By Heather O.
My son has just recovered from the flu. We don’t know if it was H1N1, but for all practical purposes, we treated it as such. After 6 days of being sick, he’s back in school, a little grumpy still, but otherwise seemingly healthy.
Now it’s just a matter of when people will start associating with us again.
I went to church on Sunday and took Little Sister, leaving Dh here with the boy. When we got to church, people asked where my better half was. When I told them he was home with our son who had the flu, it was like I dropped a stink bomb. And when a young preschooler cuddled up in my lap in the chapel, her mother was particularly concerned. Other people told me I shouldn’t have left the house, and volunteered to bring groceries to my doorstep. I volunteered to bring food to a friend who is deathly ill with bronchitis, and she only accepted after I offered to BUY all the food.
It’s like I’m carrying the plague.
I suppose I do get it. I don’t like having the flu as much as the next person, and 2 years ago, it flattened all four of us but good. But still it seems like people are panicking a bit. I know people who waited in line for over 3 hours to get the flu shot. 3 hours? With my kids? Standing in a closed up area with thousands of other people, smooshed shoulder to shoulder? Sheesh, if that’s not a recipe for a serious germ party, I don’t know what is.
Anybody else being shunned?
From my understanding the concern over H1N1 is real. According to what I have read from the CDC, in a given flu season 90% of people who die from it are 65 and over. With H1N1, 88% of the deaths have been in those UNDER the age of 65. Our family has tried to be cautious without being panicked. We have kept our kids home when they are ill, increased lessons about hand washing and donated extra Clorox wipes and hand sanitizers to their classrooms. My daughter’s class had 2 kids with confirmed cases and 4 other kids exhibiting flu symptoms. We aren’t freaking out, but we are doing our best to keep germ spreading to a minimum. We are on a waiting list for the vaccine at our pediatrician’s office and will wait until our names are called. People standing in lines in cramped buildings or in inclement weather seems counterproductive to me. I don’t think you are a leper, but I know that fear and misinformation can breed stupid actions. Hope everyone recovers quickly!
Comment #1 by Mayoress of crazytownOctober 28th, 2009 at 2:59 pmThat’s the thing that bugs me about this H1N1 scare. The symptoms are the same as other flu varieties, until you get the blue tinged fingers or face, but up to that point the docs are just going to tell you to rest, stay at home, plenty of fluids, keep the fever down. There’s no pill to take for it. Why do people think they can keep from getting sick AT ALL? I don’t think the government helps things by calling this a “pandemic”. Yeah, well, everyone gets a cold at least once during the year and nobody panics about those. If what was going around was Ebola, or Marburg where death rates were closer to 50% to 90%, then I think the panic would be justified.
Comment #2 by mormonhermitmomOctober 28th, 2009 at 3:25 pmMy cousin is a nurse and is the Chicken Little poster child for H1N1. She leaves quotes about the ants and the grasshopper, all kinds of crap. BE PREPARED!!!
Except…
It’s just like the regular flu. You’re (likely) not going to die of it if you do get it. You treat it the same way you treat any other flu. So, like you, I get where people are coming from when they treat you like lepers, but jeez… let’s use common sense folks!
Comment #3 by SallyGirlOctober 28th, 2009 at 3:39 pmI guess you must be in the leading edge of H1N1 in your area. People will stop shunning you as it progresses. When half the kids in your child’s class are out sick, then everyone is a potential carrier.
What really irks me is that people avoid those known to have H1N1 (or those related to them), but you’re more likely to get it from someone who hasn’t gotten sick yet. You can infect others for 2-3 days before you actually show symptoms. So, if someone really wants to keep themselves from getting sick, THEY should be the ones to lock themselves in their house and never go out.
Comment #4 by JESOctober 28th, 2009 at 3:45 pmAll I know is that the vaccine isn’t likely to even be available anywhere here until sometime in November or December, and yet at every single OBGYN appointment I go to since last month, my doctor tells me that I very much need to go get the vaccine, due to being in the “high-risk” group of people suffering from pregnancy. Yep. Okay. I will go get it, whenever it is actually available anywhere. In the meantime, I need to find somewhere to get the normal flu vaccine in the next couple weeks. And, while waiting on the vaccines, and then once I get them, waiting for them to be effective (which can supposedly take up to two weeks), flu viruses of all sorts are spreading rapidly through my ward and neighborhood, and chances are I will catch it anyway.
Comment #5 by kaduseyOctober 28th, 2009 at 4:05 pmSomeone in our ward admitted on facebook a couple of weeks ago that her son had flu. That was the first known (or admitted) case in our ward. The woman was rather surprised by the response. (Although not from me!) “Leper” would pretty much describe it.
I have appreciated ward members posting when their kids had it, because that helped me to get ready for it. My son has a major heart defect (HLHS) and is one of the children that our pediatricians worry about when something like this goes around.
I haven’t been too concerned because I’ve been following the chatter on an online support group for heart kids. Most of the kids that have had it had a mild case and recovered quickly, although at least one had to be hospitalized. One HLHS child died — very tragic — but she was two days post-op and in bad condition when she caught it in the hospital.
In my family, we’ve had five cases. One bad, one average, and three mild, including my “heart kid,” who was on Tamiflu. What can I say; it’s the flu. No better, no worse.
But it is the flu! If your kids catch it, keep them out of school and church! Please! There’s nothing so important that you or they have to do at church or school that you need to spread the germs.
I’m generally pro-vaccine and if it had been available before we got the germ, we would have gotten the vaccine. I hope it’s bundled with the seasonal flu vaccine next year!
Comment #6 by ResearcherOctober 28th, 2009 at 4:24 pmAh, the irony is that we DID get the vaccine. J came down with a fever the day after, and we were back at the doctor’s 2 days after we left for a scrip for Tamiflu. I’ve been told that the vaccine wouldn’t cause him to come down with symptoms so quickly, although it could have pushed the virus over the edge a little bit. So I THOUGHT I was getting the jump on this, as J gets the flu every year. That’s the only reason I bothered with it–J seems to be susceptible to the flu for whatever reason, and I am tired of him fighting it 2 years running. Otherwise, I would just let things come what may. Seems it turned out that way anyway.
We now have a bottle of Purell on our kitchen table. Nobody touches food before they have sterilized their hands, and nobody comes past the bathroom without stopping to wash. So yeah, we’re being Nazi. I just hope we’re not shunned for too long.
Comment #7 by Heather O.October 28th, 2009 at 4:53 pmAnd JES, half the kids ARE out. Sports have been cancelled, stuff like that. It’s EVERYwhere.
Comment #8 by Heather O.October 28th, 2009 at 4:54 pmHeather — I think if you rub some oils on J and your family, you should be fine. :;
Comment #9 by Melissa McOctober 28th, 2009 at 5:09 pmWe have a friend who has announced that she and her family will not be back to church until everyone in the ward is healthy. So we pretty much won’t be seeing her ever again. I’m not certain, but I think I have had at least one child at least mildly sick with something or other constantly for the last 5 years. I always figure by the time their friends show symptoms we have already been exposed. And my husband works in the Emergency Department, so we get 1st exposure to everything anyway.
Comment #10 by latermomOctober 28th, 2009 at 6:04 pmMy daughter is severely immuno compromised - one year old today and had a bone marrow transplant last month. We can’t go anywhere where there are more than 10 people, so yeah, church is out. She actually got H1N1 in the hospital before the transplant, but now that she has new bone marrow, she can get it again. My experience is a lot of people keep telling me we are over-cautious and it’s “just the flu.” Well “just the flu” could kill her, she has no immune system. So I’m one who would treat you as a leper. Sorry.
Comment #11 by SeekerOctober 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pmThe response to the other white meat flu is simply ridiculous. It’s the flu. People die from it. People have always died from the flu, people will always die from the flu, but most people don’t whatever the strain of flu virus they get. We’ve just spent the last couple of weeks with H1N1 (most likely, the test my son had wasn’t 100% certain), and you know what? It’s just the flu. Even if it’s a different demographic dying from it for some reason, there haven’t been anywhere near the 20,000 deaths this year that the “normal” flu typically produces.
People panicking over these stupid “pandemics” every year or two drives me nuts, though I suppose I’m glad things have moved on from the bird flu with all the misinformation that was going around about that. I’ve got parrots, so I’m sensitive to things that might come to bite me in the butt because of people’s ignorance (and for the record, parrots never have carried the strain of bird flu people were freaking about, it was always spread by poultry).
Comment #12 by FirebyrdOctober 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pmI disagree with #2, Mormonhermitmom. The term pandemic doesn’t mean “deadly disease that kills almost everyone.” It does mean highly infectious disease. H1N1 is a highly infectious disease. Most people are likely to be exposed. By publicizing this and preparing for it, the government will be able to prevent deaths. Without the announcement that H1N1 is pandemic, we would not have millions of doses of vaccine available, free of charge. Without the announcement that H1N1 is pandemic, many fewer people would be going to their physician’s offices and health departments and getting those doses of vaccine. Without the announcement of a pandemic, many families, schools and businesses would not be nearly as vigilant about washing their hands or having sick people stay home.
True–H1N1 is usually just unpleasant, not deadly. But if you are the pregnant woman or the young child or 20-yr-old-in-the-bloom-of health cut down by it, hospitalized or even killed, or someone who loves such a person, it is a big, big deal. I am glad that the government is helping more people stay healthy. There’s no need to panic, but there is reason to get the vaccine, wash your hands, and stay home if you’re sick.
P.S. Heather: sorry to hear about your shunned status. I hope that it passes quickly and that the rest of you are able to stay healthy.
Comment #13 by Pmom@Chocolateandgarlic.comOctober 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pmMy daughter had the flu for the whole week last week and no one shunned us. I think because it is going around here too so it’s pretty ‘normal’. I’ve been doing everything I can to keep from coming down with it, because I’m six months pregnant. And of course everyone keeps telling me to get my flu shots but I haven’t been able to find a place that has any in stock to give them to me. The county health department has had them for the last two weeks, but I’m not yet willing to go wait in line for hours to get one.
Comment #14 by FoxyJOctober 28th, 2009 at 6:37 pmIt has actually been proven that we use hand sanitizer too much. If you use it a lot the germs mutate and the hand sanitizer is nothing anymore. So please use hand sanitizer wisely and wash your hand more than you use hand sanitizer. It will make a big difference in how many people get sick. ( My sister got a call from her school yesterday and they said that 38% of kids were gone that day and that the school would not be closing the next day.) So just be aware and don’t touch your face or other peoples face and it will be ok.
Comment #15 by JanetOctober 28th, 2009 at 6:45 pmI wouldn’t shun you (though I might if you actually brought your child who had the flu to church with you).
We’ve actually managed to avoid the flu so far, which I’m grateful for. When I took my son into Urgent Care today, though, they asked “Does he have the flu?” in a voice that sounded half-terrified. I was a little surprised. I assured them that, no, it was just an ear infection.
Pmom, pandemic actually means a disease that is spread over a wide geographical region and affects an unusually high percentage of the population. I haven’t actually looked at the statistics for H1N1, so I don’t know if it fits the definition, but from the secondhand accounts of how many people are coming down with it, it probably does.
Seeker, you would be right to treat her as a leper. There are certainly situations where nothing is “just a cold”, or whatever. I always appreciate when people are open and up-front about that sort of thing, since I don’t usually get concerned about taking my children out with clear runny noses, nor do I get concerned if other people’s kids have them. It usually is no big deal — if I know there’s a specific reason that it is a big deal I’ll be a lot more cautious.
Comment #16 by VadaOctober 28th, 2009 at 8:33 pmI just kind of roll my eyes at the whole thing. It’s the flu, and a new strain which means most people will get it. Some will die like all other flu’s and some won’t, and some will be worse than others and some won’t. You won’t be able to stop it, but IMO you can slow it down by… (here comes the crazy psycho babble) the foods you eat ie… word of wisdom. After all there is a blessing, a protective shield you get in following the word of wisdom. Look it up… very interesting. (not meant for anyone comment, just it’s an awesome blessing if you find yourself in need of one). Plus a healthy functioning immune system is always nice.
#11 you should absolutely treat them like the plague and don’t even think of feeling sorry. You are the exception to the rule, but for the normal person (what’s normal?) the flu most likely won’t kill us.
Also, I think the vaccine is a waste of time. Like, there’s only 1 strain of the swine flu and that vaccine has it… uh huh, right…. and I have had plenty of friends that ran right to the Health Dept to get it and came down with it anyway. If i’m going to get it, I’m going to get it no matter what!
Comment #17 by SunshineOctober 28th, 2009 at 8:59 pmVada, we agree, not disagree. When I said that H1N1 is a “highly infectious disease” I meant that it affects “an unusually high percentage of the population.” Because of this it has spread across a “wide geographic region.”
Comment #18 by PmomOctober 28th, 2009 at 9:54 pmSeeker, go ahead and treat me like a leper. I’ll recover
I appreciate the semantics of “pandemic”, as well as the politics behind calling something an emergency. Basically, it means that you can do more stuff with better funding, is my understanding, which is why governors will often declare states of emergency after some disaster. It just means they get more money from the federal government.
I’m not really sure what to think about this flu hype–I’ve heard everything from it’s no big deal to a crazy conspiracy theory that somebody has manufactured this virus to make money of Tamiflu and/or the H1N1 virus. (And I can’t tell how much I don’t want to go there). This is the earliest I’ve seen the flu hit so hard, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that we were shunned. Of course, if we all get it early, won’t that mean that February will be flu-free?
Comment #19 by Heather O.October 28th, 2009 at 10:14 pmPmom, I guess you’re right that it pretty much has to be highly infectious to be pandemic. But a disease can be highly infectious _without_ being pandemic, too. (Sorry, weird semantic/logical soapbox, I guess. Just because all whales are marine mammals doesn’t mean all marine mammals are whales.)
And I totally agree with Sunshine that keeping your body healthy through good eating, etc, is the best way to avoid the flu. Last Christmas the flu went through my in-laws house with a vengeance. There were 11 adults and 16 kids staying there, and all but 4 got the flu. The 4 who escaped were my SIL’s breastfeeding baby and my 3 kids. I was amazed, since it used to be that they were the first to catch anything, but even after being cared for by horrendously sick parents they managed to stay healthy. It turns out all the time I spend trying to figure out what’s going on with their wacky immune systems and food issues is actually doing some real good for their bodies as a whole. Of course, it also made me realize that I should be putting that kind of effort into making good choices about what _I_ was eating as well.
Comment #20 by VadaOctober 28th, 2009 at 10:54 pmVada, is this the distinction you’re getting at?
A vial of smallpox virus in the laboratory could be classed as highly infectious, but it wouldn’t be pandemic, because to be pandemic people (a lot of people spread across a wide geographic area) actually have to be infected. Our current H1N1 virus is properly judged to be pandemic because not only is it highly infectious, but many, many people around the globe are already infected.
Comment #21 by PmomOctober 28th, 2009 at 11:44 pmVada, is this the distinction you’re getting at?
A vial of smallpox virus in the laboratory could be classed as highly infectious, but it wouldn’t be pandemic, because to be pandemic people (a lot of people spread across a wide geographic area) actually have to be infected. Our current H1N1 virus is properly judged to be pandemic because not only is it highly infectious, but many, many people around the globe are already infected.
Comment #22 by PmomOctober 28th, 2009 at 11:44 pmI think we all need to calm down and think before we speak sometimes. Last week my two daughters came home from Young Womens reporting that in the Young Womens presidency, most of the families had tested positive for the swine flu, which included a doctors family. This sent a wave of panic through our ward, with phone calls and rumors running wild. Wasn’t even true. No one had the swine flu, 2 little girls had colds, everyone else had the stomach bug. One ward member let her imagination take over and it caused a panic.
Comment #23 by CindyOctober 29th, 2009 at 5:58 amThere is a need for concern, but there is also a need for compassion.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this without offending the commenters in question, but I wanted to address the comments above: “there is a blessing, a protective shield you get in following the word of wisdom” and “keeping your body healthy through good eating, etc, is the best way to avoid the flu”.
Yes, there are benefits to living the Word of Wisdom. There are many clear and directly correlated results. For example, if you follow the Word of Wisdom you are unlikely to develop cirrhosis of the liver. You’re also less likely to be obese.
But to think that it will protect you from flu? That’s magical thinking. Claiming that following the Word of Wisdom will protect you from the flu is in direct contradiction to the principle in the scripture that “he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” People get sick, people suffer short-term or long-term health problems, and people die, even while they’re following the principles in the Word of Wisdom.
Comment #24 by ResearcherOctober 29th, 2009 at 6:31 amResearcher… I disagree, and I agree. I agree in the sense that bad things happen to good people. It’s just the nature of the beast, but I disagree in the fact that it’s not going to help me from getting the flu, or cancer, or…
The thing is we are commanded to work, to do something, to put an effort into life, to do our part, and part of that means eating a diet that increases the benefits to your immune system, which we have been told time and time again is grains, fruits and veggies, fish. The WoW doesn’t just mean you won’t be fat if you follow it(although, it’s an added benefit)it means you will have health in your navel… did you read the blessings that come with it? So, if you did read it would you mind explaining what you think the ‘destroying angel’ is?
Comment #25 by SunshineOctober 29th, 2009 at 7:32 amIf your kids have it, you’ve been exposed. And people are most contagious before they show symptoms. I don’t see why it’s such a big deal to be “shunned” for a little while while everyone gets better. My kids are allergic to eggs, so can’t have any flu shots. And, they have underlying issues that could make it very easy for them to have complications with the flu. So, I avoid people that may be sick. Whether it’s “just the flu” or not.
And, #15, there is not a problem with resistance to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Yes, other sort of hand sanitizers or wipes, particularly ones that contain an antibiotic (like Wet-Ones) can cause drug-resistant strains, but there is no problem of resistance to alcohol-based sanitizer.
Also, regarding the Word of Wisdom, yes, living the Word of Wisdom gives you blessings and does help increase your resistance to illness. However, to imply that if you get sick or die, you must not have been living the Word of Wisdom correctly is ridiculous. If living the Word of Wisdom meant that the destroying angel would always pass us by, how do you explain the many prophets who have been seriously ill and died of their illnesses?
Comment #26 by JennyOctober 29th, 2009 at 8:32 amHmm. Interesting question. I don’t think that we are spared pain and suffering because of the extent of our personal righteousness (e.g. Job). Sometimes blessings can come in the way we hope (e.g. avoiding the flu because of adherence to the Word of Wisdom), and sometimes blessings come in such amazing ways that it’s hard to even comprehend the extent to which we are being blessed.
I know there are circumstances where healing blessings are given and children are spared from death as were the Israelites in Egypt. But it is not always the case. But when we do lose someone to death, there is another blessing mentioned in following the Word of Wisdom that can also help in the situation, and that is the treasures of knowledge. For an example, I would recommend Elder Scott’s address in last April General Conference. He told about losing two of his children to death, one right after the other:
Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need.
Temple worship is certainly a blessing that is closely associated with keeping the Word of Wisdom.
Now I realize that I am sidestepping the actual question about the destroying angel (and I’m also threadjacking! Sorry Heather! Although it is on the topic of Mormon reaction to sickness and health
) but some of my thoughts on the topic are a bit too personal, since I’ve lived for the past three years with the constant question about my youngest child’s quality and length of life, so I’ll leave the topic here.
Comment #27 by ResearcherOctober 29th, 2009 at 8:37 amSunshine,
The destroying angel is Satan.
If you follow the WoW and avoid the substances it talks about, you will be able to fend off Satan. It’s a great idea to be eating healthy, too. A healthy body can do great things, including not being distracted by various ailments so that you can be finding the hidden treasures of knowledge. Most of the treasures or blessings referred to are going to be spiritual ones. And really, a lot of what is warned about is steering clear of the things that will cloud your spirit and allow Satan in. If you obey, He’ll pass by you.
Also, the nice thing about now as opposed to 1918 is all of the nice drugs that are out there for treating the influenza. We have come a long way, baby, and people just will not die like they used to.
Comment #28 by RMOctober 29th, 2009 at 8:37 amI don’t by any means think that following the Word of Wisdom is some magical thing that will keep you from ever getting sick. It’s just that if you eat healthy, and get the vitamins and things that your body needs, it will be better able to fight off infections, so you’re less likely to catch the flu, colds, etc (all other things being equal). Certainly getting sick does not mean that you haven’t been following the word of wisdom. Hopefully none of us are silly enough to think that, especially since I think pretty much every person in the world gets sick sometimes.
Comment #29 by VadaOctober 29th, 2009 at 10:20 amI’ve been up to the hospital daily with my daughter to sit with her preemie. There is hand sanitizer everywhere….. and you don’t have to touch anything….in the bathrooms. Everything is automatic…. And we aren’t even sick…. but so glad that the hospital is doing it’s best to combat any infection.
And then there is a gal in my office who has a second job at a different hospital as a counselor…. she coughs, sneezes and never washes her hands. I want to beat her with a stick! Most of the people I work with…. work outside….heavy road construction… so if one of them comes in with a sniffle…. I can pass it off as temperature change and not stress it too much. But I think I’m going to go to Costco and get one of those big bottles of hand sanitizer. I have to sign the UPS and FEDEX thingamajig daily…. and I don’t know where they’ve been.
Good Luck on the shunning.
Comment #30 by BrendaOctober 29th, 2009 at 10:30 amUmm, this is a heated topic. There will always be people out there who blame others for infecting them and/or their kids with one flu or another. Things come and go and pass around all the same and unless we’re sharing lollipops, I’m not too worried about myself. Although I am for my children.
Some people wear those breathing/face masks. maybe that’s the next step in all this? Crazy.
Comment #31 by Terresa WellbornOctober 29th, 2009 at 11:16 amRM, actually it isn’t Satan. Read EX 12:23 and D&C 89:21. In no way am I bringing this up saying those people who have suffered and died weren’t righteous enough, or living the WoW enough, or were punished. I am simply stating there is promise in the WoW that often gets over looked because we focus so much on who eats meat and who is fat, and who isn’t.
My favorite part and one that I am most curious about is:
“18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures”
The hidden treasures and the wisdom that we receive is what I want to know about… sorry for the thread jack Heather, but… I have my own insight but am curious to hear what other people think.
Researcher, I appreciate your response, and I will read that article. Thank you
Comment #32 by SunshineOctober 29th, 2009 at 2:02 pmBoy oh boy oh boy, you do NOT want me to go there.
Let’s just say that I think that keeping the WOW can maximize your health. But speaking as a person whose navel is particularly ill, the whole “protective shield” statement just doesn’t work for those of us who have never violated the WOW and still have life threatening diseases that, in fact, specifically affect our navels. I think the WOW gives awesome blessings, but it doesn’t guarantee perfect health. Like I said, PLEASE don’t go there.
I’ve never heard the WOW discussed in terms of avoiding obesity. Is that a Utah thing?
I like the idea of focusing on the spiritual blessings of obeying the WOW, which, like sunshine said, do tend to be overlooked. In my opinion, that’s the point of it all anyway.
Comment #33 by Heather O.October 29th, 2009 at 5:42 pmMy Daughter had the flu and after talking to a few doctors, an h1n1 call line, and taking the advice on the CDC website (all of which said if you are healthy you are fine to go to work) I decided to go ahead and go fulfill my calling as primary chorister two weeks before our presentation. I got publicly ripped a new one on facebook (in all caps no less lol) for “exposing the entire ward.”
Comment #34 by Becky BOctober 29th, 2009 at 10:58 pmI found it highly interesting that I was the one accused of being a walking germ when I had spent the morning swimming in sanitizer (and I never did get sick), yet all 60 of the kids in primary go to the school that had over 50 absences on friday were there as well.
Well, I’m one of those who panics, but with good reason. My daughter is type 1 diabetic. She’s gotten the flu in the past with dire circumstances. When she gets sick, her blood sugar is very difficult to maintain. If she starts throwing up, her blood sugar gets so uncontrollable that we have to take her to the hospital. Some people think that we over react, but I’ve already lost one child and I’m not losing another through someone else’s indifference or stupidity.
Comment #35 by Uncle WayneOctober 30th, 2009 at 2:06 amThe Wicked Witch Of The West…….The Barf Babe……The Destruction Dame……The Twisted Tart……The Lifetime Network Ninny…..The Cable Network Crab……The Science Fiction Sodomizer…..The Galactica Gag Wench……The Banality Babe……NBC-Universal’s One Woman Death Squad Sent To Destroy The Sci-Fi Channel (She has long since succeeded) and of course…..The Copyright Carnage Mistress.
The last we heard of our beloved Bonnie Hammer…..She was rewarded for utterly decimating the Sci-Fi Channel and anything directly or remotely broadcast on it with a promotion to manage ALL of NBC-Universal’s cable networks. Well!! What a difference that flash in the pan press release never made announcing Bonnie Hammer’s promotion!! As we all knew would happen, the utter SUCKTITUDE of every cable channel owned by NBC-Universal has either stayed the same….or intensified with Bonnie Hammer managing them. Yes!! All of the BORING…..ANTI-ORIGINAL…..APPOINTMENT AVOIDING AT ALL COSTS!!……cable channels being newly managed by Bonnie Hammer have retained their UNPRECEDENTED SUCKTITUDE!! Word has it that Hammer wants to put a COOKING SHOW on the SyFy Channel. Yes, my friends!! You will soon be able to watch the SyFy Channel and learn how to prepare your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, right after the latest episode of “Stargate!!” To quote Bill Murray from “Scrooged”……..”Gosh!! Does that suck!!”
Comment #36 by LanguatronOctober 30th, 2009 at 10:02 amI read your blog a lot, but this is the first time I have commented. If you know anything about the flu pandemic of 1918, it killed more people than the Black Death. What people fail to realize about the flu, because we have become complacent to the yearly vaccinations and the fact that the flu is a constant threat, is the very real danger from a serious flu outbreak. The CDC and WHO believes that the outbreak in 1918 was an Avian (bird) flu and if it hits again, it has to potential to kill a fourth of the worlds population, at minimum. (thus the reason anytime bird flu is detected, whole flocks of birds are slaughtered to keep it from reaching humans….) The threat of death does not come from smallpox or the black death, the real threat to the world is a flu pandemic. That is why, every year, the rush to vaccinate people is done. People fail to realize that the very thing we live with and accept, has the very real potential to kill whole communities. The problem with H1N1 is that the season is just beginning, and come January or so, there is still the potential for H1N1 to go global on a scale that we have yet to imagine. I work for a government office and we are telling people that if they even show symptoms, stay home. We have the ability to fight infections with antibiotics, but antivirals (tamiflu) are iffy, at best. Your best defense is to stay away from infected people and to stay home until everyone is well.
It is not a question of the CDC or the WHO overreacting, but that we are so complacent. The WHO and CDC have been preparing for another 1918 pandemic ever since it has happened. It is not a question of IF this will ever happen, but when. People will die, and it will affect us globally. There is more money spent every year trying to prevent and vaccinate against the flu than any other virus. The flu is deadly and it will kill many, many people…It’s like living in California and knowing when the “big” one hits, many people will die. Yet no one seems to think it will happen to them. I hope this is not the big one….I don’t think it is, but better safe than sorry.
Comment #37 by FaithOctober 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pmFlu is very dangerous for diabetics. I’d be with Uncle Wayne, and I’d shun you. “Just the flu” scares the crap out of me.
Languatron! Hello! Did Battlestar Galactica give you the flu?
Faith, you’re absolutely correct. My doc here keeps talking about it because he’s so fascinated with the 1918 flu, and how this is following suit. Of course, we have come a long way, it’s true. But still, I’m a little freaked.
Comment #38 by The WizOctober 30th, 2009 at 4:19 pmAnother comment that somehow got stuck in cyberspace, by Faith
An estimated 50 million people died in the 1918 pandemic (a 1/3 of the world’s population) and another estimated 500 million contracted the disease….it is the single most deadly incident caused by disease (viral or bacterial) in the history of recorded man. More than smallpox, more than the plague, more than ANYTHING…..the quote, “It’s like I’m carrying the plague.” says a lot, yet I would feel safer around you if it WERE the plague.
Here are some links to check out…
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic
http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no01/05-0979.htm
http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/
The news is saying today that the child death toll is up and that this flu is starting to spread like the flu in 1918 did. It is starting out slow, but still may gain momentum.
Comment #39 by Heather O.October 31st, 2009 at 12:36 pmIf you want to read an excellent book on the 1918 flu pandemic, find a copy of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, by John M. Barry. It’s very readable.
The 1918 flu was incredibly transmissible and deadly. The current swine flu is transmissible, but not deadly for most people. Another thing that fouled things up in 1918 was the govt trying to prevent widespread panic by pretending there wasn’t an epidemic going on. Govts refused to cancel large gatherings, for example.
It’s an excellent book if you want to compare the similarities and differences between the 1918 epidemic and 2009 swine flu.
And I would shun someone whose family had the flu. I’m pregnant, and I can’t get a vaccine until next month. Once I’m vaccinated, I won’t shun you.
And Becky who is the Primary chorister, I am really sorry you got ripped on for coming to Church, when all those kids likely exposed most of the ward too. I would be polite about shunning people, I really would. Yelling at someone on facebook is just plain mean.
Comment #40 by Molly in the Jello BeltOctober 31st, 2009 at 2:35 pmMy mom is a nurse, and for years she has said that the spread of disease would be severely limited if people would just stay home and keep their kids home when they were sick. I’m not freaking out about H1N1, but I do agree with mom. So many things would just be so much easier if people would “shun” themselves. If you’re sick or your family is sick, stay home and keep your germs there, too!
Comment #41 by AmandaOctober 31st, 2009 at 5:17 pmI do not want to sound harsh…but I would totally shun you. Not only because you could potentially be contagious before you got sick (about 24 hours) but because I too have a kiddo’ who cannot get this blasted virus. He has lung disease…guess where this silly swine flu virus is setting…really low in the lungs…and it is causing damage to the lungs. When you have a kiddo whose lungs are already damaged you have to avoid it. I’ve pulled my older daughter out of school…and we’ve stopped going to church.
why?
Because I know people will come to church and they or there children or someone in there household is sick…and they won’t understand or occasionally not care…if they get others sick. So yes if you have it… stay home. If your one child has it? Yes keep the others home. Cause odds are they’re already contagious with it. And your contagious for about 7 days after you get sick. The going back to school 24 hours after the fever is over…is bunk and why it’s still spreading like crazy.
This h1n1 is sooo very contagious…much more so than a reg cold. In our neighboring elementary school..1/2 the kids were home on Friday from school…including every single 5th grader….seriously that is just bad…and it’s like that everywhere.
Oh and the WOW talk?? Love it when lucky healthy people discuss how much WOW have kept them healthy. May I ask what my 6 month old deserved to get sick and now be chronically ill and on oxygen?? He’d never smoked, nor drank alcohol, didn’t over eat. hmmmmmmm
One last though…I think Heather O mentioned. The h1n1 shot takes about 7 days to work. If you get sick 3 days after the shot….the vaccine has not worked yet. In adults they have a 75% effective rate. Children 10 and up. 75% effective rate. Children 3-9 35% rate. Children 2 and under 25% rate….so basically even when you get the vaccine the young children are still not reasonably vaccinated and need a booster.
In the U.S.reg flu kills about 1% of pregnant women that get sick….h1n1 6%. Kids in general there is about 35ish children that die of regular flu in the U.S. each year. h1n1…. as of October 18th….86. And some of those kiddo’s got Tamiflu within the 48 hours (to wonder how morbid I get…I have the report on the first 36 pediatric deaths and there autopsy information.
For the first 36 pediatric deaths…Neuro impaired was actually the most common chronic condition, followed by lung disease and heart defects. Next Diabetes, prematurity and obesity.
Faith is absolutely right…this has the potential of getting really bad. You have to remember when area’s have 1/2 a schools population out with it….they are inundating the hospitals and doctor offices and clinics. You get enough people sick with it…enough of them will get sick enough they need to be hospitalized…if you continue to let it spiral out of control….you have the potential of more people needed to be on ventilator than they have beds or vents. I have a friend…whose son got so very ill (not related to the flu) that he needed to be intubated and put on a special ventilator…problem the hospital he was in had no ICU beds nor any more of those ventilators…so luckily they had another children’s hospital in the same town (and lets face it how rare is that)…and they had one more bed and one more vent….it took 6 hours to set up….they had to bag him for 6 hours…6 hours!!! Can you imagine what would happened if they had not had that ICU bed and vent???
This is the potential if they let this thing spiral out of control. With it getting resistant to Tamiflu…it’s really not that hard to imagine. The number of deaths would be staggering if it were not for Tamiflu. The 1918 pandemic killed them in 48 hours.
Comment #42 by SarahOctober 31st, 2009 at 10:29 pm“We now have a bottle of Purell on our kitchen table. Nobody touches food before they have sterilized their hands, and nobody comes past the bathroom without stopping to wash. So yeah, we’re being Nazi.”
Um, a lot of us live like that all the time. I never thought of it as “Nazi,” just common sense.
I also keep a small bottle in my church bag, because it grosses me out the idea of being expected to shake hands upon entering the chapel, and then consuming something you pick up with the same hand.
Comment #43 by NaismithNovember 1st, 2009 at 10:27 amSarah, I just want to say thank you for your informative comment. People are too casual about influenza. It is nice to see a comment that is accurate and helps people understand how their actions may affect others.
Comment #44 by ENovember 1st, 2009 at 2:51 pmAlso Heather O, not sure if anyone has already explained this to you, but your son already had H1N1 and was shedding virus before he got the flu shot if he was symptomatic the day after. He just got the vaccine too late. It is not possible to get the flu from injectable flu vaccine. And I know you didn’t realize why people would want to keep away from your apparently healthy kids, but there was a good chance that they were infectious and could have been spreading it prior to getting symptoms themselves. So it probably would have been better to keep them home that day.
Comment #45 by ENovember 1st, 2009 at 2:56 pmSarah brings up an interesting point that has quite concerned me. What if something were to happen with my son — some minor or major medical crisis — and we had to take him in the hospital? Would there be parking available? Would we have to wade through crowds of anxious parents who brought their child in because they have the sniffles or are running a fever? I’ve needed to call the doctor’s office several times over the past few weeks, and it’s been hard to get through. (Just one more worry to add to the list!)
Comment #46 by ResearcherNovember 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 amJust a few thoughts. I do think the H1N1 response is way over board. frankly if you are sick not matter what, stay home from church.
I don’t use hand sanitizers. They are very harsh on the skin and I always end up with horrible eczema when I do, same with antibacterial soap. Hand sanitizers are for temporary use, soap and water, scrubbed for 30 seconds is still the best prophylaxis for any illness. Hand Sanitizers and antibacterial soaps tend to kill the good normal flora we have on our skin that helps prevent infections. In fact a nursing study several years ago showed that a person would need to wash their hands 9 times a day to show any effect on harmful bacteria growth on the hands.
The thing with the 1918 flu that I have heard is that it was a strain of flu that occurred roughly 2 years prior. All those that had that previous flu did not get sick with the deadly 1918 flu. If this swine flu has that potential to become like the 1918 flu I would rather get it now than later. The vaccines are good for only a few months where as the bodies natural immune system is a more long term defense. One of the reasons few elderly people are being affected by this flu is that anyone born before 1957 was exposed to a very similar strain of flu. People born before 1957 are considered immune or to have a strong defense to this strain of h1n1 flu. This flu is currently a type A flu being on the mild end of the flu. We are effected because few people have had exposure to this flu to have any natural defense.
I couldn’t get the vaccine because it was given by nasal mist in our area. My husbands job gave it and spouses were excluded as well as anyone that had a history of asthma and needed an inhaler. That leaves me out of it. It left my son out of it, so I guess if we get it we get it.
As far as pandemics go, most flu’s now become pandemic. With the way travel has opened up in the World, it is impossible to keep viruses from spreading globally.
The biggest thing to remember is to be smart, think of others and be safe. If someone has a cough, it doesn’t mean they have the flu. If someone has a runny nose it doesn’t mean they have the flu. Be kind to those who are sick, and don’t fear it. If you, or someone you love has a medical condition that could make the flu more serious, be watchful, and careful of any sign of further compromise. Be persistent on the phone, only you knows yourself or your child. Like all illnesses be proactive and don’t let fear run your life.
Comment #47 by tigersueNovember 17th, 2009 at 9:25 am