It seems that AF activity is picking up and my teenage daughter is planning a trip to Sacramento, CA. There are connecting flights there and back. Being that CA is so close to the AF hotbeds, when she comes home, I am thinking of setting her up in her room as kind of quarantine for a few days. She’d probably LOVE it with a tv, phone, ipod, books, getting to eat in her room, no jobs to do, etc. What do you think? If I do, how long should we quarantine?
Laura….I travel up to Sacto all the time (I’m 2 1/2 hours away). Not to worry…there ain’t no flu here…
I’d be more concerned about possible exposure on the airplane if it goes H-H.
“…CA is so close to the AF hotbeds…” Stupid question, obviously I’m missing something - how is CA close to AF hotbeds?
Z – at 11:34 --- Direct flights from Asia to SanFran, San Jose, Sacramento, and Los Angeles, as well as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Seattle.
laura in pa – at 11:27, IMO, I really don’t think that is necessary at this point. And, CA is really not close to Asia geographically. Additionally, many US cities now have direct flights to Asia - not just those on the West Coast. Plus, you might scare your daughter by placing her into “quarentine.”
I guess I should have been more specific! I am concerned about the airplane and airport exposure. If there is so much AF in Asia and Indonesia isn’t it just a matter of time before someone exposed to or carrying the virus gets on a plane? I had this idea that the west coast was the natural entry point for flights to the U.S.
11:43 was me
laura in pa – at 11:44, It certainly is possible but I would say improbable right now.
PA is only, what?, 3 more hours away from the ‘hotbeds’ of AF activity than those of us on the west coast. Maybe an hour to two more these days with airport delays and all…. Just maybe that first patient who arrives in the US infected with eff.H-H AF doesnt even get off in LA or SF? What if he/she continues straight on a flight through to Chicago or NY or even Pittsburgh instead?
I know I got my knickers in a twist over the KAro cluster and then there was . . . no significant news for some weeks. I’m not ready to quarantine or shelter-in-place just yet on this round (hubby travels overseas too). I will be watching the fluwiki daily however — it may be news that occurs 24 hours before your child arrives home that makes up your mind.
Best of luck.
What would be your aim in quarantining her? To keep you and any others from getting the virus if she had accidentally picked it up? If that is the case, how do you intend to get her home from the airport in a car, walking through the house, and into her room without touching you or anything or anyone else, and you from touching any of her things too? Will you make her wear a mask and gloves in transit? Will you and your family do the same when you meet her at the gate? Does she have her own private, attached bathroom? Incubation is stated to be 2 up to 8 days.
IMHO, no, not at this time.
Z: 11:34 “…CA is so close to the AF hotbeds…” Stupid question, obviously I’m missing something - how is CA close to AF hotbeds?
There are no stupid questions at fluwikie!!!
It might be worth doing it just for the practice. Why wait until someone’s really sick to work out details like getting items in and out of sickrooms safely (including the sick person, I suppose)?
We don’t have efficient H-H at this time. Wait. Watch. IMHO this is too soon for those actions.
Right now, you are at a greater statistical risk that her plane will crash then that she will pick up AF. And, you are at a LOT more risk that the car taking her from the airport to home will have a fatal accident. Yes, I am preparing for a flu pandemic (as well as other disasters like a terrorist attack or an oil disruption or a tornado) but it is important to keep calm, have a level head, and understand mathematical probabilities suggest causes of death/illness are far higher for some things we don’t pay much attention to (lack of a good diet & exercise, cigarette smoking, food poisoning, auto accidents, falls, etc.) than things that we do obsess about that are very low risk. NOONE has died in the United States from terrorism in the last few years, but 40,000 die each year in auto accidents and 30,000 die from the REGULAR flu. Prepare but go on and live life.
When my mom flew to the west coast during the Karo cluster,taking off on the day that WHO announced H2H2H,I asked her to wait for a week after she returned to come for a visit.Sounds like a whole different situation for you as my mom was driving herself and lives apart from us.But it definately crossed my mind that she may run into something nasty at the airport.
Oh….That was me @17:56…cookies….
If it worries you to this extent, perhaps the answer would be for your daughter to stay home, in the best interest of your mental health, if nothing else!
(bump)
Laura in PA - to think that you would do this to your daughter with no justification whatsoever is scary and an indication of how illogical and stupid some people are. Your chances (and hers) of harm from bird flu at this stage are almost non existent compared to all the other things that could happen in day to day life. Just goes to show how far removed we are in the west compared to those who really have something to worry about.
This is the 2nd time in this threada that someone has referrred to the question as stupid. Obviously she is concerned as a mom and wanted someone to tell her it was ok. I do not understand the lack of understanding on from some participants on this board. All this will do is tend to run off people (especially new people) who have fears but will not post because someone will call their question stupid. I don’t get it. Laura lives in my part of the country, is a mom and deserves some slack.
In addition as some point we all will be asking these types of questions, it is just a matter of when.
Laura in Pa, you’ve gotten a range of responses — but asking here is probably more helpful than calling your county health department (unless they happen to be one of the rare departments really on top of bird flu!). One of the posters on another thread (Tom DVM) refers to the current conditions as possibly the start of a marthon rather than a sprint. So far the clusters seem to be in rural villages (really poor folk who will not be buying airline tickets) — it is true that one person/case could change things, but so far, there hasn’t been H2H (human to human) spreading rapidly in a big city.
I’m sending my DH off to his travels with tumeric capsules (tumeric is an age old antiviral) — that may be like fighting a forest fire with a thimble of water if real BF is on his plane, but it makes me feel better and like I’m doing something positive. I’ll probably remind him how important it is to ask for a seat change if anyone in the vicinity is coughing (he’s too well bred to roll his eyes while I’m speaking . . .) I’m checking in with Flu Wiki for news constantly and we’ll amend the plans if the situation seems to warrent it, but we’re not ready to pull the plug on a long awaited expedition because of the rumblings in Indonesia. Hope this helps solidify your own thinking.
NJ Jeeper at 13:45
anon at 13:37 was short in his/her response, and I don’t think the question was stupid. It seems, though, that what a good many people are saying is that in proportion, there are many more common risks out there besides AF. I agree with the non quarantine approach at this time. You can’t stop living your life, because if you do then the disease/terrorists/calamity wins. Better to be adaptable, somewhat cautious, and scrupulous about washing those hands!
NJ Jeeper – at 13:45 “This is the 2nd time in this threada that someone has referrred to the question as stupid.”
NJ Jeeper - No, in fact, her question was not called “stupid”. That is your interpretation and you’ve misunderstood. Careful about interpreting for others.
Z 11:34 - ““…CA is so close to the AF hotbeds…” Stupid question, obviously I’m missing something - how is CA close to AF hotbeds?” This was me and I was calling MY OWN question “stupid”, not hers. Didn’t want to offend - obviously California is nowhere near Indonesia, right? I didn’t understand and said I must be missing something. Too funny, I thought you were being nice to _me_ and reassuring _me_ that _my_ question wasn’t stupid!
anon called the action scary, illogical, stupid. Not her question.
Ok ‘nuff said.
i can now see what future reaction to the word “quarantine” might be. just the mention of basically offering my daughter a “vacation”, being waited on, lots of teenage toys, etc. elicited incredible hostility from some - not all, thanks to a few posters! perhaps it can give us an insight into why TPTB are very careful about speaking frankly to the public.
Thanks to those who defended my right to ask a question.
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