I'm wondering whether the growing Swine flu epidemic (I'm following the WHO in not yet calling it a "pandemic") in North America is influencing anyone's travel plans.
Ann
[added official flu name to title]
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Colleen,
Number one - IMO this is the typical media sensationalization. A couple of hundred people die of the flu in Mexico City over the course of a couple of weeks. EXCUSE ME?!?!? A couple of hundred people die of malnutrition or related diseases every day in Mexico City. How many of the dead are the malnourished? There is a causality.
Also right now is prime flu season. People who have allergies are being immuno-compromised by their allergies so flu moves in. Whether swine, avian, type a, et al flu is an opportunistic respiratory infection. Not to mention that Mexico City has some of the worst air on earth so that even healthy people face challenges just breathing. Additionally spring weather creates inversions, we have had 3 ozone alert days just this week in Phoenix. I don't think they even bother with them in Mexico City.
As a biologist I know the Malthusian equation is inexorable. Sooner or later by virtue of nature or terrorism there will be a massive epidemic of some disease be it smallpox, plague, flu, whatever. Yeats said it best "the center cannot hold".
One of the "good news" parts (if any) is that older people seem to have some kind of immunity and that those who get sickest are 20 and 30 somethings. Unlike traditional flu where it is the elderly and the young who are the primary victims. That gives scientists a population of "immunes" to work with to come up with a treatment/vaccine.
I will admit to a concern but it hasn't changed my plans to date. The only way that my plans would change is if Europe puts in an interdict where there is no travel to or from the US or for anyone who has been in the US or Mexico within the past 90 days.
I am mostly concerned about an interdict happening while I am in Europe. I did get out my trip insurance and it does cover flight "delays" such as occurred during 9/11 so I could get "stuck" in Italy. Oh the Horror!! (NOT!!!)
So far it's Hong Kong that seems to have taken one of the most stringent measures, airport screening of travelers. There have been no travel bans. The degree of the public health risk and responses to it should be clearer in the next few days.
I think doctors worldwide will be checking patients reporting the symptoms. There may be more cases reported in the next few days. I'm already hearing of suspected cases in Europe.
I think it is wise to keep informed but don't panic.
One reason I think I would side with Doru on this issue is that it is not just the media who are spreading warnings. Strong alerts have been issued by the CDC in the US and the World Health Organization, as well as people such as NY mayor Bloomberg. All urge, though, to avoid panic - as Marta just mentioned while I was posting this.
My husband and I are leaving for Guatemala tomorrow night. We've been monitoring events and are considering bringing things like surgical masks with us as we are taking two flights to get there and one is via Houston (I am susceptible to respiratory illnesses and had a bad one a few weeks ago). There are no cases of Swine flu reported thus far in Guatemala, but as it shares a border with Mexico and people go back and forth there often, we are being mindful. Like Doru, we take this seriously and are just paying attention and awaiting any further announcements. This is all we can do...
Originally posted by Happy in Paris: So far it's Hong Kong that seems to have taken one of the most stringent measures, airport screening of travelers.
They had a lot of experience with the SARS event, and it's a bit easier to contain than Mexico...
We leave for France in one week and cannot see changing our plans unless the authorities close the airports or we are sick.
We are going through JFK to/from and are considering the idea of having the masks along in case there are signs of anyone ill on the plane.
I do have to be a bit careful since I have a mitral valve problem and have been hospitalized in past years when infected with a respiratory ailment that lasted 5 months.
Let's face it, Mexico is a poor country where half of the population lives under the level of poverty. And hald of the population doesn't have a proper access to doctors and medicines.
I think that even if we surely have to take under control the situation and should be careful, we also shouldn't gdet paniked.
It seems that this virus can be treated withanti viral medicines anyway.
This wouldn't make me stop traelling, just make me change destination. Ciao
The product Tamiflu is known to be effective with this strain of flu. It seems to me that it would be worth asking your doctor to write a prescription for it so that you will have it on hand should you start having symptoms, (high fever, coughing, upper resperatory problems.
I have never had the experience of trying to get this med from a farmacia without a prescription. Is it available in Italy without a script? If it isn't and one has to see a doctor first it may not be so easy to get the medicine soon enough for it to be effective as it must be taken within the first 24 hours.
Cameron, that is good news -- if the fine print specifies that your insurance will cover the costs of delays/interruptions/airport closures due to pandemics.
If we leave this situation to the medical professionals to take of then this swine flu wil become a pandemic.
Case in point with the SARS virus in Canada.
Most of the people that died from SARS in Canaa were in fact medical professional that failed to follow their own protocols with respect to treating others with SARS
Common sense and preventive steps are the best course of action.
As one person noted this is not flu season, so it is unlikely that this will spread
I checked my policy and because it was purchased prior to April 24th, then I am covered per a statement about swine flu published by the provider. I bought the policy when I bought my ticket and such several months ago.
I just heard someone (medical professional) on the radio point out that in the US every year, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people get the flu. There are now 20 reported cases in the US. Of course we need to be careful, wash our hands, etc.
They tell us not to panic, and then release all kinds of warnings, the nature of which DO cause people to panic. You gotta love the irony of it all.
Hope everyone stays well!
Posts: 314 | Location: Pittsburgh, PA suburb | Registered: 04 June 2005
Feel free to take masks with you when you are out in public; but because the recommendations are to only wear them once then throw them away; you'd need to take boxes and boxes of them with you on a holiday! Every time you took it off to eat, drink, be identified in the airport security line-up, etc., you would need to wash your hands and put on a new one. As a healthcare worker; we have understood for many years that the regular masks, the ones that you would buy OTC; only are effective for about nine minutes!! They get soggy from your own breath, and are then more permeable. The oneds that really protect you need to be fitted specifically to your face, and that is usually done in your workplace by a qualified technician. My advice is to avoid crowds; wash, wash, wash; bring your hand sanitizer with you; and isolate yourself and call your doctor if you begin to exhibit flu-like symptoms. Don't stop traveling, and stay healthy by eating well and taking your exercise and vitamins!
I have a trip planned to Mexico in 6 weeks. I am going to Sayulita, a fishing town 40 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta via non-stop from LAX. They are urging non-essential not go, what to do? Ihave until 5/6 to cancel my apt for a full refund.
I am really confused on this when the news said 35,000 US people die each year from flu as it is. I understand points form both sides is this being blown out of perportion or something to take very serious and cancel my trip.
Here's a report that swine flu is now confirmed in Spain and awaiting confirmation in Italy (Venice). So it already has jumped the pond. The suspected case in Venice is a woman who had just returned from visiting the US. There are additional suspected cases in Switzerland for folks just back from Mexico, so I wonder how this news may impact the calculus as health officials in the EU decide to how to respond.
I work in a micro lab, and today has been a day of digging out emergency plans, rescheduling all meetings and generally seriously planning for a possible epidemic.
As I write we have two confirmed cases in the UK, both in Scotland, but I expect there will be many more over the next few days. Our lab has sent out virtually our entire supply of viral transport medium (for testing for influenza) and have put in emergency orders for testing kits which will hopefully start arriving tomorrow.
One of the "pluses" of the Avian flu scare is that we have large stockpile of anti influenza medication (Tamiflu and Relenza) in the UK. The key issues here are going to be the numbers infected, and the likely mortality rate.
In short, the medical establishment does not believe this to be media hype - to use a cliché , we are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
TimW
Posts: 912 | Location: Hampshire, UK | Registered: 28 March 2005
well...it does seem to be taking quite a toll on travel the other direction.
I have a vacation rental in NJ (NY metro area) and had two cancellations today from Europeans who had booked upcoming stays...the EU apparently (as well as some member nations themselves I believe) has told people to cancel all "non-essential" travel to the US and people are scared to come to NYC at this point and heading the advisory.
I work for a large pharmaceutical company. Every year there is an awards trip for top salespeople, and this year's trip was planned for Cancun. The trip was to begin this Saturday, and the company just cancelled the trip. There is a large number of people who attend this trip, and I'm sure it is costing them a lot of money to cancel. I am beginning to think that this is not something to take lightly. They based their decisions on the recommendation that all non-essential travel to Mexico be cancelled.
We didn't buy trip insurance this year because we are going to Scotland.
I hope that decision doesn't come back to bite us. As it turns out, Scotland is one of the few European countries with confirmed cases. HOWEVER, I doubt they are on the Orkney Isles. :grin:
I am going to ask my doctor for an "insurance" prescription for Tamiflu.
Deborah Horn In a previous life I was an Umbrian sunflower farmer. I want to do a past life regression and stay there. ----------------------------------- www.petsburg.com My blog: Old Shoes - New Trip
Posts: 5590 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
Originally posted by TimW: I work in a micro lab, and today has been a day of digging out emergency plans, rescheduling all meetings and generally seriously planning for a possible epidemic.
As I write we have two confirmed cases in the UK, both in Scotland, but I expect there will be many more over the next few days. Our lab has sent out virtually our entire supply of viral transport medium (for testing for influenza) and have put in emergency orders for testing kits which will hopefully start arriving tomorrow.
One of the "pluses" of the Avian flu scare is that we have large stockpile of anti influenza medication (Tamiflu and Relenza) in the UK. The key issues here are going to be the numbers infected, and the likely mortality rate.
In short, the medical establishment does not believe this to be media hype - to use a cliché , we are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
TimW
Tim, I wonder did they, the medical establishment, think the bird flu was media hype? Obviously not, due to the fact there are stockpiles of anti influenza medications. Whats the difference here?
Posts: 1719 | Location: Seattle, WA for now... | Registered: 02 May 2005
"Tim, I wonder did they, the medical establishment, think the bird flu was media hype?"
No, we (I count myself among "the medical establishment") we really very concerned that H5N1 (Avian Flu) would become transmissible person to person - because the mortality rate of that strain was horrific (>30%).
This current H1N1 strain (Swine flu) seems of much lower virulence. Of the reported 150ish deaths in Mexico, only around 7 are absolutely confirmed as flu.
TimW
Posts: 912 | Location: Hampshire, UK | Registered: 28 March 2005
Originally posted by Deborah: I am going to ask my doctor for an "insurance" prescription for Tamiflu.
My husband and I are seeing our Dr. this afternoon to do just this. We are leaving for Italy 2 weeks from today and we want to have Tamiflu in case we get exposed to this stuff before we leave or come down with it while we are in Italy. I am not sure if a farmacia in Italy would fill a U.S. doctor's prescriptions there, so we're going to get it here before we leave.
I just bought my trip insurance on Sunday 4/26, through Travelguard. I noticed Cameron said earlier in this thread she thought she'd be covered for swine flu related losses because she bought her travel insurance prior to April 24th. So, I went to Travelguard's website to see if they had any statement or warning about not covering swine flu related losses after April 24th. But I can find no such warning, nor anything mentioning swine flu at all. Also, no warning about swine flu losses not being covering ever showed up when I was purchasing my policy on the 26th (and I did check all the fine print/warnings/strike exemptions/etc. before I clicked "purchase").
So, maybe we're OK and we are covered.(?) I am most concerned about one or more of our AA flights getting canceled (we're going LAX-MXP, via JFK). Or, Italy restricting our entry into the country if the number of swine flu cases suddenly explodes in California (however, as of this morning, the count is still only around 13 in all of California and it seems most of those are in Northern California).
Tery
Posts: 251 | Location: Mission Viejo, CA, USA | Registered: 18 May 2003
Originally posted by Deborah:I am going to ask my doctor for an "insurance" prescription for Tamiflu.
I am no doctor, but two notes on Tamiflu: In Europe it is also known as Relenza, and either of them is said to be effective only if used within 48 hours from the onset of first symptoms.
Both Josette and I used Tamiflu in Modena a few years ago, out of being cautious, but to this day we have no idea whether it had any effect or not. It was before restrictions on Tamiflu distribution were implemented.
Where washing hands (lots of soap, run warm water over at least 10 seconds)is not available, having hand sanitizer (min. 60% alcohol) may be useful. And try not to touch eyes, nose, mouth after you were in public and if hand washing was not available.
We are quite aware of these guidelines here, where SARS was at its most virulent and where tens of people died and some health workers still experience the effects.
The two big trip insurance consolidator sites are InsureMyTrip and The TripInsurance store. Both of the sites have good information on their blogs and are keeping the information up to date. Here are links to the blogs:
I've used both of the companies in the past. The Trip Insurance Store blog has an interesting post. They say the key date is April 23rd. Policies purchased after that may not be covered since it is not an 'unforeseen event'. The blog mentions the exceptions. I would recommend looking over these two blogs and calling the trip insurance company directly if you have any question on an existing policy.
Just a quick note from Guatemala where we landed yesterday... All airport staff at Guatemala City airport were in full masks and gloves. All arriving passengers had to fill out a survey form insuring that we do NOT have flu symptoms. People were being watched closely as they now have confirmed cases of the swine flu in Guatemala. We went to the pharmacy to inquire about Tamiflu. Never heard of it. Go figure...
My husband and I went to our doctor today and got prescriptions for Tamiflu. However, our local CVS drugstore will not issue the prescriptions to us. They said they only give out to people who actually have the flu! Plus they apparently only get in 2 doses per week at that particular CVS store.
We're going to try either Target or Walmart in the next day or two, and see if we can get the prescriptions filled there, but I am thinking now that it's going to be tough in the current situation. Our doctor did tell us that you cannot take it unless you are sure you have the flu - i.e. fever over 101 F. for a day or more, severe sore throat and cough, etc.
I guess we will just bring our prescriptions to Italy with us and hope for the best (and do everything else we can to minimize our risk of contracting the virus). Does anyone know if you can fill an prescription written by an American M.D. at an Italian farmacia?
Tery
Posts: 251 | Location: Mission Viejo, CA, USA | Registered: 18 May 2003
Here in Australia all borders entry to the country had been stepped up to stop the spreading of swine flu.
All fly from America and others suspected countries had been monitored closely and pilots have to report anyone sick or has flu symptoms to the health authority.
So far there is no report of swine flu found in Australia.
Originally posted by Gaia: My husband and I went to our doctor today and got prescriptions for Tamiflu. However, our local CVS drugstore will not issue the prescriptions to us. They said they only give out to people who actually have the flu! Tery
And this is almost certainly going to be an issue in Europe as well - There are a finite number of doses of Tamiflu/Relenza available, and I cannot see most countries allowing prescription "just in case" - This would almost certainly lead to people not being able to get the drug when we they do need it.
TimW
Posts: 912 | Location: Hampshire, UK | Registered: 28 March 2005
My son is on his way home from Europe right now. I am interested to hear if he heard or saw anything at FRA before leaving for home. I am also curious to hear how things go once he arrives at SFO. I'll post his responses, if any, tomorrow.
Posts: 343 | Location: Central California | Registered: 12 February 2006
I flew home this morning from Las Vegas, NV to San Jose, CA, and saw maybe half a dozen people in each airport wearing face masks. Walking along the crowded Vegas Strip and into a couple of casinos last night, I saw a few people wearing masks, also.
Posts: 16049 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
My wife and I filled prescriptions for Tamiflu at our CVS pharmacy this week. This was done as a precautionary measure in the event that either or both of us become infected with the disease during the coming month while visiting in Italy. We do not have symptoms now and were not asked by the pharmacy if we had symptoms. Its really none of their business. There job is to fill the prescription.
The risk of coming down with a case of influenza while away in a foreign country is enough justification for getting the prescription ahead of time. You don't know how difficult it may be to get it while you are in a foreign country. If we were not going out of the U.S., I would not ask for the medication before having symptoms as I am confident my doctor would prescribe it when needed here is the U.S. Its just common sense to be prepared while traveling out of your home country and away from your medical providers.
According to most (not all) professional sources, the wearing of a mask on an airplane is relativly ineffective. Hand washing is effective however and the less person to person contact you can have the better.
In the end, if you get the flu, drink plenty of liquids, take medication for fever, use anti-influenza drugs early on and stay in bed. Most people will be fine but some will develop complications due to other medical problems particularly those who suffer from upper respretory conditions. This is not Eboli.
As a practitioner this media hype just makes me nuts!! My office phone is ringing off the hook in panic. Let us be afraid of skin cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, risks of smoking, driving under the influence...
Wash your hands! Be reasonable! Leave the tamiflu for those who will need it once they become infected.
You didn't hear all this hype 2 years ago when Influenza A was resistant to antivirals and we had no other treatment other than rest and fluids. Enough!
I don't know how this is affecting tourism in other European countries (or cities) but here in Rome, if there were any more people in the Piazza della Rotonda near the Pantheon, they would have to be in two vertical layers.
Everyone needs to take a deep breath and turn the T.V. off! I have spent the last week fending off hysteria due to this latest outbreak. I am a Public Health Nurse and it sickens me to see such hysteria! There are so many other disease out there, much more virulent! Go to the website: CDC.gov to get all the info you want on travel.
As always practice good handwashing..cover your mouth when you cough. Stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if you have a fever. Anyone with a healthy immune system and taking good common sense precautions will be fine.
Enjoy your trip!
St. Monica
Posts: 138 | Location: Laguna Niguel California | Registered: 08 August 2007
Enough!
