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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 04/29/2009 : 06:58:04
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... and by "panic," I simply mean taking reasonable, inexpensive precautions.
The first precaution is this: I am not a medical professional, so my advice should not be taken as gospel. Having said that, I will try to offer a very few simple and well-known ideas for hygiene during a possible pandemic. I invite the more medically-knowledgeable amongst us to correct me where needed, and add ideas and thoughts that have not occurred to me.
First, nobody knows yet if the current swine flu epidemic that erupted in Mexico is going to be a mass-killer. The current level assigned to the epidemic by WHO is 4, just raised from 3. If it gets to 5, it's time to take very careful steps, including avoiding crowds, wearing "surgical" masks at all times in public, and constantly sanitizing one's hands with alcohol or another germ-killing solution. Don't let looking like a obessive-compulsive Geek stop you from wearing a mask and washing your hands! Even obsessive-compulsive hand-washers are right sometimes.
People here in California's Bay Area haven't yet taken to wearing masks in public, but this morning when I went out to buy some, a fresh order had already been sold out at the local Walgreen's pharmacy. I was able to get "ear loop" masks at a large local Safeway store. I also bought two handy little spray bottles of Purell, which is simply 85% ethyl alcohol. I intend to refill these bottles with strong rubbing alcohol as needed.
I live alone. Based on that, my plans are:
To try to stay well: Get hygienic supplies (masks, hand sanitizer). Start using them anytime I go out if either 1) the WHO level for the epidemic is raised to 5, or 2) I think local conditions warrant it. But stay in my apartment as much as possible. I have stocked up with a month's supply of food, which I do anyway this time of month.
For in the event I get sick: Stock up with food and juice not requiring preparation. Get Tylenol, to fight fever. Get to doctor to get Tamiflu.
Watch this Effect Measure site for knowledgeable flu epidemic updates.
Anyone have any defensive ideas? Or corrections to mine?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 04/29/2009 07:08:15
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 07:49:17 [Permalink]
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Sounds about right.
There seem to be conflicting evidence for the efficiency of more classical flue vaccines.
I guess, keeping your immune system healthy would also help.
Get some Vitamine C. Exercise, sleep well, reduce your smoking as it is especially damaging to the respiratory immune system... |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 08:15:42 [Permalink]
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| I plan to touch nothing and exhale only. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 08:43:20 [Permalink]
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Sandra Porter at Discovering Biology in a Digital World has already done some work on the origins of the new swine flu breakout. (Hat tip to Greg Laden.)
The new strain is an H1N1 flu. It looks to be related to, but genetically somewhat different from, an outbreak which started at a fair in Ohio in 2007. I'm guessing that if a person got the 2007 flu, he or she might be at least partially immune to the Mexican variety.
Other news: A couple of local Bay Area schools have now been shut down due to confirmed cases of the Mexican swine flu.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 04/29/2009 08:59:52 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 08:59:25 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Sandra Porter at Aetiology has already done some work on the origins of the new swine flu breakout. (Hat tip to Greg Laden.)
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Did she really have to open with this?
| Swine flu--deja vu all over again? |
I hate that particular redundancy that has somehow creeped into the language and taken up shop. It was funny when Yogi Berra said it because it was so, well, Yogi.
Of course, my objection to her use of the phrase says nothing about the article's content. It's just that fer-crying-out-loud. Smart people.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:01:56 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Sandra Porter at Aetiology has already done some work on the origins of the new swine flu breakout. (Hat tip to Greg Laden.)
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Did she really have to open with this?
| Swine flu--deja vu all over again? |
I hate that particular redundancy that has somehow creeped into the language and taken up shop. It was funny when Yogi Berra said it because it was so, well, Yogi.
Of course, my objection to her use of the phrase says nothing about the article's content. It's just that fer-crying-out-loud. Smart people.
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Irregardless, the exception proves the rule.
Well, I've now changed the above link to go directly to the blog of Sandra Porter, not Aetiology, just so people won't have to deal with that Yogiism.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 04/29/2009 09:04:07 |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:07:58 [Permalink]
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I know this is a seemingly random thing to latch onto, but why stock up on juice? Juice is mostly pretty empty calories and overloaded with sugars. Seems more sensible to stock up on canned and frozen goods, including fruits.
Just sayin'. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:08:51 [Permalink]
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Ha! |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:15:52 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by marfknox
I know this is a seemingly random thing to latch onto, but why stock up on juice? Juice is mostly pretty empty calories and overloaded with sugars. Seems more sensible to stock up on canned and frozen goods, including fruits.
Just sayin'.
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Hydration seems the most important thing for survival when running a fever, so having water and juice at hand seemed the first priority to me. But fruit sure sounds good, too. Not so sure I will be in shape to nuke frozen entrees or even open cans, though.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/02/2009 22:31:03 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:16:06 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by marfknox
I know this is a seemingly random thing to latch onto, but why stock up on juice? Juice is mostly pretty empty calories and overloaded with sugars. Seems more sensible to stock up on canned and frozen goods, including fruits.
Just sayin'.
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I think the juice is for if you actually become ill. You might not be able to keep down solid foods, eh
And lets not forget chicken soup. It cures everything. That's a scientific fact!
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:24:08 [Permalink]
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| Indeed, dehydration is one of the main problems you'd have to deal with. And easy to swallow and digest calories are actually a good thing when you are struggling against an infection. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 09:39:13 [Permalink]
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Swine Flu: Patient Zero
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 11:39:11 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by H. Humbert
Swine Flu: Patient Zero
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Hilarious. That kid needs to learn the technical concept, "yucky."
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 12:46:49 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by H. Humbert
Swine Flu: Patient Zero
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Eww!
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 13:03:07 [Permalink]
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Now, the reprehensible and possibly demented HIV/AIDS denialist, quack nostrum entrepreneur, and (former) dentist, Dr. Lenny Horowitz (who'd have guessed?) is saying the Mexican Swine flu was engineered by Dr. James S. Robertson, pharmaceutical company Novavax, and the Centers for Disease Control just to sell antiviral medicines. And he actually ends his video by advertising his Oxy-Silver cure-all. Quack scumbag!
The best I can say of the above video is that in it, at least Horowitz looks every bit as bug-fuck crazy as he sounds. And, since Loathsome Lenny has named Robertson as a criminal committing "genocide," maybe Horowitz will be sued until he pisses blood and finally disappear from public view. Well, one can only hope.
(Big hat tip to Abbie Smith at ERV.)
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 04/29/2009 13:35:58 |
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Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2009 : 14:18:01 [Permalink]
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One question that isn't covered in the news media - is the regular standard yearly flu strain (that can be mild or serious too,) still out there? Does swine flu supersede past strains?
BTW -
WHO raises swine flu to level 5:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/ |
Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.
"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.) |
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Swine flu: time to panic…
