Nasty Virus Going Around

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Quigley_Sharps, Feb 24, 2008.


  1. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    I received this notice at work today;

    The Oregon Public Health Division was notified on Tuesday, February 12 of three cases of severe, community-acquired respiratory illness. The cases were all under 35 years of age and had cough, sore throat, and general malaise, with progression within 3 days to respiratory failure; two have died.

    Cause(s)
    Unknown at this time. Two cases had positive rapid tests for influenza, one was positive for MRSA, and the third had a positive throat culture for group A strep. Other similarities that the cases share include a low white blood count, a low platelet count, and many infiltrates on the chest X-ray.

    Wash your hands and wash them frequently. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Alcohol based hand sanitizers may be substituted for soap and water. Please note that the alcohol based hand sanitizers don’t kill viruses and there is no better way to kill germs than a 20 second hand wash.

    Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touched his/her eyes, nose, or mouth.

    Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and even errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

    Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of your tissue in the waste basket.
     
  2. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    NEWS UPDATE Feb, 21, 2008
    HEALTH


    WWU student dies of rare infection





    UPDATED AT 4:10 P.M.
    BELLINGHAM -- Chris Feden, a Western Washington University student from Olympia, died Wednesday night at St. Joseph Hospital of complications from MRSA pneumonia, a rare severe methicillin-resistant staph infection, campus officials said.
    Feden, 20, was a junior from Olympia majoring in manufacturing engineering technology.
    Feden's case is the only influenza-related hospitalization known to the Student Health Center on campus, Western officials said, and a county health official said there is no evidence of an outbreak.
    "While this is a tragic loss of a young life and our thoughts are with the family and friends of this young man, there is no evidence of an outbreak of severe MRSA in our community," said Dr. Greg Stern of the Whatcom County Health Dept. "This appears to be an unusual and random event."
    Stern said residents could take precautions to avoid the spread of infectious diseases such as influenza and MRSA by careful hand washing.
    Feden's family released the following statement:
    "Chris decided to attend Western because he was interested in majoring in manufacturing engineering technology and because of how close he would be to outdoor activities he enjoyed such as hiking and snowboarding. We love Chris and honor his memory for the special young man he was becoming. He will always be in our hearts."
    The university is providing counseling and other outreach services to friends of Feden. The Counseling Center provides support to Western students and can be reached at 650-3164.
    "Western's campus community offers its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Western student Chris Feden. We mourn the loss of this bright young man," Western President Karen W. Morse said in a press release.
     
  3. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    Same type of stuff going around my area now, I had the flu for a few days, out both ends (yuck) my youngest had the fever, cough thing going on, started with a low grade fever then got read bad real quick, took him to the doc right away and they gave him meds, took him a few days to get over but now he's back to his normal self. Wife had the throat thing starting and she took what was left of the kids meds which did seem to help.

    My kid is very anal about washing his hands all the time, but once you put everyone together in school or other settings it spreads like wildfire.

    And yes stay home, I missed 2 days last week, my boss a day but that was after he was sick for 3 days prior, should have stayed home then and maybe the rest of us at work wouldn't have gotten sick
    b
     
  4. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    The local news reported that 6 people have recently died from pneumonia.
     
  5. BigO01

    BigO01 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Here for the last several years doctors have prescribed antibiotics with the intention of the patient taking every single pill in the bottle .

    Even though you may feel better the virus isn't completely destroyed in your system if you still have pills left .

    The people who stop taking the pills just because they feel better are allowing the virus to mutate , with each mutation it becomes stronger and more resistant to the antibiotics .

    To put it as plainly as possible you're not suppose to "have anything left" to share with mom or anyone else .

    This information has been given to patients by doctors and even broadcast on the news for years , amazing how many people can't follow the simplest of directions .
     
  6. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    No he did take all of his prescribed meds but when they give you liquid you always have a dose or so left over, as they get it close but not exact, with pills you get the exact amount prescribed. I try to hold onto the "extra" antibiotics for as long as possible, because once one in the house gets it the other soon follow. On many occasions the kids doc gives the antibiotic to the other boy even though he doesn't have the illness yet, but he knows that in a few days he will so it saves the trip to town.
     
  7. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    Part of preps should be to get your hands on antibiotics for the supply. When the SHTF there may be no doctors to go to I'm not saying to short what is prescribed to you, but when they give you extra's it's wise to hold onto them. Beside the last place I like to hang out is the clinic, there are sick people there.
     
  8. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    hmmm...my diving operations manager showed up with a deep chest cough, fever, sore throat; two days later and I got it. Feels like my lungs are on fire and I got this awful sounding wheeze when I exhale. Probably have to change my name to Typhoid Seacowboys.
     
  9. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    I wouldn't wait too long before having it checked out. From the sounds of it I was lucky I just had the flu
     
  10. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    PUHLEEZE don't pass the bug to the bug. Stay in the dive shack until it's over. We know you need to get home, but get home healthy.[beer]
     
  11. BigO01

    BigO01 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Sorry man it's been a long while since any of mine got liquids the fact they existed completely slipped my mind .

    How lucky you are , it seems you have one of the few doctors with common sense "or mercy on your Finances however you see it" that would give meds for the other kids in the home without the trips and tests they so love to do at $100 a pop .

    As far as stocking up goes I have ordered Antibiotics from Mexico from web pharmacies a few times don't know if you still can but do a search and see if you can find one .

    My sister picked some up from Mexico a few years back on a visit to a friend in Arizona , they even sold her some of the Amoxicillian in powdered form , you mix it with water when needed , this way the shelf life is much longer then the pills or so she said .

    Just as a warning though you really shouldn't be taking them unless you have a ten day supply because this is generally the length of time a Dr gives you a supply that is need to effectively kill the germs that caused it , people taking antibiotics less than the ten days is what has caused the flu strains to get stronger over the years .

    That at least was what my family doctor told me about 20 years ago , also if you're a healthy young person "teens to early 40's" without any history of immune system problems they prefer you to just let in run its course rather than over prescibing the antibiotics .
     
  12. SeptemberMage

    SeptemberMage LaMOE Monkey

    This House just lived through what I have been calling The Black Death Bubonic Bird Flu! This week every one of us has had a fever of 102 to 103. for days. My kids fell ill one at a time, with my son being the last. This time yesterday and the day before every hair on my body hurt from constant goosebumps, every muscle felt like I was being jack hammered. The house looked like a 1918 Chicago sick ward. right now we all seem to be over the hump, but tomorrow I am taking all of us to the doctor.
    I have figured out that the bird flu kits that I have carefully prepared are woefully inadequate. I don't know if I have just not been paying attention or what, but I had no idea that this killer was floating around out there. I only saw this post when I finally became well enough to focus on the computer screen again. VERY big Props to you Quigley for passing this info on. This thing just laid our family out. [yukface][yukface][yukface][yukface][yukface]
    I have recorded several televised conferences on the Pandemic Flu Conference and I seem to remember that the main participants are either in Washington State or Oregon. It seems like they must actually want to keep the public informed. [applaud]
     
  13. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    We are lucky in this area, I have also found a PA and few other doc's at my local clinic that are into preps and feel strongly about it, I've passed on this site for them to read and hope someday to join as they can provide vast amounts of information

    Bottom line here is if you get sick with this virus going around it is a very nasty one, see your doctor as soon as possible,
     
  14. SeptemberMage

    SeptemberMage LaMOE Monkey

    http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080227_1__OKLAH15888


    Health officials bump up Oklahoma flu outbreak to epidemic status

    By Associated Press
    2/27/2008 6:05 AM

    OKLAHOMA CITY -- Influenza activity has changed from "widespread" to "epidemic" in Oklahoma and conditions could get worse before they improve, health officials say.

    "This epidemic is placing a significant strain on our health care systems, our workplaces and our schools due to high rates of absenteeism," state epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley said Tuesday.

    The Oklahoma Health Department's surveillance network of 35 health care providers, laboratories and ambulance services statewide has reported an increase in cases during the past four weeks, Bradley said.

    "We have a high rate of people who are very ill and that's translated into more hospitalizations because of the flu," she said.

    The change in the status of flu activity in Oklahoma -- "widespread" to "epidemic" -- occurred when more than 60 percent of patients treated for flu symptoms at surveillance network providers tested positive for influenza, Bradley said.

    "The rate of confirmed illness is clearly above what we would expect -- three to four times above baseline expectations," she said.

    Bradley is worried that the epidemic could lead to not only more flu cases, but more deaths related to the <!-- 336x280 Advertisement (CM8) --> <script language="javascript">CM8ShowAd("336x280");</script>
    virus. Oklahoma did not have a flu epidemic in 2007, she said.

    Dr. Pamela E. Ahearn, a physican in Madill, said the flu is rampant in southern Oklahoma.

    "In fact, several of my staff and their family members have had it even though we were all immunized for it. The rest of us took Tamiflu so we wouldn't get it," Ahearn said.

    "Each time I make the flu diagnosis, I treat family members in addition to treating the patient. My office has been overflowing with patients and so has our rural hospital. I wondered when we were going to actually start calling it an epidemic."

    The antiviral medicine Tamiflu can lessen the flu's severity when taken early. Flu sufferers take the medicine twice a day for five days, while those who are trying to keep from getting the flu take it once a day for 10 days.

    "We've been dispensing a lot of Tamiflu prescriptions, the capsules and the liquid," said Stephanie Lepard, manager of Sherry's Discount Drug in Edmond.

    "Up until the last few weeks we had only seen a few cases. These last few weeks, though, we've been very, very busy."

    Oklahoma City resident Ronna Hoffman said she began to feel ill on a Monday and didn't return to work until the following Saturday.

    "I first thought it was a cold -- a little bit of scratchy throat -- thinking it was going to go away," said Hoffman, who added that she had fever for three nights and terrible body aches.

    "I took seven baths one day because that's the only thing that halfway relieved it."

    In western Oklahoma, "elderly and children" have been hit particularly hard by the flu, said Stephen Rhymer, a spokesman for Great Plains Regional Medical Center in Elk City.

    "The biggest problem for those groups was dehydration. Emergency room visits have been up and doctors' offices are full of patients," Rhymer said. "The flu out here seems to be causing mostly upper-respiratory and upper GI (gastrointestinal) problems."

    Rhymer said he had influenza symptoms for 21 days. "The cough would not go away," he said.
    ________________________________________________________________

    Now I need a T-Shirt, "I lived through the Flu Season of 08'... ...Barely."

    Well I managed to survive this one without breaking out my Bird Flu Kits. And I am in the process, as I recover, of trying to piece together a time line of how this all unfolded. Talk about a painful experience...

    Those of you who think this thing may be headed your way should be prepared to spend more time in the shower than you ever have, it was the only way to feel warm, and after two days your skin is going to hurt, every hair on your body is going to hurt, from the constant goosebumps and chills.

    I was worried about taking so many hot showers when my temperature was already 102.5+, but my doctor said he ended up doing the same thing.



     
  15. FalconDance

    FalconDance Neighborhood Witch

    Husband now has what appears to be this flu. Came on, literally, over night. Son fell ill last night but is bouncing back as only an otherwise disgustingly healthy 20 yr old can. I woke up feeling icky with a tickly throat and wonky feeling chest - but I can't give in to it until someone else is well enough to take care of me and the animals! [yukface]
     
  16. groovy mike

    groovy mike Immortal

    I have the flu. I mean I REALLY have the flu. If I were unmedicated, my life would seriously be in danger. When my meds wear off every 4 hours I have painful coughing to the point where I can't hold a conversation let alone sleep.

    I was actually doing fine. My family had it and I didn't for a week solid then I had 3 nights of getting up every 2 hours to tend sick animals and my body just couldn't stay immune with the sleep deprivation thrown in. I came down with the chest cold and within 48 hours I was in rough shape.

    So I went to the docs and they gave me Taraflu and said take OTC meds for cough and body ache. Which keeps me alive in 4 hour intervals.

    What have I learned from this?
    We're screwed if influenza pandemic sets in and we don't have over the counter meds already on hand. I normally keep an open and a spare bottle of cough syrup on hand. That sees me through something like this. But in a post SHTF world, what would you do for the flu the next time it came around?

    I guess it would be worth the $5 investment to keep another bottle on hand even if you never used it....

    As I am rapidly working through it (FIFO inventory of course) I am DEFINITELY making it standard operating procedure around here to keep MORE on hand hence forth.

    I can not over emphasize the seriousness of this "run of the mill" flu if left untreated. I am simply not willing to risk the lives of my family for the sake of a $5 bottle of meds getting outdated and thrown away.

    I strongly recommend that everybody ADD TO YOUR SUPPLIES of OTC meds ASAP.
     
  17. Valkman

    Valkman Knifemaker Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I'm in the 4th day of this crap. Had a flu shot but the genuises didn't put the right strains in so 40% of people who got shots are getting sick anyway. This is very dangerous for me as I have a supressed immune system.

    I had nothing to take until yesterday when I finally made it to the store and bought some stuff. Did I mention the day I got sick I left the wife in Vegas for a week-long trip to Disneyland? It's so nice to be alone when you're sick!
     
  18. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I thought the worst was over after chills all night Monday and a 103 degree fever but boy, I was wrong. The projectile vomiting at my ROV class really woke everybody up. I got in around midnight last night and have spent to day mostly in bed.
     
  19. groovy mike

    groovy mike Immortal

    Tamiflu seems to have helped the respitory variety of flu.
    Thus far day 1 = sniffle,
    day 2 = severe cough,
    day 3 extreme severe cough and started Tamiflu Rx,
    day 4 severe cough but much less than day 3,
    day 5 = back to feeling like I have "a cold" not walking bubonic black death plague. coughs are 1 per hour and raising mucous crap not 10 per minute with ice pick pain.
    If I improve as much over the next two days as I have over the last two, I'll be healthy. The lesson is to go get this treated ASAP and have OTC meds on hand at all times. I already doubled my supply.
     
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