ALERT Comprehensive Flu Thread, Latest reports, States, Countries, Closings.

Echo 5 said:

Someone or someones now know that they can shut down the most populous city on Earth. They now know that if they can do it in Mexico City, they can do it anywhere.

After monitoring the events of the past week, I think we're being lied to by the WHO, the CDC, and the various gov'ts involved. Nothing about this story is sitting well with me.

Click to expand...

Agreed.

I really appreciate this thread, but still doubt we're getting the real or entire story.

"Watch what they do, not what they say" echoes in my ear.
The two do not line up.

Something is wrong.
Actually a lot is wrong, and not just with H1N1.

Milwaukee Wisconsin

City Not Closing All MPS Schools

Health Department Encourages Staff, Kids Of Closed Schools To Stay At Home

POSTED: 4:16 pm CDT May 3, 2009
UPDATED: 4:34 pm CDT May 3, 2009

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced Sunday afternoon that the city is not closing all Milwaukee Public Schools because of the H1N1 virus.

The mayor said that they will follow the path it began last week by examining individual schools rather than the entire district.

Health Commissioner Bevan Baker did announce several more closings, which are listed below.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it recommended that if a school does close, it should be closed for 14 days.

Baker said that the Milwaukee Health Department will monitor the situation daily and re-evaluate schools after six days to see if they can re-open sooner.

During the time that a schools is closed, Baker said that staff and students should stay home because they were likely exposed to the H1N1 virus.

Closed Schools


Twenty-one Milwaukee schools are currently closed because of H1N1:


ALAS High School (in the Kosciuszko building)
Alcott Elementary School
Allen-Field Elementary School
Clement Avenue School
Curtin Leadership Academy
Destiny High School (closed on its own)
Forest Home Avenue School
Guadalupe Head Start South
Hayes Bi-Lingual School
Honey Creek Continuous Progress Charter School
Kosciuszko Montessori School
Lincoln Avenue School
Milwaukee Learning Laboratory
Mitchell School
Our Lady Queen Of Peace Catholic School
Riverside University High School
Rogers Street Academy
St. Adalbert School
St. Anthony's School -- both campuses
Wedgewood Park International School
Christ-St. Peter Lutheran School

Day Care Center

Heavely Angles Child Care Center


The majority of the schools are on the city's south side.

Oconomowoc High School is closed this upcaoming week because of a probable, presumptive case of H1N1. An infected student who attends the school was in Mexico for spring break.

Nature Hill and Silver Lake intermediate schools have also been directed to close as a precaution. These closings are because of shared busing.

http://www.wisn.com/health/19357078/detail.html

NBCsurvivor said:

heads UP Catbird.

this is our AO

Click to expand...

Thanks much NBC. I've been watching for this. Glad someone else is too!

You still got some of that cognac Dad, think its time for a little Bushmills myself....


BreakingNews.ie - Printer friendly version
PRINT STORY
HSE: Full potential of swine flu outbreak unknown
03/05/2009 - 14:45:20

Health authorities have said the full potential of the swine flu outbreak won't be clear until more cases develop outside of Mexico.

The HSE said, although the flu appears to be mild outside of Mexico itself, it is not yet clear how it will affect different sections of the population, such as elderly people and the very young.

So far there has been only one case confirmed in Ireland, after a man in his mid-twenties in the east of the country tested positive for the virus.

In Europe, there are 49 cases confirmed so far.

Chairman of the pandemic influenza expert group, Professor Bill Hall, said the situation is still subject to almost daily changes.

<-- BACK TO STORY

© Thomas Crosbie Media 2009

BreakingNews.ie - Printer friendly version
PRINT STORY
Flu deaths ebb - but mutation feared
03/05/2009 - 10:06:50

Mexico said a swine flu epidemic appears to be easing, but today urged citizens not to let their guard down against a virus that has killed 19 people and is spreading across Asia and Europe.

Experts warned the virus could mutate and come back with a vengeance.

With no suspected swine flu deaths since Wednesday and fewer people turning up at hospitals with virus symptoms, Mexican officials were guardedly optimistic that the worst was over in the outbreak’s epicentre. Cases outside Mexico suggested the new swine flu strain is weaker than feared. But governments moved quickly anyway to ban flights and prepare quarantine plans.

In the first known reported case of the new, mutated virus infecting another species, pigs in the province of Alberta have become infected and are under quarantine. They apparently got the virus from a Canadian farm worker who recently visited Mexico and got sick with swine flu, Canadian officials said last night.

They told a press conference in Ottawa that the pigs do not pose a food safety risk, adding that the traveller recovered from the swine flu and the pigs are “well on their way to recovery”. The outbreak occurred on a single farm, where about 10% of 2,200 pigs showed a fever and loss of appetite. No pigs have died from the virus, officials said.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said it is too early to declare victory.

The World Health Organisation also decided against a full pandemic alert, but that does not mean people can relax, said Dr Mike Ryan, WHO’s global alert and response director.

“These viruses mutate, these viruses change, these viruses can further reassort with other genetic material, with other viruses,” he said. “So it would be imprudent at this point to take too much reassurance” from the small number of deaths.

“We have seen times where things appear to be getting better and then get worse again,” said Dr Anne Schuchat, the US agency’s interim science and public health deputy director. “I think in Mexico we may be holding our breath for some time.”

The global caseload was 763 and growing – the vast majority in Mexico, the US and Canada. Costa Rica reported its first confirmed swine flu case – the first in Latin America outside Mexico.

Swine flu cases have been confirmed in 18 countries so far – including Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region – and experts believe the actual spread is much wider than the numbers suggest.

US President Barack Obama urged caution yesterday.

“This is a new strain of the flu virus, and because we haven’t developed an immunity to it, it has more potential to cause us harm,” Mr Obama said. Later, he spoke with Mexican President Felipe Calderon for about 20 minutes to share information.

What started as a swine flu outbreak more than a week ago in Mexico quickly ballooned to a global health threat, with the WHO declaring a pandemic was imminent.

Some Mexicans have criticised their government for reacting too slowly to the outbreak at first, and now for overreacting in ordering a five-day, nationwide shutdown of all non-essential government and private business.

Responding to the attacks, Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said: “It’s absurd to think that Mexico was putting on a show. I think it’s preferable, at a certain moment, to take advanced measures and succeed in containing the problem than to not take them and ask, ’Why didn’t we take them?”’

Mexico’s last confirmed swine flu death occurred Tuesday, and the last suspected death came on Wednesday, said Pablo Kuri, an epidemiologist and adviser to Cordova.

Mr Cordova said hospitals are now handling fewer patients with swine flu symptoms, a sign that the disease is presently not very contagious. Mexican investigators who visited 280 relatives of victims found only four had the virus.

Many of the sick around the world were people who had visited Mexico, including 13 of Britain’s 15 cases.

Here are the latest key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation, and government officials:

:: Deaths: 19 confirmed in Mexico and one confirmed in US, a 21-month-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas.

:: Confirmed sickened worldwide, 809: 454 in Mexico; 197 in US; 85 in Canada; 15 in Spain; 15 in Britain; six in Germany; four in New Zealand; two in Israel, France and South Korea; one each in Costa Rica, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong, Denmark and the Netherlands.

:: US confirmed cases: New York 50; Texas 28; California 24; Arizona 17; South Carolina 13; Delaware 10; Massachusetts eight; New Jersey seven; Maine six; Wisconsin three; Ohio three; Indiana three; Illinois three; Kansas two; Colorado two; Virginia two; Michigan two; Missouri two; Connecticut two; Florida two; New Hampshire one; Utah one; Rhode Island one; Iowa one; Kentucky one; Minnesota one; Nebraska one; Nevada one.

:: President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon spoke for 20 minutes Saturday by phone “to share information about each country’s efforts to limit the spread” of the flu strain, the White House says.

:: The World Health Organisation says it has sent 2.4 million treatments of anti-flu drug Tamiflu to 72 developing countries, taking the drugs from a stockpile donated by Roche Holding AG.

:: US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says about a third of the confirmed US cases of swine flu are people who had been to Mexico and likely picked up the infection there.

:: Mexico has taken extraordinary measures against the epidemic, ordering all nonessential government and private businesses to shut down for five days.

:: All 176 weekend soccer games in Mexico – from the first division to the lowly third – were shuttered to fans. The games went on behind closed doors.

:: Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa complained that China had isolated several Mexicans without reason – and urged Mexicans not to travel to China until the situation was resolved.

:: The UN and World Trade Organisation say there’s no justification for any anti-pork trade measures as a result of the swine flu epidemic since there is no evidence the virus is spread by food.

:: Pigs on a Canadian farm have been infected with the new swine flu virus - apparently by a farm worker back from Mexico – and are under quarantine, officials say. It is the first known case of pigs having the virus.

:: US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Canada has taken the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. He said there have been no reports of the virus in US pigs and noted the sick Canadian swine have been quarantined.

:: The US government says schools with confirmed cases should close for at least 14 days because children can be contagious for seven to 10 days from when they get sick. More than 430 US schools had closed, affecting about 245,000 children in 18 states.

:: WHO says it will stop using term “swine flu” to avoid confusion over danger posed by pigs, and will instead refer to virus by its scientific name: “H1N1 influenza A.”

:: Airlines have reduced or cancelled service to Mexico.

:: Singapore announced a week-long quarantine for anyone arriving from Mexico.

:: Hong Kong, where severe acute respiratory syndrome killed 299 in 2003, ordered a week-long quarantine of a downtown hotel where a Mexican tourist was confirmed to have the illness, trapping 350 guests and employees inside.

:: The US Meat Export Federation, which represents pork and beef interests abroad, estimates that US pork exports have dropped about 10 % since the swine flu scare started.

<-- BACK TO STORY

© Thomas Crosbie Media 2009

Catching up - a lot happened while I was gone!

This is the first that I've seen of state confirmed tests. I wonder if anyone else is doing them yet?

From: http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/l...3-Swine-Flu-Cases/0XhJnny1RUyNy_squIzhjA.cspx

Kan. Waits for CDC Proof on 3 Swine Flu Cases
Posted by: Victoria Swoboda
Email: swoboda@nbcactionnews.com
Last Update: 2:38 pm

"TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Sunday two “presumptively confirmed” cases of swine flu in Kansas – one in Sedgwick County and the other in Johnson County.

Over the weekend, KDHE used new test kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which gives state public health laboratories the ability to test for the swine flu.

The KDHE laboratory confirmed specimens from two people tested positive for swine flu. However, the state still has to send specimens to CDC for final confirmation before the laboratory is certified to announce confirmed cases. So until that final confirmation from CDC, the KDHE is referring to these cases as “presumptively confirmed”.

KDHE is still awaiting results from the specimen sent to CDC involving the probable case of a hospitalized patient in Johnson County announced Friday afternoon.

As of Sunday afternoon, Kansas has two confirmed cases of the swine flu in Dickinson County, one probable case in Johnson County waiting for confirmation from CDC and two “presumptively confirmed” cases, one in Sedgwick County and the other in Johnson County, waiting for final confirmation by CDC.

KDHE also announced Sunday that additional cases are likely to be announced soon.

As of 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, CDC confirmed 226 human cases and one death in 30 states. Missouri has one confirmed case of swine flu. CDC also confirmed a 19-year-old Kansas City resident has the swine flu, but he is being hospitalized in Nebraska. "

Another school closure.

From: http://www.b1047.net/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=125739&article=5408621

B104.7

"Syracuse's Ed Smith School Closed Due To Probable H1N1 Flu

Health Department says infected student at K-8 school had a connection to the Queens prep school where an outbreak started last week.
By Alex Silverman
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A suspected case of H1N1 flu has been discovered at the Ed Smith School in Syracuse. Onondaga County health commissioner Dr. Cynthia Morrow says the K-8 school will be closed until at least Friday to comply with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

A test at a state lab showed the sample is in fact the H1N1 strain, but the health department is waiting for an official confirmation.

Morrow says the infected student had a direct link to the prep school in Queens where H1N1 broke out last week.

Superintendent Dan Lowengard says all activities at the school will also be cancelled. The school and buses serving it will be thoroughly disinfected during the week. The district and the health department will reassess the situation Friday.

Lowengard says the district advises students not to congregate in large groups during the week off. He notes that staff may be asked to return sooner than Friday.

Other schools in the district will stay open. "

More proof of H2H in NY.

From: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-lisuff0412728609may03,0,6008503.story

Newsday

"Officials: No connection between 3 Deer Park flu cases

BY REID J. EPSTEIN | reid.epstein@newsday.com
4:35 PM EDT, May 3, 2009

Three students at a Deer Park elementary school who officials believe contracted the swine flu had no connection with each other or any group that's been afflicted with the virus, Suffolk County officials said Sunday.

Health Commissioner Huyamun Chaudhry said the three probable cases - girls aged 9, 10 and 11 - have "no direct link" between one another, travel to Mexico or St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, where an outbreak forced the cancellation of all classes last week.

The Deer Park School District superintendent, Elizabeth Marino, canceled all school activities this week at the six-school district. She said custodians are working to clean buses, floors, windows and desks.

"Everything has been cleaned," she said.

Though Chaudhry recommended the district close only the John F. Kennedy Intermediate School, where the three flu-stricken girls are in the third, fourth and fifth grades, Marino elected to shut down the entire district.

"We believe there's a great deal of interconnectivity among the students at our schools," she said. "We felt it prudent at this time to have a week in which we could try to clear the air and still the waters."

Marino said she is working with state education officials to reschedule Advanced Placement exams on this week's calendar. The tests could be held off school grounds or at a later date, she said.

Marino said it remains unclear how or when the district will make up the canceled school days.

Chaudhry said he does not know how three students could independently contract the flu virus, known formally as H1N1 Influenza A.

Chaudhry said the county knows of no other Deer Park student or faculty member made ill by the virus, though it is possible some contracted it with symptoms not serious enough to warrant a visit to a doctor or hospital.

"The presentation is exactly the same as the regular flu," he said. "I am certain there are cases in the U.S. and in New York State where people got H1N1 influenza, got better, never went to the doctor and we don't know about it."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said he has activated the county's emergency operations center as a precaution. He said members of the public concerned that they may have contracted the virus to call the county's health department at (631) 853-3055."

I think the kid hospitalized in Nebraska was actually counted in Missouri because that's where his residence is.

From:http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10294268

"Neb. health official says swine flu is spreading here

Associated Press - May 3, 2009 3:55 PM ET

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The state's chief medical officer says Nebraskans need to be aware that swine flu is here and it's spreading.

Today, Nebraska confirmed two new cases of swine flu, bringing the total number of cases here to three. Tests are pending on eight probable cases.

Dr. Joann Schaefer says there is no immunity to the illness and there is no vaccine. But, the Nebraska cases have been mild, with symptoms similar to seasonal flu.

State health officials recommend that only those moderately or seriously ill seek medical treatment to prevent a strain on hospitals and doctors. They've also emphasized taking commonsense precautions such as frequent hand washing, covering coughs and staying home at the earliest signs of illness."

Chapulin said:

local komonews reports Washington state is up to 25 probables on Saturday, up 9 from Friday. Apparently the State is testing through the weekend and CDC confirmation is expected early next week. Do we have confirmation that CDC is testing over the weekend?

Probables in Washington as of Saturday:
15 King County
6 Snohomish County
2 Spokane County
1 Pierce County
1 Skagit County

Confirmed in Oregon Sunday press conference:
2 in Multnomah County
1 in Polk County (Western Oregon U)


Probables in Oregon Sunday press conference:
19

Chap

Click to expand...

Thank you, especially for that formatting!

If these have been posted already and I missed them, I apologize.

Catching up on Canada - from Veratect:


"Canada, Toronto: Two New Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Confirmed; Provincial Case Count Rises to 16 #swineflu #H1N1"

"Canada, Alberta: Three New Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Confirmed; Provincial Case Count Increases to 18 #swineflu"

"Canada, British Columbia: Seven New Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Confirmed; National Confirmed Case Count Rises to 97 #swineflu"

"Canada, Manitoba: One Confirmed Case of Influenza A (H1N1) Reported #swineflu #H1N1"

"Canada, Quebec: One New Confirmed Case of Influenza A (H1N1) Reported; National Confirmed Case Count Reaches 98 #swineflu #H1N1"

"Canada, Nova Scotia: Two New Confirmed Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Identified; National Confirmed Case Count Reaches 101.#swineflu #H1N1"

summerthyme said:

GREAT work, all you guys! Phew... I just caught up after about 24 hours away from the computer... this thread is HUGE!!

What occurs to me over and over when reading about our "woefully unprepared medical system", the "worried well inundating ERs" and all the rest of the criticism of how bad off we are if this turns into a worse epidemic than it currently shows is this:

GOOD GRIEF! Since when did humans become THIS freakin' helpless and clueless? Do people really NOT know the difference between a cold, allergies or influenza?? It's increasingly obvious that we desperately need a whole lot better education in this country, and not about "self esteem" or "being sensitive to differences".. but about the cold hard facts of LIFE. Including basic home nursing, as well as basic DIAGNOSIS. It's not rocket science, people!

The truly sad part (and the part which is really frustrating and enraging me right now) is that all those dumb, clueless "worried well" are clogging the system up badly. And that means it's all too likely that some people will DIE, because they won't be seen in time.

And I've even seen it on the boards, which are supposedly populated by people who at least realize that they DO need to prepare to take care of their families. Too many people want ironclad assurance that elderberry, or any of the other suggested alternatives will be safe... and no one can provide that. All we can do (we being those of us who have spent many, many hours studying influenza, H5N1, H1N1 and herbs and treatments) is basically explain what we've found, and what we'll do for our own families.

The other thing I can tell you with complete assurance (having had way too much experience with it over the years): the hospital is the LAST place you want to be unless you are truly so ill that you require IV's and breathing assistance! You will get FAR better care at home, as long as you have at least one other competent person to help with the basic nursing care. And that's NOT meant as a slam of any kind against the hospitals or the nurses who work so hard.. it's just the way the system works these days. If there are a dozen seriously ill patients on the floor and two nurses to care for them (sometimes it's not that low a ratio!), how much "comfort" care can they provide? Not much... which is why a reasonably well prepared person can be cared for much better at home.

Sorry about the rant... this is truly beginning to frighten me; no country can survive for long if it's citizens depend on "experts" and "the government" for everything. And it sure looks like the vast majority of Americans are doing just that.

Summerthyme

Click to expand...

Good rant, I'm flying with ya!

summerthyme said:

GREAT work, all you guys! Phew... I just caught up after about 24 hours away from the computer... this thread is HUGE!!

What occurs to me over and over when reading about our "woefully unprepared medical system", the "worried well inundating ERs" and all the rest of the criticism of how bad off we are if this turns into a worse epidemic than it currently shows is this:

GOOD GRIEF! Since when did humans become THIS freakin' helpless and clueless? Do people really NOT know the difference between a cold, allergies or influenza?? It's increasingly obvious that we desperately need a whole lot better education in this country, and not about "self esteem" or "being sensitive to differences".. but about the cold hard facts of LIFE. Including basic home nursing, as well as basic DIAGNOSIS. It's not rocket science, people!

The truly sad part (and the part which is really frustrating and enraging me right now) is that all those dumb, clueless "worried well" are clogging the system up badly. And that means it's all too likely that some people will DIE, because they won't be seen in time.

And I've even seen it on the boards, which are supposedly populated by people who at least realize that they DO need to prepare to take care of their families. Too many people want ironclad assurance that elderberry, or any of the other suggested alternatives will be safe... and no one can provide that. All we can do (we being those of us who have spent many, many hours studying influenza, H5N1, H1N1 and herbs and treatments) is basically explain what we've found, and what we'll do for our own families.

The other thing I can tell you with complete assurance (having had way too much experience with it over the years): the hospital is the LAST place you want to be unless you are truly so ill that you require IV's and breathing assistance! You will get FAR better care at home, as long as you have at least one other competent person to help with the basic nursing care. And that's NOT meant as a slam of any kind against the hospitals or the nurses who work so hard.. it's just the way the system works these days. If there are a dozen seriously ill patients on the floor and two nurses to care for them (sometimes it's not that low a ratio!), how much "comfort" care can they provide? Not much... which is why a reasonably well prepared person can be cared for much better at home.

Sorry about the rant... this is truly beginning to frighten me; no country can survive for long if it's citizens depend on "experts" and "the government" for everything. And it sure looks like the vast majority of Americans are doing just that.

Summerthyme

Click to expand...

Thank you Summerthyme, I agree and you put into words what I have been feeling for a very long time

Updated to catbird's last post.

I want to thank everyone that has kept this thread going tirelessly, even Dad who is sleeping off that congnac, he he he, bowing to you all.

Additionally, there have been a lot of members posting their local and state specifics, given that TPTB have commanded that only confirmed cases be reported, the only way we are going to be able to track suspected/probable cases (which are entirely different numbers from those eventually confirmed) is if we all keep doing that locally.

I know this is a long thread and a lot of members don't like them this big, but if you post your local stuff it can be included or at least a link to your post on the list for everyone's reference. Also, you can search by thread for details of individual states (button at the first post on the top of every page).

I know the media is saying this is hyped, maybe yes, maybe no, I personally think it's too early to tell, beyond it already having mutated infecting pigs now from humans (where they also have confirmed outbreaks of avian flu), there are also concerns about what will present this winter.

On that happy note, here's a related thread from yesterday speculating numbers based on cases where the specific timelines have been provided, check out Digital Omnivore's posts: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?p=3374226 I think his numbers are close, come day 14 we'll see if the effects are, IF we are allowed to know the numbers.

lafrteacher said:

They left off Louisiana. How convenient for them. How many other CONFIRMED cases are they NOT reporting?

Click to expand...

They also keep leaving off GA even though we have had a confirmed case since about Wed. There are several more possible/probably ones too.

Edited to add that after some thought, I realized that they may be counting the woman in the hospital here as though she is in KY since that's where she's from. I don't know, but that's the only explanation I can come up with. It's misleading though, if that is what they're doing.

Has anyone heard about Mexico making an announcement this evening about restrictions... either lifting some or possibly getting stricter on travel, etc???

The MSM, education system, finance & investments - We're all taught to "trust the experts", since regular folks aren't intelligent enough or educated enough to understand the best and most efficient ways to run our lives. Run my Gov't, invest my money, teach my children, handle my health affairs, I don't want or need the responsibility because that's what I pay YOU "experts" for, didn't I see that you wrote some damned book on the subject and got an interview on Good Morning America? Besides, dealing personally with my own life cuts into my leisure time with sports TV, porn, video games, Degenerate Housewives & mindless Opra programming. Been working this way for years, the frog is about cooked.

summerthyme said:

GOOD GRIEF! Since when did humans become THIS freakin' helpless and clueless? Do people really NOT know the difference between a cold, allergies or influenza?? It's increasingly obvious that we desperately need a whole lot better education in this country, and not about "self esteem" or "being sensitive to differences".. but about the cold hard facts of LIFE. Including basic home nursing, as well as basic DIAGNOSIS. It's not rocket science, people!


And I've even seen it on the boards, which are supposedly populated by people who at least realize that they DO need to prepare to take care of their families.

The other thing I can tell you with complete assurance (having had way too much experience with it over the years): the hospital is the LAST place you want to be unless you are truly so ill that you require IV's and breathing assistance! You will get FAR better care at home, as long as you have at least one other competent person to help with the basic nursing care. And that's NOT meant as a slam of any kind against the hospitals or the nurses who work so hard..

Sorry about the rant... this is truly beginning to frighten me; no country can survive for long if it's citizens depend on "experts" and "the government" for everything. And it sure looks like the vast majority of Americans are doing just that.

Summerthyme

Click to expand...

I'm with you 100% on this. I can not believe the lack of simple, basic knowledge that I'm seeing people exhibit as this event unfolds. Not many even seem to know the difference between a vaccine and an anti-viral medication.

I've seen a repeating theme on a number of homesteading and preparedness boards that I'm on. Many, many people have no idea how to begin to set up a sick room for home care and are only now beginning to think about it. Even fewer seem to have any idea about how to take care of someone.

Even worse is that as I check various websites for info to post here, I'm seeing "helpful illustrations" on handwashing. I just look at them and think Heaven above help us if grown men and women need to be SHOWN how to wash their hands.

Sorry for my rant. I'll go back to reporting the news now.

This is the latest being reported out of Madison, WI:

SUN., MAY 3, 2009 - 5:44 PM
Swine flu in Wisconsin: Complete coverage
Wisconsin State Journal
wsjcity@madison.com

As of Sunday, May 3, Wisconsin has reported 66 probable cases and three confirmed cases of swine flu. Gov. Jim Doyle has declared a health emergency. The state lab ramped up testing, and experts said the danger lies in the potential of the virus to kill more than regular flu does.

Sunday: The number of suspected cases in Wisconsin jumps to 66, including a new suspected case in Jefferson County.

Saturday: State health department confirms three previously suspected cases

Friday: The Rock County Health Department was notified Friday that a probable case of swine flu was identified in an adult male in Rock County. Wisconsin also reported three more cases in Waukesha County on Friday

Thursday: Two cases were reported in young adults from Ozaukee County and Sheboygan County, north of Milwaukee.

Wednesday: Three probable cases were reported — two in Milwaukee and one in Adams County.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/449523

King County, Washington had a news conference this afternoon.
Says they are falling behind in local testing.
Will start prioritizing testing for worst cases first.
Also said the CDC has told them that current probables becoming confirmed has been in the range of 99%.
Changing their advisories to schools. Schools and events are to stay open, if you are sick, limit your exposures to others.

Chap

India is still iffy.

From: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Story...swine+flu+in+Delhi,+Mumbai+gets+first+suspect

Hindustan Times

"No swine flu in Delhi, Mumbai gets first suspect

First Published: 01:08 IST(4/5/2009)
Last Updated: 01:21 IST(4/5/2009)

The 30-bedded isolation ward at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) wore a deserted look on Sunday after all seven passengers suspected for swine flu — renamed influenza A H1N1 virus — tested negative.

“We have no swine flu in India,” Vineet Chawdhry, joint secretary, Union health ministry, said.

Four samples – two from Delhi and one each from Hyderabad and Mumbai – were being tested in India on Sunday. The results are expected late tonight or early tomorrow.

Mumbai got its first suspected case today when a 57-year-old Worli-resident, who returned from New York on April 28, reported cough symptoms. His throat-swab samples are being tested at the Pune-based National Institute of Virology.

In Delhi, three samples were sent for testing – of a passenger from Chicago, one from Gurgaon and one from Hyderabad – to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). “Though none of them have the clinical symptoms, we have chosen to be overcautious,” said Dr Shiv Lal, director general, NICD.

The Gurgaon case is in home isolation, while the Chicago passenger was admitted last night to a leading hospital that requested not to be named for fear of causing panic. All 11 passengers being tested in India have travelled from the US and the UK, but two – both from Hyderabad – had been to Mexico. Over three days, India has screened 41,012 passengers at 21 international airports.

Worldwide, swine flu was reported from 18 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, prompting the World Health Organisation to say it would not step down its flu alert from the phase 5 that signals an “imminent” pandemic."

Catbird said:

Another school closure.

From: http://www.b1047.net/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=125739&article=5408621

B104.7

"Syracuse's Ed Smith School Closed Due To Probable H1N1 Flu

Health Department says infected student at K-8 school had a connection to the Queens prep school where an outbreak started last week.
By Alex Silverman
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A suspected case of H1N1 flu has been discovered at the Ed Smith School in Syracuse. Onondaga County health commissioner Dr. Cynthia Morrow says the K-8 school will be closed until at least Friday to comply with Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

A test at a state lab showed the sample is in fact the H1N1 strain, but the health department is waiting for an official confirmation.

Morrow says the infected student had a direct link to the prep school in Queens where H1N1 broke out last week.

Superintendent Dan Lowengard says all activities at the school will also be cancelled. The school and buses serving it will be thoroughly disinfected during the week. The district and the health department will reassess the situation Friday.

Lowengard says the district advises students not to congregate in large groups during the week off. He notes that staff may be asked to return sooner than Friday.

Other schools in the district will stay open. "

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This one is too close for comfort for me

One more probable case in KY; That makes it

1 confirmed (female from Bowling Green in Georgia hopital)
4 probable:
infant in Barren River Health District (near Bowling Green)
infant in Montgomery County
male in Fayette County
young male in Daviess County

Hope

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...OL-?SITE=KYBOW&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

May 3, 2:59 PM EDT


Fourth probably swine flu case reported

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- The Kentucky Health Department says there is a fourth probably case of swine flu in the state.
The department said in a news release Sunday the case involves a young Daviess County man who attends college in Massachusetts.
It says the man received antiviral treatment and has recovered. The case is being reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Green River District Health Department will investigate, according to the release, and state health officials will coordinate an investigation with Massachusetts health officials.
Kentucky has had one confirmed case of the swine flu involving a Warren County woman who is hospitalized in Georgia, and probable cases were reported in the Barren River Health District and Fayette and Montgomery counties.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

More from Veratect:

"US, New York, Oneida County: Three Suspected Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Are Dismissed; Results Still Pending on Fourth Case.#swineflu #H1N1"

"US, Louisiana: CDC Confirms Five Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in Lafayette Parish. #swineflu #H1N1"

"US, Louisiana: CDC Confirms One Case of Influenza A (H1N1) in Ascension Parish. #swineflu #H1N1"

"Los Angeles County: Two New Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Confirmed; Three Total Confirmed Cases in County. #swineflu #H1N1"

"Texas: Total of 43 Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Confirmed in Twelve Counties Statewide. #swineflu #H1N1"

And now it's effecting churches..............

Sunday, May 3, 2009 H1N1 causes churches to suspend wine, sign of peace
05/03/2009 05:44 PM
By: Katie Gibas

WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- The Eucharist is one of the holiest parts of the Catholic mass, but this weekend, there was no wine served at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Watertown.




"At our pastoral council meeting, we just discussed the situation with the H1N1 virus, and we just thought for the safety and the welfare of everyone concerned that temporarily, we would suspend the communion from the cup," said Reverend Arthur LaBaff,Pastor of St. Patrick's Church.



In the Catholic faith, bread and wine is considered to be the body and blood of Jesus Christ once it's consecrated by the priest; however, on a typical Sunday parishioners have the option whether or not to drink from the cup.



"The total Christ is received either under the bread or wine or you can receive both., and it's a privilege that's been given to us because of the Vatican council, but it's not necessary, and so for the time being, we've temporarily suspended it," said Reverend LaBaff.




H1N1 causes churches to suspend wine, sign of peace
The H1N1 virus has some churches around the region concerned about some of their practices during mass, including drinking the consecrated wine from the cup and shaking hands during the sign of peace. Our Katie Gibas talked with one pastor about what he's doing to keep his parish safe.

Reverend LaBaff says given the current circumstances, individual churches have been given permission to suspend the wine if they want.




"We were not told to do this, and no one suggested that we do it, except our own local community," said Reverend LaBaff.



LaBaff says in his 40 years as a priest in the North Country, he's never seen the wine suspended before, but most parishioners support his decision.



"It shows the concern that the church has for it's parishioners, and it's just a good safety precaution at this time," said Ticia Marra, St. Patrick's Liturgical Music Director.



"I guess it was a necessity, although I miss it. It's part of the ritual of mass I enjoy every Sunday, so I'm going to miss it. And I hope it comes back soon," said Judith Armstrong, parishioner.



"I partake fully in the body of Christ, and I believe this is a healthy precaution to take to keep people safe," said Janine Johnson, parishioner.



But some people think it should be an individual decision whether or not to take the wine.



"Receiving both species of the sacrament, body and the blood, not just one, it's just something I do every Sunday, It's something I'm used to," said Donald Wilder, parishioner.



Nine Children received their first communion sacrament Sunday, which is the first time they receive the body and blood of Christ. They did have the wine, but it was in individual cups.



A couple pastors from Northern New York say they have decided to keep offering the wine, and they said fewer people drank from the cup Sunday, but nothing significant.



Other churches in the area say if the H1N1 situation becomes worse in the North Country, they will also consider suspending the wine from communion.

http://news10now.com/content/top_st...s-to-suspend-wine--sign-of-peace/Default.aspx

Tom McDowell said:

Emphasis added

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05030901/Swine_H1N1_H2S.html

Commentary

Swine H1N1 Transmission From Human to Swine
Recombinomics Commentary 07:10
May 3, 2009

The pigs in Alberta were thought to be infected by a farm worker who returned from Mexico on April 12 and began working on the farm two days later. Officials noticed the pigs had flu-like symptoms April 24, Evans said.

Approximately 10 percent of the 2,200 pigs on the farm have been infected, Evans said.

The above comments describe the transmission of the H1N1 swine flu from an infected farm worker to swine in Alberta, Canada. This efficient transmission from human to swine suggests that much of the speculation in the past week is overly optimistic.

The virus is swine, WHO newspeak notwithstanding, and contains six swine gene segments as well as a human PB1 and an avian PB2 that have been in swine for more than a decade. Therefore, although swine to swine transmission is not unexpected, the trans mission from human to swine is striking. The H1N1 is called swine H1N1 for scientific reason. It is not a “nickname” as some media accounts mis-report, but a descriptive name that defines its normal host. The species differences in sequence are easily determined, and species jumps are rare, but can be deadly. Usually the virus replicates most effectively in is host species.

The jump to humans is cause for concern. The last time as swine flu jumped to human and was efficiently spread in the new host was in 1918.

The fact that the virus can jump from human to swine as well as swine to humans suggests this virus is not going to fade away. It has already moved into the southern hemisphere. Suspect cases have been reported in Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand, where the seasonal flu season is just beginning.

Co-circulation of human and swine H1N1 provide significant opportunities for adaptation to the human host via recombination. Two polymorphisms are already fixed in seasonal flu, H274Y for Tamiflu resistance, and E627K in PB2 which allows the virus to more efficiently replicate at lower temperatures.

These changes can lead to adaptation in humans, as well antiviral resistance. Therefore, the evolution of the H1N1 over the summer will be closely monitored. The current H1N1 has already acquired tandem human H1N1 polymorphism in HA, which may have led to the species jump from swine to human.

Thus, the efficient transmission from swine to human and vice verse, raises concerns that further adaptation to humans can lead to a fall pandemic similar to 1918. The species jump indicates the virus can adapt to a new host, and additional acquisitions over the summer continue to be a cause for concern.

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I thought I responded to this and can't find it Thank you Tom for continuing to follow that development, it certainly isn't getting much attention and I think there's a real story there.

Friend just reported that school is closed at Notre Dame Academy in Tyngsboro MA due to confirmed cases. School website says "No classes this week"

Well, this isn't good

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12285124?nclick_check=1

Probable swine flu case found in SoCal prison

The Associated Press
Posted: 05/03/2009 03:27:09 PM PDT
Updated: 05/03/2009 04:16:59 PM PDT


SACRAMENTO—Visitation at all state prisons has been suspended after an ill inmate at Centinela State Prison in Imperial County is being tested for swine flu.

Prisons spokesman Luis Patino says it's unknown when regular visitations will resume.

The prisoner at Centinela State and his cellmate are being kept isolated. Pitino says the symptoms they're experiencing are mild.

The state prison's acting chief physician executive Dr. Steven Ritter said Sunday that the closed doors statewide are a precautionary measure to protect the public, prisoners and prison staff.

Critical and legally mandated activities, such as attorney visits, medical evaluations and court-ordered social worker visits, will continue with added precautions.

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This might be an oversimplification but it seems to me that the greatest danger would be if separate herds of pigs who are infected with possibly different strains of flu got together while alive. Like at a slaughterhouse.

From: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j_vSmu-h3iC44MZnv7YHbOmlE8fw

"WHO urges close watch on farms for new swine flu

5 hours ago

GENEVA (AFP) — Any outbreaks of the new swine flu virus in pigs must be contained and monitored because of the risk of further spread in humans, a World Health Organisation expert said Sunday.

"We believe this is something that is necessary to understand better if animals are infected and, if they are, to both protect humans and further spread among the pig population," said food safety scientist, Peter Ben Embarek.

His comments came after Canadian health officials said pigs from a herd in Alberta province had tested positive for H1N1 flu virus, although further testing was underway to uncover its exact type.

The two major international farm and food agencies have stepped up surveillance of animals in countries hit by the new A(H1N1) virus, said Embarek.

The two agencies concerned are the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

But he underlined that the risks came from contact with bodily fluids of animals, not processed or cooked meat, or matured raw ham.

"Where we are concerned is that if the virus is present in live animals, then the people who are handling these animals - farm workers, veterinarians, slaughterhouse workers -- those might be at a higher risk," said Embarek.

"It is also important to emphasise that these farms should be quarantined immediately, the herds should not be allowed to move around in order not to spread the disease further among other farms and other pig populations."

One theory being investigated is that the animals in Canada might have contracted the disease from a Canadian recently returned from Mexico, a carpenter who had worked on the farm.

"If this has happened once it can happen again elsewhere," Embarek pointed out.

People with flu should not only avoid infecting other people but also "stay away from pig farms and in particular close activities involving pigs," he added.

Pigs with flu get symptoms similar to humans, such as fever, runny nose and coughing, and infection of humans to pigs and pigs to humans is known.

The FAO and the OIE do not require international notification of swine flu cases, which is a common disease in pigs.

But the biggest concern surrounding live pigs is also their role in harbouring human, avian and swine flu viruses and enabling them to mix into new types, according to health experts.

The new A (H1N1) influenza that appeared in Mexico and the United States over the past month and sent the world into a pandemic alert is a cocktail of all three, but health experts are still trying to track down its origins.

The WHO reiterated Sunday that consumers could not catch flu from properly cooked and handled pork, or processed meat because the flu virus is destroyed by heat.

Embarek explained that matured raw hams were safe because the virus did not survive for long on surfaces.

"The time would be enough to inactivate the virus, so you can continue to safely eat your 'prosciutto'," he said.

Copyright © 2009 AFP."

Suspected case in Syracuse now confirmed

Onondaga County and Syracuse City School District officials canceled classes at the Ed Smith Elementary School for the coming week after receiving confirmation of the county's first case of swine flu.

The infected student has contact with a private school in Queens where one in three students and faculty have contracted the illness after some students traveled to Mexico.

Although new federal guidelines recommend two-week closures for districts dealing with confirmed cases of swine flu, Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Cynthia Morrow said the local situation would be reassessed at the end of the week because the illness has not yet exceeded a "mild illness that looks like seasonal flu."

"Two weeks ago, none of us had this on our radar," Morrow said at a Sunday afternoon news conference. "The situation does evolve very quickly. We're learning more and more about a new illness. It's a moving target."

The school has 750 students from kindergarten through the eighth grade.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/onondaga_county_swine_flu_case.html

More on New Mexico, school closures

http://www.kdbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10294692&nav=menu608_2_3

NM closes 14 schools due to likely swine flu cases


Associated Press - May 3, 2009 5:55 PM ET

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - The state departments of health and public education are closing 14 schools, including all public schools in the Socorro and Lordsburg districts, for a week due to probable cases of the swine flu in students.

The departments announced Sunday that Carlsbad High School and Deming Intermediate School also will close.

The schools will be shuttered from Monday through May 10 and extracurricular and childcare also will close.

The departments say the closures are due to 14 probable cases that the health department already is investigating. New Mexico has one confirmed cases of swine flu in Valencia County.

Those probable cases include three adults and two children in Eddy County, four children in Hidalgo County, two teens in Socorro County, one child each in Valencia and Luna counties and a Bernalillo County man.

Click to expand...

The latest official numbers from the European CDC.

From: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/Health_topics/novel_influenza_virus/2009_Outbreak/

Human cases of influenza A(H1N1) in the EU and EFTA countries
Last update: 3 May, 21:00 CEST

Country # probable cases # confirmed cases #In country H2H

Austria 0 1
Denmark 0 1
France 7 2
Germany 0 8 2
Ireland 0 1
Italy 0 2
Netherlands 0 1
Portugal 1 0
Spain 0 44 3
Sweden 1 0
Switzerland 0 1
UK 8 18 3

TOTAL 17 79 8

They also have good maps on their page.

Okay, this has my attention.

From: http://www.kval.com/news/44266267.html

"Oregon has first confirmed cases of swine flu

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Oregon has its first three confirmed cases of swine flu.

Dr. Mel Kohn, acting director of the Oregon Public Health Division, released word of the confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at a news conference in Portland on Sunday.

He says two of the confirmed cases are in Multnomah County and the third involves a student at Western Oregon University in Polk County.

The state continues to await confirmation of 19 probable cases.

Of the 22 probable or confirmed cases, Kohn says two required hospitalization. One of those patients has been released. The second patient is a teenage girl who required intensive care, but is improving."

Utah up to 13 probable, 1 confirmed

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-4-new-probable-swine-flu-cases,0,5068457.story

4 New 'Probable' Swine Flu Cases in Utah

Associated Press Staff Writer
3:45 PM MDT, May 3, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY - State health officials say the number of 'probable' swine flu cases in Utah has grown to 13.

In a news release Sunday, the Utah Department of Health says four new cases have been identified by Summit County health officials. Utah's only confirmed case of the H1N1 virus was also identified in Summit County.

Summit County health officials say the virus was contracted by a Park City school student while traveling to Mexico over spring break. The child has fully recovered.

UDOH says no additional cases of swine flu have been confirmed by labs at the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Of Utah's identified probable cases, 10 are in Summit County, two are in Salt Lake County and one is from the Weber-Morgan Health District area.

Click to expand...

May 3, 7:06 PM EDT

US flu tally jumps to 241 as labs catch up
By MALCOLM RITTER
AP Science Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The tally of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States jumped Sunday to 241 in 34 states, but officials said that's largely from catching up on a backlog of lab tests rather than a sudden spurt in new infections.
The new count reflects streamlining in federal procedures and the results of tests by states, which have only recently begun confirming cases, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Because states are now contributing their results, and because there are many cases to analyze, "I expect the numbers to jump quite a bit in the next couple days," she told reporters Sunday.
Beyond eating into the backlog, the new number also reflects that "we do think this virus is fairly widespread," she said.
"Virtually all of the United States probably has this virus circulating now. That doesn't mean that everybody's infected, but within the communities, the virus has arrived."
Early Sunday, the CDC updated its number to 226 cases in 30 states, up from 160 in 21 states. Later, four more states reported confirmed cases.
Mexico's health secretary said Sunday that his country's outbreak is "now in its declining phase," but Schuchat noted that the United States got off to a later start. "We believe we are just in the upswing here," she said.
Scientists are still gathering information on how severe the nation's 30 hospitalized cases are, she said. They are mostly older children and young adults, in contrast to ordinary flu, which tends to send the elderly and very young to the hospital, Schuchat said.
The only swine flu death in the U.S. is that of a Mexican toddler who was visiting Texas.
Local authorities announced more school closings Sunday, including all 24 schools in a district west of Detroit after a high school student came down with an apparent case of the illness.
On Sunday's talk shows, U.S. health officials said they were cautiously optimistic that the swine flu isn't as dangerous as first feared, but urged people to keep taking commonsense precautions. They said they can't predict if the virus will roar back in the fall.
"The good news is when we look at this virus right now, we're not seeing some of the things in the virus that have been associated in the past with more severe flu. That's encouraging, but it doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting CDC chief.
With swine flu, or the H1N1 flu as the government prefers to call it, now in more than 30 states and counting, authorities say it's spreading just as easily as regular winter flu. But, as Besser appeared on talk shows with the president's health and homeland security chiefs, they said that it doesn't seem to cause as severe a disease as it did in Mexico.
A big concern is whether the virus will return, perhaps harder, when regular influenza begins its march here. Flu season in the Southern Hemisphere is about to begin, and U.S. authorities will watch how the swine flu circulates there over the coming months as they prepare the first vaccine and then decide whether to order that large amounts of it be produced in the fall.
Production of regular winter flu vaccine is going full-tilt, "to make sure we kind of clear the decks," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.
"We are testing the virus strain for H1N1 virus so that we're ready to go into production later, in a month or two, when we make sure that we have the right dosage and the right tests. So we'll be ready for both," she said.
Even if the swine virus doesn't prove as potent as authorities first feared, Besser said that doesn't mean the U.S. and World Health Organization overreacted in racing to prevent a pandemic, or worldwide spread, of a virus never before seen.
With a new infectious disease, "you basically get one shot, you get one chance to try to reduce the impact," Besser said. "You take a very aggressive approach and as you learn more information you can tailor your response."
It was just over a week ago that authorities learned the new flu CDC had detected in a few people in California and Texas was causing a large outbreak and deaths in Mexico, triggering global alarm.
"We didn't know what its lethality was going to be. We had to move. Once you get behind flu, you can't catch up," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
---
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_SWINE_FLU_US?SITE=WIMAD&SECTION=HOME

I tried to find an update on the Ky woman hospitalized in Georgia that was in intensive care, and found this in Lagrange newspaper. I only pasted the highlights of the story.
Hope

http://www.lagrangenews.com/pages/full_story?page_label=results_content&id=2484278-Health+officials+work+to+contain+swine+flu&article-Health%20officials%20work%20to%20contain%20swine%20flu%20=&widget=push&open=&

Health officials work to contain swine flu
by By Joel Martin, senior writer
05.01.09 - 08:00 am


...no indication the swine flu has spread locally

...in stable condition this morning in the intensive care

...“She has improved on a day to day basis.”

...Everyone in Georgia known to have been in contact with the woman has been called personally ...

...CDC ... to notify people who may have been on the same flights back from Mexico.

...Her daughter was “so far asymptomatic. She’s not ill,”

...CDC informed the hospital’s lab at 7 a.m. Thursday ...had swine flu characteristics.

...a total of 16 lab specimens from Troup and the other nine counties in District 4 had been sent to to the state public health lab for testing as of 8 p.m. Thursday, but there had so far been no other positive results.

It's nice to know that the US isn't the only place with a screwed up system.

From: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/04/2559633.htm?section=world

"UK-based Australian tests positive to swine flu
By Stephanie Kennedy for AM

AM | abc.net.au/am

Posted 2 hours 29 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 36 minutes ago

A third Australian living in the UK has tested positive to swine flu.

Kate Corbett, a 29-year-old journalist, was tested for the virus after returning to her home in London from Mexico.

British authorities have now told her that she has tested positive.

"They asked me what airline I flew home with, what my flight numbers were and they are going to get in contact with everyone sitting within a metre of me," she said.

"For me, I just had a bit of a cough. Actually, it was quite a strong cough. I has a sore throat, a sniffly nose, a bit of a headache, and that's it."

Her flatmates, boyfriend and sister are now being tested.

Ms Corbett is angry that British officials did not take her case seriously when she first contacted them early last week.

"I sort of wish I was in Australia for this. It was me who had to be proactive," she said.

"I had to call them in the first place. No-one called me. I can understand they would have had a lot of people to call, but after a few days that I'd been in contact with the health authorities, they called me to say that my friend was at risk, and he was getting tested, and waiting for his results.

"His girlfriend told me and told me that he was infected, he definitely had the swine flu. But yet the health authorities didn't get in contact with me.

"I find that really strange because they did initially, but then I had to call them and spell out his name for the health authorities to actually take it seriously."

Ms Corbett is now on a course of Tamiflu and she is confined to her home for the next four days.

"Initially I was told I wasn't allowed to leave home, then I was told I was, and then I was told I wasn't," she said.

"So today I got the definitive sort of feedback, which was, 'Until you've finished your Tamiflu, and until you've got absolutely no symptoms, you have to stay indoors.' So that's going to give me another, maybe, I think it's four days."

British authorities have confirmed over 18 cases of swine flu in the UK."

From Veratect:

"US, Louisiana: CDC Confirms One Case of Influenza A (H1N1) in Orleans Parish. #swineflu #H1N1"

"Arizona: 13 New Cases of Influenza A (H1N1) Confirmed; Total of 17 Confirmed Statewide. #swineflu #H1N1"

Deena in GA said:

They also keep leaving off GA even though we have had a confirmed case since about Wed. There are several more possible/probably ones too.

Edited to add that after some thought, I realized that they may be counting the woman in the hospital here as though she is in KY since that's where she's from. I don't know, but that's the only explanation I can come up with. It's misleading though, if that is what they're doing.

Click to expand...

No, she was being counted as part of Georgia, they are just slower than molasses in deciding which are really really confirmed versus really confirmed. Georgia was one of the states that first said they are only testing severe cases and only issuing information on confirmed cases -- means to me you've got a lot of probable cases.

Oregon cases

Sorry - dup