Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
H1N1 flu outbreak-Canada |
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coyote
Admin Group Joined: April 25 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8395 |
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Posted: December 27 2013 at 4:21am |
H1N1 flu outbreak at Misericordia Hospital hits staff, patients About a dozen staff and handful of patients have come down with the flu, officials say CBC News Posted: Dec 20, 2013 10:41 AM MT Last Updated: Dec 20, 2013 4:14 PM MT Health officials have confirmed an outbreak of H1N1 flu at Edmonton's Misericordia Hospital. Earlier today, medical officer of health Dr. Chris Sikora said about a dozen staff and a handful of patients have come down with the flu, though that number was revised to three lab-confirmed cases with others under investigation. Containment procedures are now in effect within the hospital to help curb the spread of the virus. Sikora said only about 20 per cent of staff at the hospital are immunized, a number he called abysmal. He changed that number to 42 per cent later in the day, but expressed frustration over the low total, urging people to get their flu shots to protect themselves and others who may be more vulnerable. A roving immunization team is now working its way through the hospital for any employees willing to accept the shot. The Nurses Union and the union for hospital support staff have both spoken against mandatory immunization for workers. However, hospital management does have the option of sending nurses and employees who are not immunized home unpaid β an issue currently under discussion at the Misericordia. H1N1 causing problems across province AHS says most flu problems in Edmonton and across northern Alberta are caused by an H1N1 variant, with nursing homes and daycare centres also being affected. βIt's really started to emerge over the last couple of days,β said Sikora. However mass immunization clinics close at 4:30 p.m. today until Jan. 6th, though doctor offices and pharmacies will continue to offer the vaccine. AHS is urging anyone with symptoms to stay home and recuperate. Earlier this week, health officials in B.C. advised young people to get a flu vaccine after determining that the H1N1 influenza strain had returned to become the predominant strain in that province this flu season. The strain, initially called swine flu, circulated during a global pandemic in 2009. |
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coyote
Admin Group Joined: April 25 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8395 |
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Alberta H1N1 Cases Double In One Week
One person has died from H1N1 influenza in Alberta, and the province's senior medical officer of health says this year's strain is causing a small number of people to get seriously ill. Dr. Gerry Predy also says the number of confirmed influenza cases in the Edmonton area has jumped this week to 125, up from 65 last week. The doctor says the number of confirmed cases will rise even more when children head back to school in January. [link to www.huffingtonpost.ca] |
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Newbie
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So does this count as a cluster of 100? How worried should we be. Why on eart would doctors be pushing the vaccine when its recipients spread live virus for up to 21 days afterwards - jmo but that's asking for a nightmare spread!?!?
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Medclinician2013
Valued Member Joined: September 17 2013 Location: Carmel Status: Offline Points: 9020 |
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Medclinician - not if but when - original
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Scott
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Calgary has been affected/infected as well: "By midday Saturday, the Calgary zone had 274 lab-confirmed cases of influenza since the start of the season, with most of the cases being the H1N1 pandemic strain from four years ago." |
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cobber
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Newbie, Don't worry too much just yet. H1N1 (aka swine flu) is approximately 95% of all flu in US. This means hundreds of thousands are sick right now. Most people don't go to hospital and self treat. There are going to be several cases which are severe enough that hospitalization is needed. And of these there will be a few deaths. Usually deaths are co-morbid. ie they have other contributing problems such lung problems or compromised immune systems. The elderly are usually in a high risk category.
The thing which is concerning is "cytokine storm" this is where the virus triggers a closed loop reaction in the body where your own immune system attacks itself. This is a problem because this type of viral attack strikes down people in the prime of their life. There have been some cases of this in Texas, which have some of us here keeping our eyes peeled. We are all waiting on DNA to be released so we know what is going on.. For now there is no need to lock the doors.. However i would get a flu shot as a precaution it will provide some protection. Also practice good personal hygiene and flu avoidance strategies. H1N1 is airborne so if someone is coughing near you cover your nose and mouth with a cloth and leave the scene rapidly. If you really concerned, wear a face mask in public I think N95 is the type to use.
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guest
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cobber if this virus has mutated and it is causing a cytokine storm, because 20-40 have a healthy immune system and getting the flu shot stimulates the t cells, would they not be at an even higher risk taking the flu shot
If the D225G has changed and it goes deeper to the lungs and the T cells react...I hope you under stand what I am asking..if the flu shot(with or without adjuvents) works as an builder by heightening the T cells... while I am in the ask mode what happens when the RBD L1941 have changed in gene sequencing..I have tried to google and do searchs and can find nothing out about this ..its not as easy to find as information on the D225G
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cobber
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By having a vaccine will this produce more T cells? Yes.
Will this make the cytokine storm more rapid or intense? sorry i don't know The main question: Is the vaccine effective? early evidence suggests it works. Would i take the vaccine? Yes if the virus were near by |
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jacksdad
Executive Admin Joined: September 08 2007 Location: San Diego Status: Offline Points: 47251 |
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This year's H1N1 is undeniably a really bad flu strain that's hitting much harder than normal, but we're not seeing the ERs overwhelmed or significant numbers of deaths at this point. I personally think people are reading more into this than the situation warrants. If it turns into something to really worry about, you'll hear about it here before 99.9% of the population does. Get the shot, stay tuned, and as Douglas Adams said, don't panic
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"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep"
"Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary. |
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hachiban08
Senior Moderator Joined: December 06 2007 Location: California, USA Status: Offline Points: 15627 |
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H1N1 flu claims five lives in Canada's Alberta provincehttp://news.yahoo.com/h1n1-flu-claims-five-lives-canada-39-alberta-183234253.html Montreal (AFP) - An H1N1 flu outbreak in Alberta has sickened nearly 1,000 people and killed five, the Canadian province's health minister said Friday, urging everyone to get vaccinated. "Over the past few weeks, we have seen a surge in the number of influenza cases across Alberta. Many of those affected are healthy young adults," Health Minister Fred Horne said in a statement. In total, 965 cases of the flu have been confirmed by health authorities in the province, with just more than 250 requiring hospitalization, he explained. "Sadly, five Albertans admitted to the ICU have died," Horne said, emphasizing that the age and health of the patients was unusual. "It is concerning that we are seeing younger, working-age adults being hospitalized," he said. So far, only around one in five residents have gotten flu shots, which, Horne emphasized, are needed to protect "you, your friends, family, co-workers and everyone you come into contact with. "That includes vulnerable Albertans for whom the flu can mean serious illness or even death," he stressed. To encourage vaccination efforts, the province has increased the number of centers offering the shot and extended the hours. Local television showed long lines in the cities of Edmonton and Calgary. The peak of the flu season typically comes in February, according to health authorities who fear a surge in cases that could overwhelm health centers. In some parts of Alberta, "influenza is starting to clog emergency rooms, limit access to hospital beds and put strain on other health care resources," Horne said. The outbreak is also starting to spread to other provinces, and one person reportedly died from the flu in Ontario. |
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Be prepared! It may be time....^_^v
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Pixie
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The Canadian Press Published Friday, January 3, 2014 9:38PM PST Last Updated Friday, January 3, 2014 9:44PM PST VANCOUVER - The chief medical officer of the Fraser Health authority says more than a dozen patients are on ventilators and in intensive care across the region because of the H1N1 flu virus. Read more: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/several-patients-in-icu-with-severe-h1n1-infections-1.1617605#ixzz2pTAyLYB3 |
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