This Epidemic Brought To You By... by AnthonyT

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

This Epidemic Brought To You By...

POSTED BY: ANTHONYT
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 16:52
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:19 PM

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

Upon reading this article and interview on CNN, I could not help the impression that I was reading an advertisement for a medical product.

--Anthony

(CNN) -- More than 100 students at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, New York, have fallen ill recently. Some have tested positive for swine flu, health authorities say.

New York high schooler Arianna Anastos and dad Chris talk with CNN's Anderson Cooper about the outbreak.

At least 50 people in the United States have contracted the virus, officials say. Some of those who tested positive at the New York high school recently went to Cancun, Mexico, for spring break.

By Tuesday, the number of deaths believed attributable to swine flu climbed to as many as 152 -- all of them in Mexico. (Twenty-six cases, including seven deaths, have been confirmed in the country.)

St. Francis student Arianna Anastos, 16, wasn't on that spring break trip to Mexico, but her friends were. She started exhibiting flulike symptoms and was hospitalized last weekend.

CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke Monday night with the teen and her father, Chris, on "AC 360°."

Anderson Cooper: Arianna, how are you feeling right now?

Arianna Anastos: I'm feeling a lot better now.

Cooper: When did you first start to feel sick -- and what did you feel like?

Arianna: I felt sick on Thursday. I was really dizzy. And I started having a fever and a cough. And I -- I had trouble breathing.

Cooper: How bad did the fever get?

Arianna: About 103 by Saturday.

Cooper: So then what did you do about it?

Arianna: I went to the hospital with my mom. And we waited for about an hour. And I got tested by the strep throat test and the nose swab.

Cooper: You -- you haven't been to Mexico. How do you think you got it?

Arianna: Probably from someone else. I mean, like, you know, people touch the railing on the school, like, and then I touch them, so any possible way.

Cooper: Chris, you must have been incredibly concerned. How ... did you deal with this?

Chris Anastos: Well, it was terrible. On Saturday morning, she looked like she was run over by a truck really. It really scared us. But ...

Cooper: What do you mean by that? ... How did she look?

Anastos: Well, she was on the couch lying down with her eyes closed, could not move, could not even open her eyes. I had a wet towel over her eyes to keep her temperature down. ...

Cooper: Arianna, you went to the hospital on Saturday. ... Did they give you Tamiflu?

Arianna: Yes.

Cooper: So how soon after taking the Tamiflu did you start to feel better?

Arianna: After two pills, I started feeling better.

Cooper: How do you deal with the fear about spreading it? I mean, Arianna, were you worried that you might give it to other family members?

Arianna: Yes. I mean, my parents would, like, come into the room, but they would wear masks and gloves. And they wouldn't allow anyone into the room. And they wouldn't allow me, like, to touch anything in the house, or else my mom would, like, spray it with Lysol. So, you know, no one got sick. ....

Anastos: We took every precaution we could to prevent the spreading. And, obviously, we were -- my wife and I and my other daughter did not get it. So it worked for us.

Cooper: So -- so, they gave you masks at the hospital, and you made sure to wear those around the house?

Anastos: Yes. Yes. They -- they really did a good job. They explained to us what we needed to do. They gave us the equipment. And we just followed directions, and nothing happened to us. And Arianna is almost 100 percent.

Cooper: Well .... I'm glad, Arianna, that you're feeling better. It's amazing what a difference two pills can make. And I'm glad you were able to get the Tamiflu.

Arianna: Yes.

Cooper: And I'm glad you're feeling better, and I'm glad no one else in your family caught this.

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:27 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

Masks, gloves and lysol ? Tamiflu ?

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:29 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

Tamiflu, in a leading question by the reporter, and a follow up comment by that same reporter.

It felt a lot like an advertisement.

"Just two pills and you're better? Thank God for Tamiflu!"

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:33 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

Maybe it's one of those things you have to hear\ see. I didn't catch that.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:40 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Cooper: Arianna, you went to the hospital on Saturday. ... Did they give you Tamiflu?

Cooper: So how soon after taking the Tamiflu did you start to feel better?

Cooper: Well .... I'm glad, Arianna, that you're feeling better. It's amazing what a difference two pills can make. And I'm glad you were able to get the Tamiflu.

Hello,

I don't know, Rue. It really reads to me like he had his buzzwords to hit. It wasn't even, "What medicine did they give you?"

It was... "Did they give you Tamiflu? How long before the Tamiflu made you feel better? I'm glad you could get the Tamiflu!"

It felt like the product placement on American Idol.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:48 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

Oh - I read it. I guess I was just more focused on the - how did you not infect the other members of your family ? - part.

But since you pointed it out - maybe this is a not-so-subtle way of trying to avert any incipient panic. You know, along the lines of Zit's 'here in the US we have medicine' ... and should you be infected, you'll be right as rain, no doubt. So chin up, don't worry, be happy. ... End of story. Move along now.

BTW - it's not that I think there's any particular reason to worry at this point. (Though that might happen later should events become worse than now.) It's the (presumed) manipulation that irks me. Because a neutral read of the facts and putting this in perspective is the honest and adult way to address people.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:09 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Tamiflu is actually near-useless against this particular strain and has some really bizarre side effects like hallucinations and aberrant behavior.

Seriously, look into it yourself.

If you do take that huge risk, make sure you keep the recipient under observation for at least 48 hours.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:12 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Quote:
Because a neutral read of the facts and putting this in perspective is the honest and adult way to address people.

Indeed, Rue.

I know you're not fond of the man due to disagreement with his economic policies, but Ron Paul made some comments on this from his perspective as a congressman and a physician.

He more or less came across in exactly that fashion, hell, with a little editing, I'd favor that clip as a public service announcement useful to prevent a panic.

But, since that seems to be what the current administration WANTS........

-F

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:13 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

The drug seems to have worked for this interviewee, but its effectiveness is not what I question.

It's the advert-like nature of the news article.

It was like they were interviewing a headache sufferer.

"Did you take Advil? How long after taking the Advil did you feel better? I'm glad you were able to get Advil."

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm suddenly product placement sensitive.

--Anthony

"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:15 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

It does seem strange. Like I said, my focus was elsewhere. But since you pointed it out ...

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:22 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Quote:

BTW - it's not that I think there's any particular reason to worry at this point. (Though that might happen later should events become worse than now.) It's the (presumed) manipulation that irks me. Because a neutral read of the facts and putting this in perspective is the honest and adult way to address people.

Which is pretty much what I've been saying from the get-go.

Take normal flu precautions. Wash your hands. A LOT. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and tell others to do the same.
Avoid large crowds when or if you can.

If you have flu-like symptoms, see a doctor. If you don't, don't. They're busy, probably a bit busier than normal right now. Don't waste their time, but don't hesitate to go if you need to.

Above all, DON'T PANIC! Don't freak out and go into deep-survival mode, don't head for the cabin in the woods. Not yet, anyway. Live your life.

Mike

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day...
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:26 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

"Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and tell others to do the same."

FWIW - Current recommendations are to cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow, rather than your hands.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:43 PM

FREMDFIRMA

It's not just you, Anthony.
That was buzzword and product placement in classic form, sure.
(And has the aroma of Rumsfeld all over it.)

I just feel people should be more aware of the facts when making a risk/benefit analysis, is all.

Tamiflu is not very effective against current strains.
http://cbs2.com/health/flu.cdc.tamiflu.2.892108.html
"The most common flu bug right now is overwhelmingly resistant to Tamiflu"

And it has a litany of nasty side effects to watch out for as well, especially in children, hence my comment to the need for observation.

Relenza is slightly more effective, but carries a higher risk of respiratory incident and should not be used to treat small children, especially ones with hay fever, asthma or related respiratory difficulties.

So I have valid concerns about folks not taking proper care and mediating risk factors, especially in a day and age where an employer is going to penalize or retaliate against someone for staying home to watch their sick kids, despite how important that may be.

-Frem
It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:52 PM

KWICKO

Rue, thanks for that - it actually makes sense! Sneezing into your arm is lots better if you have to interact with anyone and need to use your hands - you'll spread lots less germs if they're on your arm instead of your hand!

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