H1N1

I just thought I'd start a thread without 'pig' in the subject.
Actually, we don't tend to call it 'pig flu' here, we call it 'swine
flu' (when we don't say H1N1). I don't know why the difference, but I
hadn't seen the 'pig flu' name until the last thread.

Anyway, I know perfectly well you don't get influenza from eating pork,
which I love, so i thought I'd change the subject.

I got my shot last night. Although I don't consider myself a health care
worker, I do work in a building containing a large medical facility, and
we (ie the non-medical types who sometimes get forgotten around here)
found out Monday we could get our shots along with all the medical
people if we wanted to. So I turned up at an evening clinic, thinking,
OK, it's a 24-hour facility, but it's *less* busy in the evening. And
then I found everyone else except the organizers thought the same thing,
so we had a long, long lineup and only one nurse until the second one
they called in arrived at about the time I got in, two hours later!!!

Still, no shortages of the vaccine here. The experts are saying the
virus is pretty well established in the province, although we haven't
had the fatalities some of the other provinces have had. Yet. They're
really worried about some of the poor, small isolated communities.

Next step, arrange for my mother to get to one of the public clinics,
possibly one of those starting next week, and if possible, without a
2-hour wait.

--
Cheryl

On Oct 28, 6:52*am, Cheryl wrote:
I just thought I'd start a thread without 'pig' in the subject.
Actually, we don't tend to call it 'pig flu' here, we call it 'swine
flu' (when we don't say H1N1). I don't know why the difference, but I
hadn't seen the 'pig flu' name until the last thread.

Sorry. It's a colloquialism where I live.

Anyway, I know perfectly well you don't get influenza from eating pork,
which I love, so i thought I'd change the subject.

Louie gave me the disturbing news that it's called H1N1 because it was
the first strain after World War 1--otherwise known as Spanish Flu. I
don't know if that's apochryphal or not but it does creep me out. that
was an evil strain. I also happen to love pork, as does my roxie, and
none of us have problems with the Spanish!

Still, no shortages of the vaccine here. The experts are saying the
virus is pretty well established in the province, although we haven't
had the fatalities some of the other provinces have had. Yet. They're
really worried about some of the poor, small isolated communities.

Why we ended up with a shortage here I have no idea. Louie's company
has a contract with the Center for Disease Control and part of the
study is why the Buffalo area has a higher H1N1 rate per capita than
its comparatively low population should have. We're getting the shot
through the company next week, even me--a perk for family, I guess.
they have it on hand. But our GP, that's another story. Louie called
the doctor about an unrelated matter and could not get in. He could
hear chaos in the office, people freaking, yelling for the shot;
mothers going nuts over children's symptoms. And to keep on topic, the
shelter has had lower traffic. People aren't going out as much, so we
haven't had takers for the kitties with the usual frequency.

Next step, arrange for my mother to get to one of the public clinics,
possibly one of those starting next week, and if possible, without a
2-hour wait.

I shall wait until my own vaccine, and enjoy a nice pork tenderloin.
We owe it to hog farmers.

Blessed be,
Baha
with all kidding aside

BfloPolska wrote:

Louie gave me the disturbing news that it's called H1N1 because it was
the first strain after World War 1--otherwise known as Spanish Flu. I
don't know if that's apochryphal or not but it does creep me out. that
was an evil strain. I also happen to love pork, as does my roxie, and
none of us have problems with the Spanish!

No, it is called H1N1 because of the arrangement of protiens on the surface
of the virus.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy, Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:22:50 -0230, Cheryl wrote:

I just thought I'd start a thread without 'pig' in the subject.
Actually, we don't tend to call it 'pig flu' here, we call it 'swine
flu' (when we don't say H1N1). I don't know why the difference, but I
hadn't seen the 'pig flu' name until the last thread.

Anyway, I know perfectly well you don't get influenza from eating pork,
which I love, so i thought I'd change the subject.

I got my shot last night. Although I don't consider myself a health care
worker, I do work in a building containing a large medical facility, and
we (ie the non-medical types who sometimes get forgotten around here)
found out Monday we could get our shots along with all the medical
people if we wanted to. So I turned up at an evening clinic, thinking,
OK, it's a 24-hour facility, but it's *less* busy in the evening. And
then I found everyone else except the organizers thought the same thing,
so we had a long, long lineup and only one nurse until the second one
they called in arrived at about the time I got in, two hours later!!!

Still, no shortages of the vaccine here. The experts are saying the
virus is pretty well established in the province, although we haven't
had the fatalities some of the other provinces have had. Yet. They're
really worried about some of the poor, small isolated communities.

Next step, arrange for my mother to get to one of the public clinics,
possibly one of those starting next week, and if possible, without a
2-hour wait.

You are fortunate in getting your immunization 'early'.

I have severe asthma, and I can't even get ny regular doctor, or my
allergist's office, to IF, or when I might be able to get a dose of the
vaccine.

I had real influenza just once, and, I have been getting the vaccine du
jour every year for over 20 year.

It's NOT like a 'really bad cold' in any sense of the word.

I missed over a week at work.

Now, I keep a containers of hand sanitizer in my car, although the main
route for infection is by inhalation of an aerosol.

It makes me feel like I'm doing SOMETING about avoiding it, while
waiting (rather impatiently...) to get a dose of the vaccine, which is
in extremely short supply, in the USA.

The ONLY reason for the short supply is because you simply cannot watch
the news, listen to the radio, or open a newspaper, with out reading yet
a another 'no facts contained' article.

It is ONLY though the media sensationalism that THIS year, people are
getting the 'regular annual' yearly influenza vaccine, and clamoring for
the H1N1 vaccine, as well.

Where I used to work, for the past 6 or 8 years, they used to have a
clinic right in my building, and all employees could get the regular
influenza vaccine at no charge. It used to take 20 minutes, max.

They would have about a dozen nurses administering the vaccine, and they
dozens of volunteers from the School of Nursing, making everything run
smoothly.

After the first 2 or 3 years they got REALLY good at it, and a HUGE line
would move very, very quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^

"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

Every day is a treasure with Kenzie; I try to treat them that way. There
will only be so many, and then there will never, ever, be any more.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein


I NEVER, EVER want to go through something like that again

BfloPolska wrote:
On Oct 28, 6:52 am, Cheryl wrote:
I just thought I'd start a thread without 'pig' in the subject.
Actually, we don't tend to call it 'pig flu' here, we call it 'swine
flu' (when we don't say H1N1). I don't know why the difference, but I
hadn't seen the 'pig flu' name until the last thread.

Sorry. It's a colloquialism where I live.

No need to apologize. I just commented on it because it was new to me.

Anyway, I know perfectly well you don't get influenza from eating pork,
which I love, so i thought I'd change the subject.

Louie gave me the disturbing news that it's called H1N1 because it was
the first strain after World War 1--otherwise known as Spanish Flu. I
don't know if that's apochryphal or not but it does creep me out. that
was an evil strain. I also happen to love pork, as does my roxie, and
none of us have problems with the Spanish!

It's related to the Spanish flu, I think. But a lot of the reasons that
one was so bad don't apply now - it was just after WW I so a lot of men
were waiting to be demobilized, and so were either living in very
crowded conditions in barracks, or travelling home carrying the virus.
And, of course, they didn't have modern drugs and medical care if they
got complications like pneumonia.

Still, the Spanish flu also killed a lot of young adults, who are not
the most at risk from most flu strains.

Cheryl

Adrian wrote:
BfloPolska wrote:
Louie gave me the disturbing news that it's called H1N1 because it was
the first strain after World War 1--otherwise known as Spanish Flu. I
don't know if that's apochryphal or not but it does creep me out. that
was an evil strain. I also happen to love pork, as does my roxie, and
none of us have problems with the Spanish!

No, it is called H1N1 because of the arrangement of protiens on the surface
of the virus.

I think both the current flu and Spanish flu are in the same category
(H1N1) and so has a similar arrangement of proteins. They re-created it
not long ago from samples from bodies of people who died from it.

It's not identical to the strain going around now. It seems to have been
even more virulent - and spread during a time when there was a lot of
travel and social upheaval, plus of course, no anti-viral medication and
little or nothing to treat complications.

--
Cheryl

Gandalf wrote:

You are fortunate in getting your immunization 'early'.

I have severe asthma, and I can't even get ny regular doctor, or my
allergist's office, to IF, or when I might be able to get a dose of the
vaccine.

I had real influenza just once, and, I have been getting the vaccine du
jour every year for over 20 year.

It's NOT like a 'really bad cold' in any sense of the word.

I missed over a week at work.

I don't want to risk influenza, because I get so sick from colds, and
sometimes have problems with them like bronchitis, ear infections, and
at least once, pneumonia. I think I've had one cold in my life that
lasted less than a week. I figure I'd better not mess with influenza
given my bad track record with the much milder common cold.


Now, I keep a containers of hand sanitizer in my car, although the main
route for infection is by inhalation of an aerosol.

It makes me feel like I'm doing SOMETING about avoiding it, while
waiting (rather impatiently...) to get a dose of the vaccine, which is
in extremely short supply, in the USA.

The ONLY reason for the short supply is because you simply cannot watch
the news, listen to the radio, or open a newspaper, with out reading yet
a another 'no facts contained' article.

It is ONLY though the media sensationalism that THIS year, people are
getting the 'regular annual' yearly influenza vaccine, and clamoring for
the H1N1 vaccine, as well.

Where I used to work, for the past 6 or 8 years, they used to have a
clinic right in my building, and all employees could get the regular
influenza vaccine at no charge. It used to take 20 minutes, max.

They would have about a dozen nurses administering the vaccine, and they
dozens of volunteers from the School of Nursing, making everything run
smoothly.

After the first 2 or 3 years they got REALLY good at it, and a HUGE line
would move very, very quickly.

My employer offered flu shots at a minor cost up until this year, and I
usually got them for the convenience, although I could get them for free
from my doctor. They'd hire the VON and set up clinics in various
buildings so you could make an appointment at the closest one. At least
one other province gave them out free in public places like malls. This
year, there was initially a bit of confusion about the two shots, so my
employer told everyone to consult their doctor. Mine said 'get both
shots', so I went to her for the regular one, and then got in as a
'health care worker' (well, OK, employed in a major health care facility
by a different employer) for H1N1.

I think organization is key. Our government decided early to offer
vaccinations to everyone, and ordered plenty of vaccines well in
advance. They're being distributed through Public Health (which annoyed
my doctor a bit, who figured they should be distributed through her and
her colleagues), and in my province, that seems to mean that the
regional health authorities are doing all the grass-roots organizing -
renting space, re-assigning their nurses etc. Some people don't think
the shots are necessary, and a few think they're harmful, but most seem
eager to get them as soon as they can - hence, the lineups, I suppose!
They'll probably taper off after a week or so.

And they (the co-tenants of the building I work in and my employer) have
had a massive campaign telling people about basic anti-flu hygiene,
telling them what sort of symptoms mean call a hospital ER or the nurse
help line and what ones mean 'stay home, take lots of fluids and OTC
medications, and rest', and installing hand disinfectant stations
everywhere.

Some people have said that two recent child deaths in Ontario might have
made people more concerned about H1N1, especially that of a boy who had
a cough and sore throat Friday night, was diagnoses with a cold at a
clinic on Sunday, and dead from a confirmed H1N1 case on Monday.


--
Cheryl

Gandalf wrote:
On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:22:50 -0230, Cheryl wrote:

I just thought I'd start a thread without 'pig' in the subject.
Actually, we don't tend to call it 'pig flu' here, we call it 'swine
flu' (when we don't say H1N1). I don't know why the difference, but I
hadn't seen the 'pig flu' name until the last thread.

Anyway, I know perfectly well you don't get influenza from eating pork,
which I love, so i thought I'd change the subject.

I got my shot last night. Although I don't consider myself a health care
worker, I do work in a building containing a large medical facility, and
we (ie the non-medical types who sometimes get forgotten around here)
found out Monday we could get our shots along with all the medical
people if we wanted to. So I turned up at an evening clinic, thinking,
OK, it's a 24-hour facility, but it's *less* busy in the evening. And
then I found everyone else except the organizers thought the same thing,
so we had a long, long lineup and only one nurse until the second one
they called in arrived at about the time I got in, two hours later!!!

Still, no shortages of the vaccine here. The experts are saying the
virus is pretty well established in the province, although we haven't
had the fatalities some of the other provinces have had. Yet. They're
really worried about some of the poor, small isolated communities.

Next step, arrange for my mother to get to one of the public clinics,
possibly one of those starting next week, and if possible, without a
2-hour wait.

You are fortunate in getting your immunization 'early'.

I have severe asthma, and I can't even get ny regular doctor, or my
allergist's office, to IF, or when I might be able to get a dose of the
vaccine.

I had real influenza just once, and, I have been getting the vaccine du
jour every year for over 20 year.

It's NOT like a 'really bad cold' in any sense of the word.

I missed over a week at work.

Now, I keep a containers of hand sanitizer in my car, although the main
route for infection is by inhalation of an aerosol.

It makes me feel like I'm doing SOMETING about avoiding it, while
waiting (rather impatiently...) to get a dose of the vaccine, which is
in extremely short supply, in the USA.

The ONLY reason for the short supply is because you simply cannot watch
the news, listen to the radio, or open a newspaper, with out reading yet
a another 'no facts contained' article.

It is ONLY though the media sensationalism that THIS year, people are
getting the 'regular annual' yearly influenza vaccine, and clamoring for
the H1N1 vaccine, as well.

Where I used to work, for the past 6 or 8 years, they used to have a
clinic right in my building, and all employees could get the regular
influenza vaccine at no charge. It used to take 20 minutes, max.

They would have about a dozen nurses administering the vaccine, and they
dozens of volunteers from the School of Nursing, making everything run
smoothly.

After the first 2 or 3 years they got REALLY good at it, and a HUGE line
would move very, very quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^

"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

Every day is a treasure with Kenzie; I try to treat them that way. There
will only be so many, and then there will never, ever, be any more.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein


I NEVER, EVER want to go through something like that again



You are right! When something is in short supply, people will fight to
get it. Perhaps that could be done with kitties. If they were a
rarity, would the same thing happen? MLB

BfloPolska wrote:

Louie gave me the disturbing news that it's called H1N1 because it was
the first strain after World War 1--otherwise known as Spanish Flu.

Are you talking about the 1918 influenza outbreak? (I guess that wouldn't
be "after" WWI, but I've always thought the war had a lot to do with how
it got spread everywhere.)

--
Excuse for Not Doing One's Homework:
My pit bull, here, ate it.
-- J.D. Berry, Springfield

Cheryl wrote:

Still, no shortages of the vaccine here. The experts are saying the
virus is pretty well established in the province, although we haven't
had the fatalities some of the other provinces have had. Yet. They're
really worried about some of the poor, small isolated communities.

Next step, arrange for my mother to get to one of the public clinics,
possibly one of those starting next week, and if possible, without a
2-hour wait.


We had the first death from H1N1 in Finland a couple of days ago. A
pregnant woman with a chronic condition (unspecified in the media). They
are vaccinating medical workers, pregnant women, and children now,
starting on people with chronic conditions putting them at risk next week.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.