The Flu - widespread in 41 states

[Wry Catcher]

Why are we not prepared for a flu pandemic? Congress supports hundreds of billions for defense against terrorists, but very little to defend us against the flu and other disease.

 

[Politico]

Personal hygeine is at an all time low.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Personal hygeine is at an all time low.

I never will understand why people like you post with some of the dumbest damn comments. It's the FLU dumbass, you can be the cleanliest person around, but if you're around others who have the flu it won't make a damn difference.

You undervalue the importance of this story with your ridiculous comment, this shit is serious and Emergency Rooms are being flooded and so far 18 children have died as a result of this.

But you boil it all down to "personal hygiene" is at an all time low....

Lets ban the flu. Epidemic my ass.

 

[AmyNation]

How are we "unprepared" for the flu? This is a moderate strain and I havent seen anything that suggests we could have done more to mitigate it.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

How are we "unprepared" for the flu? This is a moderate strain and I havent seen anything that suggests we could have done more to mitigate it.

But 18 people died ohh my god we have a pandemic, we are all gonna die, die I say.

 

[Mr. H.]

I should Hope that they could Change the vaccine to combat this outbreak.

 

[AmyNation]

"Experts say evidence so far is pointing to a moderate flu season - it just looks worse because last year's season was so mild"

Flu season came early but too soon to say it's bad

 

[whitehall]

What do you lefties want? Is there some extra gene in the liberal genome that causes your mind to determine that defense spending interferes with infectious disease prevention? Estimates are that every "free" flu shot costs American taxpayers about $600. About 10 Billion was spent in the flu shot hype and we get the same old yada yada every year that republicans caused the epidemic. It would be laughable if radicals didn't believe it.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Oh no! It's a Panic Pandemic! Hurry! Everyone get yer Big Pharma Flu shot and keep the Medical Industrial Complex going!

I haven't had a Flu shot in 25 years and I feel just fine. I've gotten sick only handful of times because eating good is FAR BETTER for you than getting a Flu shot.

 

[Mr. H.]

Soon, the flu will be widespread in all 57 states.

 

[Mr Natural]

In case of pandemic, make sure to sterilize your pans.

 

[Politico]

What do you lefties want? Is there some extra gene in the liberal genome that causes your mind to determine that defense spending interferes with infectious disease prevention?

According to guys like truthout washing your hands and sanitizing doesn't prevent it. I'm game for new ideas.

 

[Wry Catcher]

How are we "unprepared" for the flu? This is a moderate strain and I havent seen anything that suggests we could have done more to mitigate it.

From what I understand only half of the necessary vaccinations were produced. IMO and medical professionals everyone who hasn't gotten a flu shot should get one ASAP.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Personal hygeine is at an all time low.

I never will understand why people like you post with some of the dumbest damn comments. It's the FLU dumbass, you can be the cleanliest person around, but if you're around others who have the flu it won't make a damn difference.

You undervalue the importance of this story with your ridiculous comment, this shit is serious and Emergency Rooms are being flooded and so far 18 children have died as a result of this.

But you boil it all down to "personal hygiene" is at an all time low....

Lets ban the flu. Epidemic my ass.

You're a fool. I hope no one takes you seriously.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I should Hope that they could Change the vaccine to combat this outbreak.

The vaccine produced this year is effective on the current virus, according to a report I watched on CBS this evening by a CDC Doctor.

 

[Wry Catcher]

What do you lefties want? Is there some extra gene in the liberal genome that causes your mind to determine that defense spending interferes with infectious disease prevention?

According to guys like truthout washing your hands and sanitizing doesn't prevent it. I'm game for new ideas.

Wash your hands often, use a sanitizer, and keep you hands out of your mouth and eyes. If you ride pubic transportation wear a mask and protective gloves. Get plenty of rest and these cautions along with a healthy immune system may get you through. Keep in mind the apex of the infections won't come until early March. If you get a flu shot and still catch the bug your illness will be less severe and of shorter duration say the doctors.

 

[Delia]

All I know is a 23 year-old died this week, and her family is on our prayer chain. People my age aren't supposed to die of the flu.

 

[waltky]

Fighting the Office Flu Epidemic...

How Companies Can Prevent an Office Flu Epidemic
Jan 11, 2013 - What has been called the worst flu season in a decade could cost companies billions of dollars in employee health care costs for hospitalizations and more outpatient visits.

According to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, annual influenza epidemics result in an average 3.1 million hospitalized days and $10.4 billion in direct medical costs annually, based on the 2003 U.S. population. Kathleen Caminiti, a partner in the New York and New Jersey office of Fisher & Phillips, an Atlanta-based law firm that specializes in labor and employment law, said there were certain precautions employers could take to limit business losses and help their employees. She said her office had received more inquiries this year than last year from companies inquiring what they could do to protect themselves and their employees in this “aggressive” flu season, exemplified by Boston declaring a public health emergency Wednesday, with 18 flu-related deaths have been reported in the state. “The first thing we say is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” she said.

Even encouraging employees to wash their hands or to get flu shots can possibly prevent the spread of germs. “Having an office manager go out to buy hand sanitizer may be the best $20 you spend,” Caminiti said. While some employers provide free flu shots in the office, health care settings can require employees to get them. If a company not in the health field would like to make flu shots mandatory, Caminiti recommended conducting a health risk assessment for the workplace to support the mandate. The company would also be required to engage in a “very interactive, individualized process” with respect to any employee who objects to a flu shot for health or religious reasons.

John Challenger, CEO of executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, said employers need to assess whether their work culture encourages those who are sick to stay home. “Not only do people not want to come in when others around them are sick, but companies are realizing when there’s an outbreak, the whole work force goes down,” he said. Caminiti said some companies might be inclined to be more lenient with those who call in sick, allowing them an extra day to work from home to recover, or not requiring a doctor’s note for those who have not been able to see a doctor. “As long as you act uniformly, you’re in good shape,” Caminiti said.

How Companies Can Prevent an Office Flu Epidemic - ABC News

See also:

Flu season strikes early and, in some places, hard
10 Jan.`13 — From the Rocky Mountains to New England, hospitals are swamped with people with flu symptoms. Some medical centers are turning away visitors or making them wear face masks, and one Pennsylvania hospital set up a tent outside its ER to deal with the feverish patients.

Flu season in the U.S. has struck early and, in many places, hard. While flu normally doesn't blanket the country until late January or February, it is already widespread in more than 40 states, with about 30 of them reporting some major hot spots. On Thursday, health officials blamed the flu for the deaths of 20 children so far. Whether this will be considered a bad season by the time it has run its course in the spring remains to be seen. "Those of us with gray hair have seen worse," said Dr. William Schaffner, a flu expert at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

The evidence so far points to a moderate season, Schaffner and others say. It looks bad in part because last year was unusually mild and because the main strain of influenza circulating this year tends to make people sicker and really lay them low. David Smythe of New York City saw it happen to his 50-year-old girlfriend, who has been knocked out for about two weeks. "She's been in bed. She can't even get up," he said.

Also, the flu's early arrival coincided with spikes in a variety of other viruses, including a childhood malady that mimics flu and a new norovirus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, or what is commonly known as "stomach flu." So what people are calling the flu may, in fact, be something else. "There may be more of an overlap than we normally see," said Dr. Joseph Bresee, who tracks the flu for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most people don't undergo lab tests to confirm flu, and the symptoms are so similar that it can be hard to distinguish flu from other viruses, or even a cold. Over the holidays, 250 people were sickened at a Mormon missionary training center in Utah, but the culprit turned out to be a norovirus, not the flu. Flu is a major contributor, though, to what's going on. "I'd say 75 percent," said Dr. Dan Surdam, head of the emergency department at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, Wyoming's largest hospital. The 17-bed emergency room saw its busiest day ever last week, with 166 visitors. The early onslaught has resulted in a spike in hospitalizations. To deal with the influx and protect other patients from getting sick, hospitals are restricting visits from children, requiring family members to wear masks and banning anyone with flu symptoms from maternity wards.

MORE Flu season strikes early and, in some places, hard - Yahoo! News

 

[Politico]

I would really appreciate that you NOT put words in my mouth, I never made such a ridiculous statement.

So since you couldn't quote me, the next childish thing would be to put a false narrative and the conversation from the real issue goes south, while your bullshit statement becomes the story in this thread.

Grow up

The real issue is the majority of germs and viruses spread as a result of poor hygeine period. So yes when you dismiss that expect to get called stupid for it. Too bad.

 

[waltky]

Granny says its not too late to get yer flu shot...

Flu season puts businesses and employees in a bind
11 Jan.`13 WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly half the 70 employees at a Ford dealership in Clarksville, Ind., have been out sick at some point in the past month. It didn't have to be that way, the boss says.

"If people had stayed home in the first place, a lot of times that spread wouldn't have happened," says Marty Book, a vice president at Carriage Ford. "But people really want to get out and do their jobs, and sometimes that's a detriment." The flu season that has struck early and hard across the U.S. is putting businesses and employees alike in a bind. In this shaky economy, many Americans are reluctant to call in sick, something that can backfire for their employers. Flu was widespread in 47 states last week, up from 41 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The only states without widespread flu were California, Mississippi and Hawaii. And the main strain of the virus circulating tends to make people sicker than usual.

Blake Fleetwood, president of Cook Travel in New York, says his agency is operating with less than 40 percent of its staff of 35 because of the flu and other ailments. "The people here are working longer hours and it puts a lot of strain on everyone," Fleetwood says. "You don't know whether to ask people with the flu to come in or not." He says the flu is also taking its toll on business as customers cancel their travel plans: "People are getting the flu and they're reduced to a shriveling little mess and don't feel like going anywhere."

Many workers go to the office even when they're sick because they are worried about losing their jobs, says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an employer consulting firm. Other employees report for work out of financial necessity, since roughly 40 percent of U.S. workers don't get paid if they are out sick. Some simply have a strong work ethic and feel obligated to show up. Flu season typically costs employers $10.4 billion for hospitalization and doctor's office visits, according to the CDC. That does not include the costs of lost productivity from absences. At Carriage Ford, Book says the company plans to make flu shots mandatory for all employees.

Linda Doyle, CEO of the Northcrest Community retirement home in Ames, Iowa, says the company took that step this year for its 120 employees, providing the shots at no cost. It is also supplying face masks for all staff. And no one is expected to come into work if sick, she says. So far, the company hasn't seen an outbreak of flu cases. "You keep your fingers crossed and hope it continues this way," Doyle says. "You see the news and it's frightening. We just want to make sure that we're doing everything possible to keep everyone healthy. Cleanliness is really the key to it. Washing your hands. Wash, wash, wash."

MORE

See also:

US flu cases over epidemic threshold
11 January 2013 - Nationally 20 children died from the flu this season

Influenza has reached epidemic proportions in the US, say health officials, but the outbreak may be showing signs of having peaked. Last week 7.3% of US deaths were caused by pneumonia and the flu, just above epidemic threshold, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu activity was widespread in 47 states, up from 41 the week before.

But the worst of the flu cases could be past as the number of hardest-hit states dropped to 24 from 29. Experts recommend flu vaccines, which have been found to be 62% effective. The 2012-13 flu season is said to have started earlier than usual, with many cases of the H3N2 strain, which can be severe. "Only time will tell how moderate or severe this flu season will be," Thomas Frieden, the CDC director, told reporters on Friday.

Nationally, 20 children have died from the flu this season, the CDC has reported. They do not count adult deaths, but estimate it kills about 24,000 Americans each year. Some analysts say the latest numbers suggest the worst of the season may have passed. The only states without widespread flu were California, Hawaii and Mississippi.

Flu symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, body ache and fatigue. Severe cases could see vomiting and diarrhoea or develop into pneumonia. Many cases are much milder. Some shortages of children's liquid Tamiflu, a prescription drug, have been reported. But health officials say pills of adult Tamiflu could be converted to children's doses.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20995491