Quoted from Ricker

I actually do not know. If there is one, the media would be all over it and the public relations staff would be answering the questions because they would have the most up to date information. What I have heard on the news is that many ER departments are being swamped and many GP offices as well with parents bringing in their children to be looked at. That is everywhere though, not just my hospital.

Something in the paper about it today apparently the hospital called a press conference I think they had 3 confirmed cases.

Quoted from SquidVicious

Something in the paper about it today apparently the hospital called a press conference I think they had 3 confirmed cases.

Well Squid I thought I should follow up on your question. Apparently you were right and there was "an outbreak" but take that with a grain of salt. If you call 3 cases an outbreak (from the media reports), so be it. There are other centres that have more cases but you are not hearing anything about them. It is simply pure sensationalism and wrong. Now if there were 20 cases in one place, that would raise eyebrows.

Raising awareness I agree with. Fear mongering is another thing.

9 yr old kid across the street from us is confirmed, 2 year old of our friends is confirmed, and one of my gr 12 students is confirmed.  

Both my girls were immunized today...... geez I hope they don't grow a third arm or mutate into tribbles...

Quoted from Ricker

Well Squid I thought I should follow up on your question. Apparently you were right and there was "an outbreak" but take that with a grain of salt. If you call 3 cases an outbreak (from the media reports), so be it. There are other centres that have more cases but you are not hearing anything about them. It is simply pure sensationalism and wrong. Now if there were 20 cases in one place, that would raise eyebrows.

Raising awareness I agree with. Fear mongering is another thing.

Agreed 3 cases would hardly be an outbreak (hell they could be in the same family) .. media is just looking for a story to run with I guess

Well I have a dilemma on my hands. My daughter from my first marriage missed her usual weekend with us last week because she had a fever and was feeling ill. My ex wife and I have been debating via email about the flu shot. She also has 2 other kids from her 2nd marriage and she is following the suggestions of so many "viral" emails she has been forwarded lately and will pass on the shot for her 6 and 7 year old as well as our 11 year old. This despite my opinion.

Now she says that their Dr. thinks her 7 yr old son as well as my daughter are just fighting off the H1N1 although this is not confirmed. I have a 26 mo. old son at home with us who wont get his first shot till next week. So, unless I am wrong, I should wait another week to pick up my daughter from out of town for the weekend, which really sucks. Don't want to put my son in danger. Also, I have to live with a decision regarding my daughters immunization that my ex has made for me, possibly based on some vitamin pushing Dr. who is on many a viral email now warning that the innoculation may be the cause of everything from lupus to autism (he is discussed earlier in this string).

Quoted from wbradley

Well I have a dilemma on my hands. My daughter from my first marriage missed her usual weekend with us last week because she had a fever and was feeling ill. My ex wife and I have been debating via email about the flu shot. She also has 2 other kids from her 2nd marriage and she is following the suggestions of so many "viral" emails she has been forwarded lately and will pass on the shot for her 6 and 7 year old as well as our 11 year old. This despite my opinion.

Now she says that their Dr. thinks her 7 yr old son as well as my daughter are just fighting off the H1N1 although this is not confirmed. I have a 26 mo. old son at home with us who wont get his first shot till next week. So, unless I am wrong, I should wait another week to pick up my daughter from out of town for the weekend, which really sucks. Don't want to put my son in danger. Also, I have to live with a decision regarding my daughters immunization that my ex has made for me, possibly based on some vitamin pushing Dr. who is on many a viral email now warning that the innoculation may be the cause of everything from lupus to autism (he is discussed earlier in this string).

If she already has H1N1, the vaccine won't do anything for her. But it's possible she doesn't have H1N1.

****update ****

Flu beaten and on the way out, hearse leaves driveway, grave digger fills in hole, coaster lives!!

Seriously, the flu effects everyone differently, however my experience with this flu was mild to medium. I had no vaccine, and took no prescription drugs. I continued working the whole time because, like many of us, I have to. I took steps at work to be isolated and etc. to not infect others. (none yet). My flu medicine was tea with lemon, honey, and whisky, and as much rest as possible. Liberal amounts of Vitamin C & Cold FX.

Initially I had fever and sore throat for a couple days. Then that lessened and  the congestion and headache, soreness, and fatigue settled in. That was there for about 7 days with little change. That was the frustrating thing. I wasn't getting better for about a week, and was a little worried. Then the body suddenly started kicking the virus's a**, and I improved rapidly within 3 days. However it is still with me in  congestion and phlegm to some degree. Overall it's been 14 days. The biggest problem I had was that for 7 days I had mild to medium difficulty breathing. It was a little scary. Tamiflu was suggested to me, but I wanted to beat it without it.

I know some people who have H1N1 who took the Tamiflu and it helped them a great deal to move things along more rapidly. Didn't cure them, just moved the symptoms along.
I don't know about this idea in potentially developing more resistant strains of flu. Not a good idea. People are taking it as soon as they get a sore throat. Panic panic panic.
In the food industry we have heard of mutated strains of H1N1 with Avian flu in pigs, and mutated Ebola virus with Avian flu! How long until we get the green gas that turns us inside out ala the Simpson's.

My concern this whole time was that I had pneumonia several times as a teenager and was hospitalized. That makes me a candidate for further problems from a flu.

It was more a less a normal flu, and not a big deal. Just like it will be for mostly everyone. However I still say get the vaccine to avoid spreading it to your kids, and etc.

Glad to hear that you are felling better Coaster! The only good thing I remember about the flu is losing a few pounds and even that is no fun.

And Warren, remember that anyone who gets the shot could take up to 14 days to be fully effective.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat.   In a Global Epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming in contact with the H1N1 virus in spite of all precautions.  Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced.  (Instead of Focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of your face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don't trust salt).  H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual That Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide.  Not everybody may be good at cleaning nasal cavities, but blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C and Vitamin D tablets make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
Pass this on to your entire e-list. You never know who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it.

Quoted from Ducati Dude

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat.   In a Global Epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming in contact with the H1N1 virus in spite of all precautions.  Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced.  (Instead of Focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of your face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don't trust salt).  H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual That Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide.  Not everybody may be good at cleaning nasal cavities, but blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C and Vitamin D tablets make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
Pass this on to your entire e-list. You never know who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it.

Some of those suggestions have been debunked as useless: http://www.snopes.com/medical/swineflu/prevent.asp

Got the shot last night. My arm feels like someone punched it this morning.  Beats a week in bed or worse.

Quoted from wbradley

Got the shot last night. My arm feels like someone punched it this morning.  Beats a week in bed or worse.

Or nothing at all?