New York: 10 patients currently on ventilators

[theforeigner]

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2009/05/swine-flu-strikes-new-york-city-flu-experts-daughter.html

May 29, 2009

Swine flu strikes New York City flu expert's daughter

Via Scientific American Blog: Swine flu strikes New York City flu expert's daughter. Excerpt:

On Thursday, Scott Harper, an influenza expert at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was speaking at a symposium on
H1N1 swine flu.

With 356 confirmed cases in the city, the recent pandemic has been striking close to home.

In fact, it recently struck his home.

The epidemiologist was talking about the city?s response to the outbreak at the New York Academy of Sciences, when he let slip the fact that his 9-year-old daughter was ill with swine flu.

Scientific American editor Christine Soares was seated in the audience and says ?nobody blinked? as Harper casually recounted his all-too-personal experience with the virus.

Swine flu has killed four people in New York State, and hospitalized more than 100, including 10 patients currently on ventilators in the city. The outbreak seemed to be waning in recent weeks, but yesterday the city closed 6 additional schools, bringing the total to 13.

Harper has himself been popping up in the news media urging parents with sick children to stay home from school ? and he?s apparently heeding his own advice.

 

[Legadillo]

Re: New York: 10 patients currently on ventilators

Wow, 10 patients on ventilators. Not good!! Are those the ones that will later be said to have had underlying conditions?? I'm sure TPTB are thinking them up as we read.

Hey Darkhorse!. How's it on the other side of the river?

 

[Dark Horse]

Re: New York: 10 patients currently on ventilators

Wow, 10 patients on ventilators. Not good!! Are those the ones that will later be said to have had underlying conditions?? I'm sure TPTB are thinking them up as we read.

Hey Darkhorse!. How's it on the other side of the river?

Dark Horse is semi sheltering in place, only taking the dogs out for walks and very occasional early morning trips to the store. Too many underlying conditions with DH.

Dark Horse is wondering at the beginning of this vacation season why anyone in their right might would not see how dangerous this flu is. I'd never let anyone dear to me go on an airplane or cruise ship.

 

[Blue]

Re: New York: 10 patients currently on ventilators

I'd never let anyone dear to me go on an airplane or cruise ship.

That's for sure.

One nurse that I work with just came back from a quick vacation in the Bahamas with a fever of 102, chills, nausea, vomiting, respiratory symptoms. She called out sick the day before Memorial Day. Another nurse called out the same day after she came back from visiting with her sister who works at the airport. Same symptoms...No they were not tested, and sure it could have been something else.They were both called by one of our assistant nurse managers, and told that they could not call out sick the next day, and that they had to come. So they did.

I relieved them the next shift, but kept my distance from them. Swabbed just about everything that they could have touched with Cavicide. Began dosing myself with Sambucol. I was not a happy camper about this.

Supposedly at our hospital,if you think that you have the flu, you are to call employee health, and notify them before coming in. Of course, they only are open at certain times, kind of like your bank, only worse, no weekends or after 5 pm.

 

[wotan]

Re: New York: 10 patients currently on ventilators

They were both called by one of our assistant nurse managers, and told that they could not call out sick the next day, and that they had to come.

How is that not a violation of the hospital's procedures?

The hospital I work out has policies about not coming in sick, and they added extra policies dealing with flu exposure (although some of those have now been relaxed, among other things they lifted the ban on business trips to Mexico.)

 

[Blue]

Re: New York: 10 patients currently on ventilators

How is that not a violation of the hospital's procedures?

The hospital I work out has policies about not coming in sick, and they added extra policies dealing with flu exposure (although some of those have now been relaxed, among other things they lifted the ban on business trips to Mexico.)

I think that it could be but those two are not likely to rock the boat.