Mexican Swine Flu

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/med_swine_flu

16 out of 31 states in Mexico are reporting this new h1n1 strain that is a mixture of avian, swine and human flu. There are suspected cases in Queens, New York in a High
School of at least 75, and one or more cases in Kansas and in Texas, and California near their borders with Mexico. So far about 80 people have died in Mexico City and surrounding areas.

One of the ways to avoid getting this flu is to prepare to stay indoors in your house and yard and not visit other people except by phone or internet if this flu comes into your area. Many of you are working out in the world away from your homes and can't afford to do that but those of you who work at home might be able to as well as those of you who are retired.(However, I suppose another way to look at this would be:If you or a member of your family died because you brought this home from work or some place else could you live with that?) Stocking up on non-perishable foods might be a good idea now like can goods, pasta and rice and drinking water and other staples. In this way if things get bad here in the U.S. you can retreat into your homes with your families until this flu bug passes.

Because this virus wasn't caught soon enough it might not be possible to prevent its spread throughout North, South and Central America any longer because it is moving way to fast to stop. Even one person who gets through local precautions in Mexico can spread it because there is an incubation period usually with flu from 3 to 5 days before one comes down with it.

So, right now is a very bad time to be traveling on a plane from Mexico to the U.S. with recycled air right now circulating through the passenger cabin, for example.

Likely it is already to late to stop the spread of this virus and probably was too late even in March when people first noticed it. It is quite likely because of the incubation period of a flu that it is already in places like Europe and Canada and Britain and even Australia already it just hasn't spread yet. So, all countries need to look for the first cases and do the best they can.

Reply to Coffee maker: I have read that since this is a virus that no human has been exposed to before Mexico that it will take about 6 months to create a useful flu shot for it. Also, all people dying in Mexico were healthy people between 20 and 45 years of age which is what happened in previous pandemics like in 1918. They die from a secondary pneumonia caused by a healthy immune system fighting so strongly that fluids eventually drown the person in their lungs. Once the secondary pneumonia infection comes sometimes the patient cannot be saved(a rate of about 7% at present can't be saved). So it is important to see a doctor at the very first early signs of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more fever, or body ache, or diarrea or vomiting.