What you should do about the Swine Flu

[AllentownJake]

Go to the CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/, probably once a day.

Pay attention to the warnings and precautions.

Other than that, there isn't anything you can fucking do.

[seemslikeadream]

1. stay informed and check multiple sources

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Follow the common sense precautions to minimize risk of any contageous disease

Things like wash your hands frequently, keep your hands away from your face, use your own pen rather than a public one found at banks and doctors' offices, eat sensibly, get plenty of sleep, make changes to minimize stress, etc., etc.

[cliffordu]

3. And I soooo wanted to set my hair on fire and run around the room...

Oh, wait....This is DU, I can do that anyway...

[MrPerson]

4. Do I get to use my duct tape yet?

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Only if you want to look silly

[MercutioATC]

5. Having some basic supplies on hand wouldn't hurt either...

Some extra food and water so you don't have to leave the house for 3-4 weeks if necessary.

N95 masks for when you do.

Powdered Gatorade mix for hydration and OTC cough medicine if you become ill.

You don't have to stock a fortress, but basic preps are easy and could save your life.

[liberalmuse]

6. Well, there's this...

I heard the haircut scares away the virus.

[AllentownJake]

7. He got the hot chick in the movie!

Sign me up.

[hlthe2b]

8. Actually, as with seasonal influenza, there ARE things you can do

You can as an employer or co-worker encourage workers to remain home when they develop flu-like symptoms. Where that is not possible, they can be distanced from other employees (even a meter of distance--i.e., a little over three feet-- can mean the difference between droplet spread). COughing/sneezing into one's sleeve can help prevent droplet spread.

And YOU can routinely wash hands--well-- prior to touching your own nose, mouth, eyes, or food/items destined for your mouth. Hand disinfectants work, but only if your hands are not overwhelmingly dirty to begin with, they are kept in contact with your hands for 30 seconds (not the usual 10 seconds we all do), and you use enough of the product.


These measures aren't as "sexy" or high tech as popping an antiviral pill, but they do work.

You can protect your immunity as well, with reasonable healthy diet and getting enough sleep. (And not going over the deep end with your reactions/fear to this threat).

[AllentownJake]

11. That's pretty much what the CDC is saying

[hlthe2b]

13. There might be a reason for that...

;)

[elocs]

12. The reality is that many employers expect their employees to be at work, sick or not.

There are many of the working poor who cannot afford to miss a day of work, sick or not, when the risk is losing their job. Reality is a harsh mistress.

[hlthe2b]

14. True, but they can "distance" them at work to protect others.

Keeping a physical distance of three feet from other employees and discussing personal hand hygiene measures and surface disinfection, is really not that onerous... The employees can do it among themselves, if they work for a jerk.

[elocs]

15. I worked at places where you cannot distance yourself from others.

You have to deal with the reality at hand as it exists. In low paying jobs the employers can afford to be jerks in this economic climate because there are plenty of people looking for work.

[hlthe2b]

19. Then they do what they CAN do, washing hands, covering mouth

and coughing away from others. Disinfecting surfaces after one with respiratory illness has coughed/sneezed/touched. The oneness is on each employee to do what THEY can.

[Warpy]

9. Frequent handwashing helps

and I mean at least 30 second hand washing.

Avoiding touching your face with your fingers helps. Scratch with the back you your wrist.

If it looks like it's going to be as bad as the hype says it is, wear a mask in public.

Above all, if you start running a temp and have other symptoms, do us all a big favor and STAY HOME until that temperature is down.

[LaurenG]

10. I just had the flu last month and it didn't kill me - I think people are

overreacting. (I did get vaccinated for flu in December too, yet still had a positive flu test)

Edited to add: all the things you stated to do are great to do though, prevention is best.

[Bluebear]

16. Do you have HIV? Are you 70 years old? Undergoing cancer therapy?

There are variables. I'm glad it didn't kill you, but there are people who have the right to be concerned and not being accused of overreacting.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Should I add diabetes to the list

as well as any other chronic diseases?

And this person got a positive flu test, but not quite WHAT flu she got

Could be the H1N strand (we got vaccinated for), or this

Given they started testing for this after a month ago...

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. True - the shots we got last October won't do a thing about this

strain. NEXT fall we will have shots against THIS flu.

Take the normal, sensible precautions and you'll probably be OK.

[MercutioATC]

22. You DO realize that "the flu" isn't caused by a single influenza virus, right?

That's like saying that you were in a car accident but it didn't kill you so car accidents aren't dangerous.


There are an infinite number of strains of influenza virus and they constantly mutate. This particular virus is one we've never seen before...which means we have absolutely no immunity to it.

...and flu shots vaccinate against whatever 3 or 4 individual strains the CDC feels are most likely to be a problem that year. If you get a bug that's not one of those particular strains, the shot doesn't do anything...hence, no flu shot will protect against this bug.

[rcrush]

21. Wear a condom while eating bacon.