Arkansas Blog

Have a great time on your trip, Max! Don't worry about us, we'll be here when you get back and if we're coughing and spitting up a little.....that's part of life, we did it before and we can do it again.

Since we had to import our first Swine Flu death from Mexico, I am not worried that the black plague is about to drop. I believe it's just the next great media frenzy designed to sell a heap of health products made by the same people who sponsor the mindless TV shows we love. I think the White House is glad our minds are on other things for a while. We are a nation that loves to overreact....nobody does it better. So fly off and enjoy...we'll be just fine!

Have no fear Benton County residents - the flu is only striking Republicans. Oops!

Just hold your breath, man, you'll be fine.
Hey! Here's an idea for an '09 version of the disaster movie spoof "Airplane!". Swine Flu discovered in-flight. No airport will allow the plane to land there. Running out of fuel. Some guy has a shoebomb. Lots of peanuts and no drinks.
Take notes on your flight. We might be able to use them in the screenplay.

I'm wondering how much longer Pres BHO can proceed without muzzling VP Biden. He's always been a loose cannon and just the other day was praising himself for being just that. It was a big mistake to pick this guy as veep.

But as for the flu, it's amusing to watch the conservatives blaming everybody but the obvious source of this contagion - the big industrial animal factories that were run out of the USA for pollution concerns and dumped in forgotten villages in remote corners of nowhere. They say: It's the brown people (who lived and worked next to the sewage from their bacon and eggs).

The following is from an e-mail forward of comments by an ER doctor in New Braunfels, Texas:

Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:55:31 -0500

Subject: Flu Update from Dr. Marcus Gitterle

After I returned from a public health meeting yesterday with community leaders and school officials in Comal County, Heather suggested I send an update to everyone, because what we are hearing privately from the CDC and Health Department is so different from what you are hearing in the media. Some of you know some or maybe all of this, but I will just list what facts I know.

- The virus is infectious for about 2 days prior to symptom onset

- Virus sheds more than 7 days after symptom onset (possibly as long as 9 days) (this is unusual)

- Since it is such a=2 0novel (new) virus, there is no "herd immunity," so the "attack rate" is very high. This is the percentage of people who come down with a virus if exposed. Almost everyone who is exposed to this virus will become infected, though not all will be symptomatc. That is much higher than seasonal flu, which averages 10-15%. The "clinical attack rate" may be around 40-50%. This is the number of people who show symptoms. This is a huge number. It is hard to convey the seriousness of this.

- The virulence (deadliness) of this virus is as bad here as in Mexico, and there are folks on ventilators here in the US, right now. This has not been in the media, but a 23 month old near here is fighting for his life, and a pregnant woman just south of San Antonio is fighting for her life. In Mexico, these folks might have died already, but here in the US, folks are getting Tamiflu or Relenza quickly, and we have ready access to ventilators. What this means is that within a couple of weeks, regional hospitals will likely become overwhelmed.

- Some of the kids with positive cases in Comal County had more than 70 contacts before diagnosis.

- There are 10-25 times more actual cases (not "possible" cases -- actual), than what is being reported in the media. The way they fudge on reporting this is that it takes 3 days to get the confirmatory nod from the CDC on a given viral culture, but based on epidemiological grounds, we know that there are more than 10 cases for each20"confirmed" case right now.

- During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our lifetimes so far. We are in uncharted territory.

- I expect President Obama will declare an emergency sometime in the next 72-96 hours. This may not happen, but if it doesn't, I will be surprised. When this happens, all public gathering will be cancelled for 10 days.

- I suggest all of us avoid public gatherings. Outdoor activities are not as likely to lead to infection. It is contained areas and close contact that are the biggest risk.

- Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will have to be carefully managed, as it is not enough to treat the likely number of infections when this is full-blown. I don't think there is a big supply of Relenza, but I do not know those numbers. If I had to choose, I would take Relenza, as I think it gets more drug to the affected tissue than Tamiflu.

- You should avoid going to the ER if you think you have been exposed or are symptomatic. ER's south of here are becoming overwhelmed -- and I mean that -- already. It is coming in waves, but the waves are getting bigger.

- It appears that this flu produces a distinctive "hoarseness" in many victims. The symptoms, in general, match other flu's; namely, sore throat, body aches, headache, cough, and fever. Some have all these symptoms, while others may have only one or=2 0two.

- N-Acetyl-Cysteine -- a nutritional supplement available at the health food store or Wimberley Pharmacy, has been shown to prevent or lessen the severity of influenza. I suggest 1200mg, twice a day for adults, and 600mg twice a day in kids over 12. It would be hard to get kids under 12 to take it, but you could try opening the capsules and putting it on yogurt. For 40 pounds and up, 300-600 mg twice a day, for less than 40 pounds, half that.

- Oscillococinum, a homeopathic remedy, has been vindicated as quite effective in a large clinical trial in Europe, with an H1N1 variant. You can buy this at Hill Country Natural Foods, or the Wimberley Pharmacy.

I will try to keep everyone posted if I have any new information. Meanwhile, don't be afraid just avoid infection. The fewer people infected the easier it will be for our public officials to manage it.

Marc

________________________________

This is the biggest hoax since cold fusion. A couple of hundred reported cases WORLDWIDE is not a "global pandemic." Regular flu kills tens of thousands of people every year. Get a damn grip, will you?

Yeah, each year the flu kills - old people and babies. Better safe than sorry. Where is the harm in washing hands or buying some flu medicine that you'll end up using anyway at some point?

It's like living in New Orleans or with global warming. Risk = Probability x Severity. The odds of a disaster may be very low but the severity is very high, so you end up with maybe moderate risk.

Before anybody jumps to conclusions, a quick check of the Net reveals Dr. Gitterle is, shall we say, an entrepreneur who has his own nutritional supplement business. Quite possibly those recommendations at the end of the e mail are products he sells.

Before anybody jumps to conclusions, a quick check of the Net reveals Dr. Gitterle is, shall we say, an entrepreneur who has his own nutritional supplement business. Quite possibly those recommendations at the end of the e mail are products he sells.

This is not a good situation, obviously. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face. Avoid sick people. And, don't listen to alarmists!

Dang! There's no reason to scare people to death!

My only concern with the darn swine flu is I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow for regular blood work. I will be sitting around with all sorts of sick people, and I will be watching very closely for those who appear to have flu-like symptoms. I will have some Purell with me so I can clean my hands after touching stuff in the waiting room.

Cammack, just don't touch your hands to your face while you're in the waiting room before you wash them and you should be fine. If you are old or chronically ill or your immune system is compromised, you would need to be more careful. Im just assuming here that you arent a newborn, and i dont think you're elderly, either.

Isnt this doctor from a town in texas very close to the mexican border? I suppose I could look it up but I have to dash right out and buy some of his supplements, yall want me to pick you up some?

I may be totally wrong and off base here, but aren't the public health system, water systems, etc, important in situations like this? And isnt there a reason they always tell you not to drink the water when you go to mexico? If their general water supply isn't as clean as it could be, that might not cause swine flu, but it won't help anything, right? Or am I just about 20 years behind the times here. Its entirely possible. sometimes i feel as if i havent been out of the house in 20 years.

I heard a rumor that the UofA @ fayetteville might be cancelling its graduation on 5/9 because of this. Maybe my son, who is among those graduating, although he only transferred there for his senior year & doesnt have much sentimental attachment, will see fit to tell me, but you can't count on that one.

Actually, many of the people that have died in Mexico have been between the ages of 15 and 40, so this is unlike the usual flu because of that one thing.

May I suggest people having a supply of water, food and other essentials on hand? At least two weeks worth, more is better. If you buy what you usually consume, it's no loss. Better to go with things you don't have to cook, if you have an electric stove, and canned rather than frozen, in case the electricity has a problem. As I said, it's no loss if nothing happens, but you will be thankful if it does.

If there is someone that wants to read more about being prepared, and to keep up on what is going on, the FluWiki is a good start. Clicky on the blue to go there.

"I think it's getting to the point where everybody's getting a little nervous," said Michelle Perlman,<<

Yes, folks are getting very nervous in NWA. We shopped at Wally at 2:00 Am last night. New strategy if you can schedule it to avoid crowds.

With messicun Greyhound tour buses going and coming weekly from Chickenopolis there's reason to be frightened.

Archaeopteryx, like bird flu's mortality rate (very high) this swine flu's CONTAGION rate is very high compared to our regular seasonal flu. That's one of markers CDC looks at when making determinations about potential pandemics. Btw, health professionals don't wish to wait until something is full blown to call it a pandemic or the antique term, epidemic. They call it in advance so as to AVOID the spread. That's the entire reasoning behind early calls. If the media chooses to hype it into over-exposure that's their choice. There's no conspiracy on the part of CDC.

I watched an interesting piece on swine flu last night. Seems younger people (-40) are not so immune because their immune systems have not been subjected to as many strains of flu virus as older people.

My partner, RN, says the Benton county cases are now NOT SWINE FLU as of 30 min ago.
She works at a different branch of No.West Medical.

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>>With messicun Greyhound tour buses going and coming weekly from Chickenopolis there's reason to be frightened.<<

My 'sainted one' says this should have read TWICE per week. They are chartered buses.

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Tina:

Well, I am in my mid-50's and some might consider that elderly. My main concern for any flu-type illness is the fact that I only have one lung due to a previous bout with one of my cancers. I can't afford to have any kind of respiratory illness, and that is why I am somewhat concerned.

Years ago before leaving on a trip to Key West for vacation, I visited a friend in the hospital, and within 48 hrs. I was extremely ill and at an emergency clinic in Key West. I picked up some germ from the hospital (in my opinion) and spent my entire vacation being very ill. I wasn't sure if I would be able to board the plane to come home.

What a pussy America has become, or maybe it's just the news media now that they don't get a check every month from the White House. What Biden told us this morning is exactly what I told my daughter last night and it's simply common sense. In a closed car, bus, plane, elevator......if there are sick people aboard, you're sitting in a human petri dish...their germs are trapped right there with you. It's not the Bible....it's science.

This is why President Obama and many health agencies announced that if you are sick STAY HOME. Today the airline industry shit over Biden's words. Well.....gee.....do you want to avoid the Swine Flu or do you want to help out the airlines by flying with some sick people on trips you don't have to take right now? In other countries, they've already installed machines that take the passenger's temperatures as they're unloading their pockets and taking off their belts pre-boarding. But here in America.....like it's been for over 8 years, our government is waving people over with one hand and saying STOP with the other. Make up your damn mind!

And let us remember that down in dirty nasty Mexico where all this started, American companies own giant pig operations adjacent to where the Swine flu broke out. We had to import a child from Mexico to become the first death in America and it is believed Swine Flu was introduced to America by a bunch of Catholic school kids who returned from a vacation trip to Mexico. So I'd advise the Blame Mexico Crowd to lighten up a little. We ignore them drinking from the same pond they piss in, we ignore their poverty, we've never cared before how many people die down there.....but today....OHMAGOD....bunches of them are dead and we only care because it might be our asses next! If there were no cases of Swine Flu in the US.....no one would have cared to report the number of dead in Mexico, if they all died yesterday.

Today many people yelped about the name "Swine Flu." The American pig industry is screaming that the name be changed to anything not connected to a pig...though it is all connected to a pig. Israel will not call it Swine Flu because just the word Swine offends Jewish people and on and on and on. We're maybe too damn dumb and corrupt to survive Swine Flu......or no Swine Flu.

Today a robber held up a convenience store 2 blocks away from Northside High School here in Fort Baptist. I bought some gas there about 10 minutes before the robbery took place. The robber had a gun, but no one got hurt. Northside High went into yellow alert lock-down mode meaning they not only locked all the outside doors, but they also locked all the inside classroom doors from 12:30 till after 3 pm. The student locked in the classrooms didn't know what was going on and to say the least...no school work was completed. OK Class....we're acting real scared, we're locking the doors, you can't move and we're not allowed to tell you a damn thing! Oh yes....those sweet sweet high school memories.....yellow alert lock-down memories! Is the the '00s version of Duck & Cover?

I have a daughter there who means more to me than anything else on earth, but Jesus H. Christ.... don't you think someone overreacted here? Is there a criminal so stupid that he'd rob a quickymart then run into a school with over 1000 students and teachers inside? Yes I know....somewhere on the planet in the last 50 years this has happened.....the Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs killed a bunch of kids in a shootout with the government a few years back. It's called the Beslan school hostage crisis and it was a political war with 2 dozen armed terrorists who stormed a school. In the end 334 hostages were killed, including 186 children. Not the case today in the Fort.

Something about the Bush years sucked all the reason and common sense out of us. Overreaction gave us the War in Iraq and today's yellow code blue lock-down clusterFK at my kid's school. 3 weeks ago a rusty round iron fence topper forced the evacuation of our historic site and brought the bomb squad in to blow up what was thought to be a live Civil War weapon. And a couple of hundred people across the US have the flu, they're doing just fine, and yet we have incredible panic. I heard today that local surgical supply is completely sold out of face masks and no one can find a drop of Swine Flu in Arkansas. Too bad our government didn't overreact when dead black people were floating through the streets of New Orleans a while back....

The enjoyment of life is being sucked out of us. Why live to be 90 if not a damn moment of life is without media-government induced panic? We got monstrously fat people worrying about my smoking. We got people who live all winter with a smoky fireplace or wood stove worrying about my smoking. We're closing our schools because some people have a mild flu.

I'm surprised the Arkansas legislature hasn't gone back into emergency session to impose a 59 dollar per person tax on anyone with the sniffles. Take a tip and put a quick tax on surgical masks and that hand purifying goop. How about a law that makes sick people stand out on the sidewalks and bars entry to any bar or food place to anyone with a cough. It's getting where I can't breath and it's not because of cigarettes. Our legal liberties are gone.....now they're coming for our actual liberties.

I urge President Obama to declare 1 day per year National Fear Free Day and on that day the FCC will be empowered to impose a very high fine on any news outlet, radio or TV program, preacher, doctor, policeman,mayor, Senator and anyone else who talks scary made up shit. Just one lousy day per year where we can smell the roses, the coffee, new mown grass, infant feet, the air after rain.......just one chance per year to be FK'ing glad to be alive.