Swine Flu, H1N1 Flu? Are we concerned?

Momversations tackled the topic of the H1N1 Flu:





My take on this:



Coming from a journalist perspective, I'm not surprised to see where the media went with the news of a new strain of the flu. "If it bleeds, it leads", something I learned in college and it is still embedded in my mind. So when I see the words pandemic with photos of people wearing masks, they are just words and images that we see so often that we have become desensitized due the fact that they are overused in the media.



Coming from a mom perspective and the semi-hypochondriac that I am, I want to keep my children away from anyone who looks like they are sick. Anyone who sneezes gets the evil eye from me! I should invest in shares of medical masks and wash them down with hand sanitizer?

I clearly remember when SARS happened, I didn't have any kids so I never really thought of it but I knew it was happening. Now with the Avian Flu I was a mess! My son was 6 months old when I went to visit my parents in Panama. They lived in a secluded retirement like community that was surrounded by chicken farms! We had to pass those things every time we had to go anywhere. At the time they were saying that people being affected the most where the elderly and infants and I pretty much lost my mind. Just like Daphne Brogdon of coolmom.com, I was ready to quarantine my son in a room away from everyone. And if I look back at that paranoid new mommy that I was I could giggle, but I was cautious.

Of course once I moved into my own apartment with my son while my husband was in basic training, I clearly remember my mother-in-law telling me to hoard perishables and water just in case the pandemic hit home. I have a very creative mind so these conversations would pretty much cause a riot in my imagination causing me to get little to no sleep. Yeah, those conversations never helped, but she did teach me to have an emergency kit in case of something like power outages or snowstorms or possible pandemics...

Now for the common sense side of my brain, limited and overpowered by the hypochondriac within I agree with Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com in the matter of prevention and how we should "resist the urge to to put your mouth on the shopping cart" ( I love that comment!).

Yes, the pandemic level has been set to phase 5 BUT prevention is essential! CDC recommends everyday precautions when it comes to the H1N1 flu, as with any other type of flu. Sneezing into your hand and then extending it to shake someones hand should be avoided! DUH! The WHO has advised on no restriction of travel or closing of borders as of yet and President Obama clearly encouraged exercising good hygiene and what not. Unfortunately President Obama's statements are clearly being ignored when Vice President Biden is announcing not to travel in planes and subways, way to keep the population freaking out there Biden! But you know what? People are more susceptible to hearing the negative and doomsday like news than following on simple solutions.

Should we be concerned? Yes! When the World Health Organization puts up there pandemic level they don't do it for fun! We should genuinely take precautions but killing pigs and inciting riots for a vaccine that will only be available in the fall is just insane.

If you have a runny nose or fever, stay at home, got to the doctor. Keep your kids at home if they are sick. Wash you hands with soap or an alcohol based hand sanitizer. There is no risk of getting the flu by eating pork. Tamiflu and Relenza are available for both the treatment and prevention of the new strain.

Paranoia never solved anything. Prevention is key.