there are now two suspected cases in Saskatchewan.

Here is a bit of information to put things in perspective:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-pandemic-death...

Just a cure,

Inannawhimsey

I really hate the way the media is sounding alarms about this situation - I think (and hope!) it is extremism.  Naturally it is of concern, World Health Organization has mobilized resources to assist with investigation & control - which is great, as it should be.  Is that the story?  No ... it's all about alarm, alarm, get scared, get worried, start stockpiling your N-95 masks ... it bothers me ...

I have heard that we have at least 4 cases here in NS but they are saying that they are very mild cases and are pretty normal flu type symtoms.  I believe that the cases are all in young, otherwise healthy people from a private school down the valley who recently returned from a field trip to Mexico.  I think that I will see how it goes before I start to panic.

Appearently there are a few cases in NS , a private school did a schooltrip to Mexico. Nobody is seriously ill, just flu-like. This is 60km from where I live. I think you have to remember that the flu in a country like Mexico, where a lot of people are poor and possibly malnourished is deadlier than here. So is polio, measles and so on.

The CDC in the US says all of their cases are responding well to the retroviral drugs they have stockpiled. There is nothing to fear at this moment. If the situation does deteriorate, we will act appropriately. Until then the best advice is still found on the cover of your "Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy" which says in calm letters, "DON"T PANIC".

Crazyheart - I would hate to see the churches close their doors because of swine flu (or any other contageious disease).  At times of stress (like a pandemic - and I'm not saying this is at this point) I think people need a place to worship all the more.  However every precaution should be taken to try to avoid spreading the disease - hand washing, hand disinfectant placed near the entrances and exits and stratigically throughout the sanctuary, avoidance of hand shaking or casual hugs, care taken in serving communion, extra care when dish washing and serving food.

If the government placed a ban on public gatherings - then I think that the church has a responsibility to try to meet the people.  Services could be pod-cast.  The minister and elders could visit the people in their homes - or if that was considered dangerous - by telephone.   Committees and groups could be formed to offer practical help and support to people affected by the disease. 

Just as Jesus reached out to the lepors in the Bible - the church community should reach out to those touched by contagious disease.

mrs. anteater:  I also live within 60 K from the private school.  My mom and I saw how they are making it sound panedmic like on the news tonight.

I am wondering if there was really an epidemic or pandemic and if everyone took the attitude that the media and Governments etc. are making too much of it, how would they ever contain it. Just a wondering question.

Hello everyone:

"What does the Swine Flu have to do with the Church?" you may wonder?

Plenty!

I am immune to the Swine Flu. Never fear, I'll pass my immunity on to you.

Now you'll want to know how I do this. Well, I cast my pearls before my fellow swine. Although most of the pearls pass through undigested, a few get stuck, and give them immortality.

I'll never run out of pearls. The faster I cast them, the faster new ones will grow.

And here's me thinking all the swine were cast into the sea, along with Legion's demons.

Don't tell me the Bible got it wrong!!!!

Seriously, I'm with you Carolla, everything in the media these days is to alarm you. (Am I too cynical to suggest it helps newspapers etc. sell?)

In the case of a full-fledged pandemic such as teh 1919 influenza the government has the authority to ban all public gatherings, including worship services.  However that is likely to be a late (if not last) resort.

In terms of other churchy stuff, prudence may counsel a change of pattern.  There are already churches and/or clergy who discourage hand-shaking during flu season.  The method of serving communion is up for some debate as public health authorities shudder with intinction -- it is actually worse from a public health standpoint than a common cup which, when done properly, is wiped and the cloth refolded after each person.  It is those finger tips that get into the cup you know.

Provincial public health authorities have pandemic planning resources.  It may be prudent to have the church check in to those.

OOPS!!!

Removing the double post

There is a piece of this "swine flu" thing that does worry me and that is that they haven't seen this strain before. It's new. There is no effective drug or vaccine for this one if it does become serious.

I am wondering why they haven't stopped all travel to/and from Mexico as a precaution though.

But then I'm still wondering why Canada allowed all airplanes to be allowed to be redirected to our airports during 911 and possibly endanger our country.

Maybe because we're not paranoid like the USA...same goes for the flu.

ditto...i remember the goofy SARS panics....don't get me wrong, SARS was serious...but there were people who wouldn't come to Canada..because there were cases of SARS in Toronto....(let alone...wouldn't dare go near Toronto)

news channels, such as FOX &  CNN, and others, should have their executive be held responsible for appropriate reporting... I'm not sure how you do it..but this panic stuff is inappropriate

I think our Canadian radio and TV stations are doing the same thing.

The last time we had a flu go around, obviously not as dangerous as this, we stopped passing the peace and upped the use of sanitizer.

There is no need for panic, yet, but there is need for due dilgence.

If you get sick, STAY HOME.  Don't be a hero and spread it at work.

Wash hands.

Cough into your sleeve, not your hand.

Little things like that.

IT

Russ

It was during my childhood, swine flu all over the news. I was about 10. We got the vaccines at school. Then, the news told my mom to worry we would die of the coimplications from the vaccine. The flu never came, though people did die from the shots.

Panic is just that... panic. It is fear and among the things to fear is fear itself.

I think it is a real concern in our age of airtravel when a new mutated virus moves around.  It appears to be quickly going world wide, which you would expect due to air travel.

During SARS in Toronto, also a result of air travel from China, and brought over by one elderly couple, our Toronto congregation did a few things.  We had hand sanitizer at each door.  We stopped shaking hands at the door and during the Passing of the Peace, and for two weeks we stopped coffee hour.

I imagine we will do all these things again over the next few weeks.

One issue arising now is that the farms in Canada use alot of migrant workers from Mexico and they are arriving daily.  There appears to be some discussion about the need to stop that .

Keep in mind that ini Canada, 4000 people die each year ( mainly winter months) of complications related to the Flu.  We all speak of it as no big deal but it is a big deal for the elderly, the weak, the young, the immuno suppressed. 

I personnally would not go to Mexico now.  And yet, like Pinga says, as a Toronto resident i was stunned at people saying they wouldn't go to Toronto during SARS. 

They are lucky that the 4 students are high school students and not university students. they at least are in classes for another 2 months and so more or less contained. It was a couple of years ago when those Dalhousie students with the Mumps, all took off after exams and spread the Mumps.

and canada has awesome health care, doesnt it?

i think with 149 deaths in mexico their hospital care may differ a little.

Precautions are smart... panic is just plain stupid.

People die of flu complications. We panic because most of us have had the flu.

We could choke on food, slip and fall.... we drive... we don't worry about most that stuff.... and the numbers are staggering compared to flus.

Instead we worry about airplane crashes, shark attacks, being murdered, terrorists attacks or some natural disaster.... Why? Media coverage, most likely....

There is nothing attention-grabbing-ratings-getting about slipping in the tub or choking on a chuck of food....

We will tune in to see how high the death count gets on earthquakes, pandemics,   e coli outbreaks.... not the most common cause of death due to injury (at least in the US) the fall. Can you see yourself watching a newscaster say "another person slipped in the tub bringing the death toll to __. In another story, __ number of people fell out of bed, chair or some other form of furntiure today, the death toll so far this year is ___."

Undoubtedly there are discrepancies between the health systems.  But has anyone heard how many cases they think there have been in MExico?  149 deaths out of 500 cases is far different than 149 deaths in 20 000 or 1 000 000

CBC said 1900 had been hospitalized with severe respiratory...so...i would think the number is much higher that has it.  (though nothing reporting that)

 There seems to be a lot of difficulty in getting a handle on what's happening in Mexico in terms of numbers. One of the things I read yesterday was that some are now suspecting that there were cases of this flu all the way back in March. That's not totally surprising though if that is the case because the flu itself is common so there wouldn't have necessarily been the realization until it started to get into the collection of numbers we're seeing now that this flu is different. So it is possible that a whole lot more people did or do have this flu but only in a mild form (like is being seen now in other places in the world).   There also isn't a whole lot of public information about the actual people that are really sick now and there's still the question of why the confirmed cases of this strain in the rest of the world aren't anywhere near as severe.

StevieG,

Your humour gave balance to the fear associated with swine flu.

I would seriously consider having pay television if just one announcer would say, "another person slipped in the tub bringing the death toll to......."

It's the same with the paedophile issue, most children are interfered with by family members. This fact doesn't help tv ratings.

Thank-you for that Pilgrim's progress.

There was a letter to the editor in our local paper, that infuriated me.

It was a parent who lives in fear, being freaked out by parents that don't...

Clearly someone who didn't get that the majority of child deaths are by someone they know.

ps...note re my comment...it was a remark re deaths as a percentage of infections.

I am in agreement with GordW that one can't comment on the deaths, unless you know it as a % of infections and..of course a bunch of other factors.

 Yeah Stevie pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's a matter of perspective.

It is sad that another illness is preying on the vunerable.  I am not going to get personally worried for myself and mine until this flu starts taking down healthy folks who are NOT impoverished or immune-suppressed or in an other weakened state. I tend to adopt a wait and- see- attitude.

There's a big colour photo on the front page of today's Toronto Star - nuns (and others) in a Mexico City church, all wearing masks.  BUT - one of them obviously skipped the session on "how to properly apply your mask" - it looks like she turned it 90 degrees - so it's gaping wide open at both sides ... well ... what can I say? 

I posted a letter to the editor in parenting, re other panics...

Greetings!

Injecting a little humor (humor is good ) - SG's comment here starts the "Help, I've fallen and can't get up ..." dialogue of the ad for Lifeline (I believe it was) years ago running through my brain.

I'm not getting too uptight yet about the swine flu - perhaps if I knew it was in my community I might.  But, a person should take hygiene precautions everyday, not just in times of bugs going around - as in covering nose/mouth when sneezing/coughing, washing hands regularly and properly, not sharing drinking containers, etc.  And as someone mentioned above . . . staying home when contagious instead of being a hero and going to work (or shopping, or church, etc.).  If it isn't the swine flu, there's going to be something else going around and a common cold or other flu can take its toll on infants and the elderly.

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

I remember being in hospital once and the same nurse was working for three days - coughing, sneezing, blowing over me at 5a.m. every morning. Grrrrr Stay home.

Dear Church Members,

As you have heard in the news, national and international health authorities are closely monitoring developments in regards to recent outbreaks of illness in Mexico and other countries that have been linked to a strain of swine influenza virus. Your health and safety is a top priority of our church, so we are following this situation closely and taking appropriate actions.

As detailed in the attached travel alert, we are currently taking measures to limit travel of church members to impacted areas.

We encourage all church members to take seriously any existing public health recommendations for our local area and to exercise caution and seek appropriate medical care for any flu-like symptoms. We also are providing the following precautionary health guidelines as supplement fo those recommendations.

• Do not come to church if you have had known contact with an individual who is suspected or confirmed to have swine flu. Seek medical attention for possible consideration of anti-viral medication to avoid developing the illness yourself, and please inform me of your situation.
• Do not come to church if you are ill with a fever, respiratory symptoms, vomiting and/or diarrhea. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, seek medical attention, and please notify me of your illness.
• Avoid public gathering places, such as movie theaters, sporting events, and concerts. Do continue attending church. Use a face mask when in any public area.
• Avoid hospitals unless already seriously ill.
• Practice social distancing from other people, whether they appear ill or not, keeping a distance of 6 feet (2 meters) between you and other individuals if possible.
• Avoid commonly used social gestures such as hand shaking, hugging, and kissing, and excuse others' avoidance of these gestures. This includes in church.

Given the current concern over the possibility of a global swine flu pandemic, all church members should observe the following practices to avoid the spread of any contagious illness:

• Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze, cough or blow your nose, and avoid putting your hands near your face, mouth or nose, including during prayer.
• Wash your hands often with soap and hot water. Alcohol based hand cleaners are useful when hand washing is not possible.
• Discard contaminated personal items immediately, as they contain respiratory secretions and can transmit illness to others.
• Get a flu shot, as it may provide some protection. 

We will continue to monitor the situation, share information with church members and take all necessary steps to protect the health of our members. If you require additional information, please contact a church elder, deacon, or myself.

Praying for you all.

(Your pastor)

Wow, Jubilee.

I would have reported her. That's bullshit. If she HAD to work due to a nurse's shortage then she should have worn a mask.

Personally, I'm not afraid, since I haven't gone outside since they gave the warning about the arrival of the killer bees from South America. Plus I have lots of food stocked up in the old bomb shelter which is in my backyard.

The Spanish Flue epidemic of 1918 killed 50 million. The Asian flu of 1957 killed 1million . The HongKong flu epidemic of 1968 killed 500,000. The last pandemic threat was SARS in 2003 killed 773 worldwide.

Regular flu kills 36,000 Americans and 2,000 Canadians each year. We've got a long way to go before we have a real pandemic. I wonder if all this fearful hysteria is a diversionary tactic, since we are so tired of talking about how terrible our economy is.

There is a conspiracy theory floating around the internet right now. About 3 years ago, scientists published the genome of the Spanish influenza H1N1 virus. There were many who objected to this, since they were afraid it was making the information available to terrorists. The Mexican virus is a never before seen strain of H1N1. Coincidence, or not?

There were 7 new cases confirmed in  Canada today (bringing the total to 13), in Victoria and Toronto, and 2 in Alberta.  I think all the people got it in Mexico.

I am with RevJamesMurray.

Watch the news...  no contact with animals or people, certainly no sex for decades, no food or beverages, no breathing outdoor air....

I think it all started with the conspiracy regarding q-tips. We all had them in our ears before they told us they are not to go in our ears. I still have not figured out what they are for, other than maybe some device to take over the world.....

I am inside my plastic bubble.... Wait, is this thing made with BPA????? 

Geez Louise--you guys are tempting fate to make fun of this.  (but did anyone see the Jon Stewart Show last night--it was hysterical)  The woman in Victoria with sf got it in Cancun, and Mexico isn't even reporting any cases in Cancun.  And probably a lot more people in BC are probably going to get it since, while sick with it, she travelled on an airplane to Vancouver on Friday, and on Saturday took buses and the 1pm  ferry to Victoria.  then her  mother drove her to the hospital when she arrived in Victoria, where she waited around  for an hour before they put her into isolation.   Then the geniuses there  told her she didn't have sf and sent her home.  The next afternoon BC Centre For Disease Control phoned her and told her she did have it.  This woman "is concerned she may have infected other people after being told by health professionals in Victoria late Saturday she was not contagious."

http://www.timescolonist.com/Updated+Victoria+woman+confirmed+have+swine/1542237/story.html

Greetings!

Just curious . . . if someone has flu symptoms, how do they know it is the "swine" flu . . . could it be just an ordinary run of the mill flu?  Is there some kind of definitive test that would indicate it is the swine flu?

Hey, Rev Matt - I think the threat of killer bees would keep me inside . . .

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

Did anyone notice or is it me, the Americans tend to say Shwine flu. They kind of slur it?

Greetings!

Haven't watched any american tv lately, so not sure about the slur on swine - but I do like the way they say the word roof! 

Hope, peace, joy, love . . .

Yes they can test it to see if it's the swine strain or another one.   There have been a number of reports of people who have suspected swine flu that end up testing negative and just have the common flu.  I think it takes a few days for the results to come through.

Wow, it worked. We were all so transfixed on tracking people coughing, we totally missed the announcement that the U.S. economy turned in a worse performance than expected in the first quarter as it contracted at an annualized pace of 6.1 per cent. Economists had been expecting a first-quarter decline at an annualized rate anywhere from 4.7 to five per cent. We also missed out on this news item:  In a desperate bid to avoid bankruptcy, General Motors Corp. yesterday launched a massive restructuring plan that would eliminate jobs, dealerships and debt, phase out the storied Pontiac brand, and leave the US federal government owning at least half of the troubled automaker.

A few months ago people were saying that if GM declared bankruptcy, it would cause an economic tsunami. Today we have GM's bankruptcy, but by a different name, and no one has noticed the really big wave off the starboard bow which is headed straight for us. Hold up your hand if you still think the economy is going to be turned around by the end of this summer.

*ahem* Obama *ahem*

*ahem* Obama *ahem*

*ahem* Obama *ahem*

So much for "Yes we can."

Jubilee,

I don't understand what you're trying to say there.  Obama was supposed to stop that all or something or that Obama is somehow responsible for the swine flu hype distracting from these other stories? 

I heard a canadian doctor on the news the other day say that they are currently looking into whether the vaccines given last fall (H3N2 and H1N1 and B)offered some protection for canadians because so far the cases seen here have been less severe and treatable. They're thinking part of the current swine flu strain may be limited by some of our vaccine. Still only speculation. Nothing has been confirmed on that yet.

The shwine flu acts like other flus, but they do have a test. Nope, not the way this ex-pat says it... crazyheart, you must be watchng TV stations out of Jersey or Brooklyn. Or are you watching Jimmy Cagney do the news.... "Shwine flu, yew doity raaaaat"?

BTW Trivia alert- Cagney never said "you dirty rat" in any of his movies.