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April 28th, 2009
06:23 PM ET
Video: How might flu spread?
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows how computer models theorize how a flu virus might spread.
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Filed under: Dr. Sanjay Gupta • Public Health |
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if you contract the swine flu, and get over it. Does it give you resistance to getting it again? Or will it be worse the second time?
Dr. Gupta
All my health food books say that a proper PH balance in the body makes one less susceptible to viruses. If true what should people know about it?
This is what happens when they were warned not to go to Mexico, and now the ones that went to Mexico is spreading the flu around the world...People just don't listen. Is having fun and drinking more important than human lives that are put in danger...Spring Break fanatics...
I see people walking around with masks on and wondered if rubber gloves would help but after seeing the report at the subway I guess not.
If the germ can survive up to 24 hours,imagine the cash being exchanged at businesses.
Last year I had to go to the emergency room for a shoulder problem,3 days later I was sick .I contracted something off the chairs in the waiting area.
This may be hard to get control of.
Just how effective is wearing a mask against this current strain of swine flu?
I live in PA and after hearing that there are cases (or possible) in NY, NJ and Ohio, I believe it is a matter of time before we hear of cases in PA. Even though you are reporting continuously the precautions that the public can take , I have greater concerns than the average person. I have Multiple Sclerosis and currently am receiving monthly infusions of a drug that affects the actions of the body's immune system. Infections are the number one side effects.
Is there any special precautions that people, who are on any type of immune suppressant and suseptable to infections, viruses and flu, should take during this crisis?
I'm wondering how long will the virus continue to spread before one would safely travel to Mexico or elsewhere.? One month, two, or more? Can anyone predict or do we know the typical runtime of such a virus?
Due to the fact that fresh produce is imported to Canada and the U.S. from Mexico (amongst other products), and the fact that the Swine Flu germ can linger on keyboards, handrails, etc. – does this make it possible that the virus could be exported from Mexico on outgoing trade to other countries?
Be positive and teach people how to sneeze and cough into the inner side of thier sleeve. Schoolchildren and medical people know this little fact. This helps contain the germs and keeps the hands cleaner. As always, wash your hands.
You have a captive audience, make it work.
How long do you think it would be before its safe, and the virus is over? I mean we had things happen before that took a week or two before it was over like the cow disease, the tomatoes.....How long in your openion his will take weeks, months?
sometimes viruses weaken after the first or second infection. Maybe thats why it was so virulent in Mexico and it now has weakened. It doesn't seem to have caused deaths in the USA and hopefully nit won't
would you recommend tamiflu for chronically ill COPD patients on O2?
Not to take prophelactically, but to keep on hand in case of possible infection.
There have been threats that the White House is going to close the border between the U.S. and Mexico to help stop the flu. Is that true?
WHEN, are they going to start quaranteen people that have this disease. I am scared to death of this. CLOSE OUR BORDERS!!!
all we have to do is THINK STOP AND THINK
There have been threats thet the White House is going to close the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Is that true?
Questions: At age 65, I’ve been in crowds and exposed to germs my whole life. I became much less sickly as an adult than as a boy, and had almost no sick days my whole career. I think that continuous exposure (I lived in large cities, including NYC) actually made me more resistant. It sounds like this virus is getting weaker as it spreads person to person. Maybe we will be better off if we are exposed to mild disease with the new virus and develop resistance to it. Isn’t that how it works? We are exposed to new germs all the time.
We should be able to make our vaccines at home and not depend on other countries. And we should be able to make a vaccine to something like this quickly, just in case it is more virulent. But it sounds like it is becoming milder already.
I suspect that there are tens of thousands of mild cases in Mexico and maybe hundreds or thousands in the US that haven’t been detected yet. I don’t think this can be contained.
I did read alarming articles on “social distancing” on MSNBC (and CNN, in an article about the CDC) tonight, but that could be economically ruinous to many people, with perhaps no real deadly threat at all. We have to live with germs all the time!
Can this flu be transmitted by spittal? The sidewalks are disgusting and I frequently see people openly hack and spit. I just remember during my childhood when TB was rampant that there were signs - No Spitting.
can flu germs be transmitted on produce from mexcio
Masks will help, but how can an employee who's job entails constant one on one costumer service protect themselves from the possibly infected???
Anderson, I heard that during the past weekend there were 6 vials of this virus taken from a lab I think in Connecticut? Not sure because after I heard the story on money talks, I didnt hear any thing more about it, not on any news channel, nor CNN not anywhere, do you know anything about this, it just seems that 6 vials taken and 5 states and mexico now have the virus, please help answer this if you can, ty Mary
Hope Dr. Gupta will be on 360 tonight to share more information about this flu. He's very knowledgeable–very helpful info.
The simulation is very interesting – I like the way it shows the spread of the flu under different assumptions. The simulation shows that the combination of not traveling, tamiflu, and a vaccine for this strain of flu will be the most effective combination in keeping the spread of the swine flu down. Face masks, washing your hands, etc. will help as well.
Someone asked yesterday: The swine flu virus is so small and how can a mask prevent it from going through it?
The answer is:
The virus does not commonly remain as a single particle. It is contained in the mucous secretions, saliva and other respiratory fluids. The spray from these during caughing or sneezing is what carries the virus. Mask helps stop these fliud sprays which may contain the virus and thus help prevent infection.
We all must avoid contacts as much as possible and do a Michael Jackson by covering our mouths for that is the most vulnerable area espcially in schools & universities where everyone is sitting next to one another. Washing hands in every transaction and making sure that we do not place our hands into our mouths. Actually hand gloves are important to use in this pandemic! 8 glasses of distilled water daily with lemon twist eating light nutritient food liek soups and salands & meditation & sleep & excercise to keep our body healthy to prevent from catching the virus to begin with!