Swine flu at MSU question???
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than regular flu, but not really much worse. As the other poster said, unless you have a really high fever, not much to be done.
My landlord is a scientist with the CDC in Atlanta, and I asked her about it this morning actually. She says if you get sick, stay home. Wash your hands, etc. if not, but it's mostly an overreaction.
My landlord is a scientist with the CDC in Atlanta, and I asked her about it this morning actually. She says if you get sick, stay home. Wash your hands, etc. if not, but it's mostly an overreaction.
Nowhere is coming out and saying it is specifically the H1N1 strain anymore... Everywhere is treating it as if it is due only to the fact that is not necessarily (the ORIGINAL) Flu season as of yet... Supposedly you never catch "the Flu" until later in the year...
And I think the whole damn thing has been blow way the <17> outta proportion... Hell, it's the flu... Get the damn medicine and take it...
The End...
And I think the whole damn thing has been blow way the <17> outta proportion... Hell, it's the flu... Get the damn medicine and take it...
The End...
<div class="cxArticleHeader"> <h1 class="articleHeadline"><font size="3">http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/100-suspected-swine-flu-124317.html</font>
100 suspected swine flu cases at Georgia Tech</h1> <h2 class="articleSubheadline"></h2> </div> <div id="cxArticleText"> <div id="cxArticleBodyText" class="clear"> <p class="organization"><font color="#000">The Atlanta Journal-Constitution </font></p>
<font color="#000">Some Georgia colleges are seeing a spike in swine flu cases as students return to campus for the fall semester.</font></p> <div id="cxLeftRail" class="leftFloat"> <div class="cxArticleList"> <h3><font color="#000" size="3">Georgia Tech spokesman Matt Nagel says there have been about 100 suspected cases in just one week on the Atlanta campus, with 12 of them confirmed as the highly contagious H1N1 virus. He said the 18,000-student university is asking those who have flulike symptoms to isolate themselves for a few days.</font></h3> </div> </div>
<font color="#000">University of Georgia health center spokeswoman Liz Rachun said the Athens campus has seen about 60 suspected cases, with 20 confirmed. She said she expects that number to rise in the next few days as the virus runs through 35,000-student campus</font></p> </div> </div>
100 suspected swine flu cases at Georgia Tech</h1> <h2 class="articleSubheadline"></h2> </div> <div id="cxArticleText"> <div id="cxArticleBodyText" class="clear"> <p class="organization"><font color="#000">The Atlanta Journal-Constitution </font></p>
<font color="#000">Some Georgia colleges are seeing a spike in swine flu cases as students return to campus for the fall semester.</font></p> <div id="cxLeftRail" class="leftFloat"> <div class="cxArticleList"> <h3><font color="#000" size="3">Georgia Tech spokesman Matt Nagel says there have been about 100 suspected cases in just one week on the Atlanta campus, with 12 of them confirmed as the highly contagious H1N1 virus. He said the 18,000-student university is asking those who have flulike symptoms to isolate themselves for a few days.</font></h3> </div> </div>
<font color="#000">University of Georgia health center spokeswoman Liz Rachun said the Athens campus has seen about 60 suspected cases, with 20 confirmed. She said she expects that number to rise in the next few days as the virus runs through 35,000-student campus</font></p> </div> </div>
I have no idea what to believe with this crap. I read a USA Today (I'm traveling - I know the paper is garbage) article the other day that stated nearly half the United States could become infected and an estimated 90,000 deaths will occur as a result.
Well, divide 90,000 into 150,000,000 (roughly half of USA) and you get a 0.06% death rate for those who get infected. Why is that even newsworthy? It sounds to me like its something to be taken seriously given that so many people could become sick, but lets not act like this is the end of the world.
Well, divide 90,000 into 150,000,000 (roughly half of USA) and you get a 0.06% death rate for those who get infected. Why is that even newsworthy? It sounds to me like its something to be taken seriously given that so many people could become sick, but lets not act like this is the end of the world.
Here are the typical numbers on the regular flu
Typically, about 20 percent of Americans get the regular flu each year. There are about 36,000 deaths each year related to the flu. That's a 0.06% rate of death as well.
The deal with this one is more people are going to get the flu this year. No need to panic.
Typically, about 20 percent of Americans get the regular flu each year. There are about 36,000 deaths each year related to the flu. That's a 0.06% rate of death as well.
The deal with this one is more people are going to get the flu this year. No need to panic.
http://flu.msstate.edu
Edit: Network at State is down. But it shows a chart of number of cases. It was at 276 the last time I checked.
Edit: Network at State is down. But it shows a chart of number of cases. It was at 276 the last time I checked.
The first part of my post was intended for you... The second part was merely my soapbox... I too have children and would be conscerned if they got the flu...
Sorry if I offended you...
Sorry if I offended you...
because some girls in her sorority were sick and stayed in all the rush meetings etc. From what I understand the student health center assumes it is swine flu if they present with the symptoms. They gave her Tamiflu and a Zpac for some reason. In any event the symptoms were mild and of short duration (I thought) compared to regular flu. The CDC was alerted about the situation at MSU several weeks ago. Not much you can do about it and does not seem to be a real threat to healthy folks. Just hope it stays away from the football team.
What would he do? Whatever the doctor recommended as long as he tested positive. But if they were making their diagnosis based on only taking his temperture, then I would send him somewhere where they were willing to perform the test. Question still is, why are they not testing? Is it cost prohibitive because so many people are coming in?
MSU's health center is garbage. I will not allow myself to go near there anymore since freshman year. They mis-diagnose tons of things and they will prescribe you with some medicine and let you go. The only thing to make it worthwhile going to the student health center is to get the 'doctors note' they hand out so you can erase the absences in your classes. If you want your child to get checked up on find a doctor for them in the area and set up an appointment.
and will cost money, and lower our supply. And make it work not as well next time you really need it.
It's the flu. Treat it like the regular flu.
It's the flu. Treat it like the regular flu.
That pisses me off as well. Americans tend to "tough it out" and go into work/school sick when they shouldn't. I suppose that's an admirable quality in some respects, but its inconsiderate to those that have to be near you. Keep your contagious *** at home. Your boss will understand as he/she doesn't want the entire department out because of the flu. Your professor will get over it too. Just call and make alternate arrangements ahead of time. If you miss a lecture, read the damn textbook.
The flu test for H1N1 is garbage, meaning it provides about a 40% false positive. That means that 40%of the time it says that you have the swine flu when you actually do not. Insurance companies are not reimbursing for the Swine Flu test so why give it if it's results are so bad? It is a virus, nothing more, nothing less. The reason people are making a big deal out of it is because it is a new virus that seems to really take it's toll on a younger age group. It is also very very highly contagious and spreads like crazy. It could very well infect half of the population and cripple the economy due to people being at home sick. Do I believe this will happen?Absolutely not.
They student health center reacted the exact same way they should. If your kid is not running over 102 degree fever, then he/she need no medication. The course of action would be to tell them to drink a ton of liquids and eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables. That is the only way to get over a virus faster. No need to waste Tamiflu, which they expect to have a shortage of, on a mild virus. That is the problem right now in offices. People expect that if they spend the time to go and wait in the doctor's office, that they will get a prescription of some type of medicine and this is not needed and can be damaging to the patient.
If people with fever would stay at home for 24-48 hours once the fever breaks, this flu season will be no problem but all of us know that this will not happen.
I will say this, I have not been shown enough data yet to recommend that anyone get a swine flu vaccine. That does not mean that it is dangerous but they have not proven that it is safe. It is a medication that has been rammed down everyone's throat that has had very little safety testing. I would highly recommend that everyone get the regular flu vaccine. I would also recommend that if you have a child less than 6 months old that you and your spouse get the swine flu vaccine, regardless of the risk or testing of the vaccine.
Past that, I would wash hands and actually avoid flying on airplanes and taking your children to a church. Believe it or not, a church nursery is the dirtiest, most dangerous place to catch an illness on the planet. Parents that would not take their kids to school will actually take them to church because they believe that they are only their for an hour and that they HAVE to go to church. Just my 2 cents.
They student health center reacted the exact same way they should. If your kid is not running over 102 degree fever, then he/she need no medication. The course of action would be to tell them to drink a ton of liquids and eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables. That is the only way to get over a virus faster. No need to waste Tamiflu, which they expect to have a shortage of, on a mild virus. That is the problem right now in offices. People expect that if they spend the time to go and wait in the doctor's office, that they will get a prescription of some type of medicine and this is not needed and can be damaging to the patient.
If people with fever would stay at home for 24-48 hours once the fever breaks, this flu season will be no problem but all of us know that this will not happen.
I will say this, I have not been shown enough data yet to recommend that anyone get a swine flu vaccine. That does not mean that it is dangerous but they have not proven that it is safe. It is a medication that has been rammed down everyone's throat that has had very little safety testing. I would highly recommend that everyone get the regular flu vaccine. I would also recommend that if you have a child less than 6 months old that you and your spouse get the swine flu vaccine, regardless of the risk or testing of the vaccine.
Past that, I would wash hands and actually avoid flying on airplanes and taking your children to a church. Believe it or not, a church nursery is the dirtiest, most dangerous place to catch an illness on the planet. Parents that would not take their kids to school will actually take them to church because they believe that they are only their for an hour and that they HAVE to go to church. Just my 2 cents.
First time poster long time reader,
It sounds like they're doing the right thing at the health center. If I were a parent, I'd rather the doctors be up to date and doing what the CDC recommends and justifying what they do medically rather than what some Jack-in-the-box doctor does out of media-generated fear, not to mention being "for profit", making plenty of money off those flu tests and lab tests..
I did a little research:
1. CDC Guidelines suggest only treating those at high-risk (under 5, over 65, kids on aspirin, pregnant women, chronically ill/immunosuppressed) http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/guidance/ and suggests people staying at home (which means not going to the clinic where they can infect those chronically ill people).
2. The flu test is horribly inaccurate - see under rapid testing section (10-70% - might as well flip a coin) - http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/rapid_testing.htm
3. Tamiflu isn't a silver bullet. Only decreases symptoms by 1.3 days -from their own website - http://www.tamiflu.com/hcp/influenza-treatment.aspx. Also Tamiflu costs $100 and can have side effects (15% vomiting and other side effects per their website), not to mention potential resistance as with the flu earlier this year.
4. And of course, with college kids, who do have a tendency for bad behavior, read this warning from the Tamiflu website: "Influenza can be associated with a variety of neurologic and behavioral symptoms, which can include events such as hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behavior, in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes. These events may occur in the setting of encephalitis or encephalopathy but can occur without obvious severe disease. There have been postmarketing reports (mostly from Japan) of delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury, and in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes, in patients with influenza who were receiving TAMIFLU. Because these events were reported voluntarily during clinical practice, estimates of frequency cannot be made but they appear to be uncommon based on TAMIFLU usage data. These events were reported primarily among pediatric patients and often had an abrupt onset and rapid resolution. The contribution of TAMIFLU to these events has not been established. Patients with influenza should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior. If neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, the risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be evaluated for each patient."
So, I think I could better justify the MSU doctors based on the above, rather than shotgun testing/treating people because they have money or want it.
<span lang="EN">It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. Mark Twain ( <font color="#0000FF" size="1"><font color="#0000FF" size="1">http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mark_Twain/</font></font> <font size="1">)</font></span></p>
<span lang="EN">US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)</span></p>
It sounds like they're doing the right thing at the health center. If I were a parent, I'd rather the doctors be up to date and doing what the CDC recommends and justifying what they do medically rather than what some Jack-in-the-box doctor does out of media-generated fear, not to mention being "for profit", making plenty of money off those flu tests and lab tests..
I did a little research:
1. CDC Guidelines suggest only treating those at high-risk (under 5, over 65, kids on aspirin, pregnant women, chronically ill/immunosuppressed) http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/guidance/ and suggests people staying at home (which means not going to the clinic where they can infect those chronically ill people).
2. The flu test is horribly inaccurate - see under rapid testing section (10-70% - might as well flip a coin) - http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/rapid_testing.htm
3. Tamiflu isn't a silver bullet. Only decreases symptoms by 1.3 days -from their own website - http://www.tamiflu.com/hcp/influenza-treatment.aspx. Also Tamiflu costs $100 and can have side effects (15% vomiting and other side effects per their website), not to mention potential resistance as with the flu earlier this year.
4. And of course, with college kids, who do have a tendency for bad behavior, read this warning from the Tamiflu website: "Influenza can be associated with a variety of neurologic and behavioral symptoms, which can include events such as hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behavior, in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes. These events may occur in the setting of encephalitis or encephalopathy but can occur without obvious severe disease. There have been postmarketing reports (mostly from Japan) of delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury, and in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes, in patients with influenza who were receiving TAMIFLU. Because these events were reported voluntarily during clinical practice, estimates of frequency cannot be made but they appear to be uncommon based on TAMIFLU usage data. These events were reported primarily among pediatric patients and often had an abrupt onset and rapid resolution. The contribution of TAMIFLU to these events has not been established. Patients with influenza should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior. If neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, the risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be evaluated for each patient."
So, I think I could better justify the MSU doctors based on the above, rather than shotgun testing/treating people because they have money or want it.
<span lang="EN">It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. Mark Twain ( <font color="#0000FF" size="1"><font color="#0000FF" size="1">http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mark_Twain/</font></font> <font size="1">)</font></span></p>
<span lang="EN">US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)</span></p>