The Flu Strikes - Now Both of Us Are Down For Xmas Holidays!

I should have understood fully when Janice became ill with the flu three days ago, the odds were that I wouldn't luck out again like 2 years earlier when I dodged it. While I commiserated with her many groans and barely able to catch a breath from the hacking, wheezing cough, I still thought it'd miss me. How foolish!

Yesterday, midway through the Packers-Bucs game my throat and chest-lungs began to feel as if some maniac had rubbed them raw with sand paper. A few minutes later, I had to bolt into the nearest toilet unleashing a torrent that might have been the product of a CIA rectal re-hydration torture session.  After barely making it to the end of the game I had to collapse in bed. Dehydrated and coughing in non-stop spasms that wracked my rib cage.

It's gotten progressively worse since and it appears I will have to take some recovery time  - so no blog posts for a few days. (Right now I am still on the last dose of meds  - Nyquil, Claritin and aspirin- I took at 3 a.m, - soon to wear off.)

The worst part is the difficulty breathing. An act we all take so much for granted, as simple as drawing a breath, exhaling,  is now compromised by a microscopic virus. The problem - as info shows - is some of us are susceptible to a strain of Avian flu that seems to be among the renegades now running loose and which the CDC and vaccine makers didn't  plan for.. (We had our shots 3 months ago, but since then we've learned the vaccine only covers 33% of the possible strains. We're still informed that the flu we do get will likely be "milder". If that's the case I wouldn't like to experience what I have without the shot!)

Anyway, as per the Avian component effects (not same as H7N9 Bird flu - which is far worse), what happens is that fluid fills your lungs and you almost feel like you're drowning. When you lie down and try to sleep all you hear is the wheezing of mucus deep inside the bronchi each time you exhale. Then, at some point the violent cough reaction is triggered by the tickling sensation deep in the lungs,  and your head and chest feel as if they will explode from the pressure. Even taking large doses of cough medicine only help up to a point.

Then, this is interspersed with nausea and diarrhea and I was barely able to finish a bland breakfast this morning of baked potato and scrambled eggs.

So, my compadres, I hope to be writing more posts at the back end of this flu which I hope will be gone sooner rather than later.

As for Xmas dinner, it appears it is now likely to be hot dogs, baked potato and maybe a can of chicken noodle soup thrown in.

Take care and take precautions! In the meantime, enjoy the posts which are already put up - many of which haven't been read as much as some others, e.g. my refusal to do the ice bucket challenge (890 reads), and Meryl Davis' peculiar facial characteristics (7,900 reads and counting - go figure!)

See also:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/31/health/flu-epidemic/


and:

http://www.naturalnews.com/047890_flu_vaccines_CDC_apology_medical_fraud.html#

Could the Shutdown Make This The Worst Flu Season Ever?

Let's understand that the flu is no joke, and no sport. Getting it can means weeks of suffering  and often wishing you were dead. That's about how I felt after getting the Hong Kong Flu in December, 1968 with the effects lasting for months. It's also close to how my wife felt after getting the H3N2 variety of flu last December. Nonetheless, we reason that it still makes sense to get flu shots - if only because they can at least lessen the effects, symptoms. So this year we got ours at our primary doc's office a week ago. It was the new '4 in 1' vaccine that is supposed to protect against 4 varieties.

We also make sure to get flu shots because the evidence now shows that getting the full bore flu can produce an inflammatory response that weakens already damaged blood vessels making the person more susceptible to a heart attack.  So why take the chance?

It appears that we may have well acted wisely - especially this year- as government and CDC (Center for Disease Control) resources are hobbled and subverted by the Tea Party instigated government attempted hostage -taking and shutdown.  How so? According to former CDC Director David Satcher, for any flu outbreak to occur while two-thirds of the staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on furlough could be disastrous.

In an editorial for Bloomberg News, Satcher wrote, "there is a very real potential for unnecessary pain, suffering and death when the work of public-health officials is curtailed.”

This is serious, but we already know that given the priorities of effect arising from the ongoing shutdown, the welfare of  ordinary Americans lies at the bottom of the list. Trumping it are ongoing development of military weapons systems (e.g. the F-35 bomber), which private defense contractors are not about to let go of come hell or high water. Thus, it's no surprise to see how Satcher has laid out just how the diminished capacity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor disease directly translates into reduced protection for the American people. These include:

- Weakened surveillance for detecting and responding to infectious diseases: Nine of the 10 Global Disease Detection Centers have significantly reduced monitoring for diseases such as Ebola and new pathogens such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (Corona virus) and H7N9, which could threaten the U.S.

- CDC doesn’t have the personnel to monitor, track and provide guidance about seasonal flu activity, even as the season is beginning. Tens of thousands die in the worst flu seasons, what will the death toll be like when little or no monitoring is available? What if the Corona virus strikes at the same time and inadequate personnel are available to make a differential diagnosis from serious influenza? What if the Bird flu strikes?

- Although state public-health investigators can detect disease outbreaks, the CDC’s ability to conduct cross-state collaboration and lab work for linking these outbreaks is critical (see e.g. the film 'Contagion) and hence capacity for state assistance is severely diminished.

- The CDC isn’t able to conduct routine inspections of high-security labs to ensure that they are taking appropriate precautions when handling deadly agents such as anthrax, smallpox, monkeypox and Ebola.  Several incidents concerning lax security have already been reported. What if lack of adequate oversight permits one of the harbored 'beasties' to escape confinement?

- Staffing at the Emergency Operation Center is minimal. In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, the CDC will have difficulty in responding quickly and efficiently to any public-health challenge.  Think of something like an F5 tornado striking Oklahoma or Missouri, or massive flooding in New Jersey from another super storm. Do we really want this?

True, the shutdown may not generate any massive additional illness or compounded catastrophe from lack of resources. But such an outcome may be based  on pure dumb luck, not on rationally appropriated resources, personnel.  As Dr. Satcher puts it:

"Surely we can agree that it is irresponsible to base our disease detection and response strategy on luck.”

Well, rational people may well agree, but this, alas, doesn't include the pro-Dixie Tea Bagger contingent - who have no use for a federal government, and would have their states secede if they could.

Bottom-line Capitalism is Fueling the Flu-Norovirus Outbreak

The norovirus seen up close and personal  

“I’m lucky to have a part time job with no benefits. I take home about $250 a week. Sunday night I got the stomach virus described in this article. I could barely stand up come Monday morning, but was still considering going to work. I didn't. So this week I'm taking home about $190. Oh, and I feed and house a family of five on that. To all those that are on their high horses about people who go to work sick, I can give you my bank account number if you want to transfer some of your gratitude to me.” -  "Paul"  a NY Times commenter

'
In Barbados right now, many people are coming down with the aggressive H3N2 influenza strain as well as the norovirus. But it's relatively contained. Why is this? Mainly because the majority of working Bajans have 21 days sick leave granted by law- hence have time to get well - as opposed to having to go to work to ensure being paid, and then spreading whatever virus all around!

In this country, with work conditions dictated by bottom line Neolib capitalist freaks, a WalMart worker will be lucky to get one day to get over chills, fever, or projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea (from Norovirus) without being fired. Hence, s/he must show up for work come hell or high water, and as a result, spread his-her infection to any customer within range! This is outrageous and beyond reprehensible. All in the name of what ? Added profits!

It ought to be mandated in this country that every full time working manjack get a minimal two weeks sick days, and if part time- at least one week. I mean DUH! THIS is what is needed to slow the spread of viral disease such as this country is now experiencing - a three way attack from norovirus, 3 strains of flu of which H3 N2 is worst, and pertussis.

According to latest press reports, Influenza  is widespread, and causing local crises. On Wednesday, Boston’s mayor declared a public health emergency as cases flooded hospital emergency rooms.


Google’s national  flu trend maps, which track flu-related searches, are almost solid red (for “intense activity”) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly FluView maps, which track confirmed cases, are nearly solid brown (for “widespread activity”).

Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston started asking visitors with even mild cold symptoms to wear masks and to avoid maternity wards. The hospital has treated 532 confirmed influenza patients this season and admitted 167, even more than it did by this date during the 2009-10 swine flu pandemic.

At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 100 patients were crowded into spaces licensed for 53. Beds lined halls and pressed against vending machines. Overflow patients sat on benches in the lobby wearing surgical masks.

Nationally, deaths and hospitalizations are still below epidemic thresholds. But experts do not expect that to remain true. Pneumonia usually shows up in national statistics only a week or two after emergency rooms report surges in cases, and deaths start rising a week or two after that, said Dr. Gregory A. Poland, a vaccine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The predominant flu strain circulating is an H3N2, which typically kills more people than the H1N1 strains that usually predominate; the relatively lethal 2003-4 “Fujian flu” season was overwhelmingly H3N2.

No cases have been resistant to Tamiflu, which can ease symptoms if taken within 48 hours, and this year’s flu shot is well-matched to the H3N2 strain, the C.D.C. said. Flu shots are imperfect, especially in the elderly, whose immune systems may not be strong enough to produce enough antibodies.

Simultaneously, the country is seeing a large and early outbreak of norovirus, the “cruise ship flu” or “stomach flu,” said Dr. Aron J. Hall of the C.D.C.’s viral gastroenterology branch. It includes a new strain, which first appeared in Australia and is known as the Sydney 2012 variant.

This week, Maine’s health department said that state was seeing a large spike in cases. Cities across Canada reported norovirus outbreaks so serious that hospitals were shutting down whole wards for disinfection because patients were getting infected after moving into the rooms of those who had just recovered

And what is our capitalist bastion doing? Allowing all these diseases to spread like wildfire because of not allowing workers ample time to recover. (In the case of norovirus, even after a person recovers from the worst symptoms he can remain infectious for 3 days to a week after!) Oh, in some "generous" instances the companies will allow workers to count sick days as part of "personal" or "vacation" time. Big Deal! That's no bargain because if you're sick 7 days from norovirus (especially the aggressive Sidney 2012 strain that produces up to 14-16 explosive releases of vomit, diarrhea a day) then you're screwed on your vacation time - which is already too low!  A guy who only has 10 days total vacation time then ends up with a whoppnig 3! What's he going to do with that? Oh yeah, watch the tube! (Most other workers across the advanced globe, get 4 weeks paid vacation)

 It is time this bullshit change! It is time 'bidness' step up to the plate and do their part in this unfolding health crisis! The Neolib mutants want us to buy the meme "business is the rightful ruler of society". Well, if this is the way business operates, down with it! We need a new model, maybe based on high jen! More workers on the payroll, fewer work hours and work days - more time for personal development, edification - and 'nuff time to recover from nasty bugs!