Here in the Toronto area, we have four confirmed cases.
Friends of mine are supposed to be leaving for Mexico next week. As of early this afternoon, he was still scheduled to go. He tells me that he will at least return with unique tan lines on his face....
My dad was on a cruise that stopped in Cozumel. He took a little tour to the Mayan ruins in Tulum. He got back about two weeks ago. By the time he got home, he had a cough, aches and pains, no energy. He was sick for a few days, and couldn't play hockey until a few days ago because of the coughing and chest pain, but now he's mostly better. When he got back, nobody was talking about swine flu. But sure seems funny to me....
Someone told me that their company has forbidden their employees to go to Mexico.
Joel, I'm curious how your company is responding.
And in the midst of all this, my friend Roberto returned to Mexico on the weekend. He lives about 2 hours north of Mexico City, in the state of Queretaro. He told me today that no one hugged him or shook his hand to welcome him home and that things are very subdued there. When I look at the maps that show where all the confirmed cases are, there are lots of little markings all around where he lives.
We have two cases but they are so mild that they didn't need to be hospitalized and are making a quick recovery. The health officials here are downplaying it, advising everyone to wash hands and the usual precautions, and reminding us that the number of cases outside of Mexico are far fewer than a 'normal' flu season.
The main spokesdoctor said that she thinks the deaths in Mexico are partly because of the incredibly poor air quality in Mexico City and the citizens there likely have compromised breathing systems because of it.
I heard today that WestJet, SunQuest and SunWing have suspended flights to Mexico until June. I wondered about the cruise ships too.
The cruise line I'm going on in the fall cancelled all stops in Mexican ports as of last night. I'm hoping this is all over by the time I go away, but that's still more than six months away.
I heard the same thing about air travel to Mexico, I think the only airline flying there as of today is Air Canada.
The news is saying that the cases here too are very mild, either recovered or recovering. I also heard that there is a 4 year old boy in the state of Veracruz that they believe is "patient zero" and that he's recovered now.
This is the time of year when it's nice to be out in the yard well into the evening because there are few to no bugs and the mosquitoes are not biting. There's no concern about West Nile virus.
Nothing here either yet. Our Mexican Riviera itinerary is over for the season, so we are in wait and see mode until Autumn when it resumes. We have no ships currently doing the Cozumel/Cancun stops until Autumn.We have one ship in the midst of a Panama Canal Repositioning cruise that just last night canceled 2 scheduled stops along the Mexican Riviera.
I have been seein quite a few cases of what looks like flu, with upper respiratory symptoms, fever, nausea, diarrhea, generalized malaise, but noone has tested positive for the flu. I am guessing it is a viral illness seems to resolve after about 7 to 10 days. I had it and am finally getting better. I guess no swine flu in Colorado yet.
One of the reports I heard this morning is that many of the deaths in Mexico City are being reassessed and may be due to other causes. In a city of nearly 9 million, 100 deaths from anything is pretty low.
The chief medical health officer in charge of communicable disease was asked if he'd go to Mexico now and he said he definitely would go if he could get a flight.
Off topic, but I always find it ironic that there's a big panic about a few deaths from what ever disease when there were probably as many deaths from car accidents at the same time, yet we sure don't ban cars. There were 12 deaths in Ontario last time from SARS and it was the end of the world, but I wonder how many road deaths there were during the same time.
Yep, what's being covered up, and why. Why is it so important for us to suddenly pay attention to swine flu and not deaths from HIV? Or AIDS? or Cancer? I dunno.
The news media is going ballistic again. Amanda, I heard that statistic as well -- 36,000 people USUALLY die from the flu each year. When the CDC director made the remark that "we could expect deaths," it was in that context. But "expect deaths" makes a much better sound bite!
On the other hand, having recently *survived* fifth disease and passed it on to my husband, I am all too aware of how quickly a virus rips through an elementary school. I'm washing my hands after every class and trying not to breathe when I talk to a first grader, LOL!
PS. Jon Stewart was HILARIOUS on this topic! He lampoons the news media -- one of them had a map of North America with Canada colored red and the number six in the middle. Seriously???!!
-- Edited by KarenK on Wednesday 29th of April 2009 09:39:56 PM
Probably the company that makes the swine flu vaccine is driving the media, just to make sure they get rid of all their flu vaccines prior to the end of flu season.
Ya know, I was vaccinated against swine flu back when I was in college in the spring of 1980. I know it's a different strain, but this is NOT a new virus. The Mexican deaths are scary, but so far the cases reported in the US and Canada have been medium to mild. Wow, I'm old enough to have lived through two swine flu pandemic scares! Oh, and let's see, SARS, West Nile, flesh eating bacteria -- yes these are problems, but they are not cancer, heart disease, stroke... car accidents!!!
I can't find an eye-rolling icon, but I'm rolling my eyes big time!
Please, fate, don't make me eat my words! Eight kids from our high school have been quarantined for a week because they came back from a Costa Rica trip sick. Most of them got sick down there, and last I saw there weren't any cases in Costa Rica, but it's just to be on the safe side. My son is friends with 3 of them and I told them they're quarantined to him as well!
Amanda, the Haiku is SO funny! So is the one about pork barrel spending. Thanks for the twitter my tweet!
Yep, Levi is in Colorado for a family reunion. He is apparently having a great time with everything except watching lots of videos of calf-roping. (His Dad and brother are both rodeo cowboys. His Dad also pastors a Cowboy Church, and I believe his was one of the first of that particular phenomenon.)
