Well all the public schools in the county are closed today, tomorrow and Friday because of the outbreak of H1N1, and so for the first time in 29yrs. I've had to cancel church becuase of health reasons. We have a policy that we cancel midweek services when school does for weather, but never before have we closed because of the flu.
I have a phobia against flu shots, and have never gotten any, although my doctor tells me that since I'm getting older [60 this summer] I really need to be getting them. The hospital chaplain, [I'm one of his volunteer chaplains] strongly recommended that any volunteer chaplains should get the shot. His concern is not so much with the vc, but with the patients which we might be visiting, and if we are called in to assist him. So I understand, and this morning I stood in line at the hospital and received my H1N1 shot ......................so now I'm protected - yah, right we'll see.
Several news accounts say that H1N1 mostly targets those under 30, especially those that are youngest; but I guess its the rest of us that the regular flu targets. Here are some common symptoms that you may have the flu:
I have a phobia against flu shots, and have never gotten any, although my doctor tells me that since I'm getting older [60 this summer] I really need to be getting them. The hospital chaplain, [I'm one of his volunteer chaplains] strongly recommended that any volunteer chaplains should get the shot. His concern is not so much with the vc, but with the patients which we might be visiting, and if we are called in to assist him. So I understand, and this morning I stood in line at the hospital and received my H1N1 shot ......................so now I'm protected - yah, right we'll see.
Several news accounts say that H1N1 mostly targets those under 30, especially those that are youngest; but I guess its the rest of us that the regular flu targets. Here are some common symptoms that you may have the flu:
...temperature over 100 degrees...stuffy, runny nose
...dry, unproductive coughs
...extreme fatigue
...chills and fatigue
these are just a few, but probably the most obvious.
On a lighter note, H1N1 used to be called swine flu. That is until it was determined by some smarter-than-most-of-us doctor it didn't come from pigs. However today, according to the Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune, 'at least one pig from Minnesota has tested positive for the H1N1 virus' ... the first case of a pig contracting the virus in the United States. Wonder what that pig, and his friends are thinking, 'there goes those humans messing up our lives again?' Do the pigs call it 'humanitis flu? or 'homo sapien virus' to be more scientific? Are they tempted to say, 'if a human touched that, I'm not eating it?'
This is amazing to hear! We closed church several times last year because of snow, we want to keep our folks safe, but I had not thought of closing because of an epidemic.
ReplyDeleteI will have to keep an eye on the news for this one. My prayers are with you, my friend!
BTW, around 1,000 H1N1 deaths have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, and Obama has declared a national emergency.
ReplyDeleteTo put this into proper proportion, consider that an average of 36,000 Americans die from non-H1N1 influenza each year.
don
ReplyDeletethere were just a couple of parents that were upset because school was cancelled. to some degree I understand, my wife and I raised three kids, and unscheduled cancellations were a pain; but I also know that complaining would be the first to complain if their kids got H1N1 at school. a national emergency is something to take note of, and not complain over the measures needed to be taken.
thanks
An interesting article in this month's Atlantic about the efficacy of flu shots whether for seasonal flu or whatever the disease du jour happens to be this week. Like you, I've don't get them. If I get sick, I do a couple of shots of Nyquil and an orange juice chaser and go to bed for a couple of days. It's worked out so far.
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Sherm....
ReplyDeleteI have in to pressure from my doctor, my wife and my boss chaplain at the hospital [where I volunteer] and got the shot. I'm going to read the article in Atlantic you suggested, and hope I don't regret the shot .... so far, I'm fine!
thanks