of flu/swine flu. My provider called the health department in Moscow, and the health department flatly told my provider that they were NO LONGER TESTING for swine flu, and simply encouraged my provider to refer to reference materials on helping prevent the spread of the virus. No longer testing....?
I will admit, I'm getting and passing this information on second hand, and it should be regarded with scrutiny. However, with the way our quad cities area (Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston, Clarkston) plus many of the other smaller communities interact and intermingle, how can Gritman Medical Center blatantly state that there are NO cases in Moscow? How can the health department refuse to offer testing? Is all of Idaho burying their head in the sand on this?
As for vaccines, I'm not thrilled by the idea. And I believe that Massachuchets will not be the only state having people going door to door to quarantine people or insist on innoculation. From information I have gathered, the vacciene is more deadly than the H1N1 virus. For any of you who listen to or watch videos posted by David Icke, he has a wealth of excellent information on this subject, and also provides a printable waiver that you should have your health care provider sign if innoculations are insisted upon. The waiver itself is a good read. I will try to post a link to it here soon.
So, does anyone have any ideas on why Moscow is being so hush hush on the swine flu? Perhaps my town is just following in it's ways of resisting change and alarm. But then again, this community is repleat with whistle blowers and people who enjoy speaking their mind about issues like this. What is going on here? Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading my rant....
Lee

[Western gal]

You'd think it'd be more of a concern, considering all the hubub about the University of Washington flu outbreak when school began
!
College 'swine flu' cases continue to grow | Booster Shots | Los Angeles Times

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by aulidur

Hi folks, newbie here. I've been keeping tabs on the swine flu in Pullman, and wondering when we were going to see big outbreak numbers here in quiet little Moscow. With information I heard on Monday and today, I am quite baffled and shocked.
Monday a friend of mine contacted Gritman Medical Center via phone to inquire about swine flu like symptoms her 8 year old daughter was having. The person on the other end of the phone at the ER told my friend that it simply wasn't swine flu, no cases have been confirmed in Moscow, and only to bring her daughter in if her fever spiked really high. ?????
Today I talked with my daycare provider for my son. A total of 8 children and their families are sick, most showing symptoms of flu/swine flu. My provider called the health department in Moscow, and the health department flatly told my provider that they were NO LONGER TESTING for swine flu, and simply encouraged my provider to refer to reference materials on helping prevent the spread of the virus. No longer testing....?
I will admit, I'm getting and passing this information on second hand, and it should be regarded with scrutiny. However, with the way our quad cities area (Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston, Clarkston) plus many of the other smaller communities interact and intermingle, how can Gritman Medical Center blatantly state that there are NO cases in Moscow? How can the health department refuse to offer testing? Is all of Idaho burying their head in the sand on this?
As for vaccines, I'm not thrilled by the idea. And I believe that Massachuchets will not be the only state having people going door to door to quarantine people or insist on innoculation. From information I have gathered, the vacciene is more deadly than the H1N1 virus. For any of you who listen to or watch videos posted by David Icke, he has a wealth of excellent information on this subject, and also provides a printable waiver that you should have your health care provider sign if innoculations are insisted upon. The waiver itself is a good read. I will try to post a link to it here soon.

So, does anyone have any ideas on why Moscow is being so hush hush on the swine flu? Perhaps my town is just following in it's ways of resisting change and alarm. But then again, this community is repleat with whistle blowers and people who enjoy speaking their mind about issues like this. What is going on here? Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading my rant....
Lee

Probably not up to speed. Too much thinking it "won't happen here." Sometimes it takes knowing people who had family members die, were hospitalized, or as medical/nursing/respiratory therapy staff - you helped take care of them to make this all come home. The risks are real, the questions will be for whom?

"Today I talked with my daycare provider for my son. A total of 8 children and their families are sick, most showing symptoms of flu/swine flu. My provider called the health department in Moscow, and the health department flatly told my provider that they were NO LONGER TESTING for swine flu, and simply encouraged my provider to refer to reference materials on helping prevent the spread of the virus. No longer testing....?"

Correct, Lee. Most states aren't testing for H1N1 anymore. It was determined sometime in July/Aug. for some, earlier for others, it was a waste of $ and laboratory hours. The ultimate reason for the initial push in June by Utah to stop testing is patients were getting much sicker in the delayed time it took to get their tests back. Plus, the rapid test isn't even estimated now (by some) to be 25-30% accurate, as it wasn't developed for A/H1N1.

Plus, a Pandemic Level VI has already been declared by the WHO. It's not news that H1N1 is everywhere, it is news of what groups of people (age wise, or other) are getting it. And it's news when someone dies who had it.

I have not read anything that has singled out a race or ethnicity for H1N1. If anyone has, please post.

I heard this week on a news program that in the 2009-10 "REGULAR FLU VACCINE" there was a small combination of H1N1 anyway. Apparently, the combinations of which number for H and which number for N change each year. So some H1N1 will be included in the regular flu shot. I wish I could find that in print. If anyone can, PLEASE post the reference back to the information.

As most people know, the REGULAR FLU VACCINATION is DIFFERENT THAN the H1N1. For all intents and purposes think of them as mumps and measles - similar in some ways, but different in others.

However, I'm wondering if this is why different pharmaceutical companies are starting to float how many injections their vaccination for H1N1 will take?

Learn more about your own personal risks for H1N1 as a disease. The WSU studentbody, in general, have not been very sick. Can we hope one of the major principles learned by Pittsburgh (and published in July) - that heat keeps H1N1 thriving- this may be a great year to live in colder weather.

Learn about the risk factors- probably most people who have the risk factors know they have them and thus aren't posting here. What I keep seeing are people wondering if they can get by without a vaccination. Only you and your doctor know for best, as there are so many factors about a personal health history, any current co-morbid diseases, where one works or goes to school, or where kids may go to school etc. are all factors. Basically, what is the risk to each member of your family for getting a really severe viral infection and each person's ability to fight it?


Please post what you find.

Thanks,

MSR

[aulidur]

Thanks for your information and thoughts. I'm glad you helped me understand why facilities aren't testing for this flu. Even though it kind of makes me cranky, it does make sense, and I can see the reasoning behind it.

As for me and my family, well, my son is now sick. He's still running around like a regular 2 1/2 year old terror, but he's deffinitly got a fever and the runny nose business. I've managed to get some nasty body aches and a runny nose, and the mom lady of the house has an upset stomach and is achy. Ugh. We were all fine one moment, and then it hit us all like a ton of bricks. Good thing it is close to the weekend to give us all time to recover and get over the hump by Monday.

Thanks again to everyone.

Lee

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by aulidur

Thanks for your information and thoughts. I'm glad you helped me understand why facilities aren't testing for this flu. Even though it kind of makes me cranky, it does make sense, and I can see the reasoning behind it.

As for me and my family, well, my son is now sick. He's still running around like a regular 2 1/2 year old terror, but he's deffinitly got a fever and the runny nose business. I've managed to get some nasty body aches and a runny nose, and the mom lady of the house has an upset stomach and is achy. Ugh. We were all fine one moment, and then it hit us all like a ton of bricks. Good thing it is close to the weekend to give us all time to recover and get over the hump by Monday.

Thanks again to everyone.

Lee

Lee,

I probably wasn't clear. Facilities (hospitals) who have had suspected H1N1 patients are testing for the virus, but it's not the rapid test. Nasopharyngeal washes etc. seem to be more the thing.

Watch the fevers - that was the #1 thing that was consistent from the spring version all through the summer and where we are now. If you haven't contacted your doctors (as it sounds like at least 3 of you are sick), I'd encourage you to do so. Espeically with that day care situation, your
little one's pediatrician/FP needs to be aware.

One reason more testing and education isn't done is when doctors don't know or patients don't check with their doctors. Make sure you know the upper limits of what your son's fever can be - kids change so fast. I've seen people over this in days and I've seen it linger for months. If apprl'k

Hopefully, your cases will be mild. Hang in there When in doubt, though, see a doctor. That's one of the weird things about H1N1 is it how rapid the onset is. If you can, please update us agan in a few days.

Good luck!

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by aulidur

Thanks for your information and thoughts. I'm glad you helped me understand why facilities aren't testing for this flu. Even though it kind of makes me cranky, it does make sense, and I can see the reasoning behind it.

As for me and my family, well, my son is now sick. He's still running around like a regular 2 1/2 year old terror, but he's deffinitly got a fever and the runny nose business. I've managed to get some nasty body aches and a runny nose, and the mom lady of the house has an upset stomach and is achy. Ugh. We were all fine one moment, and then it hit us all like a ton of bricks. Good thing it is close to the weekend to give us all time to recover and get over the hump by Monday.

Thanks again to everyone.

Lee

Here you go aulidur,

News - official news from the PBS about WSU and U of I:

KPLU: Flu Hits Colleges on the Palouse (2009-09-10)

If you look back a page or so I posted a page for U. of I. Swine FLu. This article contains info for both WSU and U. of I.

WSU - H1N1 (Swine) Flu Guidance Home Page

U. of Idaho - H1N1 Flu

Hopefully, these pages will help some people wondering about symptoms and when to become concerned.

Good luck.

MSR

[aulidur]

Hello friends!

As it turns out, we have all made a wonderful recovery and are doing well. I think I wound up with the worst of it... sudden onset of fever, major fatigue, and a headache that was most unpleasant. That all hit at about 3:00PM Thursday. This morning I woke up with great energy, a normal temperature, and my headache gone.

My son just had a fever which lasted a few days, and never spiked into a danger zone. And my roomie just had an upset tummy for a little over a day. So, among us all, some varied symptoms for sure.

Right as rain in this house!

Anyone else been taken out by a bout of this nastiness?

Lee

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by aulidur

Hello friends!

As it turns out, we have all made a wonderful recovery and are doing well. I think I wound up with the worst of it... sudden onset of fever, major fatigue, and a headache that was most unpleasant. That all hit at about 3:00PM Thursday. This morning I woke up with great energy, a normal temperature, and my headache gone.

My son just had a fever which lasted a few days, and never spiked into a danger zone. And my roomie just had an upset tummy for a little over a day. So, among us all, some varied symptoms for sure.

Right as rain in this house!

Anyone else been taken out by a bout of this nastiness? Glad you all are on the mend.

Lee

Knocking on wood here no and hope not to.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by aulidur

Hello friends!

As it turns out, we have all made a wonderful recovery and are doing well. I think I wound up with the worst of it... sudden onset of fever, major fatigue, and a headache that was most unpleasant. That all hit at about 3:00PM Thursday. This morning I woke up with great energy, a normal temperature, and my headache gone.

My son just had a fever which lasted a few days, and never spiked into a danger zone. And my roomie just had an upset tummy for a little over a day. So, among us all, some varied symptoms for sure.

Right as rain in this house!

Anyone else been taken out by a bout of this nastiness?

Lee

Lee,
Good to hear you're feeling better! Your symptoms correspond exactly to the bug I came down with in May, except mine lasted about 5 days in all. (And we're down here in SoCal where the virus started spreading into the US from Mexico in late April.) Friends of ours came down with the same thing in July. Since it wasn't accompanied by a sore throat, I didn't think it was the flu, but since then I've read that congestion/sore throat is not necessarily part of the package. Now I suspect that it really may have been the H1N1. Glad everybody in your family got well so fast, but you should probably discuss with your health provider if vaccination is recommended, even so.

[Mtn. States Resident]

"New research says people need to be careful for longer than thought"

From MSNBC - a new report (except I think if you look back here I was writing about this from first hand experience in May and June) about the length one can infect others with H1N1. Oh well, time for the rest of the world to catch up with what has been available here.

Swine flu spreads week or more after symptoms - Swine flu- msnbc.com

“This study shows you’re not contagious for a day or two. You’re probably contagious for about a week,” said Dr. Gaston De Serres, a scientist at the Institute of Public Health in Quebec, Canada.

The rest of the article is at the link I posted.

For those of us who have had symptoms and probably clinical cases of H1N1, what do you think of this data? I say absolutely, perhaps even longer. That may be one of the very deceiving parts of this Novel H1N1.

What do you think?

Take care, Prepare and Stay Aware of NEW INFORMATION about H1N1 and Updated Research.

MSR