First 2 cases of swine flu confirmed in Mass.

[City of Mills]

First 2 cases of swine flu confirmed in Mass.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1168901&pos=breaking

Swine flu has arrived in my hometown!

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Yep, was just about to post this

http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/04/lowell_children.html

Sigh.

[Marrah_G]

2. Oh joy.......

[Ian David]

3. They tested a guy in Brockton and then sent him HOME to await the test results for two days. n/t

[hedgehog]

4. Where else would they have sent him?

[cwydro]

6. Home is the best place.

That's where I would want to go.

[Ian David]

8. They COULD have kept him in the hospital. n/t

[Sigh Sister]

13. Hospital would be the worst place

Unless he was seriously ill and needed intensive care.

[Ian David]

14. You're probably right, but it still makes me nervous.

Probably just my gut-level and not my rational level.

[hedgehog]

5. How common is it for travelers to pick up a local flu or cold?

I'm thinking either a lot of people in Mexico are carrying this and/or it must be very contagious.

[cwydro]

7. I work with a guy from Mexico.

He is a naturalized American now, but he just returned from Mexico and visiting his family.

Nobody at work is sick and neither is he.

[Ian David]

9. Most of it is coming from American tourists who visited Mexico for Easter or Spring Break.

You can blame Zombie Jesus Day for packing lots of people into Mexican churches to spread it.

[hedgehog]

11. Everything else aside, I doubt Amercans were flocking to the Easter vigils

in Cancun!

[Ian David]

12. Probably not. But their bartenders, waiters and cabana boys all did. n/t

[FarCenter]

10. Both contagious and prevalent

See "Swine flu: Doctors' diary" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8024308.stm for an account from Mexico.