/Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet?
Lupine Send a noteboard - 27/10/2009 11:29:51 PM
I'm curious because, well, I have it. And am supposed to be in quarantine for a while as a result.
It's interesting though because I live in a university town, where a highly contagious flu is bound to spread like wildfire. Currently the uni clinic has stopped doing lab tests on every person with the symptoms, so numbers are hard to come by, but a month ago the official number was 500. Now I've heard from an unofficial source (spouse of medical person) that we've had 7,000-8,000 cases. That's insane! The campus is big, but still, it's roughly 1 in 6.
At this point I have to question how much sense it makes to keep quarantining people - surely virtually everyone has been exposed at this point? If medically informed people can elucidate this, I'm really curious.
Also, what about walking my pup? Is that okay as long as I don't talk to people?
In any case, it seems our worst fears have been pretty unfounded, because even with those high numbers, no one has died here. (yay!) I think the biggest effect will be an astronomical cost to the university, which is honestly doing its damnedest to avoid catastrophe. I went to the special flu clinic today, and though I had to wait a really long time (two hours), the doctor was super nice, and they gave me free Sudafed, cough syrup, an anti-nausea prescription med, and an inhaler. Sometimes it's great to be a student. No way I could have afforded all that on my own.
Okay, more organized survey-like bit:
1. Have you had swine flu? What was it like for you? (Symptoms, duration.)
2. Do you know anyone who has?
3. Is your local community being affected? What measures are they taking now?
4. Have you ever been quarantined for any reason? What was it? How did you amuse yourself in the meantime?
5. Are you nervous about swine flu, or do you still think it's been overblown?
It's interesting though because I live in a university town, where a highly contagious flu is bound to spread like wildfire. Currently the uni clinic has stopped doing lab tests on every person with the symptoms, so numbers are hard to come by, but a month ago the official number was 500. Now I've heard from an unofficial source (spouse of medical person) that we've had 7,000-8,000 cases. That's insane! The campus is big, but still, it's roughly 1 in 6.
At this point I have to question how much sense it makes to keep quarantining people - surely virtually everyone has been exposed at this point? If medically informed people can elucidate this, I'm really curious.
Also, what about walking my pup? Is that okay as long as I don't talk to people?
In any case, it seems our worst fears have been pretty unfounded, because even with those high numbers, no one has died here. (yay!) I think the biggest effect will be an astronomical cost to the university, which is honestly doing its damnedest to avoid catastrophe. I went to the special flu clinic today, and though I had to wait a really long time (two hours), the doctor was super nice, and they gave me free Sudafed, cough syrup, an anti-nausea prescription med, and an inhaler. Sometimes it's great to be a student. No way I could have afforded all that on my own.
Okay, more organized survey-like bit:
1. Have you had swine flu? What was it like for you? (Symptoms, duration.)
2. Do you know anyone who has?
3. Is your local community being affected? What measures are they taking now?
4. Have you ever been quarantined for any reason? What was it? How did you amuse yourself in the meantime?
5. Are you nervous about swine flu, or do you still think it's been overblown?
spacespacesplLupine
saceFormerly known as Clover
Still Paul's friend ♥ and Pippin's mum
spacespacespacespacespacespa*MySmiley*
saceFormerly known as Clover
Still Paul's friend ♥ and Pippin's mum
spacespacespacespacespacespa*MySmiley*
This message last edited by Lupine on 27/10/2009 at 11:32:46 PM
/Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet?
27/10/2009 11:29:51 PM
- 762 Views
It is raging here
27/10/2009 11:42:41 PM
- 401 Views
Good on you for getting vaccinated.
27/10/2009 11:58:06 PM
- 476 Views
Get better soon!
27/10/2009 11:53:27 PM
- 427 Views
Re: /Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet?
28/10/2009 01:42:05 AM
- 424 Views
Re: /Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet?
28/10/2009 01:48:58 AM
- 403 Views
I almost feel like I'm coming down with something, but I'm not sure.
28/10/2009 03:26:26 AM
- 548 Views
Re: I almost feel like I'm coming down with something, but I'm not sure.
28/10/2009 08:40:17 AM
- 490 Views
I think I've had it. Symptoms seemed to match, anyway.
28/10/2009 05:31:46 AM
- 442 Views
Odd.
28/10/2009 08:27:42 AM
- 524 Views
A final note on my experience with the flu (since all the rest is here).
30/10/2009 12:15:40 AM
- 403 Views
I feel I am getting ill this week
28/10/2009 08:45:33 AM
- 364 Views
Drink tea, eat oranges.
28/10/2009 08:54:44 AM
- 457 Views
We've had 7 people die from it at my hospital.
28/10/2009 09:21:45 AM
- 409 Views
I suspect that working at a hospital gives you a rather biased sample of the populace. *NM*
29/10/2009 12:16:16 AM
- 166 Views
According to the CDC, on average 36,000 die from the flu each year in the US.
28/10/2009 01:53:35 PM
- 377 Views
Thank you, Greg. Finally, someone points out what it seems the general populace has forgotten!
30/10/2009 12:06:23 PM
- 477 Views
I think the worry is just that it's more contagious, which would be bad if a fiercer strain
30/10/2009 01:32:00 PM
- 433 Views