Today's White House H1N1 Conference Call with Media

[chrisbarrett]

Run time: 18:33 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX16_5c9DQk   Posted on YouTube: September 24, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: September 24, 2009 By DU Member: chrisbarrett Views on DU: 286

 

[tavalon]

1. Thank you for posting this

As I and my family are getting over an ILI (influenza-like illness), I've had much time to do research and update my knowledge so nothing in there is new, but I know it's new to many.

I would like to add a little PSA: This flu doesn't appear to be deadlier than the usual flu so far, but since it is a novel flu, few people have any immunity to it, and so it is able to spread at least as readily as regular flu and also spreads slightly more erratically. That is the big problem. The hospital systems are likely to be quickly overloaded with extra cases of flu. In some people, this flu is able to get deeper into the lungs. Those are the people who might die and who will need those precious and few hospital beds.

The three-pronged approach to keeping the numbers of sick as low as possible this fall (and thereby, hopefully keeping our infrastructure running - think not only hospitals, but grocery stores too!) is social distancing, vaccination and antivirals.

Social distancing: that means not gathering with large groups of people, some of whom may be infected. Also, you must try to stay home and away from others if you get a flu-like sickness.

Vaccination: Most people here know I'm very cautious about vaccinations. My child was severely damaged by a vaccine grouping he got when he was 18 months old. Nonetheless, I highly recommend that anyone who can, get the vaccine, not because this is a scary, bugaboo, different flu, but because each vaccinated person potentially keeps the amount of virus in their own community lower. As weird as it sounds, your taking of the vaccine may enable your local grocery store to stay open. The shot is "dead virus" - you cannot get H1N1 from the shot.

Antivirals: Protocols are in place for who should get those. I know that Rumsfeld is poised to make bank on Tamiflu sales. Hell, he already has, but that doesn't make Tamiflu useless or part of a conspiracy. It is a necessary component for certain people, and you generally already know if you are one of those people. Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater just to spite Rumsfeld. Trust me, he doesn't care. I want him jailed for war crimes as much as you do, but refusing Tamiflu if you are the right candidate cuts your and your communities' noses off to spite your faces.