warrrreagl

This is not about swine flu, but in a way, it is.

Grancey got stuck in a women's room this afternoon.

We were on the interstate and heading to a Labor Day arts and crafts show, and as we crossed into Georgia, Grancey told me to pull into the official rest stop at the state line. It was the last true restroom before we got into the Georgia back-country and had to face the horror of the arts and crafts show port-a-potty.

Grancey grabbed a napkin from the car to use as a germ-barrier between her hand and the restroom door, and I watched her push open the door to the women's room and go inside. I went inside the men's room, took care of business, and went back out in the lobby, but I was not surprised to notice that Grancey hadn't come out yet. Happens all the time that way - I finish first.

I waited and waited. I started browsing the travel brochures. A family of strangers began to get magically interested in whatever display I was looking at. I would move to another display to get away from them, and suddenly they'd be right behind me again.

I chatted with the ladies at the reception desk. I signed the guest book (with my own pen, not the community pen on the desk). I finally gave up and went back into the lobby.

FINALLY, the door to the women's room opened up, and a big fat soccer mom barrelled out with Grancey right on her heels. She bounded up to me.

She said, "I got stuck in there and I couldn't get out."

"What?"

She explained that she saved the napkin she'd used to push the door in order to have something to turn the faucets. She wasn't about to touch ANYTHING that might have been touched by another human's potentially deadly hands. After washing her hands (and using the napkin to turn off the faucets), she tossed the napkin and had to drip dry her hands since there were no paper towels - only the hot air wall-mounted dryer.

That's when she noticed that the door had to be PULLED in order to get out of the restroom - and she'd tossed her napkin. She was stuck. So, she waited. And waited.

She waited for another woman to come in, use the restroom, and leave so that she could jump out the door right behind her before it closed again without having to touch the handle. And while waiting, she continued to wash her hands over and over and over in order to give her something to do so she wouldn't look like a creepo hanging out in the women's room.

You just know you're going to have a kick-ass afternoon when it starts with your wife getting stuck in a women's room. The moral? According to Grancey - take more than one napkin to the restroom next time.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

Reese

Hah, Your immune system is going to get weak if you never expose it to germs!

Funny though, I had to use a nasty public restroom at a themepark last month. I ended up flushing the toilet with my foot and turned off the sink with my elbows and then followed someone out the door without touching it.

Still not really worried about swine flu. I'm going to get sick or I won't. Not much I can do about it.

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“It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

warrrreagl

Presbyterian much?

That's actually one of those misquoted medical facts that confuse a lot of people. What you said is true, if you're talking about a toddler with a still-developing immune system. Adults, not so much. It's never a bad idea, nor bad form, to play it safe.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

spindles

Still, there is playing it safe and there is stuck in a bathroom because you won't touch the door...

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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

warrrreagl

EDITED: I promised to behave, so I erased my reply.

/note to self: funny anecdotal posts about wife and germophobia = bad idea.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

spindles

I laughed at the story, I promise.

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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

warrrreagl

I'm still laughing at the story. I will be watching carefully for the next few days as she tries to secretly stockpile extra napkins in the car.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

noodle

I used to grab a bit of extra toilet paper from rest stops for that very reason... and because there was no telling if the next one would have any.

Swine flu has erupted around here now that school started again, and the pharmacies are out of liquid Tamiflu for the kids. I'm not that worried, because I catch everything already, so I'm just expectant and follow normal "eew that's disgusting" protocol regarding contact with other people. I monitor myself and go from there. The strain here isn't causing as high of a fever as elsewhere and people aren't getting treated as quickly. So we've had non-elderly, non-children deaths. It's the doctor-phobic people I worry about. The hospitals here have cracked down on visitors and there are designated entrances for those who have "flu-like" symptoms.

I had a dream the other night that the swine flu pulled a Rage Virus and we all turned into pigs.

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vanblah

My doctor's son got H1N1. They were able to get it confirmed by the CDC. She says it's not much worse than regular flu. So unless you are really old or really young or your immune system is otherwise compromised there's not much to worry about I think.

warrrreagl

Unfortunately, your info about susceptibility is exactly backwards. They are warning that the very old and very young stand a better chance than the "young and strapping." It looks like high school, college, and early 20's will be the hardest hit demographic.

The college where I teach held a major inservice on our campus-wide response to H1N1. They've told us to be very liberal in our attendance policies, as we want to encourage any student with symptoms to stay home without penalty. They're also telling us that doctor's offices are sending people home when they arrive with symptoms, because A) there's really nothing they can do for them at that point, and B) they don't want the entire waiting room infected. Therefore, we are supposed to drop any attendance requirements we have about doctor's excuses to accompany an absence for this semester.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

vanblah

I was speaking more about survivability rather than susceptibility. 70% of the 300 or so deaths from H1N1 (so far) have been among people who were already at risk of death even from regular flu (this includes the very old, the very young and immune compromised).

Older people (60+), for once, have the advantage--ie, some sort of pre-existing immunity.

noodle

The unofficial (and internal) word today from one of the hospitals locally was that they're seeing another strain that's causing more problems.
Not to be alarmist, but they said this is the one that has a lower fever and lasts longer and is taking out more people.
Any one else hear this?

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dougalputt

It seems to have gone off the radar in the UK - I have a feeling it will come back with a bang when the 'naturla flu season' draws in...

LoganSnake

I don't understand the stampede to the flu shot locations. It's just a fucking flu. Get over it. Unless you're 80 years old, you'll be fine.

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Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

cellophanedeity

I had a flu last week. I still have a cough, but I'm fine. I just made sure not to visit my grandma.

Minor illnesses like the flu aren't a big deal if you're generally in good health.

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who am I to refuse the universe?
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Sue

It's been running rampant where I work. Last saturday, we had 5 patients with influenza A. We weren't sending out any nasal washes to labs to confirm it's H1N1, it's just presumed it is, as that's all that's going around out here. Yesterday, myself, another coworker, and 5 other patients all tested positive for influenza A, up to the point I was sent home from work. There may have been more, who knows. I'm all medicated right now, so I don't feel nearly as bad as when I woke up this morning.

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Teg yw edrych tuag adref.

warrrreagl

Famous last words.

I deal with a lot of invincible people who are convinced that the common sniffles and fever-y ache-y feelings they get from time to time must be the flu. Trust me, you're in for a serious ass kicking the first time you catch the flu. The first time you catch the actual flu (any strain, it doesn't matter), then you'll finally know what everybody's talking about.

I've only had it once in my adult life - and I would rather have spikes screwed slowly into my eye sockets than EVER go through that again. I'm normally a big, strong, healthy motherfucker, but in the Fall of 1985 when I finally caught the flu somehow, I was reduced to jelly, and my opinion of the flu was changed forever. For two solid weeks, I had constant high fever, no ability to keep down any food, joints and muscles that felt like Marcellus Wallace had gotten medieval on my ass, and a constant headache that chewed up and spit out migraines for breakfast. Add to that a runny nose that was bloody and raw after the first two days. I spent the bulk of the two weeks on the couch and on the toilet, unable to drag myself to do much more than that. My cough and congestion didn't stop for a full month AFTER I got better, and even then I could still taste blood every time I coughed.

I have college students come up to me all the time and say, "I wasn't here Monday and Tuesday because I had the flu." I just wish I could say to them, "Shut the fuck up, you didn't have no goddamned flu. You wouldn't be fucking standing here in front of me for the rest of this month if you'd had the fucking flu. Idiot."

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

Spiritsoar

While I agree that the true flu really, really sucks (I work in healthcare, I've had it, despite regular vaccination), I also agree that true risk of serious problems is to the young, old, and people with immunodeficiency. Most healthy adults will be fine.

On a side note, if you wanto waste some time playing a game and learning about pandemic flu, check this out.

The Great Flu

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Veritas Vos Liberabit

LoganSnake

Uh, okay. I've had the real flu many, many times. The one where I was in bed for a week. I think I know what I'm talking about.

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Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

mykockle

I think a lot of swine flu stuff is blow out of proportion. I won't try to quote statistics or get all quoty on you, but the regular flu, year over year, takes a lot of lives worldwide. The focus that you see in the news are the cases where the worst things happen and you only see that because the "flu" has a "swine" prefix and is "extra scary" because its NEW!

Just like the regular flu, the young, old or those sick already are the most susceptible to seriously life threatening illness.

warrrreagl

This article is all over the AP wire today.

As I read this article, I kept thinking of all the famous last words I've been reading on TFP about how the swine flu is overblown, and is no big deal, and won't be that bad on the young/strong/healthy.

So go ahead and drink that orange juice, and wallow in all those germs/bacteria/viruses to make your immune system stronger. Go ahead. You'll be fine.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

Reese

Actually, 50% of the swine flu deaths were people 20-49. Compare that to 90% of the deaths of seasonal flu are people over 65 years.

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“It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

Spiritsoar

Source please?

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Veritas Vos Liberabit

warrrreagl

On Friday, one of my co-workers who is a good friend and fellow guitarist died from complications he developed from H1N1. He was 31, extremely athletic and in fantastic shape. He struggled and suffered quite a lot over the past month (spent in ICU) before finally becoming too weak to fight anymore. His family couldn't do anything except watch him get weaker and weaker each day.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

highthief

Yeah, we know a woman who died - she was 40. Had a bit of asthma but otherwise in good shape. Went downhill fast.

---------- Post added at 08:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 AM ----------

Agree with that. Every time you get a sniffle it isn't the flu, numpties. Flu lays people out for several days and it's pretty miserable.

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GreyWolf

The Swine Flu Emergency/Pandemic IS overblown. It's a great story for the media because it invariably involves human tragedy, always good for getting attention. And it is a tragedy for any family losing a member, particularly a healthy young adult in the prime of life. BUT... there is no pandemic. The WHO itself now characterises this as a mild outbreak. The definition of a pandemic has itself been changed in recent years and watered down from epidemics spreading throughout huge/multiple geographic areas to simply a single disease appearing in multiple geographic areas in a very short period of time (can you say air travel?). There need not be true epidemics anywhere for it now to be a pandemic.

While H1N1 is killing what are considered non-traditional populations (the young & healthy) more so than other forms of flu, it is not striking the population with markedly greater intensity than other highly virulent forms of the flu, and it's not the orders of magnitude more deadly that most people seem to think it is. Some (a large part, perhaps) IS due to the media focus, which has prompted people to take the common-sense precautions of washing hands frequently, and dealing with sneezing or coughing more effectively.

As I said, it is a tragedy for any family to lose anyone, especially those in the prime of life. I do speak from personal experience, my mother died of the flu at age 29. But H1N1 is simply NOT the killer threat it is made out to be.

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warrrreagl

I'll give your thoughts to the family tomorrow at the funeral. I'm sure it will be a great comfort to them to know that we have overreacted.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

dlish

2.5 million people gathered for the annual hajj pilgrimage in saudi last week with only 5 reported deaths, though more could be reported once the pilgrims returned home.

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GreyWolf

As I said, it is a tragedy to any family that loses someone. It is, and I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family on their loss. I meant absolutely no disrespect to them or any other family that suffers as a result of H1N1.

I do, however, feel that the media is playing this up beyond it's true societal impact (as opposed to the very real individual familial impacts). I stand by my statement that the MEDIA is using H1N1 to their advantage, far beyond what it merits from the point of view of its overall impact.

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The secret to great marksmanship is deciding what the target was AFTER you've shot.

Salem

I have a handfull of friends who've been diagnosed, and recovered from H1N1. I'm not worried. Theres a kid that died in my city from it, but again, I'm not worried. Not yet.