Questions concerning the swine flu:

* do some people have natural immunity from the swine flu virus?

* is the vaccine tried and true or are we going to be guinea pigs?

* can people be taught to sneeze and cough INSIDE their tshirts, dresses, workshirts, 3 piece suits, jackets and kleenex instead of in the faces of other people or is this too advanced a task for "modern man"?

* if someone gets the swine flu, and lives through it, are they immune from getting the virus again?

* w/ the current outbreak of the swine flu, how many people worldwide DIED from it. Do you, Dr. Gupta, think the 30-90,000 estimate of deaths is overestimated?

* How are you planning on protecting your own Children, Dr. Gupta?

Oh great and 14,000 a day are losing health insurance ! Why has there been a hold up for the vaccinations and who is responsible for the delays ? Would it help if our schools set up all over the country for the vaccinations ? Inadequate antiviral supplies before vaccinations have time to be effective ? How long does the vaccination take to be preventative of the virus ? What's the shipping time frame ? Day late and a dollar short or what ? How much does the vaccination cost ? What is the Red Cross doing about this and do they need help ? Team up American time for H1N1 ! Set the parking lots up and tents for vaccinations ! Will AARP help ? Universial Health Care at work !

Regarding the natural immunity question above , I have also heard that people specifically over the age of 50 may be less likely to become ill with the H1N1 flu because they may have come into contact with a similar flu during their lifetime. Is this the case? And, if so, should my Mom (who is 78 and lives in an assisted living facility) be vaccinated?

If the A virus and B virus subtypes have been around since 1977 indicating hemagglutinin/ neuraminidase does it make sense the (A )H1N1 and (B) H3N2 got started then ? Do you think the reaction time was to slow for results and resolve for cure ?

I have Interstitial Cystitis, am I in the high risk group?

Dr. Gupta,

In comparison to some of the other types of flu we have seen in the past years, such as bird flu, how dangerous exactly will the swine flu become in the following years?

Do you have any idea how long the epidemic will last?

Why is the flu more likely to strike teenagers and young adults?

Last question ! Is there a new hemagglutinin and new neuraminidase protein that's been found in all this or suspected of which to cause a pandemic virus ? Do they know yet ? Don't hold out on us Dr.Gupta ! What are they putting in the shot for cure to ease the worry for those skeptical ? It's not just one shot but two. Why two shots ? Is the first shot the same as the second or is it different ? How long do you wait after the first shot or do you get them at the same time ? Any side effects from the shots ? Half the US could catch this and that's what they're telling us !

Dear Mr. Cooper,

I just sent a suggestion to a friend at the CDC. Perhaps you'll agree and broadcast it > simply > All Americans should STOP SHAKING HANDS until the H1N1 virus is behind us. Millions will not learn to cough into their sleeves. Thank you.

Richard Hume
Atlanta, GA

p.s. Of course, I'd like to have a CNN t-shirt that says: STOP SHAKING HANDS!

Hello, here are my questions:

When will the vaccine be available? Will priority be given to certain individuals (elderly, children)?

What should I do if I get sick with the virus?

How long can an infected person spread this virus to others?

Is Tamiflu or Relenza still the recommended treatment?

Thanks,

Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

Stop shaking hands? It's up to us to wash our own hands properly and at every time we feel 'threatened' by the person you shook hands with. What's next? Pass on a mask just in case that person seating next to you decides to sneeze?

My only question is: why some people die from it? I am a mom of two and honestly .. freaking out!

Pregnant women also have been very susceptible to the flu in my country. This is due to the immune system of pregnant women be slightly weakened due to pregnancy?

What I'm seeing in my country is that people are not looking for hospitals in the first symptoms within the first 48 hours. This is vital for the sick.

Hi Anderson,

I am not sure which 'Influenza' causes flu/fever. But my two cents and my personal experience, is there really a cure for this 4-5 days infection? You may control the fever from rising and going beyond a particular point, but I wonder whether you can reduce the infection overnight. As far as I know, it takes 4-5 days for the complete virus to leave the body and I guess you can control it, but I am not sure whether you can get ride of the virus in a day or two.

It seems as if the government is slowly breaking the bad news to us in fear of a panic. Given that winter is ending in the southern hemisphere what concluions and possible scenarios can we expect based on their experience?

Dear Anderson,

God has chosen you to be in my life. He has made me realized that China says one thing and does another thing completely opposite or different. She has sabatage, hurt , and kill the good people; she may even send a copy-cat of me to talk and meet with you. Beware, she imitates a lot.

I don't have anything more to say. That's all. Bye.

Love,
Ruby (Fuk Ying)

I'm concerned that these numbers could cause panic & unnecessary trips to the er, is there any positive way to know if my flu like symptoms are the H1N1?

Being a teenager (15) i am concerned when i hear that we are more susceptible to the H1N1 virus, school is comming up very soon and i was just wondering what are some ways besides hand washing and sneezing in to your sleeve that can help protect you? i also heard something about schools closing untill after christmas break is over is this true?

Can you get the virus from a bug bite?

Is the H1N1 vaccine different from the regular flu vaccine? Should we get both?

Does the H1N1 vaccine have any side effects?

Thanks,
Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

What can I expect when I go to get my flu shot this year? I heard today that the vaccine for the swine flu consists of two shots given three weeks apart. I that true? Also, is this given in addition to the regular flu shot, or will it cover both.

I find the irony of the situation to be fitting for the world. Here we are, in the middle of a recession, prices are up, profits are down, and 14,000 people are losing their health care every day. Plus, every year It seems like there is a shortage of regular flu vaccines, so can we expect the same for H1N1?

And to top it all off we're being told that H1N1 could kill 90,000 and infect 30-50% (maybe due to a shortage of vaccines?) of the American populace alone? And for those who are hospitalized, how much will it cost them to just live? And how much of it will insurance REALLY cover?

So 90,000 people may die from H1N1 – in a country that doesn't want to consider universal health care. How much will each patient pay for these vaccines (I believe 2 are required)? If people have no healthcare insurance will they just have to go without the vaccines and take the chance of being one in 90,000?

On the other hand are these scare tactics kind of like in the Bush administration? And folks will pay their last dime on vaccines that are not really necessary so that the physicians and pharmaceutical companies who do not support universal health care can make MORE $$$$?

Ahh, good old politics.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda!

Why is it, when such uncertainty of this swine flu as the seasonal flu season arrives, that some if not all of our school systems have developed a program of don't ask don't tell when it comes to swine flu this season?

My trip to my roots, in rural central Florida revealed that employees within the school system there have been told not to reveal if any student has been exposed to swine flu, nor how many.

Is the policy of wash your hands, use antibacterial hand wash, be cautious nothing more than the Bush policy of a biological attack by terrorist protecting ourselves with duct tape and plastic.

What are the cold hard facts of the non watered down truth of this possible event of swine flu?

My son was born without an immune system (bubble boy). He had a bone marrow transplant and is now doing ok. I am scared about this particular virus though because his lungs are scarred and he has a hard time getting rid of colds. He has always caught pnuemonia easily. He has been told about fungal, viral and bacterial infections his whole life, but what can I do to get through to him about the importance of clean hands, and not touching his face with his hands until the vaccine is ready? He is only 6.

I would like to know if anyone whom previously contracted swine flu has developed natural antibodies against the disease. Is it possible to get swine flu more than once?

Could the H1N1 virus have mutated since its earlier detection and become say a H1N2 virus making the vaccine usless ?

How can the people be informed of all of the ingredients in both of the swine flu vaccine shots? I think we all have full right to know what we will be injected with before we decide for ourselves whether or not its worth taking.

My teenage son had a very bad reaction to Tamifu. Because of this, and because he has also had mono, physicians recommend that he never take a flu shot. People need to be aware that Tamiflu can cause young people to become suicidal, delusional, lose memory and not sleep for very long periods (we experienced over 20 days).

It is like a brain injury. Most of the cases of death from Tamifu are from Asia. Our background is via England, France etc. Although the warnings for Tamifu have been upgraded, it is frightening to realize that most parents are totally unaware of how lethal this drug can be to a young brilliant mind.

Thankfully, after almost 3 years, our son is doing great. It was like the "brain injury" healed. Be warned. Flu is scary; but to me, it is like a common cold compared to what my son endured. I likely would die of the flu before taking Tamiflu. I certainly would never give it to another unless as a last resort.

There also need to be explainations for those who have had mono or Epstein Barr....for the flu shot and for for anti-virals.

Hey Anderson,

I'm really concerned about the H1N1 Flu and Our Country's push to go to green products. I've been using green products for the last 6 months. NYS requires state ran organizations to use all green products. Does anyone know why we are having a big push for green products when these products do not disinfect????

Everyone knows that the swine flu is nothing to play with. How long we have to wait until there is a vaccine for swine flu? Has the vaccine even been tested on any mammals? How can swine flu actually be transmitted to another person? How fast is swine flu expanding?

Hello,

I have one of the same questions as Teresa from OH - if someone has had the H1N1 virus previously, do they have an immunity against contracting it again?

Thanks!
Kim

H1N1 virus have entered south asia from unknown territory. We have over 40 deaths so far from this new kind of flu. Quick care especially allopathic medications should be introduced and thus treated accordingly. I think there is an urgency to broad research and investigation at various medical research labs concerning H1N1.