swine flu and travelling

dazzer68

dazzer68

New Member
dont want to get over hyped about this , but whats the chance of flights and holidays being cancelled due to the swine flu? im flying from uk to the usa, we have already been advised not to travel in the eu? will usa be next?only 19 days to go hope it doesnt all go wrong now....
 
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wedance6

Member
sbkline said:
Ah yes, thanks for reminding me of those other two. I remember those being on the news a few years back, as well, and not much came of them. Not that I want to trivialize those who did die of those diseases, as I'm sure that it's no small matter to the loved ones left behind. But the handful of people that died from those diseases is nothing compared to the hundreds or thousands of people who die every year from the regular flu. And, statistically speaking, even if thousands die every year from the flu (I can't remember the numbers, whether it's in the hundreds or thousands), it's a very minute percentage compared to the 300 million+ people in this country.
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36,000 die per year from flu
 
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wedance6

Member
KC82271 said:
I am leaving in 24 hours, with an almost 4 year old that loves to suck on her fingers.......am I panicking. I am starting her on hand sanitizer today!!

I have already been on bed rest (pregnancy related) once in Disney and don't look forward to any additional time in bed this time. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.
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Just remember if she sucks her fingers there is probably more of a chance she'll get alcohol poisioning from the hand sanitizer, than the flu. Just wanted to remind you of that.
 
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Glasgow

Glasgow

Well-Known Member
This is a real virus and a legitimate worldwide health threat but the point is, don't over-react and don't under-react ... react in the most sensible possible way. Wash your hands frequently, try to avoid unnecessary contact and watch over your kids more closely.

Eat spam, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and build rafts at your own discretion .. lol
 
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tigsmom

tigsmom

Well-Known Member
devoy1701 said:
oh dear...husband works in the health field and that automatically makes her an expert on the subject with atleast one fan... :rolleyes:

just like with any "flu", those with a stronger immune system are less likely to cath this swine flu than thos who have a weaker immune system.

duh. Maybe if you woulda read the comments I quoted, you would have seen that i did read the past comments stated that even those with healthy immune systems are at risk and decided to consider it a load of cow patties.
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Vowed to stay out of this but...both my DH & I have been nurses for over 30 years each, he a critical care nurse (still working), and I, though retired, was a geriatric specialist. Never claimed to be an expert, but I do have more than a passing understanding on how these things work. If you think it's all hype that is your right and I will go on with my life and not miss any sleep.

By the way, there is now a confirmed case in my county (the nurse worked where I did for the County Health Dept and more in the county where my DH works (with many more waiting for the test results from the CDC).

The WHO has raised the alert to 5 (out of a possible 6) because of the rapid spread. I'm just glad that the cases here have been mild...so far.
 
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devoy1701

devoy1701

Well-Known Member
tigsmom said:
Vowed to stay out of this but...both my DH & I have been nurses for over 30 years each, he a critical care nurse (still working), and I, though retired, was a geriatric specialist. Never claimed to be an expert, but I do have more than a passing understanding on how these things work. If you think it's all hype that is your right and I will go on with my life and not miss any sleep.

By the way, there is now a confirmed case in my county (the nurse worked where I did for the County Health Dept and more in the county where my DH works (with many more waiting for the test results from the CDC).

The WHO has raised the alert to 5 (out of a possible 6) because of the rapid spread. I'm just glad that the cases here have been mild...so far.
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For everyone else...Yoda posted this link on another thread, i read through it and thought it should be linked to this thread as well since I think there are now 4 threads concerning Swine going around and you might not be keeping up with all of them.

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2009/04/flu-fears.html

Stop worrying, Keep up your cleanliness habbits, and if you get sick, there are some Antiviral drugs that can help fight the Swine Flu.
 
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Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
CaptainJackNO said:
Incorrect......If you investigate the effectiveness of hand sanitizers, you will see that recent studies actually show hand sanitizers to be slightly more effective than handwashing against most illnesses, INCLUDING influenza. The only viruses that tend to resist hand sanitizers are stomach bugs like norovirus because of the protein it is encapsulated in. I repeat...Hand sanitizers DO kill the influenza virus...(HIV TOO) however, you should not get that from WDW....I hope...:)

The reason handsanitizers are effective against these things is that the active ingredient is Ethyl Alcohol.....Google hand sanitizers and influenza.....The real answers come from research reports (not yahoo answers)
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Exactly, and take a look at some reasearch. The percetage of ethyl alcohol in many hand sanitizers is too low to do any good. Some are good, some are not. Some are as low as 5% alcohol. You need at least 60% alcohol to be effective.

The other thing to look at is contact time. Sanitizers need contact time

There is also some evidence - not concrete, but still out there, that using a sanitizer with insufficent alcohol percentages can make things worse, as it serves to mobilize anthing that is present on your hands.

If you notice as well, the post I was replying to specificaly said ANTIBACTERIAL, not SANITIZER. They are two different things. I was making a point about ANTIBACTERIAL products. You can have a virus party on a microban treated surface.


Oh, and I dont think I have ever used Yahoo answers in my life.
 
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figmentmom

figmentmom

Well-Known Member
MouseMadness said:
Ah no, she's an informed individual who spent many years working in the health field, whose husband still DOES work in the health field, and who keeps themselves updated on such topics, simply giving facts.

And yes, anyone can catch "the normal flu" those who DIE from it are typically not those possessing a great immune system.

It was pointed out many posts ago why this is dangerous for those with STRONG immune systems, go back and read.
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What she said. Mad's a health professional, and I completely trust her experience and opinion. :wave:
 
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jakeman

jakeman

Well-Known Member
Just to clear up some misinformation in this thread.

Tamiflu does not "just treat symptoms". It inhibits the virus from spreading the body.

Tamiflu Package Insert said:
Oseltamivir carboxylate [Tamiflu] is an inhibitor of influenza virus neuraminidase affecting release of viral particles
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Additionally, the flu vaccine only works for one season. The most likely strain is identified in Asia, where is usually originates and then the vaccine is reproduced in the US for distribution. Sometimes they get it wrong and the vaccine is less effective some years. Regardless, it is a different flu every year and that is why you need it yearly.
 
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Pumbas Nakasak

Pumbas Nakasak

Heading for the great escape.
Can I just say in a rare moment of seriousness, that having watched the extended live coverage of the WHO announcing the raising to DefCon 5, that I must have watched a different set of statements to that of the news editors and anchors.

Also in the most shocking piece to date, the clown on the BBC who having had things explained fully by one of the UKs leading experts, basically ignored all she had just said and invented his own scenario purely to illustrate what could happen if the circumstances were entirely different. He was most upset when it was pointed out that there are flu deaths every year anyway.

The story is now that all this need for vaccines to fight this virus means there will be no winter virus injections available so if we survive this we will all die from that. Still better than the heart attack that was going to kill me cause I eat burgers or the brain tumour that my phones giving me, or the Ebola Ill catch from licking monkeys bottoms
 
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ClemsonTigger

ClemsonTigger

Naturally Grumpy
hardcard said:
There is no practical vaccine for ANY 'flu'... 'The Flu Shot' as it is currently called is another mass hysteria tool.. It's next-to-useless... There are over 2,800 strains of the 'common flu'... the flu shot is effective against approximately 420 of them.. That number has not increased in 5 years, but the discovered strains has..

that means (all exposure rates assumed equal) you have a 85% chance of getting the 'common flu' even if you have gotten a recent flu-shot..
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Playing loose and fancy with your facts aren't you? You can spout your government hysteria nonsense, but yes, there is a practical vaccine for the flu. While you are correct in that there are thousands of strains and the given year's flu shot is only effective on a few of them, it is selected based on likelyhood of certain strains being more prevalent and demonstrating an increased virulence in a given year. The strains selected are done so about half a year before "flu season". While in any given year you could have a totally unknown strain break on to the scene, this method works fairly well from a population immunity perspective.

Similar approach to the childhood vaccines helping to protect a larger population that is now being undermined by foolish parents who believe urban myths and don't get their children vaccinated.

There is no cure for a virus once you have it (very few exceptions before someone jumps on the absolute), prophylaxis is the only approach.
 
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smk

smk

Well-Known Member
Because I am a germ-a-phob (sp?) on a good day, here's is what I normallly bring with me on a vacation, don't laugh.

Clorox clean up wipes, a gallon size ziplock bag to put the remote in, the remote still works and I don't have to touch it all the time, my own sheets to put on a bed (irrational... or rational fear of bed bugs) and my own pillow. I feel safer knowing I am sleeping on sheets that I know are clean and I wipe everything down in the room and I mean everything. I have no idea if the wipes kill the flu virus but I don't know that I would feel safe without them! I do know that bed bugs are a greater possibility than the flu on any given day. Not just at WDW, lots of hotels have had bed bug problems lately.

In this day and age, flu or no flu, bed bugs or no bed begs, I come prepared! Flame on!
 
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pax_65

pax_65

Well-Known Member
mickeypaparazis said:
my vaca to the world is 7th-16th i dont care... i need my world fix!!!
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I'll be there with you, smiling and laughing, no mask, a bit of strong alcohol-based hand-sanitizer, a bit of strong alcohol-based beer, lots of hand-washing for all of us, and if we catch the flu we will go to the Centro-Care Clinic. No biggie... when our kids were younger one of them would always get sick, so we joked that our Disney traditions are Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Centro-Care Clinic. They are really good there, I'm sure they're stocking up on Tami-Flu and will have things under control.

I was concerned at first, but hearing that the majority of cases are generally mild has calmed my fears. Obviously if you're really sick go to the doctor - now more than ever. Most of us have had the flu at one time or another, generally it's no big deal. Occasionally it can be a big deal so don't wait too long to get help - the same is true with this flu.

Don't panic... unless it really is going to be crowded in a couple weeks. In that case, panic and cancel your trip so I don't have to wait as long for Soarin' and Toy Story Mania! :wave:
 
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