Flu numbers December 09, 2017, 10:19:51 am In a few weeks we'll be leaving Oregon for our trip to Sanibel Island. We'll be heading down I-5 to I-10 across the country. Hoping to miss the fires and smoke. (had enough this summer in Oregon and Washington). Just check on the numbers releases by the CDC. If you scroll to the bottom you'll see a state by state breakout.Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDCQuestion -- When you are traveling how do you all keep yourself safe from this nasty bug?
Re: Flu numbers Reply #1 – December 09, 2017, 10:44:24 am A good question that applies to other communicable bugs too. We are typically on the road 6-10 months each year, in the US and Europe, and insurance being what it is, we are only covered when out of state in cases of serious emergency. We avoid big enclosed gatherings of people as a matter of choice, not health, but that is a significant secondary benefit. No public pools (enjoyed some infection from one last time), no cruises, etc. Can't help but cuddle the usually germ laden grandkids though. When we visit them we pre load the popular anti cold vitamins, cause our on the road diet is not always as healthy as normal. We also wash hands frequently. Try not to touch our face, and use the sani-wipes when shopping. Then we wash our hands. We usually catch something when we see the grand children, and we generally enjoy a couple of weeks of illness. But of course it's worth it. Besides that and a couple of instances of peanut allergy and food poisoning, one of Valley Fever, we have avoided the flu! 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #2 – December 09, 2017, 12:15:51 pm Before my recent trip overseas, like Paul, I avoided large groups of people for about two weeks before departing. I also took large quantities of vitamin C. The day before leaving, I started taking Airborne. Once I got on the planes, all bets were off. Some people like to wear the paper masks but I don't. One never knows if any of these measures are actually effective but I did not get sick on the 10 day trip so . . .Where is the island you mentioned? 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #3 – December 09, 2017, 12:36:38 pm Where is Sanibel Island. . .It's nearish to Fort Myers, Florida. In the mid-70's, we lived in Tampa and would take our boat and go to Sanibel to stay at what was then called a "housekeeping cabin" - now better known as a vacation rental, or AirBnB !! There was a place on the property to tie up the boat so it didn't need to be taken in and out repeatedly for DH and DS to go out to fish - or whatever. It was loverly! So relaxing and the weather was miles better than Tampa at any time of the year.Fast forward to 2000-ish. Took an elderly relative for a visit there after regaling her about how lovely it is, but now so very disappointing!! ACK! Where did all those huge high rise buildings come from? Where is the beach? Ding Darling?Haven't been since. I dread to think. Time marches on. Virtual hugs, Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West Today: Persimmon Foo Young ****************************
Re: Flu numbers Reply #4 – December 10, 2017, 01:03:41 pm Of course I get a flu shot every year. They're not a guarantee, but they improve my odds considerably. And I try to go shopping late at night (store hours permitting), when there are fewer people around.Mainly, I wash my hands immediately after leaving any public place. I carry a small foaming liquid soap dispenser, a bottle of water with a sprinkler cap, and a small microfiber towel. (They live in the cupholder of the truck's rear passenger-side door.) As soon as I open the door, I wash my hands with soap and water.So far it has worked. I haven't had the flu since I was at Death Valley in the winter of 2006. 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #5 – December 10, 2017, 01:45:17 pm "Of course I get a flu shot every year"I was born and lived on a farm until the age of six! You haven't lived until you've had mud in your diaper. That type of environment exposes you to just about every germ known to man.For the past 80+ years I have had a relatively sickness free life. I seldom get head colds and when I do they don't last long. I have never had the flu! Nor have I ever had a flu shot! I know that one day something is going to take me out, be it longevity or some ailment. I'm kind of curious, but not in a hurry to find out, what will eventually do me in. 3 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #6 – December 10, 2017, 01:56:09 pm RE: FluWe have had really good luck with the foil-wrapped Wet Ones. DH's immune system is pretty much nil thanks to so many years of chemo, and the Multiple Myeloma to start with, but our regimen has been to use the Wet Ones when we are out in an environment that seems to require it. If we are traveling, we have our own food, and he wipes down with one before manhandling a sandwich, for instance. On the infrequent occasion of a restaurant meal, we both wipe down with the same one, as they are generously sized and moistened. They are easy to keep in one's pocket/purse for immediate use, and will accommodate retention for later disposal by putting it back into the packet without getting anything else wet or contaminated. Fingers crossed, this will continue to be effective. Virtual hugs, Judie 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #7 – December 10, 2017, 02:18:37 pm Steve, like you, "I was born and lived on a farm until the age of six!" We moved to town when I started school, but still went to the farm with Dad periodically & to my mother's parents' farm, too...dirt is a wonderful thing. My kids' dad was a farmer, so I moved back at 23 for ten years, 'til he traded me in on a newer model & I moved back to town. I remember having the flu as a kid (was it the Hong Kong flu in '69--I was a freshman & out of school for about a week), & something else that had me out of the prison for about a week in '90 or '91--my kids (who generously brought home all sorts of bugs to share) stayed up the street with my folks so I could be miserable in peace & quiet...now that I think of it, I've had virtually no crud since my kids moved out, hmmmm. But also like you I've never " had a flu shot!" preferring to wash my hands/etc. & take my chances with a bug, rather than face a needle (I'll admit I am a wimp ). However, I may get one in January--Blue Cross out of Kansas City dumped those of us on the Affordable Care Act & a new player came into the market for those of us in outstate Missouri (metro KC & St. Louis had better choices). This new player is a subsidiary of Centene out of St. Louis that's apparently been a player in various states' Medicaid programs. They have some kind of Rewards Program that puts $$ on a card for healthy behaviors like smoking cessation/flu shots/etc., & this can go towards premiums/out-of-pocket expenses like co-pays/etc., so if they're gonna pay me, I'll face the needle (even though from what I've seen on the news reports, this year's vaccine isn't as well targeted to the virus as previous years--I'm still really counting on all that early exposure to dirt ). We'll see how it goes, but I'm really looking forward to Medicare in 20 months.Lynne 2 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #8 – December 10, 2017, 04:39:40 pm If you're going to get flu vaccine, there's some evidence that it's more effective in the morning. 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #9 – December 10, 2017, 05:26:25 pm We both, now over the magic age of 70, get the flu shot before we leave home in the Fall, carry the Wet Ones for hands cleaning on the fly, avoid crowds and little kids* where possible, and always, always, wash our hands when we come home from shopping, especially in stores with carts! A bad cold or two over the last 10 years, but no flu!*A friend was a 2nd grade school teacher and from September through June she was always battling a cold. TinaP2006 MB "Wild Thing"LD 2967 NE 59 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #10 – December 10, 2017, 06:19:25 pm 30 years of teaching at a high school where 44 languages were spoken on campus provided a huge dose of every bug that could be caught via breathing or casual contact. My typical day included 7 hours inside a room with 32 - 42 students and not much ventilation. After a few years of being constantly sick, I learned a few important lessons:1. Never eat snacks while grading papers.2. Always get a flu immunization.3. Wash hands constantly, especially before eating, touching one's face, nose, eyes, etc. My daughter is a nurse in a hospital and says the anti-microbial lotions are a intermediate stop-gap for microbes, but hand washing with warm water and soap is the gold standard4. Keep snot-nose, sneezy kids at least at arms length. Teachers too.5. Don't eat anything kids touch.6. Avoid flying in commercial aircraft.Now that I'm retired, I still get my flu shot, but I haven't had the tiniest cold, sore throat, or fever in 3 1/2 years. 3 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #11 – December 10, 2017, 08:02:34 pm Another reason to get a flu shot is to help 'community immunity' or 'herd immunity'.Community Immunity ("Herd Immunity") | Vaccines.govHerd immunity or lack thereof was a factor in the 2014-15 measles outbreak originating at Disneyland. The helicopter parent network picked up a discredited report that vaccinations were linked to autism and many opted out of vaccinating their children. Handwashing, antiseptic gels and wipes are just a way of life nowadays. Your grandchild may not be an infection vector, but everyone else's is. 2 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #12 – December 10, 2017, 08:35:36 pm "*A friend was a 2nd grade school teacher and from September through June she was always battling a cold."That sounds like my Daughter, Lazybones 2, a school teacher who catches nearly every bug in town. 2 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #13 – December 11, 2017, 11:15:56 pm Knock on wood, I’ve managed to stay germ free 🤒🤧🤮for a few months now 😷 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #14 – December 12, 2017, 10:12:46 am "I'm still really counting on all that early exposure to dirt".I'm with you on this Lynne. My partner and I have lived on a couple of different small farms in the Arkansas Ozarks for the last 40 years, 20 in our current location, all the time with a variety of farm and domestic critters on the place (right now with four baby goats living in our sun room because mother nature decided the coldest night of the season was the perfect time for them to arrive!). Aside from the occasional cold, we have rarely been sick. My partner worked at the local hospital for several years, and I think maybe then she was expected to get a flu shot, but I don't think I've gotten more than one or two shots in all that time. From 1991 to 2013, I traveled by commercial aircraft forty plus weeks a year on business. No way not to get exposed to whatever anyone else had, but I can only recall one time during those years of travel that I had the flu. Credit good luck, good genes, or the dirt? Some of all I suppose, but certainly living on the farm exposes one to a variety of "bugs", which I believe builds up our immune system. It could be malarkey, but so far... 2 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #15 – December 12, 2017, 10:15:25 am I hate going to the doctor. Seems that's where all the sick people hang out. 2 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #16 – December 12, 2017, 04:04:47 pm Bill--Babies are wonderful...I remember as a preschooler (late '50s) on the farm where my dad grew up near the Iowa line, Daddy brought a couple of calves into the basement & fed them with bottles for a few days. I thought that was just the coolest thing in the world, but I remember my Little Red-Headed Mama being pretty cranky (that's where the wringer washer & the dryer were located). Now I've been around long enough to realize that what went into the calves also came out & had to be taken outside (along with whatever straw/bedding had been brought in)--still a good memory nearly 60 years later. folivier--RE: "I hate going to the doctor. Seems that's where all the sick people hang out."They don't have the right kind of dirt. Lynne 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #17 – January 25, 2018, 09:40:16 am I grew up on a working farm, beef cattle and chickens were the livestock we kept. Working the vegetable garden was the task for me. As an adult I still garden (dirt under my fingernails is normal) Even after all that up close association with dirt i went through a period when I caught every cold or bug that was out there. I started taking a daily probiotic and now I can hug my "little carriers" aka the grandkids and I am staying much healthier. tlbh2o Sand Castle 2001 26.5 mid bath 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #18 – January 25, 2018, 11:51:41 am Yup. It just goes back to the benefits of living in the country as a child. Digging holes, having chronically dirty fingernails, eating home grown food, and eating dirt was actually good for us. Petting the dog is good for your blood pressure and kissing it on the nose is good for your microbiome.I recently attended a lecture by Victor Nizet on the relationship of host microbiomes and various health issues.Victor Nizet, M.D. and Nizet Lab: Research OverviewHaving a diverse and healthy gut microbiome goes a long way toward general health and disease resistance. Let's hear it for eating home grown food, kissing the dog, and playing in the dirt! 3 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #19 – January 25, 2018, 12:03:08 pm In our area, Valley Fever is a big concern. Good idea to wear a mask while diggin' in that dirt! 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #20 – January 25, 2018, 12:12:59 pm Agreed. Don't mess with fungus! (Except Penicillium fungi).
Re: Flu numbers Reply #21 – January 25, 2018, 01:24:30 pm I thought Valley Fever was a one and done? You get it, then develop that immunity. I was hoping so while we enjoyed it last year.
Re: Flu numbers Reply #22 – January 25, 2018, 01:25:56 pm Quote from: HiLola - January 25, 2018, 12:03:08 pmIn our area, Valley Fever is a big concern. Good idea to wear a mask while diggin' in that dirt! And for those of you who visit the Southwest in the winter (or at other times of the year), be aware that dogs can also get Valley Fever. Most vets not practicing in the Southwest don't know anything about it, so your fur baby may be misdiagnosed once you leave and s/he comes down with symptoms. 1 Likes
Re: Flu numbers Reply #23 – January 25, 2018, 03:28:25 pm Quote from: paul banbury - January 25, 2018, 01:24:30 pmI thought Valley Fever was a one and done? You get it, then develop that immunity. I was hoping so while we enjoyed it last year. When I first read it about was in 2009 when we first came out west. I was ready to leave and never come back. I got over that. A good friend just came down with it and it appears that he is one of those that will recover mostly in a few months or less. He experienced extreme fatigue, coughing, fever, nodules in his lungs and a rash. A small number of people have problems for years and some only experience very minor symptoms.Here is a good FAQ on it. FAQs | Valley Fever Center for ExcellenceJim
Re: Flu numbers Reply #24 – January 25, 2018, 03:35:22 pm Many thanks to all for good info & links to more info. Lynne
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