Is anyone watching the WH briefing on the flu?

[jus_the_facts]

....would appreciate some commentary that's being discussed...no TV here. Thanks.

[csziggy]

1. More cases have been confirmed in the US

Gov't. working to prevent further outbreak, responding aggressively.

20 confirmed cases in five states, NYC, Kansas, CA, Texas, (Ohio?). No US deaths, only one case had to be hospitalized.

[jezebel]

2. M O O N spells scary. nt

[jus_the_facts]

8. M O O N spells...Captain Trips?

:yoiks:

[The Straight Story]

3. Yeah, 1 so far in Ohio. They expected to find more as they look harder

and ramp up monitoring activities.

[jus_the_facts]

4. So nothing new to report then....

....thank you! :hi:

[Avalux]

5. Watching. Napolitano has the lead in coordinating response to the flu -

in cooperation with the CDC. She's going to speak momentarily; CDC spokesman up now.

They are closely monitoring the situation and are seeing more cases (new case in Ohio). Responding aggressively and since they've ramped up surveillance will find more. Good news - no one infected in the US has died but expect to see more severe disease in this country. Will report new cases daily. Will see different activities taking place in different parts of the country depending on the situation. There will be inconsistent information because of the speed of how this is progressing but they'll work to minimize inconsistencies. Look at their work as a marathon.

Everyone plays a role in an outbreak. Giving advice on what you can do as an individual - wash hands, other hygenic measures. If you're sick don't go to school/work or use public transportation. Think about what you will do personally if an outbreak hits your community and plan accordingly.

[jus_the_facts]

7. Just wait and see for the most part....

....thanks for the info. :hi:

[Avalux]

13. You're welcome.

Napolitano up now. She is re-interating what's already been said. The Department of Health and Human Services is declaring a public health emergency. This is scarier than it sounds, allows them to free up $$ to deal with the developing situation.

They have 50 million treatments of tamiflu in the national stockpile. Releasing 25% to states with cases. US Department of Agriculture monitoring food supply. Reminding us we cannot get swine flu from eating pork.

I'd say from watching this - the govt is on top of things. So much better than what we ever got from Bushco.

[maddezmom]

6. CNN link here

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2&iref=lb100

[jus_the_facts]

9. Thanks Mom...

:hi:

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. They gave CDC site link for updates and info on what to do

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Actually, I am impressed at the manner/tone of what the CDC guy is saying.
He is speaking in average language.
Now Napolinto is up.

[jus_the_facts]

12. Thank you....

....will keep this bookmarked! :hi:

[cliffordu]

14. We won't hear "heckuva job, brownie"

[robinlynne]

11. more money for Rumsfeld. (tamiflu reported as the medicine to take on the news last night.))

[jus_the_facts]

17. I'd ask for Amantadine instead of Tamiflu....

.....Amantadine got me through the worse flu I ever caught...back in '98.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. Isn't that one of the anti-virals that the CDC guy jsut said was not effective in this case???

Might be worth watching the replay to see if I heard this right.

[jus_the_facts]

31. Hmmm....please update on that if you can!

:hi:

[northernlights]

37. not effective

This virus is not sensitive to the older antivirals.

It *is* responsive to tamiflu and relenza.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Public emergency announced by DHS.

She is downplaying the tone of "emergency".

She says:
They are releasing Tamiflu and Renfluza vacines in certain areas.
BUT it is widly reported Tamiflu ( made in 1999) has little to no effect on swine flu, so be aware.
( I was reading late into the night last night about Tamiflu )

All people coming from flu areas will be questioned about health, symptomatic people will be isolated.
TSA at airports will be doing same, questioning incoming folks.
( But not OUTGOING?)

Plans are for daily updates.

[FirstLight]

16. 50 Million courses of tamiflu, et al... in the govt stockpile

25% being released to state agencies now

(you know, 50 million isn't alot if you think about national population...not to mention the courses that will be ineffective due to late administration or eventual mutation of the strain...)


hmmm...state of emergency declared nationally...
"but it doesn't sound as bad as it is"

"if you are sick, stay home" (ya, and die there alone)

[jus_the_facts]

19. As I posted above....ask for Amantadine if you get the flu....

...it saved me back in '98...don't trust anything Rumsferatu was involved in. :yoiks:

[Horse with no Name]

21. Amantadine almost killed me

:(
But, I am only one person. I don't know if ANY of the antivirals will do much good, but I suppose that on the outset that they will...it won't hurt.

[The Straight Story]

22. It has been bad for my x who takes it for Parkinson's

Wicked bad stuff which caused her a lot of issues. She tries not to take it and is having her dr. get her on something else (and yeah, it is a flu med but is one of the first things they give you when they diagnose you with Parkinson's)

[jus_the_facts]

26. Sorry to hear that...I swear I thought I was dying...it made me feel better immediately....

....I'd not been able to move my head without it feeling like it was being chopped into by an ax...that flu attacked my blood brain barrier...yet it attacked my SO's back and legs....his dad had the same symptoms as I did and his mom and sister had the leg and back pain...it was the most horrible flu I ever caught though...and the amantadine felt like a miracle after the pain I'd been having.

[northernlights]

38. amantadine is NOT effective

as posted above.

This strain is resistant to the older anti-virals.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. CDC guy has said 3-4 times now that "there is no vaccine for this yet".

Tamiflu is an anti-viral, not a vaccine, but he just now said they are not sure of resistance to Tamiflu in this case.

[Avalux]

27. As the virus moves through people, it can easily become resistant to Tamiflu.

Tamiflu will lessen symtoms if taken within 48 hours of initial symptoms.

They will work on a vaccine now that they have isolated the virus but it will take time.

[Fleshdancer]

23. This press conference fascinates me...

Everyone on stage is taking this very seriously. They're well informed and highly competent.

I'm still not use to that.

[Psychic Consortium]

24. Watching competent leadership in action is a joy.

A big contrast to previous years.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Short answers they are going through the necessary motions

to do this

And yes they are doing exactly what is projected in MANY national plans

My advise to you

Wash hands, wash them often, stay away from sick people and if you can afford it, stock up on canned food

One of the measures on any of these when they go "all the way" is ordering populations to simply stay home

[jus_the_facts]

28. Damn....I've got a dr's appointment tomorrow at our charity hospital....

....guess I'll take a mask along with some GermX...glad I don't have to go through the ER. :(

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. 3 times now reporters have asked if Obama was given any anti-viral

or any type of treatment because of his trip to Mexico.
And neither the Press Sec. or the CDC doc would give a direct answer to that.

What would be the rproblem in saying NO?
what would be the problem in saying Yes?

[AngryOldDem]

30. I was under the impression that flu shots were of no use against this strain.

And I'm sure as a matter of course Obama is up to date on his immunizations. So your question is a valid one.

I came in in the middle of this gaggle...what, exactly, does it mean that a state of emergency has been declared?

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. Basically that they have upped the ante on monitoring

and other necessary things

And essentially started getting the legal authority to do what was done in 1918

They are getting ready... Napolitano was very clear, she compared it to the pre hurricane emergency preparation

That said this is step one in the US plan

[dixiegrrrrl]

35. Complicated answer, sorry to say.

Declaration of state of emergency means affected states/counties/cities/areas are automatically
eligible for Federal help/money, whatever the need.
This may or may not be a good thing.

It also means that all "essential workers" are to be on the job.
ie: Nurses, Doctors, police, firefolks, and, in my case, licensed Social workers, which is how I know what it means. ( but I am retired now, so no problem.) Every hurricane I was automatically on call.

It also can mean that the original Bush plan of declaring a state of emergency puts the Feds in charge of everything, that martial law can be declared, that involuntary quarentine can be enforced, that mandatory medical treatment can be forced on someone.
Lastly, here is link to a document that was written for a medical state of emergency by the CDC in 2006, when the avian flu was supposed to be the big threat.

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/federal/stratergyimplementationplan.html

[northernlights]

39. they were referring to antiviral drugs

tamiflu or relenza. Not immunization.

It seems unlikely they would give antivirals as a prophylaxis, due to potential side effects. But who knows...

If they did, they probably didn't want to announce it so that everybody in the U.S. would be demanding the same level of treatment.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Political... I mean the security screen was unreal

yes I was down there.

And some of our neighbors would love to blow Mexico up because the Director of the Anthropology museum exposed him to it, never mind he is dead

Oh and Dr. Solis, RIP... one great loss to Mexico

[seemslikeadream]

34. yes

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5537599

[jus_the_facts]

36. Thanks!

:)

[bluedawg12]

40. It was excellent. They called it a "pre-pandemic" an accurate term and they were serious

well informed and unlike the round and round we go crap from the last administration, that did a "heck of job," crisis after crisis :sarcasm: President Obama's team was factually based, scientific in it's approach and demonstrated --wait for it-- planning!

If you don't have a TV and just want some general info. here are two DU links.

Info from WHO and CDC and some interesting replies with good info.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5536175&mesg_id=5536175

A great explanation of viruses.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5537632&mesg_id=5537632