UPDATE: SARS Hits New York high school...

Google News (Various Sources) ^ | 4/28/03 | Google News Wire

[sdk7x7]

For anyone interested in the latest information on a girl having a "possible" case of SARS at New Rochelle High School, please visit this Google News Wire or visit the local newspaper's website (nyJournalNews.com).

Today the school was loaded with press... WCBS 880, News12, ABC Eyewitness News, and CBS News on scene. (I actually got interviewed for 880).

School made absolutely no announcement, other than mentioning that there would be a voluntary faculty meeting after school (SARS was not mentioned when this was announced). -sdk

[sdk7x7]

Only thing I've heard about whether it's SARS is from a reliable source on the track team who said the girl does not, in fact, have SARS. Still unclear why she went to the hospital then...

-sdk

[Dec31,1999]

Seems like every country except the PRC has done an excellent job of containing SARS as of today.

We will all know the world-wide prognosis within two week's time.

[sdk7x7]

No clue... Spring Break. Like I said, all info at this point coming from media, school has not said anything to students.

[sdk7x7]

SORRY, CORRECTION: *MAY* HAVE HIT SCHOOL.

The media subconciously affects your thinking, as you can tell. Which is why our nation is so screwed up.

[AmerRepb]

Has anyone heard of a possible SARS case in Tulsa county? At a newsbriefing given this afternoon the Mayor and City/County health officials stated that a man either on buissness or vacationing in the Phillipines had a 2 hr layover in Hong Kong. When he got to Tulsa he started running a high fever and developed a cough a couple of hours after the plane landed. He went to his primary health care physican and the doctor called City County health dept. and they then got a hold of the mayor and the CDC in Atlanta. They said he was very ill, but recovering in his own home. They were also looking for anyone he might have come in contact with.

Anyone in Tulsa hear this report via KRMG 740?

[Tamzee]

Thanks for the update on what you are hearing so far :-)

[steve86]

Garlic, echinacea and goldenseal all pump up the immune system too.

It gets complicated, though. Early on you want a strong immune system to fight the infection before it gets a toehold. But later on, the strong immune response is its own worst enemy. The lung tissue, as I understand it, is broken down by an extreme auto-immune response. That is why they try to suppress the immune system in the later stages (IMHO).

[_Jim]

    For anyone interested in the latest information on a girl having a "possible" case of SARS at New Rochelle High School

SARS - really?

WITHOUT having travelled to China - or Asia or EVEN out of town for a day?

OH MY!

SARS can now be transmitted WITHOUT HUMAN CONTACT!

Did she get it by mail? From a jug of milk? From a cheese and cracker snack?

DID SHE GET IT FROM THE INTERNET - MAYBE FREE REPUBLIC?

OH MY!

[Humidston]

Oops! My mistake! But I STILL suspect Bill and Hill. If anything bad happens in NY, I blame them, LOL.

[snickeroon]

Perhaps this is not the time, but I trust the place, and I desperately need some info from freepers who can help me with the following:

Last August I suffered from some sort of virus. Not just ANY virus, I have NEVER in my entire life been as ill. It was the kind of sick you might read about in some bioterror horror novel.

At the time, our town (in TN) was in a well controlled non-panic over birds falling dead all over the place (and each time a new zip code was crossed) it was news all over again. When I was able to get to the Dr. I BEGGED them to rule out West Nile....and they said they weren't able to prove it either way. In fact, it appearerd that very few were ever declared to have that illness in this state. It wasn't encephelitis (at least by most symptoms), so maybe it wasn't.... but I HAD been bitten by mosquitoes in preceding days.... after all it was summer in the south.

Blood tests did prove that I had indeed been exceedingly ill, and the parameters set by a connective tissue autoimmune disorder showed that it had also affected sed rates, etc. Also, my oxygen level was markedly down although I was far better.

The point is this. In the past, I have tangled with Type A and Type B influenza at the same time, suffered with death-defying pneumonia and a plethora of other diseases over the years. I repeat, I have NEVER had anything close to the illness which struck me in August. I was too sick to move for days, in fact, had I not pulled a jug of water from the fridge at the onset, I am positive that I would be dead. POSITIVE. The short symptom list:

Started on a Tuesday evening, at first I thought it might be intestinal, or food poisoning. The first hour I was losing fluids in every way possible, and the first night I never really left the bathroom. When able, I got the water, and CRAWLED to bed.... my head and neck felt like they were going to split and sever....fever rose to 102.... I became wracked with flu aches, and wheezing....barely able to breathe.... and seemed to be in a state of a serious, non-stop panic attack. I was unable to keep track of time, eat, hold down medication, answer or make a call on a phone, get to medical help (or even to a family member)... Evidently God was watching out for me, because it appeared that at some point I had presence of mind to insert a straw into the water and sip, although I must have lapsed in and out of conciousness for days. The next time I was able to focus to summon help it was FRIDAY. Six weeks later I was still in stages of recovery.

In addition, parts of my body became numb, including my feet and fingers (and stayed so for weeks following the event). It has almost been a year and I am still suffering from panic attacks similar to the onset. However, I am being told these are not standard psychological attacks (which I know how to control), but more of a physical variety (and although I do suffer from a serious heart condition, this is not a standard side effect of that).

Here's the really scary part, this just did not seem to be like anything that was a regular, run-of-the-mill disease. It was entirely different and I don't really have the words to explain how scary and serious it was. I am generally focused, logical not easily disturbed. Certainly, I am not fearful of much, and am competent and used to being on my own... Having said this I am TERRIFIED at the prospect that I will ever have to endure this illness again. Recently, the panic attacks have begun to escalate, and are baffling my docs because thus far they are also accompanied by seizure-like attacks which seem to center from the spine. I am also having attacks of wheezing and problems breathing, night sweats, intense fatigue and periodic increased numbness.

The question is this. Have ANY of you had anything similar happen to you or someone you know in the past year? Is this illness one that you have EVER heard of? Are there any medical folks out there who can give me any sort direction in which to take this? Is there ANY possibility that there could be some sort of manufactured sickness? Until the issue of SARS I have pretty much shut up and put up, but now I'd like to get to the bottom of what this may have been. Though surprised, doctors told me that after the fever was broken, there was no way to test for West Nile. In the case of this county (and I'm convinced typical across most of the country), they showed no concern or curiosity into getting a correct diagnosis, and could not give out any statistical information (in fact, they didn't even seem to be tracking). So PLEASE, can anyone help with valid information in the form of a contact, name, site....whatever....just a way to get to the bottom of this. Thanks.

[_Jim]

What kind of illnesses did your county health department or state health department show in their stats (statistics) for that period of time?

[Cold Heat]

Sounds pretty complicated, but so are human beings.

I have no idea what you have, but I can tell you one thing from personal experiences.

You need to get your emotions and fear under control. A human being can make him/herself very ill from just believing that they are. I have done it to myself a time or two and I can tell you that I had all sorts of debilitating symptoms.

These other things confuse the hell out of the Dr's and make diagnoses next to impossible.

Get that under control in any way that you can and perhaps the underlying disease will be easier to figure out. The sweats, shortness of breath, dizzyness, tiredness, heart palpitations, and of course headaches, weakness and even joint pain can be caused by panic and worry.

I know, cuz I did it to myself once upon a time. Good luck and God Bless.

[Dec31,1999]

I welcome your personal account. It's important for us all to tell what we see and to discuss it.

[Calpernia]

GARLIC!!!! Garlic, Garlic, and Garlic!

Garlic is a natural antibiotic that stimulates the immune system and increases the effectiveness of white blood cells and T cells. It blocks toxin production by germs.

And it is quite tasty on meats, veggies and sauces ^-^

(/Italian Heritage) :))

[Calpernia]

Ah, someone else is a garlic fan! Bump to you!

[Judith Anne]

Bump to myself.

[sdk7x7]

Travelled to Toronto, moron.

[mabelkitty]

Next time, of if you know somebody that experiences this, have them contact Cuyahoga Health Department of the Department of Health in Cleveland.

We had several cases of West Nile virus (over 60) so they are on top of things in that department. They were checking birds and spraying early on. Somebody there could probably recommend some information in your county to help test and treat it, if that is what it is.

[LADYAK]

I believe that this has been around longer than previously stated. My husband came back from Nepal and Malaysia at the end of October and was extremely sick. A co-worker came back from Vegas to Alaska in January with such an extreme case of pneumonia...I have worked with him for over 15 years and never seen this man so sick...coughed forever. So my personal belief is this thing has been around.

[aristeides]

I love garlic too. It has plenty of other benefits.

On the other hand, if SARS kills by provoking an overreaction of the immune system, a strong immune system may be the very last thing you want.