How do they identify patient 0 – the very first who had the disease? How can they be sure that they have indeed found that person who had the disease first?

If we assume that this flu will be pandemic what can people do now that will lessen their chance later that will lessen their chance of getting the flu.

Thanks.

If it is not the swine flu it will be another flu go on with life

I will begin to get concerned when the death toll in the US reaches close to, or above the seasonal flu average death toll, which is 36,000.

Right now, it just feels like a lot of media hype, which i feel we really dont need... I think Obama and other officials are doing the right things to prevent this from getting really bad, and i am a bit concerned about it, especially if what they say is true, and this new strain is around to stay, but i still think there is no need for the media sensation this has become...

No denying the ominous chill of this flu.when Besser says we con expect deaths, what an understatement. Has he forgotten that already this year 12,000 have died in the US from various flu strains and that number is projected to reach 36,000 by end of flu season. So please, some context. If we are anticipating deaths, how many?

How to tell if we are with the swine flu or a common flu? Only tests can confirm what type of flu? What are these tests?

Is there a food that helps to increase immunity and help in the fight against swine flu?

When there was an outbreak of Dengue Fever (in Brazil) was advised to eat yams for to fortify the immune system.

Good Day:
Has anyone in the media or security considered the possibility that the swine flu could have come from an alternate source (i.e. man released by our enemy) as an act of terror specifically by the Taliban or Terrorist organization wanting to bring down our middle class?

Funny how this is not targeted towards the young or the old but seems to be hitting our middle class.

Also ironic is that this happened right as President Obama turned in his report for 100 days in office.

I have a question for Dr. Gupta and Dr. Carlos Del Rio:

Since health experts have already noted that this strain is part human, part swine and part avian in origin, isn't it HIGHLY unlikely it can be quarantined, as the possibility exists it is being spread by infected migratory birds who live near or among hogs? I have not heard of this senario yet by anyone. Couldn't the virus replicate as well by mosquitos, fleas or ticks who bite inflected birds or hogs living in close proximity to one another, and as vectors spread the virus even further?

Its does not matter where it originated at this point, its already here.Viruses know no boundaries this would have happened in what ever country it started in. Besides what are we going to do with the possible patient zero??? persecute him "how dare you get sick!" I don't think so.

What can they do to contain it and stop it's transmission? How long will it take?

How about calling this the H1N1 virus like the President and getting away fom the swine flu name?

Im not so concerned with what they are telling us, but more what they are not. Reality: All of the worlds governments are responding to this. And they are all concerned with wide spread panic. They are dripping us the truth. We may never know the truth of where this originated. We will only know what they tell us.

To quote GR:'It's always something' – wash your hands – stay out of crowds – eat your veggies . . . etc. That d*mn plane flying over lower Manhattan scared me more.

I currently work in the retail business and open up boxes daily at a fast pace, in which I have no time to wash my hands each time.

Is the U.S. currently accepting imports from mexico?

if so, could i be at risk?

What can we do to prepare now, for the upcoming changes that will happen to our every day lives if this turns into a pandemic? I am sure if this spreads as fast as it seems it may, lots of businesses that get a lot of traffic, like grocery stores, will be among the first to close.

There is already one case in my community, in Ohio, and I know for certain that I will not want to go anywhere if this thing gets out of control.

Anderson,

Do your best tonight not to add to the hype or fear tactics that other networks have used in regard to this outbreak. Give it the time it deserves, but don't be tempted to fall into the "24/7 gotta fill air time" drama that others have used to fill some dead air.

I'd rather have dead air.

this swine flu is very serious,my question is why do we not shut down the mexico borders?? it makes more sence to quarantine to one area rather than to risk the world with this virus,now is the time to shut the borders down!!!!!!

Although people need to be aware of this issue, please also report the other news of the day. All flu viruses are potentially dangerous, by their very nature. Please don't continue to feed people's fear over this one particular virus.

Required testing is broken down into categories for (confirmed, suspected, etc), but the simple answers for testing confirmation are:

-real time RT-PCR (based on genetic detection of the viral strain)
-viral culture
-4-fold rise in antibodies against influenza A (H1N1)

all three tests are straightforward, but do require some time to complete.

As far as increasing your chances, eating healthy and maintaining good personal hygiene are your best bets. common sense rules here. individuals who apply their common sense and avoid activities such as licking handrails will likely do better than others

spread from swine to human and mutation that allows human to human doesnt necessarily mean that the virus can suddenly jump species over and over again. thankfully, viruses dont have a "use windows 2000 compatibility mode" to smoothly jump across "operating systems" aka, species (in most cases).

identification of patient zero can be of utility. the more we learn about the changes that occurred to infect the individual and the specific host from which it originated the better we can truly understand the methods of spread, rate of mutation in the human population, etc etc

I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but I really do think that there are probably many more cases of this flu all over the US right now. The only way that we can find out if this is the case is for every person who exhibits flu like symptoms at doctor offices and emergency rooms to be tested for the flu....and we know that is not being done. I've known people who have been very ill recently, but no one was sending samples off to be tested. Just because there have only been 80 reported cases in the US, certainly doesn't mean that this is anykind of realistic number.

What really scares me is Richard Besser saying “I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection." Who is particularly susceptible to a swine flu death? My family and I are very healthy. We wash our hands, often. If we catch this are we doomed?

I am so scared! no i take every precaution before doing anything. the reason i am scared is because several of my friends went to mexico for spring break, and ONE of them was sick with the flu! i don't know whether it was the SWINE FLU or the REGULAR FLU! THIS IS A GREAT TIME OF UNCERTAINTY.

I am a Canadian and lived in Toronto during the SARS outbreak. Why is it that CNN continually criticized our ability to contain the virus and repeatedly mentioned that travel should be limited? It has taken Toronto several years to recover from this as many tourists and conventions have never returned.

Now that the swine flu has hit the United States – CNN is covering the outbreak well, although you are not mentioning tourists to stay away from New York City or limit their travel within the US. I don't think you would dare do to your own country what you did to Toronto.

There was as much chance of catching SARS in Toronto as there is catching the swine flu in New York.

I hope for your country's sake, still deep in a recession, that you don't do to it what you did to Toronto as it will take years to recover.

I am planning a trip to Disneyland next week with my two young kids. Although I realize that more die from the "common" flu, with the media attention regarding the swine flu, I think it's understandable that I am worried. Do you think it is safe to travel to California, in particular Anaheim and San Diego? (I am even more worried with the news regarding the two deaths in the California area).

i wonder if dr. gupta asked the mexican authorities if the pig farm in any way contaminated the water supply where the little boy was found

Are teenagers more likely to die than the eldery and the real young?

is it possible that a lab made this virus and put it into Mexico pig farms to attack the drug lords and mob influence in Mexico to eradicate this without the use of military and border security?

I hate the flu

My question is for the CNN consultant doctors.

I was given the swine flu vaccination in late 1976, which trigered Gilliam Barret Syndrome and was almost killed by the vaccine itself. My question is when they do come out with a vaccine for this new Swine Flu should I not even think about taking it, or run fast in the other direction? I don't even take the regular flu shots because of this fear of them. I also fear for my children taking them because they share my genes.

Thank you.
James E. Burnett

If the swine flu combines with the avian flu what will be the chance that the resulting varient will be more deadly than it is currently?

I would like you to invite any reputable natural medicine doctor to share his/her views about the swine flu, The doctors that have appeared on your shows seem more like spokespersons for the manufacturers of Tamiflu and Relenza. The public has the right to know if there is anything natural like colloidal silver that offers any protection against this flu. According to several studies, it is effective against avian flu and some other antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. If CNN doesn't do this, who will?

Reducing the transmission of the swine flu virus is of paramount concern. Would it make more sense to wear latex gloves to prevent transmission instead of face masks? It seems like gloves would serve as a reminder to wash hands, and help individuals to avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth, etc. How effective would this be?

I'm really concerned about this mortal disease,I have no doubt that the government`s response was too slow.
But what is worst, the jalisco governor is definitively a dumb man, seeing all this cases all over the country, and states around us he kept saying that Jalisco was clear, how could it be being us the 2nd most important city (Guadalajara), after spring holidays when the city was empty due to people travelling every where.
Finally, he decided not to suspend or close schools, so he sent our kids to0 be infected, and it had to be the federal government who cancelled classes (Mr. Gonzalez Marquez the governor) even said that he didn`t agree the federal government but he would obey them.
As you can imagine we are more frightened of our governor decisions than being attacked by this illness.

The Spanish Flu pandemic killed many in the 20-45 age range, while the more conventional flu bugs are fatal to the very young, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. What other similiarities are there in the early stages of this flu outbreak to the Spanish outbreak? How long will it take to develop, test and provide a vaccine, particularly for the countries just entering their flu season? Thanks

Can we get the swine flu again once we have had it and is it milder if we can get it again.

Hi, I am from the U.S., but I am living and working in the resort city of Mazatlan, Mexico. I work for a very popular resort hotel, and I am upset that all the news about the swine flu is about Mexico in general! Where I live, we haven't had any swine flu cases, yet, but all of the tourists think that there is swine flu everywhere in Mexico, because of what the media is saying! Unfortunately, we are having many tourists cancel their vacations to Mazatlan, because they are afraid of catching swine flu. When in fact, they can just as easily catch it where they live! I wish that the media would please specify that almost all of the cases are around Mexico City and the surrounding states, but not in the northern part of Mexico, where Mazatlan is! We want the tourists to know that you are generally safe in Mazatlan. The only thing they have to worry about is drinking too much Tequila! Thanks for letting me voice my opinion.

When I was in the US Army in 1977, I was stationed in Germany. In January or February of that year the Army told me that their was a shot I was required to get. We were chosen by the last 2 digits of our social security numbers. After we were sick, and we all were, we were told that it was the Swine flu. I was also told that they wanted to give it to our dependents, including my wife who was pregnant at the time. I refused to allow my wife to receive the shot even though they tried to make it a direct order. I have never been so sick in my life, we were even put on quarters till we recovered. I had a temp of 102 for 5 days. They have had 32 years to come up with a vaccine for the swine flu, so why the problem or surprise now?

What are the actual fatalities in Mexico? Reports from people in the country itself seem to differ from what is being reported by the authorities.

What's the real number of deaths confirmed by the swien flu in Mexico... Minutes ago according to the Mexican Health Secretary, the number is 159... Who is checking if the numbers provided by Mexican authorities if they are correct or not? Earlier today I read that there were only 7!

Certainly an issue we need to be concerned with. I had the swine flu shot back in 76 and hope that it helps with the current flu. Although a couple of days ago we were told that we should not be overly concerned it seems that has changed. Makes me wonder how fast the government would act to protect us against a biological attack.

Its my understanding the Spanish Flu pandemic came in waves. Thus we may see a resurgence of this virus in the USA in the fall when our normal flu season hits. By that time the virus may have mutated so that the antivirals are not effective. For now I guess we wait and watch.

If you're sick...STAY HOME. The only way to stop the spreading of the flu is to contain YOURSELF if you are sick. It is here in the US and will get worse. It is transmitted from person to person. People will most likely continue to go to work if they are sick...and infect numerous people throughout the day x10×10x10×10...

The government should reimburse a person for doing the RESPONSIBLE thing by staying home from work if they are sick. The money in an emergency fund should go towards encouraging those infected to contain themselves and limit their exposure to others. Paying someone to stay home from work would be an effective incentive and would contain the spread of the virus.

I am in one of two CT communities who have closed schools tomorrow for cleaning. Even if they clean tomorrow, with the incubation period, can't the disease spread Friday or Saturday or next Monday? Shouldn't they be closing down for five days or so?

Is it possible that all these flu scares (Avian, SARS, Swine, etc, etc.) are being propagated by drug companies so as to convince us that flu vaccines are necessary for everyone?

Good coverage on the transference of germs in a public place(subway handrails and seats)....let's not forget the most common risk through the handling of money.

I've read many articles about this swineflu and I read about the 1976 swine flu that was also called the Great Plague. When the government sent out vaccines for it, many people died because of those vaccines. Is there a new vaccine that can help cure the flu this time?

Question for Dr. Gupta,

I just returned to the States from Mexico (Oaxaca). How cautious should I be in terms of getting sick and infecting others? Should I isolate myself?

Just found out this evening our school district in Texas is closing for a week and a half because of the swine flu. As far as I know, only 1 can has been reported of a teacher at a night class on one of the high school campuses. Is this overreacting? Will it really help? If they don't close the malls and movie theaters, etc., it seems kind of pointless.

Aren't we super breading germs with al the anti-bacterial products in soaps and even sanitizing gel? Erasing germs from our environments compromises our ability to fight even simple germs, while meds force viruses to mutate and become way stronger.

I see more people sick and dying from heart disease everyday than the flu.

it's a gov't conspiricy to stop illegal immigration

Whoa Nellie;

It's the vaccine that will kill you in six to nine months. Watch out if you are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five; fighting age!

The perfect war is waged when the enemy doesn't know who it's fighting.

Stay calm, Do NOT get vaccinated; no matter what anyone says!

Thank you for you attention.

V

They said it would take months to create a vaccine for the swine flu. This concerns me.

I'm currently on vacation in Miami from Illinois and I can tell you that every store I've checked here in Miami Beach has sold out of surgical masks to protect people on the airplanes going home. However my wife and I always fly with portable ionizers called the "Buddy" we got from Ecoquest. I hope that will be enough protection for us on the way home since we can't get surgical masks too.

New Information re: H1N1
Robert Hart of Veratect, Kirkland , WA ( a company which manages epidemiological trends worldwide ) sent out an alert on 4-6, to both CDC and WHO concerning the cluster of disease present in La Gloria, Mexico, which they had been following since February, in which1800 people became ill.
This is one week prior to when both of the CA children had her their samples sent in for testing. These are the first 2 U.S. cases and the start of a possible pandemic.
Veratect became more alarmed and sent emails 4-16/17 and called the CDC directly on 4-20, after receiving no reaction from them.
On 4-24, the news was finally made public by CDC. The total elapsed time from when Veratect gave their initial warning to the time when CDC made their announcement was 20 days.

I was in Durango, Mexico last week and came back on Sunday, Apr. 26th thru the New Mexico border. If I had contracted the virus, when would I know if I am carrying the virus? I have no symtoms at the moment.

I am a Pharmacist in suburban Atlanta. What worries me is that I am continuously exsposed to thousands of sick people who travel freely to and from Mexico unrestricted, undetected and unauthorized . Atlanta and it's suburbs have been transformed into a not so American city. Don't be surprised if the death toll includes, to a great degree, the communities of Atlanta. The authorities seem to only be focused on travelers, the real threat from viral dissemination will not be from vacationers returning home.

Maria Mar-I wholeheartedly agree with you.

Just my opinion, maybe I have seen too many Sci-Fi movies but I feel we need to SHUT IT DOWN, THE MEXICAN BORDERS, NOW. Let's save lives, stop discussing. The Food & Drug Administration need to go to the pig farm in Virginia, and shut it down also, since it is in association with the pig farm in Mexico. The reason the other countries stop receiving meats from us is they know we have a large population of illegal mexicans coming into our country handling our meat supply, they could be carriers of swine flu. Per studies they stated the next wave of threat to humans asfaras a terrorist act will be our food supply. We know the government do not keep us fully informed. They do not believe 'we can handle the truth', all the while our love ones will become infected and maybe die. Let's discuss shutting down our borders.

Lastly, Dr. Sanjay Gupta should not put his crew and/or co-workers in danger, he should not be allowed to come back into the US without a holding station for a couple of weeks. Concerned Citizen.

My 8 year old daughter has diabetes and we live in Illinois. Seeing that Indiana has suspect cases, should I be taking drastic precautions to keep my daughter safe? If so...what?

Have the researchers figured out why this flu is so deadly in Mexico, but fairly mild everywhere else?

Why do some people get the swine flu and die and others do not? What are the chances of surviving it if you do get the swine flu?

I had the Hong Kong Flu when I lived in Miami, many years ago. Many older folks died! I was in my 20's and was very ill for 3 months, this seems like it is as long as a common cold, and not nearly as severe as the Hong Kong Flu, or are we late in getting the information for a long period of time? How long does this run its course?

Hello Anderson, I was briefly this weekend in Mexico City and I saw people going about their business. My only concern was my flight being cancelled on Saturday, everything was fine and on the plane expected to be received by sanitation authorities in DFW and as always we in the USA don't know whats going on outside and that sadly includes our authorities.

My concern is that I am to leave for vacation May 10 to Porta Vallarta Mexico. The Travel Agency won't refund my money or let me travel elswehere without it costing me even more money. This is not something that anyone planned. What should I do?

What about the U.S. blood and plasma banks? I am a nurse who works in one and have not yet heard of prescreeining donors for the swine flu. We are mandated by the FDA. Any information about this?

The WHO website states it is not advising any restrictions on travel to Mexico. The CDC website advises us to "avoid non essential travel" to Mexico. Leaving on a cruise Sat. Cruise line says it is going to stop in Mexico. How can two agencies have different views. Thanks.

Will HIV medicines like retanscriptase inhibitors work against this virus?

I am wondering why the local goverment officials do not step up right now, regardless of whether the flu is in their state or not. I live in Hawaii and I teach Kindergarten. I have had to be very pro active myself in order to educate my children about hygeine and how to prevent it. The school district has chosen to ignore it so far. I am sending updates to my parents,(many of them from Mexico.) I had to send the info home,furnish tissues, soap, and hand sanitizer. We need to be preparing and very proactive. You have no idea how much sneezing, wiping, coughing,etc goes on everyday in my Kindergarten class.!

Hello,
I am a freshman in my school in Antioch,CA and I saw a lot of kids in my class coughing and sneezing. And now my sister, who goes to the same school started coughing and sneezing. Is there a possibility that the Flu has spread to our county too. (Contra Costa County)

Hello,
I also had a question. I was wondering if there is a definate cure for the flu because today i have heard of many cases recovering of the flu and would like to know how that is possible.
Thank you

Question for Dr. Gupta and Del Rio

I read that pigs', monkeys' and chicken cells are among other dangerous and poisonous "ingredients" contained in the vaccines shots given to our children and recommended by doctors ... Is it possible that the swine flu made its way to the human population through this via???

how many infected ppl are in mexico? and how many in the US?

Is the swine flue virus a retro virus?

Question for Dr. Gupta:
I have been assuming for years that Hydrogen Peroxide is as good a neutralizer of bacteria, viruses, etc., as is alcohol. I use it after washing my hands, every day. Is it actually worth using?

I heard last year that washing our hands with regular soap was only as effective as an alcohol-based hand cleaner IF we washed our hands for 20 seconds. In other words, the length of time spent in washing is significant and I wonder, if this is true, if it needs to be mentioned in your information.

Thank you!

Two groups of posters here: The ones who expect someone (big brother?) to do something and those who understand that this is a fact of life just like a tornado or an earthquake.

Group #1: This is not a drill. Nobody knows how dangerous it is, especially since it has the potential to change rapidly. It is already too widely spread for an effective quarantine. There are no magic ways to avoid it, surgical masks are mostly a joke, vaccines are months away.

Who will get this bug and how severely is essentially a lottery with unknown odds. It may turn out to be just another flu, or it may be very deadly. Waiting for someone to tell you all the answers is a great way to be unprepared.

If you were suddenly too sick to go shopping for a week, do you have enough basic supplies on hand for yourself, your family, and your pets? Things you could eat with a really iffy stomach? Basic meds like cough syrup and aspirin? Sports drinks for staying hydrated? A fever thermometer? Today would be a great time to take inventory.

I have heard that the flu shot given this year may help alittle against this doesanyone know that for a fact

Hi Anderson!

Last week I had a couple days of intense headaches (I nevever get headaches) and now I also have allergy type symptoms with a slight fever (99.6). I travel weekly via airplane and my job is in healthcare so I am in a different hosptial in a different state each week...should I be worried or am I totally stressing myself out for nothing?!!. I do not want to be a hypochondriac!

IBTW – live in KS and today I flew to TX! Yikes!!

Advice from Sanjay?

Thanks!!

Warm regards,

Kimberly

Has anyone explained how this particular virus has four separate viruses, human, swine, avian and one other I can't recall.

Is this a normal mutation???

Just wondering.

Is there any concern that thousands of tourists from Mexico come every year to celebrate 5 de Mayo in Las Vegas? If they come as in previous years, and a small percentage of them are carrying the virus, it could spread from Vegas to all points in the US within days. Are health officials looking into this? Are Nevada health officials looking into this?

Will prophylactic use of Tamiflu and Relenza be effective actions against this swine flue?

As a nurse i completed a nasal swab on a 9 month old infant. He tested positive influenza A. i did not wear a mask and I am 8 month pregnant. What should I do?

Thanks,

Dena
Union, NJ

Should there be mandate for all schools to disinfect surfaces everyday or evening as a preventative?

If the virus only lives for 24-48 hours ... is the produce from mexico safe or can the virus actually live long enough to be dangerous after being shipped?

What is the CDC advising individuals and families to do other than washing hands often? Should we all stay out of crowds for a while, such as shopping or sports events?

How do we know someone hasn't got the virus that traveled to mexico but didn't get sick enough to report to a doctor or hospital and is now spreading the virus?

hi im really concerned about the swine flu but my question is how fast is it spreading? I live in southern nj and would like to know

It's one way to stop the drug lords. Now people stateside may not want to do business with them in fear that they will get the virus.

Please read up on the real utility of face masks as a device to prevent acquisition of swine flu. Viruses are far too small to be blocked by masks of the type being used in Mexico. The only effective barrier is a respirator of the type used in P3 facilities. The continued reporting of people wearing face masks does a disservice to the general population by giving them a false sense of security and lessens the chance that people will do the things that can really minimize viral disease transmission. (I have sent a similar message to Dr. Gupta who is generally extremely reliable with his information). The only value of these face masks is that are making the manufacturers of such devices rich. They simply don't work against viruses.

Why has Gov. Schwarzenegger declared California a state of emergency if there have been no deaths here?

Cate

It seems o me, the US should be taking several major steps immediately:

One-Close down the border

Two-Subject all travelers arriving from Mexico to temperature readings
as they arrive in the US.

Three-Alternatively, bar all but returning US citizens from flying into the US.

Four-Have flight attendants on all incoming flights report on all passengers with coughs, who vomit and to the extreme, those who use the toilet, during the flight.

Five: The attendant on all international flights, for the next fews weeks,
should be reporting persons with excessive coughs, those who vomit and at least those making FREQUENT trips to the bathroom.

Having flown millions of miles over my career, to include the last two epidemics, I know the US needs to tighten up our borders.

Hi, Anderson, the flu virus is not a new virus, i think the need for a vaccine is extremely urgent. The centre for disease control need to start thinking in that direction. A enough of politics in capital hill.

When the last pandemic of H1S1 in 1918 it cause most deaths people in the prime of their lives not the very young or aged, is this what we should expect?

I am a frequent domestic business traveler in the US; should I take additional steps while at the airport and during flights by wearing an N95 rated mask?

Would you travel to San Antoinio Texas for a national oncology conference on the river walk tomorrow?

This is scarry, but we are getting a lot of useful information from all sorts of people...thats for that

Obvious as with any new strain of infectious disease, this case the flu, there is a high possibility of mass infection due to lack natural antibodies to it. Why is this flu strain more dangerous than others? Has there been a large enough sample of people to determine if this flu has a higher mortality rate than other common / preexisting flu strains?

If someone had the swine flu in 1976, is there a way to have these people tested for antibodies? Would that help to develop a vaccine or cure?

Obama's 100 Days (and 100 – 3am nights)
As a primary and mental health advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, I find it telling that in the first 100 days it took 99 for Congress to confirm Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary. They finally did when pig flu flew...

I have the cure for the Swine flu; follow these steps.

1)Hold your breath until we have a new topic to scare the nation.
2)Hide in your room to avoid human contact.
3)Watch news coverage all day to increase your hysteria (and your blood pressure).
4)Assume the fetal position.
5)Wait for the next instruction.

Let it snow in April that will kill the Viruses, so just pray and keep your hands clean at all time.

How risky is it to swim in a public (YMCA) pool?

I am going to Atlantic City to gamble. Do I have to worry about touching all the slot machines and what should I do to take precautions besides washing my hands. Pam

Even though it's already out there, it is important to find out where it came from so that this situation doesn't happen anymore in the future. Of course this could have happened anywhere, at a university , near research labs, vacation resort...who knows but we need to find out. So, lets say if there is no solid evidence that the virus did not come from the near by farm(s), then where else could it have come from? Or If it did come from the farm(s), then how did the farm(s) become infected?

Isn't there a cure to eliminate swine flu? If not, is there anything to reduce it?

Are those who received the swine flu vaccine about 1976 protected against this strain of swine flu?

Anderson,

A previous question asked how long the swine virus can live. The answer was a few seconds to 48 hours. We have seen footage of custodians in the schools where students have been infected sanitizing the schools shortly after the infections were discovered. Maybe I am missing something, but if we know that the virus cannot live for more than 48 hours, why are we not closing the facilities where infections have been found for 72 hours from everyone, including the cleaning crews? This would ensure the virus is gone. At that point the buildings could be safely sanitized. It seems like sanitizing infected facilities so quickly increases the chance of those who do the disinfecting to become infected, and thereby increasing the chance of spreading the disease once cleaners leave the building.

At this rate how fast is the swine flu spreading in the U.S?

If a Mexican farm produce is initially contaminated with swine flu virus at its point of origin and gets exported to other countries like USA and Canada, is it possible for the swine virus to survive and infect people when the produce is consumed?

1918.

Was this started by the Mexican's drug lords to take the heat off of them?

I just thought that I would write with a little info about just how well our government is protecting us from Swine Flu. I live in the Rio Grand Valley. Our governments refusal to close the border with Mexico is putting the children here in grave risk. Every day parents from Mexico bring their children across from Mexico to go to the public schools here in the valley. This evening on our local news a reporter stopped a van full of such children coming to the U.S. to go to school. Several of the children in this van where coughing and even stated that they where not feeling well. If for no other reason this should be cause for our government to close our border crossings.
Futhermore: All of our local phyarmacys and our local Doctors are low if not completly out of both medications used for treating Swine flu and are unable to ubtain more. The reason for this is Doctors from Mexico are comeing accross and trying to buy as much of the medicans as they can as there is no stocks left in Mexico. Also they are sending their patients to the U.S. to fill their prescrbtions for these drugs.

@ Hugh:

Genetically, it is very very unlikely that this virus can be spread from migratory birds or insects. When the influenza mutated through recombination of strains (swine,human,and avain) the change in the virus which allowed human to human spread of infection was probably drastic enough to prevent infection of birds at this point. The reason humans can aquire swine strains of flu more readily than avain strains is due to the fact that genetically we are very closely related to swine.

Influenza virus is spread through droplet particle inhalation, not through blood borne routes like malaria.

Anderson as a lowley R,N. it makes me wonder why these lofty appointed officials havn't figured out this swine flu "epidemic" yet. We have stock piles of Tamiflu so we are told, then why are we not giving out the stuff in a pez dispenser in the cluster areas? 75mg per day for 6 weeks is supposed to prevent the problem. Sounds like a no brainer to me.

i work for a major hardware chain where i interact with thousands of people daily, how concerned should i be? i always provide excellient customer service .. via shaking hands, etc..how far back should i stand from my customer...i don't want to offend my clients..i live near the boarder..should i be concerned about people coming back across who are wearing masks??? thanks

At the risk of sounding morbid, I've been doing some research the last couple of days and these pandemic virusus are facinating. My question is regarding the fact that the young healthy people who are dying with the swine flu are being killed by their own immune system, whereas with our "normal" flu viruses, it's the "complications" due to age or illness that results in death.
Why aren't immuno-suppresant drugs used to prevent healthy people dying from their immune system over-reaction? I know I'm over simplifying, but I was curious why it wouldn't work.

ok are we done talking about the swine flu ? all the news stations > including cnn are hyping the virus, ok why dont we take this energy and worry about the people that are really at risk ? why do we not help the homeless !!! people with weak immune systems are at risk !!! ratings and money do not over rule human life , espescially those of women , children, and the needy !!!!!

The real value of face mask seems to be in keeping people who are already ill from spreading the virus, rather than protecting healthy people. Therefore if we all act responsibly, wearing face mask in public, we can stop the spread of swine flu.

Would you travel to San Antoinio Texas for a national oncology conference on the river walk tomorrow? This is not a must but would like to go.

It should be obvious that you can't get the swine flu from eating pork. The virus is killed by cooking. But what about handling raw pork? Can the virus be tansmitted via blood and tissue, or is it only transmitted via oral or nasal fluids?

Timing may be everything. The flu season is winding down. There may be little spread and mostly minor illness in the US and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere until November. The flu was present in Mexico much earlier than the US, during the prime season for infection, and for that reason it's possible transmission and severity of illness has been greater there, at least until the next Northern Hemisphere flu season begins, say in November.

Could this be a case of animals (swine) being crammed into filth before the are slaughtered?
Seems like swine flu, mad cow, bird flu is caused by our huge demand meat.
Is this payback from the animals?

i believe this swine flu is just to scare every one!

Anderson,

I'll be in bed by the time you read this. But here is my question(s).
There are 3500 plus flu's report each year that sadly kill people, And this swine flu has killed below 250, and the reporting is out of control, why is that? If it is the so called swine flu, does everyone die from it? And why are they telling people if you're sick, stay inside for 7 days? Why would you stay inside, and not go to the hosp? If it can't be cured, why would one go to the hosp, and if youre' sick, why should we stay inside, and not go to the hosp? And if you get it, how long after does someone die? And didn't CNN report that our president went to mexico and was greeted by a man, that died a day later from the swine flu, when in fact he had a heart attack?

Good-night.

if we had the swine flu long time ago then why didn't we have the vacination for now.

if someone has ashtma does if affect the person more?

We are scheduled to go to cancun may 21st as an all pd trip by my wife's business. Should we go?

I have to pick my nephew up in Tijauana tomorrow, he will be boarding a flight in Mexico City, taking all the precautions seriously, does anyone know if any, were any flights canceled due to the flu?

I've heard that a recent study indicated that increased intake of Vitamin D seems to lessen flu symptoms. What is Dr. Sanjay Gupta's opinion of this? What has he heard about this study?

If we have antibotics that do help with the Swine Flu why are we not giving them out to everyone as a percation? Why when people are coming or going in or out of mexico are we not giving everyone the antibiotics? I know that border patrol, customs, is looking for "signs" that a person has the Swine Flu but what if someone is not showing signs and does have it? If the government can send antibiotics to California and other states why not give it to everyone and try to stop this before we DO have deaths in the US. Also what are we doing to help Mexico to prevent this from happening again?

Could the deaths from Swine Flu in Mexico be due to ignorance in blowing off the initial signs of fever in children and younger adults as perspiration complaints due to the hot weather? Could average Mexicans be ignorant about the importance of cooling the human body in hot weather when it is also running a fever? If a child were to say, "I feel hot", what is the likelyhood that an adult would brush it off in the summer as being hot weather-related, especially if the child or young adult was perspiring? Could problems relating to dehydration be compounding the problems that the Mexican people are having in dealing with Swine Flu? It is easier to stay cooler with a fever in New York, Ohio, and other places within our nation this time of year than it is Mexico.

Will I get swine flu from my sink water?

I think if someone has the flu, then they and anyone they have been around should be under quarantine until they are past the contaigious period. I know this was done decades ago for small pox and things like that, that I have read about.

Why not start this again. Maybe this way we can end the spread of this.

Also if there is a vaccine created can people be allergic to it?

How many of the deaths in Mexico have been confirmed as swine flu and not some other infection?

I'm in San Diego and believe the US should close the border. Thoughts?

Thank you for keeping us up to date. Too bad there is not more good news to report. These are serious times but I keep looking for things to smile about.

someone commented on another blog that they would like to know who survives and who doesn't. that is an odd question, as immunity has everything to do with surviving any cold, much less a viral one! The young and old are vulnerable and that is a lot of people.

what is worse is that there will be people frightened by the news and that doesn't help because they are the first ones to get this flu. fear brings your immunity down.

I say let's all calm down, wash our hands and keep ourselves out of harm's way the best we can. that's all you can do in any crisis. oh, and be careful in public restrooms. those are the places where germs are likely to spread. bringing some lysol wouldn't hurt, just about now. In fact, at the gym tonight (24 hour Fitness in Cypress, CA), I saw they had antibacterial wipes everywhere. it's the first time I saw that many containers. it's fine, but I wish that I saw that many containers all the time because the gym has never smelled or looked better than it does now.

Media coverage is born from the hope to make money. The media is a profit driven venture. What's scary makes money. Swine Flu, Terrorisim, Recession, Drug Wars, and All That's Wrong makes MONEY...if in response, we buy a hand sanitizer, hate immigrants, look differently at Mexicans, and hug our children so tightly they grow up scared...the media corporations can deliver better dividends to their shareholders. Remember their motive. And never be fooled that it's your well-being.

1. Gupta, at ground zero you believe you have found patient 1.0, and there appears no mammal connection for infection.
2. Gupta, at ground zero have you asked the local villagers if they have been in contact with strangers not local to the area prior to the onset of the illness ?
3. Gupta, at ground zero, is there any evidence of a delivery system other than the animals present, possibly an aerosol or airplane delivery system ?
3a. Is it possible that the illness was brough to the community from outside folks who were ill or who were somehow available to contact to intentionally ill unknown individuals from outside their social system ?
4. Gupta, have you or anyone else compared the available strains of current flu to those available from miliatary lab distribution ?
5. Gupta, is it possible that the flu was put in place prior to the America's Conference and off seeding occured in conjunction with other dispersal areas ?
6.Gupta, is it possible that the flu strain is from either the Iraqi labs, the Soviet Lab where once there was an accident with e., and how does the strain compare to the one on file in Maryland/Virginia ?

Could this be the planet trying to purge itself of it's biggest parasite(humans)? Maybe it is survival pf the fitest or the next step in human evolution.

Earlier on another news cast a person from, I think, the CDC said that, because it takes so much time to develop a vaccine, they will not pursue a vaccine for this flu. Does this make sense? It doesn't sound like this will be a short-term outbreak. I don't understand that thinking. Please explain.

Does wearing a mask help against a virus? If so, what kind of mask or does it just help one to "feel" safe?

Close our borders now! California has 100,000 people crossing the border everyday. We cannot afford to wait.

Hi Anderson,

I have an important question for you and Sanjay:

Why aren't you telling people that the new health care protocol for reducing virus risk is not to block a cough or sneeze with your hand, but by lifting and bending your arm and turning your face, so that your sneeze or cough is blocked by the inside of your elbow?

This makes great sense, since then the virus is then not on your hand – with which you touch everything and everyone, but on your elbow, which normally doesn't come into conact with anything – certainly not doorknobs, subway and bus seats, keyboards, etc. This is what we all need to know and to do to help curb the spread of cold and flu viruses of all kinds.

I am a graduate student intern at the Prevetion and Wellness Services of the great university from which I graduated in my lovely hometown of Bellingham, Washington, and we are actively promoting this protocol

Why don't you or Sanjay promote this new protocol regulary? That would be one of the best public services you could do, especially at this time of fear that we are on the verge of a terrifying pandemic.

Please – get out the word on this effective new protocol!!!

have a question for Dr. Gupta and Dr. Carlos Del Rio:
I had heard that 'Eating" the meat will not give you the flu. How can this be? If the pig is sick, isn't the virus in it's system? and when you consume the meat in my opinion is infected. Can you explain how this is not a danger as the news media's say it is not.
thank you
Rena Clodfelter-Stanphill

I have always heard that hand sanitizer gels only shift germs on your hands and do not actually destroy them. You must wash with soap and water and dry your hands on a cloth or paper towel. Do these gels work to protect us from Swine flu and from germs in general?

So what do I do if I don't have health insurance and think I have been infected with the Swine Flu?

Is it possible to contract swine flu more than once or do you have an immunity to it after you get it?