Outbreaks in 5 states rattles U.S. 42 confirmed

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-27-swinefluUSA_N.htm


State health departments nationwide intensified their search for sneezing, feverish people who may have contracted swine flu as officials tried to contain the spread of the unusual illness.
Five states have confirmed cases of swine flu, and all 42 confirmed U.S. cases are considered mild. The largest cluster is emerging in a New York City Catholic school, where more than 150 students became ill.

New York City on Monday reported 28 confirmed cases of swine flu, all among students from St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Several students there spent spring break in Mexico.

Health officials suspect nearly all 150 students who got sick Thursday and Friday have swine flu, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference Monday. Health investigators sent nasal swabs of 17 of those students to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for more tests, he said.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I called congresscritter today

kindly pointed out that CDC is telling people to stay home if sick and call the doctor

But sick leave policies across many companies will make people go to work

We need emergency legislation to allow people to stay home

Aide, I had not thought about that.

Hopefully will see action

[Kool Kitty]

3. Very good point.

Thirty years ago I had a job that actually gave you twelve paid sick days a year. The past three that I have had over the past fifteen years have not. No paid sick time whatsoever. And if you stay home because you are sick, even though they aren't paying you, they act like you have committed a crime.

[Selatius]

7. This country sucks as far as health care goes. This is one arena that proves it.

Here, the company's profit motive trumps the health of the individual worker. Many workers are given such crappy wages and low benefits that they are essentially shackled to their workplaces and cannot take a day off without falling behind on the bills and bare necessities.

[wundermaus]

2. The Swine Flu cold be a major booster shot

to Socialized Medicine in the US... Either that or there may be a serious culling effect.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Yeah I even pointed that out today

it will also have some interesting effects in the upcoming Federal elections in Mexico (July 2)

[Hardrada]

5. & Cinco de Mayo replaced by Dia de los Muertos.

The latter holiday is usually ominously close to our day of national elections.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well the Federal elections used to be on Sept 1

they were moved by an act of congress in the late 1980s irrc

Yes useless trivia

:-)

[Hardrada]

8. In Mexico, you mean. True enough. I meant the sinister confluence

of Halloween, the Day of the Dead and the U.S. elections.