Anyone know anything about this?
Flu-Like Illness Hits Two Los Alamos Schools
Associated Press
More than 100 students called in sick Monday at Los Alamos public schools, and the state Department of Health is looking into whether some of those illnesses might be swine flu.
The agency also is checking into the possibility swine flu is responsible for absences among kindergarten students at the early childhood center in Kirtland near Farmington.
The Health Department expected an increase in influenza-like illnesses as classes began this month because swine flu is continuing to spread in New Mexico.
Department spokeswoman Deborah Busemeyer says the agency has asked doctors and school nurses in Los Alamos and Kirtland to take samples from ill students for testing for swine flu, known as the H1N1 virus.
Flu-Like Illness Hits Two Los Alamos Schools
Associated Press
More than 100 students called in sick Monday at Los Alamos public schools, and the state Department of Health is looking into whether some of those illnesses might be swine flu.
The agency also is checking into the possibility swine flu is responsible for absences among kindergarten students at the early childhood center in Kirtland near Farmington.
The Health Department expected an increase in influenza-like illnesses as classes began this month because swine flu is continuing to spread in New Mexico.
Department spokeswoman Deborah Busemeyer says the agency has asked doctors and school nurses in Los Alamos and Kirtland to take samples from ill students for testing for swine flu, known as the H1N1 virus.
What I know is that two of my kids are sick with it. :( I am dreading the high probability that we will all have it before it's gone.
ReplyDeleteThe real 'difference' with H1N1 is that it hadn't been widespread until now which means, as I understand it, that everyone is pretty susceptible and it is very contagious.
Other than that, it's pretty much like any other bout of influenza: fever, chills, sore throat, sinus junk, coughing, fatigue and body aches.
One of the things that I suspect is contributing to the fast spread of this flu is that a person feels fairly good in the mornings and goes to school or work but by late afternoon or early evening, that cruddy, worn out feeling and the fever that goes with it is back with a vengeance.
According to the school's websites, there were 99 kids out of the LA Middle School by the start of the school day today.
On a positive note, perhaps it's just as well to deal with the illness of H1N1 rather than wonder whether there will be some connection between the vaccine and the risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rarely-occurring condition that can frequently be severe and usually exhibits as an ascending paralysis noted by weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper limbs and the face along with complete loss of deep tendon reflexes. (According to the layman terms on the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain-Barr%C3%A9_syndrome web page.)
Let's see what the Santa Fe Reporter's special swine flu correspondent had to say about H1N1 last June:
ReplyDeleteSwine Flu Intelligence Report"
I got forwarded an email from LAPS saying 99 flu-like cases were reported at the middle school today with a warning to parents that it will probably spread to the elementary schools.
ReplyDeleteThere was no confirmation of H1N1 in the email, just "flu-like symptoms."
5:16pm here again.
ReplyDeleteEven the CDC's FluView "Current" page labels the whole reporting cohort as "Influenza-Like Illness" and then breaks down the rates of flu incidence rates for those that have been tested and confirmed (or remain unconfirmed).
The CDC's Current page reports up to August 15th, which is the week prior to Los Alamos school's opening but coincides with the week that LAMS sports started up.
We'll have to wait and see if the kids that I know have been tested turn out to have H1N1, as the local pediatrician suspected.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#OISmap
Whether the kids have H1N1 or some other flu or just 'flu-like symptoms' is a matter of semantics when there are 99 out on what appears to be Day 2 of the outbreak, especially in light of the fact that the H1N1 is not significantly different from other influenzas.
6:04 posting again.
ReplyDeleteLet us know if any kids come back H1N1 positive. I'm bracing myself for when this virus trickles down to the smaller kids.
Whatever it is, spreads like wildfire. Only 9 kids as of last week and today, 99.
Should be showing up throughout the lab by early next week. It seems to be spreading extremely fast. The hand geometry units at the security portals at LANL will ensure that it spreads quickly.
ReplyDeleteNational news reported today that around 50% of the US will likely come down with it and close to 100K are expected to die. They are predicting that hospital ICU units will be 100% filled with H1N1 patients at peak outbreak. Fortunately, older people, especially those over the age of 65, seem to have some immunity to it from previous exposures over their life time.
Schools are being warned that they should be using hand sanitizers to stop the virulent spread among students. It would have been nice if LANL had installed these several months ago, but it's probably too late at this point. Washing your hands will help but many of the LANL restrooms frequently lack even basics like hand soap on many days. If the spread continues at the current pace you may see temporary school closures (like Mexico) and perhaps even discussion of a lab closure at peak levels of infection.
Don't worry, 9:05. It's all part of the plan to achieve our 5% staffing reduction for this year.
ReplyDeleteBONUS!
-Mikey
At the rapid rate of spreading (during the late US summer, no less!), it looks like the H1N1 vaccines will be too little and too late. Hopefully it won't morph to an even more deadly form while it percolates in human hosts.
ReplyDeleteAlso note that you can expect these types of pandemic infections to hit communities in waves. This in only the first wave, which may be the mildest in the sequence.
The Santa Fe Reporter article made mention of an interesting fact which other health specialist have also noticed:
ReplyDelete-
"Speaking of the 1918 pandemic…
There are a few interesting similarities between the current swine flue outbreak and the one which occurred in 1918. First, they are both H1N1 flu strains. Second, the initial outbreak in each case occurred in the northern hemisphere, in the spring. In 1918 the initial outbreak was of a relatively mild strain, as has been the case for the current outbreak. However, in the fall of 1918, which is when the normal “flu season” starts, a mutated and much more virulent form of the virus re-emerged, and it was this mutated virus that led to the large number of deaths. This fact has not been lost on epidemiologists who are studying the current outbreak and who will be carefully watching for signs of the emergence of a new mutated strain."
-
"Bring out your dead, bring out your dead...".
ReplyDeleteIs the LANL landfill ready for this plague? Have they stockpiled enough lime?
What the heck. Let's just ramp the panic up a notch. A bunch of staff who are "terrified" of a dumpy blond teacher's pet manageress are ripe for a full-blown case of knee-knocking heebee-jeebees.
ReplyDeleteSwine Flu Projections
WAIT A MINUTE!!
ReplyDeleteRoberts wrote the SFR Swine Flu Intelligence Report.
This changes everything...
"This changes everything..." - 10:27 PM
ReplyDeleteFor the better or the worse? Doug's a pretty smart guy.
Smart enough to have left LANL before LANS took over.
ReplyDeleteI think I know what's about to happen here in town. I saw it in the movie "28 Days Later".
ReplyDeleteSee, almost everyone here in Los Alamos is about to die from this viral pandemic. Then... 28 days later, those few who are left are in for some real surprises!
The tag line goes something like this:
===============
"His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn't.
Day 1: Exposure - Day 3: Infection - Day 8: Epidemic - Day 15: Evacuation - Day 20: Devastation
The Days Are Numbered
Be Thankful For Everything, For Soon There Will Be Nothing..."
===============
Just curious, but has LANL ever developed an effective weapon to field against hordes of flesh eating zombies?
If so, please tell me where it it stored so I can find it when needed? I plan to survive.
I'm guessing that matters like a little lead in the water won't be such a big deal once this pandemic gets going strong at LANL. Perhaps the lab could even add in some Zinc to the polluted water for some immune system boosting. Yum!
ReplyDelete"The hand geometry units at the security portals at LANL will ensure that it spreads quickly."
ReplyDeleteVery quickly!
Just curious, but has LANL ever developed an effective weapon to field against hordes of flesh eating zombies?
ReplyDeleteCertainly! Ladder training. And flesh eating zombies do not have access to shoes that grip.
And if everything else fails our cyber security squad will throw any possible regulation and policy against them. That will stop them for sure.
Given this dire situation, how could LANS somehow make it a little bit worse?
ReplyDeleteI've got it! How about a crack-down on sick leave use. That should do it.
Thanks, 10:04!
ReplyDeleteWe'll create a new on-line approval process for sick leave. Crypto cards, group leader, division leader, AD, and Los Alamos Area Office sign off will be required 6 days in advance of any sick leave to be taken.
Brilliant!
BONUS!!
Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteBONUS!!
....
I'm sure Mikey meant
"BONUS FOR ME!!"
Looks like Influenza A, according to the recent school announcements.
ReplyDeleteWe found a very interesting article regarding the flu pandemic. You can make your own conclusions after you read the article.
ReplyDeletewww.rense.com/general86/manmd.htm
For the record: the fact that I approved the previous comment should not be construed as my agreeing with its content.
ReplyDelete8/24/09 5:16 PM here again.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't heard or seen anything directly from the LA public schools regarding identifying the strain of flu as Influenza A.
I also haven't found any further info typing this particular outbreak on the schools' various websites regarding this outbreak.
In my conversation with one of the pediatrician offices, they aren't typing it as a specific influenza yet but have sent samples off to be typed at a lab in California which is expected to take about a week. That would probably make typing info forthcoming within the next few days, hopefully.
whatever happened with this? it made nation news.
ReplyDeleteThere were 136 out of school at the Middle School yesterday (Wed, 8/26/09), according to the LA Monitor's blog, http://newsextras.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/flu-spreading-slowing-across-district/
ReplyDeleteThe comment from the LAPS Business Manager makes one wonder whether a remedial math course might be needed though:
“We just had an update from the middle school, which now reports a total of 136 students are out sick today with the flu,” said Los Alamos Public Schools Business Manager John Wolfe this morning. “That’s down from 129 yesterday.
Other than that, there are a lot of coughing kids returning to school and still high numbers staying home until they've been fever-free without meds for 24 hours.
We're on day 4 with one of my kids.
Time to put the security gates back up and quarantine the whole town. Nobody leaves Los Alamos until this thing has died out within the community. The "Los Alamos Flu" can't be allowed to escape from the lab and spread around the world.
ReplyDelete(-Sarcasm Alert-)
It has hit the high school too although the schools are not saying much about it.
ReplyDeleteAfter a quick visit to the peds, we got the word that the typing came back as h1n1 and the duration estimate is changed to 5-7 days rather than 3-5.
ReplyDeleteGood news is that the actual h1n1 flu that we've experienced in our household isn't too severe: fluctuating fevers, body aches, snotty nose and coughing for 3 people in the house so far and all the symptoms seem to be managed well with OTC remedies.