Category: Pandemic Flu

Anchorage airman dies of H1N1 complications near Arizona base

This is the kind of things we need to watch for. I’m not saying that there’s any reason for alarm, because there isn’t – yet. But, as more and more healthy people succumb to the Novel H1N1 (Swine) flu, the greater the chances that the virus is mutating. Right now, we just need to keep watch on this.

Anchorage airman dies of H1N1 complications near Arizona base

An airman from Anchorage has died of swine flu complications in Arizona, where he was stationed.

Staff Sgt. Shawn Rankin, 25, died early Oct. 4, according to Justin Oakes, spokesman for Luke Air Force Base. The base, home to the 56th Fighter Wing, is near Phoenix.

The Friday before, Rankin didn’t go to work; he apparently called in sick, Oakes said. Rankin lived off base in Glendale, Ariz. Early in the morning of Oct. 4, someone at his apartment called 911 because he wasn’t responding. Medics couldn’t revive him and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Preliminary autopsy results from the Maricopa County medical examiner found that he died of complications from an H1N1 infection, the Air Force said in a statement Friday.

— Join the discussion on this on the forum: http://thepreparednesspodcast.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=452

Rob Hanus

Second wave of swine flu pandemic begins to hit US – The Boston Globe

The second wave of Swine Flu is starting to sweep across the country. At least we can be thankful that it hasn’t mutated into a high-mortality strain. Yet.

As a bonus, I found a new way to spell Invasion of Privacy in this article:

“Harvard Medical School scientists are linking large insurance databases that cover up to 50 million people with vaccination registries around the country for real-time checks of whether people see a doctor in the weeks after a flu shot and why.”

Second wave of swine flu pandemic begins to hit US – The Boston Globe

- Rob

Report on handling H1N1 cases: Use masks with airtight seals – CNN.com

Report on handling H1N1 cases: Use masks with airtight seals – CNN.com

Report on handling H1N1 cases: Use masks with airtight seals
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Panel recommends health care workers wear N95 respirators for H1N1 patients
N95 respirators form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth
They filter out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0.3 micrometers
Report says it is not known to what extent flu viruses spread through the air
updated 4 hours, 51 minutes ago
Next Article in Health »

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — An advisory panel is recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza.

One expert says that based on cur”

(Ed. Note: N95 are cheaper than N100 masks, but they don’t work as well. An N95 will filter out 95%, while the N100 will filter out 99.99%. If you’re trying prevent from breathing in a virulent bug, which would you rather be using? Also, the masks with filters will provide protection much longer than those without valves.)

Risks of the Swine Flu Vaccine

“There can be no argument that unnecessary mass injection of millions of children with a vaccine containing an adjuvant known to cause a host of debilitating autoimmune diseases is a reckless, dangerous plan,” explained Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health activist, author and strong critic of the swine flu immunization program. He proceeds to provide evidence justifying his concerns.

The adjuvant Mercola is referring to is based on an oil known as squalene. It is used to reduce the amount of viral antigen required in vaccines, which allows companies to produce more vaccines for less money at a faster rate.

But according to countless medical professionals and experts, using it in immunizations is a bad idea. It is also going to be somewhat experimental. There isn’t a single vaccine containing squalene that is approved for use in America, according to Meryl Nass, M.D., who notes that Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline will make use of it as a “novel feature of the H1N1 vaccines.”

Risks of the Swine Flu Vaccine

(Ed. note: I knew they were recklessly fast-tracking this vaccine, but I didn’t know it was this bad.)

Preschool and the swine flu / H1N1

If you have little ones in school, you should be asking the administrators if they have a Pandemic plan. My kids’ school has been fairly proactive with this, though I can’t say they’ve made it known what they’ll do if too many teachers call in sick. Actually, that’s not my main concern; I’d rather they focus on preventing the spread of the infection (though, having seen preschools and lower grade classrooms, I’m not sure if that’s possible without an OCD teacher making sure everyone washes hands a hundred times a day).

Preschool and the swine flu / H1N1

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