FLU WHAT WHY?

We asked all of the Region 3 jurisdictions as defined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to share with us the number of deaths from swine flu to determine which suffered the ten (10) deaths that reported for the week. Surprisingly not all responded to our "non-media" request. The ones who did didn't equal the total reported as "pediatric" deaths. We've long since determined that the numbers were far greater than reported and growing - but not in a "sky is falling way" but in a if you knew you'd panic needlessly. From all our research panicking is needless.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that: "Most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalization or medical care." For us that means catching the flu isn't a death sentence as a treatment is readily available to prevent death. The flu is rather difficult to acquire. The CDC and Pennsylvania State Health Department (H1N1INPA) say: "The virus can live on hard and soft surfaces anywhere from 2 to 8 hours after being touched by an infected person. 2 to 8 hours!"

How each jurisdiction addresses the problem should be our concern. Ours has a plan that we believe is wholly inadequate. Ours isn't the one. This story was the headline today: "Cincinnati-area hospitals are placing restrictions on visiting due to the spread of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, the Greater Cincinnati Health Council said. Beginning Monday, most area hospitals are allowing visitors ages 14 and older only. People with respiratory symptoms, including fever and coughing, are also not permitted to visit, according to a news release. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is limiting visitors to parents and guardians only, according to the release."

We immediately went to the Ohio Department of Health which has virtually no information on current rates of infection or deaths. The only thing we could find was this from the ODH Director Alvin D. Jackson, M.D. in a memo (PDF) provided to public health colleagues: "Director's Journal Entry, In Re: Reporting of Influenza A H1N1... Effective immediately, I order health care providers, laboratories, and local health departments to consider influenza A HlN1 as non-novel and to report cases pursuant to paragraph (B) of section 3701-3-O2 of the Ohio Adm. Code."

It's not a novel or unusual virus anymore. It's bad! It's really bad. Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) says: "The main route of transmission of the new influenza A(H1N1) virus seems to be similar to seasonal influenza, via droplets that are expelled by speaking, sneezing or coughing. You can prevent getting infected by avoiding close contact with people who show influenza-like symptoms (trying to maintain a distance of about 1 metre if possible)..."

To recap a Cincinnati Children's hospital has developed emergency procedures for a problem that the state's Department of Health doesn't acknowledge exists. That's the problem or rather that's what we think is part of the problem.

We're suspicious. The individuals who have died from this flu don't seemed to be grouped together or are they? Did the first individual who died in the jursidiction come in contact somehow in someway through someone who distributed the flu to the second individual who died? Transmission appears to be difficult and we accept that but this information blackout or in Virginia's "pre-existing conditions" case seems odd.

Why do we trust the World Health Organization (WHO) is because: "WHO continues to track the evolving infectious disease situation, sound the alarm when needed, share expertise, and mount the kind of response needed to protect populations from the consequences of epidemics, whatever and wherever might be their origin."

The World Health Organization was the first to warn of the pandemic when the US including the CDC were slow to react and the number had prior to the season begun to approach previous years totals.

So what do we in our suspicious mind think you should do? If you took a flu shot last year get your regular shot this year. Or if you didn't it shouldn't hurt to get one this year. We don't believe that the shots give you the flu. We believe WHO who asks and answers the question: "Should I take an antiviral now just in case I catch the new virus? No. You should only take an antiviral, such as oseltamivir or zanamivir, if your health care provider advises you to do so. Individuals should not buy medicines to prevent or fight this new influenza without a prescription, and they should exercise caution in buying antivirals over the Internet."

We're not parnoid. We're just cautious. We trust but we believe in verification. WHO says and we say: "The new influenza A(H1N1) appears to be as contagious as seasonal influenza, and is spreading fast particularly among young people (from ages 10 to 45). The severity of the disease ranges from very mild symptoms to severe illnesses that can result in death. The majority of people who contract the virus experience the milder disease and recover without antiviral treatment or medical care. Of the more serious cases, more than half of hospitalized people had underlying health conditions or weak immune systems."

We've seen the real numbers and when we inquire and are given bogus numbers we have to ask - why the lie? That's our real concern. When I've asked you a question that I already know the answer to and you give me false info. That's the concern. How can you trust what can't be verified? (Oh, my God! We're paraphrasing Ronald Reagan! We're going to hell.)