Hey ya guys I had snappeb thsi up in the last 15 Min. on Bangkok Post!
30 new flu cases bring total to 46
By: BangkokPost.com
Published: 11/06/2009 at 01:33 PM
The number of A(H1N1) influenza cases in Thailand has risen sharply to 46, with the confirmation on Thursday that 30 more people were infected with the virus - most of them in the resort city of Pattaya.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said 21 new infections were confirmed in Pattaya. Another four were boys at Saint Gabriel's College in Bangkok, and the remaining five were people who were being monitored by health ministry officials.
After lab tests confirmed that four boys had contracted the virus, management of the school announced it would be closed for one week -- from Friday to next Thursday -- to prevent the spread of the virus and to clean the buildings. It will reopen next Friday.
Eleven people who were found to be infected in Pattaya were believed to have caught the virus at entertainment venues, he said.
Of the five people who were under watch, one was 20-year-old Briton who arrived from Cambodia on Tuesday., another a 23-year-old man who had developed a fever and a cough after returning from Singapore.
The third case was a 27-year-old woman returning from the United States and the fourth a construction worker who went to Suvarnabhumi airport to pick up his son who came back from the US.
The last case was the mother of a teenager who was found earlier to have the virus.
The spread of the flu has sparked alarm in Pattaya, where three Taiwanese visitors were first reported to have caught the virus while staying in Thailand. They were diagnosed on their return to Taiwan. Todays confirmation of 21 cases in the resort town added to the alarm.
On Thursday, three classes at the school were closed and the pupils toldto remain home after it was confirmed one student, an 11-year-old boy, had contracted the virus. He is the second case of human-to-human transmission confirmed in Thailand. He has not travelled out of the country.
Thirteen of the boy's classmates in Grade 6 have come down with flu symptoms. Lab tests have been completed on the samples of nine of them, four of which were tested positive for H1N1. The tests on four others had not been completed.
Mr Witthaya said 60 epidemiologists travelled to Pattaya to keep close watch on the patients there. All 21 patients had received anti-viral treatment.
He confirmed that no infections had yet been found in Phuket, where a Hong Kong man who holidayed there from last Thursday to Monday was reported to have fallen sick with the virus upon returning home.
Thought: Hmmm... We could expect more cases in the next comming weeks or so!
Swine flu closes school
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- Ace
- Posts: 1293
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Swine flu closes school
In Love with Hua Hin since 19naughty9 and it ain't fading!!!
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
They send 60 doctors for 21 patients, talk about service! 
I wouldn't be surprised if all of us don't come down with it sooner or later. My daughter's school in Rayong here is on alert and initiated an aggressive cleaning/disinfecting program daily.
My daughter has been fighting a cold for a week but just today it showed some signs of possibly being flu. She's off to the doc tomorrow to see. Most of her class has the rainy season sniffles so would be surprised if she or any of the other little one's actually have the moo flu. We'll see. Pete
I wouldn't be surprised if all of us don't come down with it sooner or later. My daughter's school in Rayong here is on alert and initiated an aggressive cleaning/disinfecting program daily.
My daughter has been fighting a cold for a week but just today it showed some signs of possibly being flu. She's off to the doc tomorrow to see. Most of her class has the rainy season sniffles so would be surprised if she or any of the other little one's actually have the moo flu. We'll see. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
WHO set to declare first flu pandemic since 1968
By Stephanie Nebehay – 1 hr 23 mins ago
GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization was poised on Thursday to declare that the new H1N1 virus has caused the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years, health sources said on Thursday.
The move will trigger heightened health measures in the WHO's 193 member states as authorities brace for the worldwide spread of the virus that has so far caused mainly mild illness.
WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan was to hold a news conference on the outbreak at 1600 GMT.
Flu experts advising Chan, who met earlier on Thursday, were expected to recommend moving to the top phase 6 on the WHO's six-point scale, the sources said.
That would reflect the fact that the disease, widely known as swine flu, was spreading geographically, but not necessarily indicate how virulent it is.
"Phase 6, if we call a phase 6, doesn't mean anything concerning severity, it is concerning geographic spread ... Pandemic means global, but it doesn't have any connotation of severity or mildness," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.
"In fact, what we are seeing with this virus so far is overwhelmingly to date mild disease. So we would think that this event is really a moderate event for the time being, because the numbers are high but the disease is overwhelmingly mild," he told Reuters Television before the talks.
David Heymann, a former top WHO official now chairing Britain's Health Protection Agency, said that countries had tried to contain the virus through measures including school closures during the current phase 5. This has extended the precious time needed to prepare for a full-blown pandemic.
"During phase 5, the government and people in the U.K. have had the time to prepare for a pandemic -- this has hopefully decreased any surprise and concern that might be associated with a WHO announcement of phase 6, if one is made," he told Reuters.
As it spreads in humans, science cannot predict what course the virus will take, the disease it causes and the age groups infected, Heymann said. "The severity of that disease, the effectiveness of antiviral drugs and the stability of the virus must all be watched closely," he added.
A pandemic could cause enormous disruption to business as workers stay home because they are sick or to look after family members and authorities restrict gatherings of large numbers of people or movement of people or goods.
World markets shrugged off the possibility of a pandemic, as investors focused on possible global economic recovery.
AUSTRALIA LIKELY TRIGGER
Widespread transmission of the virus in Victoria, Australia, signaling that it is entrenched in another region besides North America, is likely to be the trigger for moving to phase 6.
Five people have been admitted to intensive care in Australia and more than 1,000 cases confirmed following widespread testing in the state.
"We have tested 5,500 people in the last two weeks, that is more people than we test in our whole influenza season," said Victorian state premier John Brumby.
One health source, who declined to be named, said the experts were also expected to recommend finishing production currently under way of seasonal flu vaccine for the northern hemisphere next winter.
"They might say finish seasonal vaccine and say begin pandemic vaccine as soon as it is feasible," he said.
Drugmakers have obtained the new influenza A (H1N1) seed virus in the past two weeks, enabling them to begin the production process by growing the virus in eggs.
Company officials said on Wednesday that they were on track to have a vaccine against the new strain ready for the northern hemisphere autumn.
Seasonal flu each year kills up to half a million people, mainly elderly, and causes severe illness in millions, so a premature switch in vaccine production to cope with the new strain could put many people at risk.
The new strain can be treated by antiviral drugs oseltamivir, the generic name of Roche Holding's Tamiflu tablets, and Relenza, a spray made by GlaxoSmithKline.
The strain, which emerged in April in Mexico and the United States, has spread widely in nations including Australia, Britain, Chile and Japan.
Authorities in Germany have confirmed 30 cases of H1N1 at a school in the industrial Rhineland city of Duesseldorf, the most concentrated outbreak of the virus so far in Europe's biggest economy.
There have been 27,737 infections reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally of laboratory confirmed cases, but the real number of people with the disease is likely to run into at least hundreds of thousands, as mild cases may not have been detected.
A survey by New York City's health department showed that 6.9 percent of the city's population of over 8 million had experienced "flu-like illness" -- which could include other diseases -- in the first three weeks of May.
"The findings don't tell us exactly how many New Yorkers have had H1N1 influenza," said New York City Health Commissioner Dr Thomas Farley in a statement. "But they suggest it has been widespread, and mild in most affected people."
By Stephanie Nebehay – 1 hr 23 mins ago
GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization was poised on Thursday to declare that the new H1N1 virus has caused the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years, health sources said on Thursday.
The move will trigger heightened health measures in the WHO's 193 member states as authorities brace for the worldwide spread of the virus that has so far caused mainly mild illness.
WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan was to hold a news conference on the outbreak at 1600 GMT.
Flu experts advising Chan, who met earlier on Thursday, were expected to recommend moving to the top phase 6 on the WHO's six-point scale, the sources said.
That would reflect the fact that the disease, widely known as swine flu, was spreading geographically, but not necessarily indicate how virulent it is.
"Phase 6, if we call a phase 6, doesn't mean anything concerning severity, it is concerning geographic spread ... Pandemic means global, but it doesn't have any connotation of severity or mildness," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.
"In fact, what we are seeing with this virus so far is overwhelmingly to date mild disease. So we would think that this event is really a moderate event for the time being, because the numbers are high but the disease is overwhelmingly mild," he told Reuters Television before the talks.
David Heymann, a former top WHO official now chairing Britain's Health Protection Agency, said that countries had tried to contain the virus through measures including school closures during the current phase 5. This has extended the precious time needed to prepare for a full-blown pandemic.
"During phase 5, the government and people in the U.K. have had the time to prepare for a pandemic -- this has hopefully decreased any surprise and concern that might be associated with a WHO announcement of phase 6, if one is made," he told Reuters.
As it spreads in humans, science cannot predict what course the virus will take, the disease it causes and the age groups infected, Heymann said. "The severity of that disease, the effectiveness of antiviral drugs and the stability of the virus must all be watched closely," he added.
A pandemic could cause enormous disruption to business as workers stay home because they are sick or to look after family members and authorities restrict gatherings of large numbers of people or movement of people or goods.
World markets shrugged off the possibility of a pandemic, as investors focused on possible global economic recovery.
AUSTRALIA LIKELY TRIGGER
Widespread transmission of the virus in Victoria, Australia, signaling that it is entrenched in another region besides North America, is likely to be the trigger for moving to phase 6.
Five people have been admitted to intensive care in Australia and more than 1,000 cases confirmed following widespread testing in the state.
"We have tested 5,500 people in the last two weeks, that is more people than we test in our whole influenza season," said Victorian state premier John Brumby.
One health source, who declined to be named, said the experts were also expected to recommend finishing production currently under way of seasonal flu vaccine for the northern hemisphere next winter.
"They might say finish seasonal vaccine and say begin pandemic vaccine as soon as it is feasible," he said.
Drugmakers have obtained the new influenza A (H1N1) seed virus in the past two weeks, enabling them to begin the production process by growing the virus in eggs.
Company officials said on Wednesday that they were on track to have a vaccine against the new strain ready for the northern hemisphere autumn.
Seasonal flu each year kills up to half a million people, mainly elderly, and causes severe illness in millions, so a premature switch in vaccine production to cope with the new strain could put many people at risk.
The new strain can be treated by antiviral drugs oseltamivir, the generic name of Roche Holding's Tamiflu tablets, and Relenza, a spray made by GlaxoSmithKline.
The strain, which emerged in April in Mexico and the United States, has spread widely in nations including Australia, Britain, Chile and Japan.
Authorities in Germany have confirmed 30 cases of H1N1 at a school in the industrial Rhineland city of Duesseldorf, the most concentrated outbreak of the virus so far in Europe's biggest economy.
There have been 27,737 infections reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally of laboratory confirmed cases, but the real number of people with the disease is likely to run into at least hundreds of thousands, as mild cases may not have been detected.
A survey by New York City's health department showed that 6.9 percent of the city's population of over 8 million had experienced "flu-like illness" -- which could include other diseases -- in the first three weeks of May.
"The findings don't tell us exactly how many New Yorkers have had H1N1 influenza," said New York City Health Commissioner Dr Thomas Farley in a statement. "But they suggest it has been widespread, and mild in most affected people."
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Is that another flying pig???
Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. Thursday's announcement by the World Health Organization doesn't mean the virus is any more lethal — only that its spread is considered unstoppable.
Since it was first detected in late April in Mexico and the United States, swine flu has reached 74 countries, infecting nearly 29,000 people. Most who catch the bug have only mild symptoms and don't need medical treatment.
And scientists have grown to understand that the virus is generally not much more severe than the seasonal flu.
"That helps to tamp down any fears that may be excessive," Frieden said at a news conference — his first as CDC director.
But the virus can still be deadly and may change into a more frightening form in the near future, and so people should not be complacent, he added.
So far, swine flu has caused 144 deaths, compared with ordinary flu that kills up to 500,000 people a year.
So what is going on?? How did it originate in Mexico - hardly on the same level as the keeping of animals as in rural China? Is this some sort of a media/WHO beat up ??
If it is unstoppable and symptoms are mild why bother with the ballyhoo - far more will die from "normal" flu this year for which vaccines only protect against some serotypes. What's really wrong with building up your immune system via the usual exposure route mechanism??
Something smells about this outbreak and it ain't the fish in Denmark.
Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. Thursday's announcement by the World Health Organization doesn't mean the virus is any more lethal — only that its spread is considered unstoppable.
Since it was first detected in late April in Mexico and the United States, swine flu has reached 74 countries, infecting nearly 29,000 people. Most who catch the bug have only mild symptoms and don't need medical treatment.
And scientists have grown to understand that the virus is generally not much more severe than the seasonal flu.
"That helps to tamp down any fears that may be excessive," Frieden said at a news conference — his first as CDC director.
But the virus can still be deadly and may change into a more frightening form in the near future, and so people should not be complacent, he added.
So far, swine flu has caused 144 deaths, compared with ordinary flu that kills up to 500,000 people a year.
So what is going on?? How did it originate in Mexico - hardly on the same level as the keeping of animals as in rural China? Is this some sort of a media/WHO beat up ??
If it is unstoppable and symptoms are mild why bother with the ballyhoo - far more will die from "normal" flu this year for which vaccines only protect against some serotypes. What's really wrong with building up your immune system via the usual exposure route mechanism??
Something smells about this outbreak and it ain't the fish in Denmark.
My little one is negative, just a minor throat infection and low grade fever.
However, a child in primary at her school tested positive today for moo flu. GIS Rayong closed for at least the next 3 days.
Would expect we'll see more of these school closings throughout the country. Pete
However, a child in primary at her school tested positive today for moo flu. GIS Rayong closed for at least the next 3 days.
Would expect we'll see more of these school closings throughout the country. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Here's something new. However, the "young child and cool climate..." doesn't jive for here. Although, school kids here seem to top the list.
Thailand hasn't published any demographics by region. Would be interesting to see if sparsely populated schools in Issan for example are faring better than Bangkok schools.
News today says about 560 cases confirmed here to date. Pete
_____________
CDC sees "something different" with new flu
Reuters
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor – 1 hr 51 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The new strain of H1N1 flu is causing "something different" to happen in the United States this year -- perhaps an extended year-round flu season that disproportionately hits young people, health officials said on Thursday.
An unusually cool late spring may be helping keep the infection going in the U.S. Northeast, especially densely populated areas in New York and Massachusetts, the officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
And infections among healthcare workers suggest that people are showing up at work sick -- meaning that workplace policies may be contributing to its spread, the CDC officials said.
The new strain of swine flu is officially a pandemic now, according to the World Health Organization.
So far the virus is causing mild to moderate disease, but it has killed at least 167 people and been confirmed in nearly 40,000 globally.
The United States has been hardest hit, with upward of 100,000 likely cases and probably far more, with 44 deaths and 1,600 hospitalized.
"The fact that we are seeing ongoing transmission now indicates that we are seeing something different," the CDC's Dr. Daniel Jernigan told a news briefing.
"And we believe that that may have to do with the complete lack of immunity to this particular virus among those that are most likely affected. And those are children," Jernigan added.
"The areas of the country that are most affected, some of them have very high population densities, like Boston and New York. So that may be a contributor as well. Plus the temperature in that part of the country is cooler, and we know that influenza appears to like the cooler times of the year for making transmission for effective."
Jernigan said in areas that are the most affected up to 7 percent of the population has influenza-like illness.
SUMMER OF FLU
"The United States will likely continue to see influenza activity through the summer, and at this point we're anticipating that we will see the novel H1N1 continue with activity probably all the way into our flu season in the fall and winter. The amount of activity we expect to be low, and then pick up later."
One worrying pattern: healthcare workers are being infected, and most reported they did little or nothing to protect themselves, the CDC's Dr. Mike Bell said.
People coming into emergency departments or clinics need to be checked right away for flu symptoms and anyone working with such a patient needs to wear a mask, gloves and eyewear, Bell said.
"We're beginning to see a pattern of healthcare personnel-to-healthcare personnel transmission in some of the clusters, which is also concerning, because it gets to the issue of people showing up to work sick," Bell said.
Doctors, nurses and technicians who have flu can spread it to vulnerable patients, Bell noted.
As of May 13, the CDC said it had received 48 reports of healthcare workers infected with swine flu.
Detailed case reports on 26 showed that 13 were infected in a healthcare setting such as a clinic or hospital and 12 caught it from infected patients, the CDC said in its weekly report on death and disease.
Thailand hasn't published any demographics by region. Would be interesting to see if sparsely populated schools in Issan for example are faring better than Bangkok schools.
News today says about 560 cases confirmed here to date. Pete
_____________
CDC sees "something different" with new flu
Reuters
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor – 1 hr 51 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The new strain of H1N1 flu is causing "something different" to happen in the United States this year -- perhaps an extended year-round flu season that disproportionately hits young people, health officials said on Thursday.
An unusually cool late spring may be helping keep the infection going in the U.S. Northeast, especially densely populated areas in New York and Massachusetts, the officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
And infections among healthcare workers suggest that people are showing up at work sick -- meaning that workplace policies may be contributing to its spread, the CDC officials said.
The new strain of swine flu is officially a pandemic now, according to the World Health Organization.
So far the virus is causing mild to moderate disease, but it has killed at least 167 people and been confirmed in nearly 40,000 globally.
The United States has been hardest hit, with upward of 100,000 likely cases and probably far more, with 44 deaths and 1,600 hospitalized.
"The fact that we are seeing ongoing transmission now indicates that we are seeing something different," the CDC's Dr. Daniel Jernigan told a news briefing.
"And we believe that that may have to do with the complete lack of immunity to this particular virus among those that are most likely affected. And those are children," Jernigan added.
"The areas of the country that are most affected, some of them have very high population densities, like Boston and New York. So that may be a contributor as well. Plus the temperature in that part of the country is cooler, and we know that influenza appears to like the cooler times of the year for making transmission for effective."
Jernigan said in areas that are the most affected up to 7 percent of the population has influenza-like illness.
SUMMER OF FLU
"The United States will likely continue to see influenza activity through the summer, and at this point we're anticipating that we will see the novel H1N1 continue with activity probably all the way into our flu season in the fall and winter. The amount of activity we expect to be low, and then pick up later."
One worrying pattern: healthcare workers are being infected, and most reported they did little or nothing to protect themselves, the CDC's Dr. Mike Bell said.
People coming into emergency departments or clinics need to be checked right away for flu symptoms and anyone working with such a patient needs to wear a mask, gloves and eyewear, Bell said.
"We're beginning to see a pattern of healthcare personnel-to-healthcare personnel transmission in some of the clusters, which is also concerning, because it gets to the issue of people showing up to work sick," Bell said.
Doctors, nurses and technicians who have flu can spread it to vulnerable patients, Bell noted.
As of May 13, the CDC said it had received 48 reports of healthcare workers infected with swine flu.
Detailed case reports on 26 showed that 13 were infected in a healthcare setting such as a clinic or hospital and 12 caught it from infected patients, the CDC said in its weekly report on death and disease.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
For the record, the first test is a deep probe nose swab with a monster Q Tip (cotton bud). If that's positive, they do other blood tests from what I understand.prcscct wrote:My little one is negative, just a minor throat infection and low grade fever.
However, a child in primary at her school tested positive today for moo flu. GIS Rayong closed for at least the next 3 days.
Would expect we'll see more of these school closings throughout the country. Pete
The aforementioned youngster failed #1 but passed #2, negative for H1N1. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
I've just heard on the local Bristol news that a further 7 students at Bristol University have been confirmed with the bug. However, the University will remain open.
I think the knee jerk reaction to panic and close establishments is going away in the UK. At the end of the day, it seem to be a damp sqib at the moment.
I think the knee jerk reaction to panic and close establishments is going away in the UK. At the end of the day, it seem to be a damp sqib at the moment.
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd 
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Yeah, you're right BB. I scratched my head also. All I can fathom is that #1 is a time saver and whittles down the possibilities. The results are available in minutes. The blood test takes 24-48 hours to get processed.Big Boy wrote:If #1 is inconclusive, why not go straight to #2? Sounds like timewasting to meThe aforementioned youngster failed #1 but passed #2, negative for H1N1.
Earlier this week Bangkok-Rayong hospital had 300+ people lined up for tests at 0800.
Unfortunately Thai Mom's seem to have gone a bit overboard as well. Many kids forbidden to take their weekly swimming class at school as thought they could contract H1N1 from water (not just a chill, but the flu!) School management has tried to explain that is impossible, even with quotes from the CDC....no joy so far.
You know what happens here in a situation like this BB, things get nutty.
Pete Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Not just Thailand - almost everywhere.You know what happens here in a situation like this BB, things get nutty.
I was suffering from gastroentiritis recently, and Mrs BB insisted I get checked for swine flu.
Regarding #1, if the results are inconclusive, I really don't understand - unless if it produces a negative result, it is always correct.
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED