Influenza A epidemic

[Artemis Windsong]

Last year there were 7 cases statewide. This year 650 and climbing. One death.

[Virgil Showlion]

So... it's statistically less deadly than showing up at an elementary school or movie theatre.

[grits]

A lot of the South has been in an influenza epidemic since November. I hate to even go in the store. You hear people hacking like they've got a fur ball caught in their throat.

[Artemis Windsong]

V - I don't think the two events correlate other than causing death. I'm not looking up the stats on flu deaths over time. The flu has taken out a lot more people.

The flu is a preventable killer. A friend told me she walked into a Xmas family gathering with her 6 mo. old grandbaby where there were 7 older children and 2 adults who had not been vaccinated against the flu and had active cases.

[Artemis Windsong]

The gramma was the one who went to visit. A heads up of do not come would have saved a lot of problems. The baby couldn't be vaccinated because of a recurring ear infection.

Sick people don't stay home. The worst place is the pharmacy because they have to get meds. Seemingly nice people will intentionally breath their cold germs on a person. I have known other people who use germ warfare against their coworkers.

It's a petri dish out there.

[Deleted]

Jan 5, 2013 22:10:09 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Jan 5, 2013 22:03:04 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

V - I don't think the two events correlate other than causing death. I'm not looking up the stats on flu deaths over time. The flu has taken out a lot more people.

The flu is a preventable killer. A friend told me she walked into a Xmas family gathering with her 6 mo. old grandbaby where there were 7 older children and 2 adults who had not been vaccinated against the flu and had active cases.

Maybe people who are sick should stay home and not go out and infect others.

The last time I went to an urgent care clinic with an upper respiratory infection and I had a fever when they took my temperature. The doctor gave me a prescription and told me it was fine to go to work. I asked him was I not contagious since I had a fever. He pretty much said "yes, but you don't have to stay home". That was the first time I've had a doctor give that kind of advice.

[Deleted]

One of the reasons I'm giving up on newborn photography for awhile is because I was canceling appointments right and left. If I had a sniffle, or my kid had been exposed to something (croup and pertussis last year), then I couldn't see clients for a couple of weeks. When DS was exposed to pertussis I was surprised to find out how many of my older clients weren't vaccinated.

[beags]

Do you know many work places, Walmart being one of them, do not allow you to call in to work sick unless you have a doctor's excuse? Even then they don't have to excuse it. I know my sister works there. She was written up when she went back to work, even though she had a doctor's notice. When she had surgery, a hysterectomy, she was told that if she misses any more work, she would lose her job.

Now do you want to ask again WHY people go to work sick?

I would hardly call the flu an epidemic.

I never get the shot, because I never get sick. I would hate to think that someone would accuse me of being a live virus because I did not get the stupid shot. Which, btw, made my husband more sick after getting it. He never got sick before either, but because he was diabetic, the doctor told him he should get it.

I figure if I never get sick, I'm not wasting the money on something I don't need. I don't work with in a clinic, hospital, daycare, or school. Again, no need.

[beags]

He pretty much said "yes, but you don't have to stay home". That was the first time I've had a doctor give that kind of advice.

See above post about how many work places no longer excuse that type of thing. You are to go to work sick if you want to be excused.

It's the same with many schools. They say Don't bring your child in if they are sick . . . yet, if your child begins to miss school, they are calling and letting you know how many abenses they can have for the year and that your child needs to come back. So do they want your child to stay home when they are sick, or don't they?

It's the same with many workplaces (I mean Walmart is not the only one). They SAY don't come to work sick . . .. yet you can lose your job for staying home . . even with a doctor's excuse.

It makes no sense. THIS is how stuff spreads.

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 5, 2013 22:10:09 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Jan 5, 2013 22:03:04 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

V - I don't think the two events correlate other than causing death. I'm not looking up the stats on flu deaths over time. The flu has taken out a lot more people.

The flu is a preventable killer. A friend told me she walked into a Xmas family gathering with her 6 mo. old grandbaby where there were 7 older children and 2 adults who had not been vaccinated against the flu and had active cases.

Maybe people who are sick should stay home and not go out and infect others.

If you're sick, stay home.

Our church ministry goes so far as to insist that going into work while sick is committing a moral wrong against your fellow man, and I agree with them entirely.

If you're sick, stay home. If you think you might be sick, stay home. There are reasons they give you sick days.

[Deleted]

Not everyone gets benefits. Some stay home and get no pay...

[Deleted]

I agree that if you're sick with something that is contagious, you should stay home. That's why I was surprised to have a doctor say otherwise.

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 5, 2013 23:33:17 GMT -5 oped said:

Not everyone gets benefits. Some stay home and get no pay...

Anyone who has enough time to read this board can afford it.

[Deleted]

That is true .

Fwiw I'm all for staying home when sick. I do recognize its not always easy for some people though.

I get really annoyed when people bring a passel of sick kids to kid events without a thought...

[chiver78]

Jan 5, 2013 23:43:48 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Jan 5, 2013 23:33:17 GMT -5 oped said:

Not everyone gets benefits. Some stay home and get no pay...

Anyone who has enough time to read this board can afford it.

no, not really a given. but sure.

[Deleted]

Lol. Some people can't win.

[beags]

There are reasons they give you sick days.

Unless you work for a union, there is no such thing as a sick day in the USA workplace.

So many do not have them, and are written up if they take one . . even with a doctor's excuse . .some are even fired. . . even though the laws say you can't.

[beags]

Jan 5, 2013 23:55:47 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Jan 5, 2013 23:33:17 GMT -5 oped said:

Not everyone gets benefits. Some stay home and get no pay...

So, it boils down to who is more important? To come to work and infect the whole office is okay because one has no sick leave?

No it's not ok. But for many it's come to work sick or get fired. Well let's face it . . . . we need our jobs.

[beags]

Jan 5, 2013 23:43:48 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Jan 5, 2013 23:33:17 GMT -5 oped said:

Not everyone gets benefits. Some stay home and get no pay...

Anyone who has enough time to read this board can afford it.

I only have time on my days off.

Does this mean all the moderators are unemployed?

[Virgil Showlion]

Does this mean all the moderators are unemployed?

It means that our jobs afford us sufficient latitude to avoid infecting our whole workplaces when we're ill.

[mmhmm]

It means we've retired and are sitting around on our backsides trying to figure out what to do with all this darned leisure time!

[Green Eyed Lady]

Anyone who has enough time to read this board can afford it.

That doesn't even make sense.

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 6, 2013 2:24:47 GMT -5 Green Eyed Lady said:

Anyone who has enough time to read this board can afford it.

That doesn't even make sense.

The average NMSNMer is older, established, educated to at least the high school level, with the ability to afford a computer, the Internet, and enough time off to regularly participate in online socializing.

Divide 6 sick days by 240 working days, and we find the "I have no choice but to infect my whole workplace" cohort to be those among us who cannot absorb a 2.3% pay cut, yet can still find the time to come online and rant about the selfish nogoodniks who (for whatever reason) refuse to get shot up with a yearly flu vaccine.

Q.E.D.

[beags]

Jan 6, 2013 1:31:09 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Does this mean all the moderators are unemployed?

It means that our jobs afford us sufficient latitude to avoid infecting our whole workplaces when we're ill.

I can afford to take a sick day or two.

The point you missed was . . . many can get fired for taking sick days. (at least here in the states . . . thank Walmart) People can afford a day or two off for being sick. It's that third day that may cause them to lose their jobs. What are they going to do without any income at all?

Hey, dude, this isn't Canada, this is the U.S. where unions were run out and Walmart's practices are the blue print for too many other work places. (Walmart treats their employees like shit . . glad I don't work there . . OR for a company that follows Walmart's practices.)

What I am saying is for many taking that sick day could result in them losing their job. That's more than a sick day or two, that's no income at all. So yes, they will come to work sick, because they have to.

Yes, I have been known to quit a job that follows Walmart's practices.

[Malarky]

I always thought that by the time you showed symptoms, you had already been contagious for a couple of days. True? Not true?

If true, it's too late, you already infected your whole workplace.

[mmhmm]

The flu virus can be transmitted approximately 24 hours prior to the outbreak of symptoms. If your nose itches, you're going to scratch it. Then, you may just touch someone else, or touch something they will touch. If you choke on something, you're going to cough. The virus is there, active and replicating. Voila.

[steff]

My gramma is currently in the hospital because her flu turned to pneumonia...after 5 hours in the ER with gramma, two days later, my mom has come down with the flu (diagnosed by a dr today as the flu). My kiddo is still fighting off the last bit of bronchitis that he came down with. We think he got sick from filming on the sidelines in the cold weather for hours & hours. Yesterday I started to get the sniffles & a slight cough...today I feel like crapola. I'm hoping mine doesn't turn into the full blown flu, but I have a dr's appt tomorrow just in case.

[mmhmm]

Jan 8, 2013 22:34:20 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Jan 8, 2013 22:32:08 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

The flu virus can be transmitted approximately 24 hours prior to the outbreak of symptoms. If your nose itches, you're going to scratch it. Then, you may just touch someone else, or touch something they will touch. If you choke on something, you're going to cough. The virus is there, active and replicating. Voila.

So, again, keep your hands washed and away from your face.

If someone coughs on you, washing your hands isn't going to have much effect. Might make you feel better about having clean hands, though.

[steff]

Jan 8, 2013 22:42:04 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

I'm hoping mine doesn't turn into the full blown flu, but I have a dr's appt tomorrow just in case.

I didn't think there was anything the doctor could do for the flu or a cold.

my mom got a steroid shot & Tamiflu. And I kinda hope dr's can do something considering it put my gramma in the hospital last Tuesday.

[mmhmm]

Jan 8, 2013 22:42:45 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Jan 8, 2013 22:41:24 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

If someone coughs on you, washing your hands isn't going to have much effect. Might make you feel better about having clean hands, though.

Why would they be coughing if they weren't yet showing symptoms?

Maybe they got something stuck in their throat, lonewolf. Maybe they swallowed wrongly. Maybe they got a tickle in their throat. There are lots of reason why people might cough, and all of them don't mean you're sick, for crying out tears!