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[starlagurl]

Really? Which countries?

Visor, where are you living right now?

[jeremystravels]

Update, US reports first Swine Flu death...

BBC News

The death was an infant, unfortunately.

[skylab]

Really? Which countries?

Visor, where are you living right now?

My dad was coming in from Argentina and it was announced somewhere over there in the news.

[wakingdream]

I'm booked for Cancun with the family for the 28th. May. I will be keeping a weather eye on the situation to see what happens. At present I have not cancelled anything. We will have to wait and see.

Wife and I are heading to Playa Del Carmen in 8 weeks. Hopefully it's all cleared up by then.

We traveled throughout SEA and HK during SARS. Everyone back home was freaking out but it was way worse in Toronto than anywhere we were. It didn't affect our trip at all expect for in HK where there were some delays, med checks and masks, but it was only a small inconvenience. SARS spread to 37 countries and was eventually contained. It will be interesting to see how this compares.

Apparently there are only two main factors which will determine the strength of this virus;

mutation and resistance. Both of those have yet to be determined so no one really "knows" anything solid yet. Making those determinations could take a lot of time.

I went to the doc's with my son yesterday and on the door there is a notice. If anyone has symptoms of persistent cough and shortness of breath they should report to their doctor immediately. So I went on in and told the receptionist I have all those symptoms (b/c we have just had a nasty flu/cold combo which I know isn't swine flu). She asked if I was traveling recently and I said no. then she was all "oh okay then" and that was that.

Not that I think there should have been a big deal made but what if I was in contact with someone who had been to Mexico and I didn't know it? There has to be a better way to test people rather than saying, "if you haven't been to Mexico you're fine". The girl in BC who got it sat in the hospital waiting room for two hours before she got in. Who knows who else she infected.....

[raniroo]

We have been told if we have symptoms of the flu we should ring the doctor and advise that you have either been travelling or may have come in contact with someone that had....they can then determine whether you can come into the surgery or whether they will visit the home, or some other way of diagnosing.

Don't just turn up at the surgery in case you do spread it....

[sianeth]

We have been told if we have symptoms of the flu we should ring the doctor and advise that you have either been travelling or may have come in contact with someone that had....they can then determine whether you can come into the surgery or whether they will visit the home, or some other way of diagnosing.

Don't just turn up at the surgery in case you do spread it....

Yeah, same here. The government has launched a big ad campaign today and ordered in stocks of Tamiflu for 50 million people... Hmm, I am still inclined to try and ignore it all and continue as usual.

[sianeth]

Hmm, this seems pretty smart to me, I wonder if any other countries are trying it:

Thermal scanners will start screening travellers for high temperatures at eight of Australia's international airports this afternoon to help prevent swine flu from entering the nation's borders.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced the measure in Melbourne this afternoon in response to the World Health Organisation's warning that a pandemic was imminent.


Airports to use Thermal Scanners to scan for Swine Flu

[jeremystravels]

Hmm, this seems pretty smart to me, I wonder if any other countries are trying it:

Thermal scanners will start screening travellers for high temperatures at eight of Australia's international airports this afternoon to help prevent swine flu from entering the nation's borders.

Wouldn't there be an issue with the fact that the person, who had just been on a plane for 12 hours, had infected people sitting close to them? I doubt someone who just picked up the virus would start showing an increased temperature immediately. Then again I really don't know when in the process the virus is active and transferable, but it just seems a bit odd.

[myra77]

Well there were 35 -40 of us booked to go to Cozumel this weekend for my brothers wedding and our trip was canceled on Tuesday because Air Canada has postponed all flights to Mexico until June sometime. We were lucky that our travel agent and ACV opened up hotel rooms and a flight to the DR where we are headed to now instead otherwise we wouldn't have been going anywhere......

[starlagurl]

Hmm, this seems pretty smart to me, I wonder if any other countries are trying it:

Thermal scanners will start screening travellers for high temperatures at eight of Australia's international airports this afternoon to help prevent swine flu from entering the nation's borders.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced the measure in Melbourne this afternoon in response to the World Health Organisation's warning that a pandemic was imminent.


Airports to use Thermal Scanners to scan for Swine Flu

I think they did that for SARS too...

[skylab]

We had a memo at work that explained how to wash your hands and dry them.. Must be serious!

[wakingdream]

We have been told if we have symptoms of the flu we should ring the doctor and advise that you have either been travelling or may have come in contact with someone that had....they can then determine whether you can come into the surgery or whether they will visit the home, or some other way of diagnosing.

Don't just turn up at the surgery in case you do spread it....

But HOW are you supposed to know you've been in contact with anyone who might have the virus? Obviously you know if you've been traveling but I guess that's the whole scary component of a persistently spreading pandemic, you really have no idea because so-and-so person could have come back from Mexico with no clue, went to the bank and touched a few things then a few others picked it up, went elsewhere, touched a whole bunch of other things and then blammo, it's snowballed and out of control. I think that's really the scariest thing. That's why we just don't know the severity of it yet b/c it takes some time to assess the damage.

I think going on with life as usual is all we really can do. Keeping our hands clean and washing them persistently (not out of paranoia but out of safety) is the only way to avoid picking up anything, not just swine flu. that's the best thing to do in flu season, which is just at its tail end here, and this year the flus and colds were nasty. Seems like they get nastier every year.

Well there were 35 -40 of us booked to go to Cozumel this weekend for my brothers wedding and our trip was canceled on Tuesday because Air Canada has postponed all flights to Mexico until June sometime. We were lucky that our travel agent and ACV opened up hotel rooms and a flight to the DR where we are headed to now instead otherwise we wouldn't have been going anywhere......

I think we're going to see this more and more. Err on the side of caution. That's great that you could re-arrange a trip though.

[mmbcross]

My family and I are (were) planning to visit Cancun on the 28th. May. Here is the personal message I sent to all the family members today. I think it speaks for itself.

Hello Everyone,

Well, I would imagine that the planned family reunion for next month in Cancun is up for reconsideration.

Though the situation is regrettable, most news and health sources admit that it has been totally blown out of prospective. It is a flu epidemic that can be cured by such mundane medicines as Tamiflu. The chances of contacting the flu, even in Mexico, are infinitesimal, and suggestions about closing borders are ludicrous. All deaths up to now have been attributed to negligence or ignorance.

Nevertheless, it is the perception that counts in regards to our holiday. Though Miryam and I are still planning to go, it won't be a proper family reunion if no one joins us, and that is the whole object of this trip.

Firstly we need to ask how many people will come with us whatever? If less than half decide to go, I feel we should look to reschedule.

Mexicana Airlines will allow us to reschedule without penalty one week prior to the departure date. This will give us time to set another date, perhaps around Labour Day in September. By then the human race will either be extinct or the flu will have run it's course. So in theory, we must come up with an alternative date we all agree on by Wednesday 30th. May, unless of course CDC considers the epidemic is contained, and we can go ahead as planned. Please keep in mind that although Mexicana and all other airlines will reschedule, they will not refund the cost of the airline ticket.

Please let me know your comments and suggestions on the above.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/pdf/brochure.pdf
This is an interesting site from CDC putting the situation in perspective. Swine flu is by no means new, and CDC reckons that traditionally 30% to 50% of US pigs have always been infected with swine flu.

[visor2040]

Hello kids! The forum failed me, it usually sent me emails when people replied to threads .

So, update: Mexico City is officially the most bored city in the world! Bars, closed. Clubs, closed. Restaurants, closed. Museums, closed. Movie theaters, closed. Normal theaters, closed. Churches, closed. Malls, closed. Street food vendors, closed. Even freaking Blockbuster is closed .

Please stay away from Mexico City, screw influenza. The town is just boring. .

Should you come to Mexico City in a few months? By mid-May I'd say you're A-OK.

Other places? Please do, the disease didn't grow as some of us thought. If you have plans for the summer, please come and say hello .

I'll manually subscribe to this thread now, if anything new shows up I'll let you know.

PS: Remember to wash your hands

[wakingdream]

My family and I are (were) planning to visit Cancun on the 28th. May. Here is the personal message I sent to all the family members today. I think it speaks for itself.

Hello Everyone,

Well, I would imagine that the planned family reunion for next month in Cancun is up for reconsideration.

Though the situation is regrettable, most news and health sources admit that it has been totally blown out of prospective. It is a flu epidemic that can be cured by such mundane medicines as Tamiflu. The chances of contacting the flu, even in Mexico, are infinitesimal, and suggestions about closing borders are ludicrous. All deaths up to now have been attributed to negligence or ignorance.

Nevertheless, it is the perception that counts in regards to our holiday. Though Miryam and I are still planning to go, it won't be a proper family reunion if no one joins us, and that is the whole object of this trip.

Firstly we need to ask how many people will come with us whatever? If less than half decide to go, I feel we should look to reschedule.

Mexicana Airlines will allow us to reschedule without penalty one week prior to the departure date. This will give us time to set another date, perhaps around Labour Day in September. By then the human race will either be extinct or the flu will have run it's course. So in theory, we must come up with an alternative date we all agree on by Wednesday 30th. May, unless of course CDC considers the epidemic is contained, and we can go ahead as planned. Please keep in mind that although Mexicana and all other airlines will reschedule, they will not refund the cost of the airline ticket.

Please let me know your comments and suggestions on the above.

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/pdf/brochure.pdf
This is an interesting site from CDC putting the situation in perspective. Swine flu is by no means new, and CDC reckons that traditionally 30% to 50% of US pigs have always been infected with swine flu.

That sure puts it into perspective. Where else would you consider for the reunion? Do you know what the favorite alternative is to Mexico?

Please stay away from Mexico City, screw influenza. The town is just boring.

All seriousness aside, that made me laugh.

Warning! Do not go to Mexico City for fear of death by boredom.

[mmbcross]

Update for our family reunion in Cancun. We are good to go for May, with only two cancellations.

[bakasyonista]

"But HOW are you supposed to know you've been in contact with anyone who might have the virus? Obviously you know if you've been traveling but I guess that's the whole scary component of a persistently spreading pandemic, you really have no idea because so-and-so person could have come back from Mexico ....."


You don't really know because people can be contagious 1 day before their symptoms begin

The best way to protect yourself from getting or spreading swine flu are:
> Ask everyone around you to cover his/her mouth and nose when he/she coughs and sneezes.
> Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer, especially after you cough or sneeze
>Try to avoid being around sick people
>Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
>If you become ill, you should stay away from others.

[visor2040]

Yay! We go back to somewhat-normal this Wednesday!!!

Now you can come to MC. Just remember to bring your own face masks, hand sanitizer and/or gloves (I don't think you'll need gloves but some people like to use them). All those things are tax-free now. Remember to bring them with you, it will be VERY hard to find them here.

PS: Argentinians are leaving the city so if you planned on eating somewhere in La Condesa... think again. They're out of waiters.

[starlagurl]

Just read this article in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/fashion/.../03FLUWEDS.html

All kinds of brides are cancelling their weddings in Mexico. *sigh*

"We have had cruise passengers call, freaking out; brides with weddings in July having panic attacks — just wonderful!" said Terry McCabe, a travel agent at Altour in New York.

[mmbcross]

I can quite see that brides with destination weddings in Mexico have a problem. Unless of course they want to have a nice quiet wedding on their own!