Swine Flu/H1N1 and Summer Nationals

[uhl-mann]

Is the Swine Flu/H1N1 thing going to interupt summer nationals in Texas this year? I would like to know for the well being of the hundreds of fencers going to compete there. After all fencing has a lot of body contact, sweat, shaking hands. Are the medical people there going to know what to do if a unknown case shows up? Also is the summer nationals going to lose some competitors because of this in fear for there health?

[bunbury]

Sometimes I have to stop lurking just to say how amazed I am by some of the threads here.

[notalent]

Sometimes I have to stop lurking just to say how amazed I am by some of the threads here.

It does seem a bit premature for this type of fear mongering.

[trafl926]

Quick! Close the ports!

[Redblade]

Epeeists won't be affected by the flu. We're too damned tough.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

What about normal flu? How will that affect Summer Nationals??

As of right now, we don't have any idea how bad H1N1 is. It could be about to wipe us off the face of the earth, or it might be around as bad as any other randomly chosen flu bug.

Give it a week or two.

[DavidX]

Epeeists won't be affected by the flu. We're too damned close to the genetic makeup of pigs to be effected.

word.

[CadetVet]

Epeeists won't be affected by the flu. We're too damned tough.

And foil and sabre fencers will be protected by our lames.

[keith]

And foil and sabre fencers will be protected by our lames.

Well that's not going to do anything to protect you from the fetid air you'll be breathing.

Of course if you where to insulate out the vertical and horizontal mesh of your mask and apply a suitably high voltage the arc would probably keep your air germ free and, less usefully, ozone enriched - watch out for etching of your glasses.

The voltages might be a bit of a challenge but a small portable generator for each fencer might suffice.

[DavidX]

that would be effing AWESOME - especially in saber with sparks flying everywhere - its not even all that unfeasible - were already connected to electrical wires - just ass one for the mask - genius

[Empty Wallet]

It does seem a bit premature for this type of fear mongering.

Quick! Close the ports!

A number of countries are already enacting strategies which get close to this. From the SARS experience, they are installing heat detectors at airports to screen incoming passengers for high fevers.

Some countries are putting in place regulations that, in effect, can close ports. They can send ships away, they can send passenger aircraft away.

As of right now, we don't have any idea how bad H1N1 is.

As of a few hours ago, the World Health Organization raised this to a Level 5 warning -- with 6 major pandemic.

The World Health Organisation has raised its swine flu alert to phase five out of six, WHO chief Margaret Chan said, signalling that a pandemic was "imminent" following the swine flu outbreak.

Phase five, one step short of a full pandemic, is characterised as a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalise... the planned mitigation measures is short", according to the WHO's global emergency planning.

"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans,'' Dr Chan said

I guess that there is the extent of over-caution that the health authorities have to take, with the chances of over-reaction from the general public.

Chicken flu has killed quite a few people, but it is managed. SARS was potentially nasty, but did not live up to the negative expectations.

[D'Art]

Didn't they do the same thing with bird flu and SARS though? Maybe I'm wrong, but I seem to recall similar warnings about both of them, and look what happened. Precisely sod all in pretty much any developed country. IMHO the only reason any people have died from it is because the victims have been in such close and repeated contact with affected walking gammon steaks that they've been overloaded beyond anyone's normal immune systems capabilities. Same as avian flu and SARS. No biggie, as long as common sense is used.

[dberke]

I read that something like 36,000 people die each year from the regular flu. But that's not very exciting because it doesn't have a catchy name.

I suspect that taking reasonable precautions such as hand washing and not letting people sneeze into your mouth will help prevent most problems.

Of course, fencers have a strong immune system as it is from the frequent contact with disease-carrying youth fencers.

Dan

[erooMynohtnA]

that would be effing AWESOME - especially in saber with sparks flying everywhere - its not even all that unfeasible - were already connected to electrical wires - just ass one for the mask - genius

The saber mask and lame would create a Faraday cage around your upper body preventing exactly what you're describing.

[Grasshopper]

Yeah, but it don't protect your fishing tackle and that is where swine flu strikes!

[unlikelysuspect08]

Obviously this is serious business, and as such you should have yourself screened. I found this website helpful in diagnoses: http://doihaveswineflu.org/

[whtouche]

One of the greatest things I've read on cnn.com lately, that really puts all this swine-flu insanity into perspective, is that last year, in the U.S. alone, 36,000 (thirty six thousand) people died of the flu. The regular flu.

Compared to swine flu, which has so far, in this country, killed one person, a small child from mexico, I think we can all relax.

That, or stock up on spam and duct tape.

[trafl926]

A number of countries are already enacting strategies which get close to this. From the SARS experience, they are installing heat detectors at airports to screen incoming passengers for high fevers.

Some countries are putting in place regulations that, in effect, can close ports. They can send ships away, they can send passenger aircraft away.



As of a few hours ago, the World Health Organization raised this to a Level 5 warning -- with 6 major pandemic.

The World Health Organisation has raised its swine flu alert to phase five out of six, WHO chief Margaret Chan said, signalling that a pandemic was "imminent" following the swine flu outbreak.

Phase five, one step short of a full pandemic, is characterised as a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalise... the planned mitigation measures is short", according to the WHO's global emergency planning.

"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans,'' Dr Chan said

I guess that there is the extent of over-caution that the health authorities have to take, with the chances of over-reaction from the general public.

Chicken flu has killed quite a few people, but it is managed. SARS was potentially nasty, but did not live up to the negative expectations.

is Madagascar one of those countries?

[noodle]

is Madagascar one of those countries?

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...EVERYTHING.jpg

[CadetVet]

One of the greatest things I've read on cnn.com lately, that really puts all this swine-flu insanity into perspective, is that last year, in the U.S. alone, 36,000 (thirty six thousand) people died of the flu. The regular flu.

Compared to swine flu, which has so far, in this country, killed one person, a small child from mexico, I think we can all relax.

That, or stock up on spam and duct tape.

http://jta.org/news/article/2009/04/...nged-in-israel

Even better - some of my peeps in Israel (although I hardly claim the orthodox as my own) decided that "Swine Flu" would be offensive to religious Jews and Muslims... so they are seeking to rename it the "Mexican Flu" - apparently, offending Mexicans isn't as much of a problem to them...

I guess if you get the Swine Flu, you can't really be Kosher or Halal... hmmm...

Talk about insanity...