Swine Flue at Summer camp

[Mafaking]

 

Gees, if they hype this "pandemic" anymore summer camp directors will need to start having operational plans, refund policies and quarantine policies. Many summer camp programs not just BSA's could be destroyed if the hype continues or worse if the hype is real. I just don't buy all the hype.

 

Scary that if it is over hyped it could ruin summer plans. Scary too if there is a significant threat.

 

How much hype is too much?

 

 

[FireKat]

I don't know where you are at but we are in the affected county in Texas. Unfortunatly, it is not hype. Many things are being cancled, including my son's eagle project review board.  Start making alternate plans now as this may be around for a bit.

[John-in-KC]

FK,

 

Has anyone thought about a skype teleconference between the folks your boy needs for his project review?

 

 

[Buffalo Skipper]

Not to belittle the situation, but just because things are being cancelled does not mean it isn't hype.

 

In this country, 36,000 people die each year from whatever influenza strain is prevelent that year, which works out to nearly 100/day. Of course that is an average, and is much lower "out of season." In the last week in this country, one person has died from the so called swine flu. That is roughly 1/700th the rate of what many Americans just shake off, miss a day or two of work, and are done with it.

 

Obviously, these statistics will change, and I understand that this is a serious illness. But with the 100 or so cases so far, only one had been fatal. I am not a medical expert, an infectious disease scientist, and I didn't stay at a holiday inn last night. Things may change, but I do not believe this is what the media is trying to scare us into believing it is.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[Basementdweller]

killed a hundred and fifty or so in mexico. one in texas.

 

How many before it is real and a danger?

 

Now mexico's health care may not be to as high a level as the United States.

 

It is real and the world health organization is concerned. Our hospital has had meetings about it, discussing staffing issues and departmental what ifs?

 

I have a bag of cloths, sleeping bag, personal needs items at work. If it shows up at our hospital in a wide spread manner (out side the isolation rooms) I will not be taking it home to my kids and wife, planning to say there for possibly the duration.

 

 

 

 

[FireKat]

Thanks for the concern but my son is not in a rush so it is just an inconvence. I am more concerned with the 17yo that might be comming up soon. There is a bit of discussion on net meeting types of BoRs. If things continue we might go to that.

As far as the flu, as in the 1918 one, it is usually secondary infections which kill, not the flu its self. We do have other things running around here like whooping cough. With that andthings like MRSA, I do not think trying to control the flu is going overboard. I am not in a panic over it but we are reducing group activites.

(Edit for clarity)(This message has been edited by firekat)

[CalicoPenn]

There are approximately 306,318,616 people in the United States. Of that number, less than 100 are known or thought to have the Swine Flu. That's 0.0000000326% of the population. In Mexico, population of about 109 Million, less than 0.00000013 of the population has died of this flu. Let's not forget that the one fatality reported in the US was an infant who was here with parents visiting from Mexico.

 

You'll have to forgive me for thinking this whole Swine Flu "pandemic panic" is media created hype to keep people scared and hyperaware. So the WHO is raising their pandemic status - if it weren't for the irresponsible media and their excessive hype, they probably wouldn't have had to. They are reacting to the media instead of the science.

 

I would say that if healthy adults are cancelling an eagle project review board for a healthy Scout, that the hype is too much, and with no offence intended, would suggest that these folks shouldn't be allowed to take any Scouts anywhere near any woods if their judgement is so poor as to be influenced by the latest media-generated panic attack.

 

Forget the Swine Flu impacting summer camp - we should start planning now for an asteroid strike - or maybe the moon being rocketed out of orbit by a nuclear explosion on the dark side of the moon (I see your B5 and I raise you S1999).

[Basementdweller]

Well Penn, I hope your right.

 

But I did as I was told at work. They wanted us to be prepared for a stay offor multiple days on site. I wouldn't think they would just do that to get us all worked up.

[DeanRx]

I don't know about hype - but best to be concerned....not paniced, but concerned... lots of "what if's" being planned out right now.

 

A friend of mine in the pack just e-mailed tonight. He won't be at the pack meeting tomorrow b/c he is due in to Atlanta at the CDC (he's a biochem guy that works of a biotech - did part of the human genome project here in San Diego). So, at least the right organizations are mobilizing the right people.

 

My big quesiton is when is the POLITICS gonna get out of the way of the SCIENCE?

 

The border between the US and Mexico should have been closed since last weekend! The fact that the poor infant who died in the Houston CAME from Mexico City and did so AFTER the WHO alert came out over the weekend scares the crap out of me.

 

But we wouldn't want to offend our neighbors to the south - even if it puts our own populace's life at risk. Never mind that Cuba, Peru and a good number of Central American countries (not to mention some countries in Europe) have already banned travel in and out of Mexico until the WHO, CDC and others have a better understanding and handle on this thing.

 

CLOSE THE BORDER - it'll likely save lives on both sides.

 

I'm calling my elected officals in the morning to ask that they push Homeland Security to act on this. I'd ask that others consider doing it too. Its not racist and its not un-PC, its as preventative as good handwashing. Now is not the time to panic, but its also not the time to take unessesary risks. An open boarder with the "hotbed" country is an unessesary risk right now.

[Mafaking]

 

 

I am sure every year hygiene is a concern in the kitchen's of a Boy Scout summer camp. But this year especially the knifes, forks, spoons and plates will need to be sterilized completely. The dispensers for this cutlery will need to provide good measures to protect against germ filled hands from contaminating otherwise clean utensils.

 

There is the hygiene problem and the issue of what happens when a scout does get sick? Does the camp want to make a statement on this issue?

 

Any summer camp directors out there want to share what might be coming out from your council on this matter?

 

 

 

[Knot Head]

This may be a big deal, or it may just be the WH, Congress & the WHO see this crisis as a way to get more money from us suckers.

 

As the White House Chief of Staff likes to say... "never let a good crisis go to waste". In their world nothing like a little news hype to get a bill through Congress to direct a few billion for their constituencies and the WHO.

 

[scoutldr]

"In this country, 36,000 people die each year from whatever influenza strain is prevelent that year, which works out to nearly 100/day"

 

And those stats are for strains that have vaccines and much of the population has immunity. For this strain, there is NO vaccine and NO immunity in the population. I remember the "swine flu" scare of 1975. If this one fizzles out like that one did, it will be all over by July. If not, we're in for a long siege. Things in our favor...most schools will be closed for the summer. More people will be outside and not "in close contact" indoors. A friend of mine works as an ER admitting clerk. She said they were "very busy" with patients last night thinking they had swine flu. Sheesh. My wife is a school nurse, and she sends home kids every day with 101-102 fevers that the narcissistic parents send to school anyway, because their jobs are more important than their kids. It's not the flu that's going to kill us. It's the morons who refuse to play by the rules.

 

Regarding face masks...the CDC has said that masks are ineffective against the virus due to virus particle size. Being an expert in that, I agree..but the mask WILL filter out the spit and snot droplets that people sneeze on you. I think the politicians just don't want everyone walking around with masks on...bad for the public image, ya know. If you do buy a mask, look for "N95" or "N100" efficiency. Dust masks from Walmart, surgical masks and bandanas are not much use, except to keep YOU from spitting on someone.

 

Bottom line is: wash hands at every opportunity. Do not touch your face, nose or eyes. Get away from people who appear sick. If YOU feel sick, STAY HOME and call your doctor...DO NOT clog up the emergency room, unless your Dr tells you to go. If your kid is sick, KEEP THEM HOME. Is a day at work worth someone's life???

[John-in-KC]

It's going to be a wait and see game. Normally, most influenza seasons are on their last legs for the year now. This one seems to be ramping up, though. If it shifts into high gear this summer, a bunch of summer programs for youth may get closed by health authorities.

 

OTOH, it may go to ground until the fall...

 

I do believe the instant news cycle is pushing the leading edge of panic, and that includes NPR. I think the best thing we can do is wash our hands, for now.

 

As far as food service gear goes, BSA National Camp Standards for kitchens include operating temps for dishwashing. I've had a couple times where the paper plates and pre-packaged food came out because the hot water system in the kitchen failed.

[Lisabob]

The WHO is not a part of the United States government. They have nothing to gain from inflating fears without reason and, in fact, every WHO statement I've seen so far has included an attempt to tamp down mass hysteria. If you want to blame some agency for ramping up fears in order to increase their budgets, focus on the National Institutes for Health and the Centers for Disease Control (neither of which do I believe are acting badly but at least they are part of the US bureaucracy and do get budgets directly from Congress so they're a more logical target for blame in that regard).

 

Dean, ask your CDC friend about the impact of closing borders, would you? I saw some computer models earlier in the week that suggested that even with a 90% border closure (recognizing that there is likely to be a list of exceptions, making up the other 10%), the path of a disease like this probably would not be significantly altered. Fact is, it is already established in at least 10 US states and, if it is going to spread, will do so regardless of border policy. Closing borders would therefore be a political action, not a science-based action. It might make people feel better and so it still might happen though, if this thing gets a lot worse.

 

 

[Nike]

One danger is that H1N1 will go underground this summer and re-emerge with a renewed virulence in the fall. That was the Spanish flu pattern. However, we also have a jump on creating a vaccine as well as a veritable plethora of anti-virals and anti-biotics for the secondary infections.