Comments on: From the Trenches: When Should We Worry?

By: cathy

cathy — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:14:56 +0000

Thanks Doc for this information. it did make it much more clear to me. The good news is that Nieces husband is getting better and baby has not gotten MRSA.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:44:13 +0000

I am honestly wondering if I have a case of it, that perhaps came on with allergies at the same time. I thought it was just allergies at first but my allergy armory isn’t working so well and I’ve had an at times debilitating cough from day 2 (of 4 so far) that isn’t usual with an allergy attack. Sneezing, cough (and headache for a couple of days). Didn’t take my temp but may have had one for a couple days, although probably attenuated from the nsaids and tylenol I take regularly for rheumatoid arthritis.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:02:27 +0000

H1N1 is a potential problem because most people have no immunity to it at all. Regular flu kills 30,000 per year, and a more widespread H1N1 outbreak – even if it is milder – promises to kill more than that. If it is more serious (which it still could be with the mutations of the virus being common), then the death rate could be devastating.

So, David, I don’t think anyone is “crying wolf.” It’s more like they have called for a tornado watch. We need to be ready to react, but we hope there won’t be any tornados. It’s a shame that people think this is an over-reaction. That’s what my next 2 podcasts will talk about.

By: Abbi

Abbi — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:43:30 +0000

What people don’t realize about H1N1, is that it is VERY treatable with medications like Tamiflu. Last season’s, Type A human flu was resistant to Tamiflu. At least you can take something with the piggy flu!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:25:57 +0000

This year’s [swine] flu is causing so much racketing because:

* genetic study shows that it shares a lot of genetic material with more lethal H1N1s and influenza virus is known to mutate rapidly and unpredictably.
* this year’s flue also exhibits quite a few atypical clinical and epidemiological patterns such as doesn’t always come with fever (1/3 of known cases) and showing up during wrong time of year.

These are the medical reasons for additional vigilance during the current Round 2 this year.

On top of that there’s the media hype and the fact “swine” being fat at and all

By: David

David — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:09:27 +0000

Here’s the problem with the swine flu….we have been “crying wolf” for six months now and nobody is listening anymore. I’m fairly sure we have had some cases right here in my town, but they have turned out to be fairly mild and actually less disruptive than the normal flu. So, remind me what was the big deal with swine flu?….more easily transmittable, more resistant to treatment, all of the above?? I need to get refocused on exactly what the threat is?

By: Ken O

Ken O — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:43:48 +0000

I’m not a doctor, but concerns about H1N1 developing resistance to Tamiflu are being reported in the UK too.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:49:39 +0000

In 1999, I started using daily nasal lavage—jala neti—to clean my nose and nasal passages. I haven’t had a cold in ten years, although I did have the flu in 2001, when my son graduated from college. (I forgot that 60,000 people crammed into a basketball arena was one giant germ-fest.)

This week I am teaching my six-year-old granddaughter how to use the neti pot, before school starts.

By: Abbi

Abbi — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:42:45 +0000

Let’s see, hubby and I and our boys cover more than half of those guidelines. We have two children, ages 6 1/2 and 3, I’m pregnant. I’m the office manager of a pediatric clinic, and my husband is a health-care provider… firefighter/paramedic. I guess we’re good to go then!

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:32:03 +0000

Here is a post I wrote on MRSA: More on MRSA