The Flu outbreak in the American Southeast appears to be nasty stuff with all the children hospitalized in Alabama on ventilators. James Brown just died of pneumonia in Georgia (I believe).
There are numerous reports of serious illness in Florida.
What strains are being reported? Does anybody know?
Since it hit Florida and the southern states first, it looks like it must have swept in from the Caribbean. Was anything reported in Cuba or Haiti before the US was hit?
Let me check online with our local Birmingham paper to see what I can find…back in a minute!
Well, a quick check of the Birmingham paper online shows that the article I reported about the 6 kids in the hospital is the only one, besides a general article about how bad the 1918 flu was & how many could die of something similar in today’s world.
There’s nothing in the Bham, Mobile or Huntsville papers from the 12th through the 22nd when the article about the kids came out. I haven’t gotten the paper from outside this AM, but after we open presents, I’ll double-check it for any more news & post it if there is anything!
As of Friday from CDC:
However, when it is reported next week by CDC, it might have a virus type associated with it.
CDC ref is:
I live in Lexington, North Carolina (Piedmont area- 50 miles north of Charlotte) My fiancé and I took my Aunt to Baptist Hospital on 12/10/06, via Emergency room. The hospital was packed with sick people. Two days later, he started getting sick. Deep, bronchial cough, congestion, body aches, fever, stomach ache (and upset), nausea… On 12/18/06 I took my brother to Lexington Memorial Hospital, emergency room… it; too, was packed. The next day, I started getting sick. And still am…
Whatever kind of flu this is… avoid it if you can!
Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music.
Copsidas said the cause of death was uncertain. We really don’t know at this point what he died of, he said.
I hope everyone is feeling better soon.
I’ve been down for about ten days with a nasty upper respiratory infection—I don’t think it’s the flu (I was inoculated) but it has been making the rounds. Might be RSV, though. I self medicated with OJ, chicken soup, amoxicillin (to stave off the inevitable secondary infection) and Theraflu w/ vodka.
Jeniner- Like your Thereflu charged? Way to go! I’m partical to madicinal rum, myself. ;-)
I’m about 60 miles from Birmingham, AL (actually, I’m about halfway between Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA). About half of my kid’s daycare class was out with flu/flu-like stuff this week. Nothing said about any of them needing hospitalization, etc.
Subjectively, seems like a lot of folks are sick here with respiratory, general malaise, aches/pains kind of stuff.
Sounds like, no matter the odd looks or “scaring the others”, wearing a mask into the ER waiting room and bringing hand sanitizer with you, (Take a number and wait outside; we’ll call your number over the loudspeaker…at least there’s more fresh air exchange outside,) wouldn’t be so crazy.
(Was it UK or Canada; somewhere was posting 15-hour ER waits for non-life-threatening patients) (Wait; that didn’t get wrote right…)
Hm, James Brown; CNN …As it turns out, the 73-year-old music legend was spotted last Friday near his hometown in Augusta, Georgia handing out Christmas gifts to underprivileged children. “
(Some of whom perhaps were a bit ill at the time?)
“After he finished there, he headed into Atlanta for a routine dentist appointment,”
(Sometimes I have seen places where a staff is sick but cleaning your teeth, with or without them wearing a full face shield/mask.)
“and at some point over the weekend, he was taken to Emory’s Crawford Long Hospital with severe pneumonia. At 1:45 AM on Christmas day, he passed away from what his manager says was a heart attack related to pneumonia.’
…”know your risk factors - Young children and the elderly, those with chronic diseases and smokers have a much greater risk for developing serious lung infections like pneumonia, so if you fall into any of these categories and you have a cold you just can’t seem to shake, it might be a good time to go see your doctor.”
Posted originally on Severe outbreak of virulent flu in Birmingham, AL
Having a wave in the Dallas area as well.
One particularly emotive friend described a rapid onset during the drive home from work on last Friday. Felt OK on leaving the office, but was struggling to get into bed by arriving home. Pounding super-migraine-like head pain, light sensitivity, movement sensitivity, post-nasal hose, deep cough, immediate and profound fatigue and muscle aches. Quote, “I felt like I was going to die!” Began immediate hourly dosing of herbal blend. 24 hours of shivering under 3 blankets with pounding headache until she gained access to another herbal extract. She was too weak to move across the room until the next afternoon to get the extract that she uses for headaches. Headache mollified by hour 26; shivers did not return. Slowly began rebuilding strength continuing taking hourly herbal blend. By 72 hours from onset she feeling good and was back on her feet, but should have been resting. Return to full activity by hour 80. High energy with some post nasal drip at 5 days.
Another case used immediate hourly dosing of all herbal components and reduced the headache phase to 12 hours with exactly zero shivering and parallel commensurate 18 hours of muscle aches and malaise. Convalescing with moderate energy by 48 hours, with high energy by 72 hours. Never went to an acute phase due to proper 360 degree herbal management.
I’m seeing many with a similar profile, whole families, 100% infected. We did not have the normal, slow escalation this season. The burst was rapid and is a very strong strain whatever it is.
Quietly like a mouse crawling thru the kitchen cupboard, I must have been exposed to another brand of flu, than the ones I got a shot for in October. The early Christmas present came on Dec 22nd,,,,,,and really has been the worst flu I have had for the last 25 years at least. Does anyone know if another flu type is traveling around the country that was not included in the yearly flu shot? Did not go to the doctor, just maintained myself thru the last few days so far, and have lost at least 5 pounds, missing Christmas dinner at the neighbors, etc. Anyway if anyone has information on another strain would appreciate it. Also I emailed CDC and asked them why they did not have an email site, that people could send emails to them telling them about the flu they had, thereby having more information on the travel of the flu. Doubt if they will get back to me, but at least I told them where I lived and had the previous shot and now have the flu.
It is a B type virus that was not in the Flu shot DW and I have had it now for 3 weeks, a real butt kicker. Had the shot and of course no effect. Lots of Vit C, D and E are helping us along. I have not gone to the Doc either just not worth the trouble as not much he can do. Still working but takes all I can muster to do my job.
Has anyone reporting how badly this flu seems to be hitting them tried taking Tamiflu?
Tamiflu is more effective the earlier you take it.
Something to keep in mind.
Gary Near Death Valley? — 25 December 2006, 21:33
The only way the CDC tracks flu is reports from healthcare people who test for the flu. How can they have any confidence of their numbers if they count e-mails from random people who report that they have the flu? It might be whooping cough that you have. I’ve read that it’s making a comeback and it causes flu-like symptoms.
If you get the flu, why not go get tested to confirm it and get a prescription for an antiviral? Of course when a pandemic hits we won’t have that option, but for now we can.
I also had flu vaccine, then two weeks ago, rapid onset of flu-like symptoms. Three days after onset, too sick to get out of bed. Ended up with secondary sinusitis and bronchitis that required MD visit, antibiotics and still not well.
When I told MD I had had the flu vaccine, he immediately discounted flu and did not test or give Tamiflu. Would not concede it may be strain not covered by vaccine. As long as there are health care professionals out there who are so closed minded, there will be lack of testing, missed cases, lack of CDC reporting and this is how H5N1 will get missed.
(FYI: At least in my state, the way flu reports go in is DHEC contracts with XYZ clinic, hospital or MD office in a town and they get a small stipend to monitor and report flu test results to DHEC. DHEC in turn reports to CDC. Not every flu test done in every MD office, hospital, etc. gets reported. What you see is actually a sampling of what is being done nationwide and what is being reported by designated testing sites. At least, this is how I was taught by DHEC that it is done in my state.
re ICP’s well-made point, see Baseline Seasonal Flu Information Often Lacking
ICP, “there will be lack of testing, missed cases, lack of CDC reporting and this is how H5N1 will get missed.” I agree. I think this will be our biggest, most deadly mistake. In my opinion, H5N1 may become h2h somewhere on a plane with some torists, business people from overseas. I think it will take our health care system about two weeks to figure it all out, a few sick patients in a few different cities. Not until the second set of infections occurs will the light bulb go off. The doctors don’t believe it’s a threat, they won’t be looking for it. It’s very scary.
Should be:tourists
and the tourists should have reconsidered going to anywhere with H5N1.
Have they even read the guidelines? to not go to the ER or their doctor if they come home from a place with H5N1 cases and then get ill; they are supposed to call ahead and warn first -
and where is anywhere set up to take a possibly-H5N1-infected returned traveller in to get looked at without contaminating the facility, other patients, all the staff, ect?
That call could have happened already; look at the past clusters and how much people travel; any doc you know been ready to have someone drive up to an ER with an extremely sick returned traveller? If they call their physician’s nurse to book an appointment, will they ask if you’ve been travelling or in contact with a returned traveller? Or just say, You’re sick? Come, sit in the waiting room and the doc will see you this morning?
“When I told MD I had had the flu vaccine, he immediately discounted flu and did not test or give Tamiflu. Would not concede it may be strain not covered by vaccine.”
CDC want to hear about things like that?
Wait -they wouldn’t have time to count that high…
A 52 year old woman died from a flu like illness this weekend in Atlanta.
Phyllis Brown, the widow of former DeKalb County Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown who launched a lengthy legal battle against his assassins in court, has died from complications of an illness. She was 52.
Brown died Sunday night at the DeKalb Medical Center, where she had been admitted for flu-like symptoms.
Thats two “flu like” in one weekend.
I’m in Dallas area and I can confirm a fast moving cold in the area, since I’ve got it, as does most of my coworkers and son, but my wife so far has seemed to have dodged it. started with a tickle in throat in early afternnon, had a mild fever and worsening head cold by evening, Heavily congested in sinuses and 102 temp by dawn the following day, fever persisted for another day as congestion rooted in chest pretty badly, head congestion and fever became intermittent through the following day and finally disappated late that evening (was taking a lot of benadryl incidently) Which brings me to sniffles, ruuny nose and bad chest conjestion but no fever and feeling a lot better as of this moment.
Wait till the kids go back to school after the Christmas break.
.
My DH sent me an article from the Houston Chronicle that said that 40% of health care workers did not get the annual flu vaccine for the same reasons that the general public refuses to get it (fear of getting the flu, etc.). It’s scary when the health care professionals don’t practice what they preach.
they’re human, HL… most people don’t practice what they preach. Actually, most HCW don’t even preach.
DemFromCT -
Amen!!!
Just learned that my 28yo niece, who has been a HCW for the past 8 yrs. took up smoking at the age of 25. Go figure.