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Hoax: http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2009/04/30/dr-gitterles-swine-flu-email-overblown-officials-say.htm |
Posted on 05/01/2009 10:59:08 AM PDT by Candor7
Subject: Flu Update from Dr. Gitterle
After I returned from a public health meeting yesterday with community leaders and school officials in Comal County , Heather suggested I send an update to everyone, because what we are hearing privately from the CDC and Health Department is so different from what you are hearing in the media. Some of you know some or maybe all of this, but I will just list what facts I know..
- The virus is infectious for about 2 days prior to symptom onset
- Virus sheds more than 7 days after symptom onset (possibly as long as 9 days) (this is unusual)
- Since it is such a novel (new) virus, there is no "herd immunity," so the "attack rate" is very high. This is the percentage of people who come down with a virus if exposed. Almost everyone who is exposed to this virus will become infected, though not all will be symptomatic. That is much higher than seasonal flu, which averages 10-15%. The "clinical attack rate" may be around 40-50%. This is the number of people who show symptoms. This is a huge number. It is hard to convey the seriousness of this.
- The virulence (deadliness) of this virus is as bad here as in Mexico , and there are folks on ventilators here in the US , right now. This has not been in the media, but a 23 month old near here is fighting for his life, and a pregnant woman just south of San Antonio is fighting for her life. In Mexico , these folks might have died already, but here in the US, folks are getting Tamiflu or Relenza quickly, and we have ready access to ventilators. What this means is that within a couple of weeks, regional hospitals will likely become overwhelmed.
- Some of the kids with positive cases in Comal County had more than 70 contacts before diagnosis.
- There are 10-25 times more actual cases (not "possible" cases -- actual), than what is being reported in the media. The way they fudge on reporting this is that it takes 3 days to get the confirmatory nod from the CDC on a given viral culture, but based on epidemiological grounds, we know that there are more than 10 cases for each "confirmed" case right now.
- During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our lifetimes so far. We are in uncharted territory.
- I expect President Obama will declare an emergency sometime in the next 72-96 hours. This may not happen, but if it doesn't, I will be surprised. When this happens, all public gathering will be canceled for 10 days.
- I suggest all of us avoid public gatherings. Outdoor activities are not as likely to lead to infection. It is contained areas and close contact that are the biggest risk..
- Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will have to be carefully managed, as it is not enough to treat the likely number of infections when this is full-blown. I don't think there is a big supply of Relenza, but I do not know those numbers. If I had to choose, I would take Relenza, as I think it gets more drug to the affected tissue than Tamiflu.
- You should avoid going to the ER if you think you have been exposed or are symptomatic. ER's south of here are becoming overwhelmed -- and I mean that -- already. It is coming in waves, but the waves are getting bigger.
- It appears that this flu produces a distinctive "hoarseness" in many victims. The symptoms, in general, match other flu's; namely, sore throat, body aches, headache, cough, and fever. Some have all these symptoms, while others may have only one or two.
- N-Acetyl-Cysteine -- a nutritional supplement available at the health food store or Wimberley Pharmacy, has been shown to prevent or lessen the severity of influenza. I suggest 1200mg, twice a day for adults, and 600mg twice a day in kids over 12. It would be hard to get kids under 12 to take it, but you could try opening the capsules and putting it on yogurt. For 40 pounds and up, 300-600 mg twice a day, for less than 40 pounds, half that.
- Oscillococinum, a homeopathic remedy, has been vindicated as quite effective in a large clinical trial in Europe , with an H1N1 variant. You can buy this at Hill Country Natural Foods, or the Wimberley Pharmacy.
I will try to keep everyone posted if I have any new information. Meanwhile, don't be afraid just avoid infection. The fewer people infected the easier it will be for our public officials to manage it.
This again?
Anyone want to explain the “herd immunity” comment? I thought we essentially got a different flu virus every year, so there wouldn’t be any “herd immunity” to the normal flu either.
I think it should be called the Obama Flu...
ping
H1N1 Flu PING. Must read. Prepare now.
And spread this far and wide, on repings and other lists.
We are not getting the true picture froom the MSM.
It could mean the difference betweeen life and death for some Freepers.
This has been bouncing around before. Not breaking news.
Scare tactics. This is just a flu, for God’s sake. People get the flu all the time. The whole swine flu pandemic is a manufactured crisis designed to distract our attention from things that we should be paying attention to, if there were no “crisis.”
During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our lifetimes so far. We are in uncharted territory.
He is saying based on the description of what 6 is rather than the actual phase? Because the actual phase is still at 5.
I absolutely believe the counts are low because of the bottle neck testing. Up until today, all confirmed cases had to come from CDC testing. That takes a lot of time. Kits have been sent to all State Health Depts so we should see a spike in confirmed cases as backlogs clear.
Yesterday, the CDC doc was asked about the cause of death for the flu. That it, the reporter wanted to know what actually kills you. He refused to answer the question. Why? He was then asked what actually killed the little kid in Texas. He again refused.
This doc is now being pillored by the PC crowd for his warning to his patients because it went ‘viral’ on the internet. So now doctors in the new Obama world are not allowed to give their patients and friends advice without clearing it with the fascists.
Chilling!!
Link Here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2241041/posts?page=272#272
Post 272.
You have not mentioned, at the first sign of a cold, take 10,000 units of Vitamin D3, It works wonders. My doctor recemmends it INSTEAD of the Flu shot!!
In 1918, “just a flu” killed between 20 and 100 million people, depending on who is counting. While I agree that we do not yet know that is anywhere near as serious, we should just dismiss it because it is “just a flu.”
LOL! Coincidentally I noticed many of those symptoms after election day last year.
Who is this guy?
I call BS.
This is one of those generic emails someone sent out and is getting passed around...
You stated that, "Tamiflu is running out. "
Tamiflu is far from being hard to find.
Can you post a link or credentials?
Where is that county?
My sister is in San Antonio. The following link is what’s happening at her home day care.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2241777/posts?page=17#17
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