How's the Flu Hitting You?

Over 1/3 of my son's middle school went home (or called in) sick yesterday.
It's all over the news that this is the worst flu outbreak since the killer
1918-1919 flu epidemic. (Which, incidentally, claimed my grandfather, and
very nearly killed my grandmother, while she was pregnant with my Dad.)

My CFI buddy said that half of his students cancelled lessons in the last
few days, and there was only one other person in the pattern with us
yesterday, on a CAVU afternoon. (Of course, the icy runways may have had
*something* to do with it!)

How's it in your neck of the woods? Anyone ever been hit with the flu (or
similar) while airborne?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 2003-12-12 06:03:26 -0800, "Jay Honeck" said:

How's it in your neck of the woods? Anyone ever been hit with the flu (or
similar) while airborne?

One of our crews transported a patient with who had it a couple weeks ago.
They had to wear those nifty masks like we wear for TB patients and get
decontaminated when they got back.

I'm not generally one to get flu shots, but since I seem to have a better than
average chance of coming into contact with it and my wife has an aunt who
is just coming off chemotherapy, i decided to get one as long as the nurses
in the office were handing them out.

--
Larry Fransson
Seattle, WA

I'm not generally one to get flu shots, but since I seem to have a better
than
average chance of coming into contact with it and my wife has an aunt who
is just coming off chemotherapy, i decided to get one as long as the
nurses
in the office were handing them out.

It was in our paper this morning that 2/3s of the flu cases nationwide are
of a type that is not affected by this year's flu shot... :-(
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
It was in our paper this morning that 2/3s of the flu cases nationwide are
of a type that is not affected by this year's flu shot... :-(

That's not exactly the case, Mr. Jay. It is my understanding that the shot
is effective. They are just not exactly sure HOW effective it will be.

Even in the best of cases, the flu shot reduces your chances of getting the
flu only 70 to 90 percent. This year, the effectiveness may be only 50
percent but no one really knows for sure.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in587612.shtml

I got my shot a couple of weeks ago for the first time in a dozen years. I
just cannot afford to be bedridden for a week right now. I also got my
little one a snort into his nostrils.

Scary stuff, man.

--
Jim Fisher

That's not exactly the case, Mr. Jay. It is my understanding that the
shot
is effective. They are just not exactly sure HOW effective it will be.

Well, here is from the AP, in today's Gannett-owned rag:

"About 2/3s of people with confirmed flu have a strain called 'A/Fujian'
The strain doesn't grow readily in fertilized chicken eggs, which made it
virtually impossible to include in the vaccine for this year's epidemic".

In other words, you're pretty much own with this particular strain...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:ZdlCb.513986$Tr4.1435387@attbi_s03...
That's not exactly the case, Mr. Jay. It is my understanding that the
shot
is effective. They are just not exactly sure HOW effective it will be.

Well, here is from the AP, in today's Gannett-owned rag:

"About 2/3s of people with confirmed flu have a strain called 'A/Fujian'
The strain doesn't grow readily in fertilized chicken eggs, which made it
virtually impossible to include in the vaccine for this year's epidemic".

In other words, you're pretty much own with this particular strain...

I live in NC, got my flu shot in October and rarely get sick. My 5 year-old
son came down with the flu last Saturday (he didn't get a shot). His fever
ran very high, so we took him to the doctor on Monday. As is usually the
case, he started to "come out of" the sickness while we were waiting for the
doctor to see him (I was wondering if we could run out on the check, to use
a restaurant addage). About that time, I started coughing, feeling a bit of
fluid high in my chest. That was Monday, today (Friday) is my first day back
to work and I am about 75% well, not contagious, but just a mere shell.
Missed three days of work.

I'm pretty sure I got the flu because of the classic symptoms: lots of chest
congestion, which later included my head, fever and WEAKNESS. I'm so damn
depleted right now. The weird thing about this flu is that it doesn't let go
of you like other flus I've had (only a handful in my 38 years), it's like
the damned Energizer bunny, about the time you think you're getting better,
it comes and smacks you again. My dad got it last week. He's 73 and it
nearly put him in the hospital. He told me that what he's coughing up is
indescribable. And yes, he's been vaccinated against the flu and pneumonia.

A six year-old boy just died locally and there are many children who are
unfortunately following suit.

I'm not seeing that the flu shot did a whole lot for me. My son and I have
had EXACTLY the same symptoms and duration. I just thank God that it didn't
kill him.

WASH YOUR HANDS!!!! Or the flu shall smite thee!

-Trent
PP-ASEL

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
Well, here is from the AP, in today's Gannett-owned rag:

"About 2/3s of people with confirmed flu have a strain called 'A/Fujian'
The strain doesn't grow readily in fertilized chicken eggs, which made it
virtually impossible to include in the vaccine for this year's epidemic".

In other words, you're pretty much own with this particular strain...

Not quite, Jay. From the article: " "With a vaccine with a less optimal
match, you have to say it might not work at all," said Dr. Scott Harper, a
CDC epidemiologist. "That's very unlikely. Probably it will not be 90
percent effective. But we just have no good sense of how it will work in
humans. Biology is messy."

"The mismatch occurred when experts decided to include a strain called
A-Panama in this year's shot, the same as last year. It turns out that the
dominant virus this fall has been A-Fujian, which has two genetic mutations
that make it different. "

--
Jim Fisher

Larry Fransson ) wrote:

I'm not generally one to get flu shots, but since I seem to have a better than
average chance of coming into contact with it and my wife has an aunt who
is just coming off chemotherapy, i decided to get one as long as the nurses
in the office were handing them out.

I thought I heard from a few different news sources that this year's US flu
vaccination formula does not include the strain that is currently making
the rounds in the US.

Here in upstate NY, the panic is high but the reported cases are still low.
Four hours or longer to wait in one of the remaining few lines left, only
to receive a shot that doesn't cover this year's variant? No thanks. I'll
take my chances the old fashioned way...

--
Peter












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I got the flu shot with my Class 2 medical last month and proceded to get
the worst cold of my life, it's been 3 weeks since it started and I'm still
coughing and congested. Some days I'm fine and can fly and other days I
wish somebody would just shoot me. As far as the true flu, it hasn't hit
around here yet, I'm sure it will wait until Christmas when everybody is
inside and close to one another so they can spread it really good.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:OUjCb.517762$Fm2.503505@attbi_s04...
Over 1/3 of my son's middle school went home (or called in) sick
yesterday.
It's all over the news that this is the worst flu outbreak since the
killer
1918-1919 flu epidemic. (Which, incidentally, claimed my grandfather, and
very nearly killed my grandmother, while she was pregnant with my Dad.)

My CFI buddy said that half of his students cancelled lessons in the last
few days, and there was only one other person in the pattern with us
yesterday, on a CAVU afternoon. (Of course, the icy runways may have had
*something* to do with it!)

How's it in your neck of the woods? Anyone ever been hit with the flu (or
similar) while airborne?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I live in Colorado. Flu. West Nile.

'nuff said.