September 23, 2005
What's going on here?
Just in case you were lulled into complaisancy by The New York Times, Revere, over at Effect Measure, criticizing WHO, says this, and much more (be sure to read the comments)::
"But the World Reassurance Organization doggedly refuses to say out loud what everyone else can see. This virus has gone human to human and is spreading in Indonesia. The fact that it may (or may not) be as efficiently transmitted as current endemic strains of human influenza doesn't mean things have not changed. They obviously have, and to say there is no evidence the virus has mutated because they haven't sequenced it completely, just a lie. "
Fluwiki has declared October 3-9 National Pandemic Flu Awareness Week. Not a moment too soon in my book.
I may have mentioned my idea of chicken shaped magnets for the back of cars, (slapped right over those ubiquitous yellow ribbons) - that say " be aware, prepare ......avian flu information @ fluwiki" or something equally catchy. THIS, I would buy.
As the bearer of bad tidings, I have been getting some interesting responses to my gentle interventions. The friend with whom I dined today made me promise not to mention the avian flu because it "freaks her out". Several others, who were able to listen beyond their anxiety, have been told their primary care physician that there is no need to worry about this issue, at all, and have been refused prescriptions. Another was given a prescription for ten capsules of Tamiflu (the only successful plea, so far), and was told that was all she needed -(she wanted the recommended thirty). Her doctor assured her that he knows about this issue, and he cannot understand why she's being so insistent.
So in spite of my considerable charms, my attempts to raise awareness among those near and dear, have not been met with enthusiasm. If I keep this up, I shall ruin my social life entirely. Then, again, a quarantine would do the same.
Posted by Dakota at September 23, 2005 06:04 PM
OK my descent into paranoia is complete , I am now communicating with a fellow duck flu-o-phobes about impending doom 4 ( one is 'global warming' , two is the contradictory 'global cooling' and three is 'peak oil' ). In Australia it seems , the Avian flu is being mentioned nearly every day , perhaps because of the proximity of Indonesia..and perhaps because we are paranoid . It has been talked about for the last 12 months with our health Minister stating it was a 10 % chance that a pandemic will grow out of an event in Asia . Now we are through the "looking Glass" as the Australian Government has now stated it's a matter of "when" as opposed "what if". Australia has deliberately invested in the largest stockpile per capita of influenza anti virals ever by a Government...according to Government enough to cover first lines of defence ...well... for some weeks. The preparedness is now at the level of planning the specific the roll out of the Tamiflu as the expected epidemic escalates ..( border personnal first etc) , how to specifically contain it , how to buy time in order to develope vaccince, education of public and whether the Government will run a "War Cabinent" to deal with this emergency..you know , seal those borders etc. But you just know that this semblance of competance by the Government is going to fall in a big heap when the first wave of infections occurs ...eh , what can you do ...but save yourself. Yes I am so paranoid that I think that my paranoid government will fumble it.
We , of course are not paranoid ..we are just managing a risk. And whether the pandemic eventuates or not , the significance of the risk means resources have to be allocated to address likihood of occurrance. Hence here I am having a look at your really cool personnal preparation list I googled.
I live and work in a suburb of Sydney that is the equivalent of "Little Saigon " and have dealt with people who flown in from SE Asia that same morning .....so I hope I dont meet any duck wranglers from Asia to soon .....
Posted by: David Xavier at September 24, 2005 07:18 AMDear David,
Thank you for your great comment. The contrast between the USA and Australia with regard to this issue is simply astonishing. It makes me want to immigrate. I'd better get busy before the borders close entirely. Imagine, a government that actually mentions this possiblity to its citizens! NOBODY here has heard about the possibility of a pandemic. And the New York Times, when they cover the subject once every week, is full of good cheer and bad information.
Do keep us abreast of activities and infections down under -
Best Dakota
Posted by: Dakota at September 26, 2005 06:14 AMHere's good and bad news. Google keeps a list of
top and gaining seach terms:
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
Tamiflu is now #11.
Also South-East Asia WHO just sent all their Tamiflu from India to Jakarta.
Last week they said they would only do this in a pandemic. This leaves India with NO Tamiflu.
Australia, which last week sent 10K doses, will be sending 400K ASAP.
Avian flu in Indonesia: WHO medicine flown from India
Note to everyone who thought Dakota was a little gloomy -- wait much longer
and you won't get your Tamiflu.
New Zealand Herald - Bird-flu drug supplies cleaned out - Monday 26, September 2005
Chilling, An0n -- as always, thanks for your up to date information, as much as I would like to ignore it. D
Posted by: Dakota at September 27, 2005 12:26 PM