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Swine Flu: Your Guide to WebMD Coverage
The swine flu story is changing by the hour, and in order to keep you up to date on the latest, please check this blog where we'll continue to post information as it becomes available to us.
What We Know Today
WebMD's Coverage
Along with our news coverage, we are also planning to bring you much more information to help keep you informed:
This is now a global issue, and groups around the world are working together to track this virus and protect the public's health.
The main groups:
It is easy to hear all this and start to panic, especially since the U.S. declared a public health emergency yesterday, but it's important to remember there's a lot you can do, and the cases so far in the U.S. have been relatively mild.
If you want to know more about the symptoms, or find answers to other questions, check out our FAQ.
We will continue to do more on this topic to bring you the latest information, and the best explanations about what you need to know.
If you have questions, please ask them here and we'll do our best to find answers for you. What are you doing to protect yourself, and what concerns you most?
Sean Swint
Executive Editor, WebMD
What We Know Today
- In a press conference this morning with the World Health Organization in Geneva, we found out that the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S. has doubled since yesterday to 40, in five states. There are also cases in Spain and Canada, but the worst cases are still in Mexico, where of the 1,000 or so people sick with flu-like symptoms, there are 26 confirmed cases of swine flu.
- In a press conference later in the afternoon, WHO officials raised the pandemic threat level from 3 to 4.
- The only place where anyone has died is in Mexico, and officials are still trying to determine why that is ... as of yet, they don't know.
- The CDC also just wrapped up a press conference, where they confirmed the 40 U.S. cases, with the additional new ones today coming from a single school in New York. That school is closed today and tomorrow. In California there's a media report of a school closing in Fair Oaks due to a sick student.
- The CDC is also recommending that people avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.
WebMD's Coverage
Along with our news coverage, we are also planning to bring you much more information to help keep you informed:
- We have a video interview with a CDC official.
- We are creating a slideshow to help further explain the virus.
- A new reference piece is being written to help explain the difference between a pandemic and an outbreak.
- We are working on a map to show you the areas of the country affected, and how many people in each area have the flu.
- We will combine all this into one page for your ease of use. You will even be able to sign up for an RSS feed or getting the latest news by Twitter.
This is now a global issue, and groups around the world are working together to track this virus and protect the public's health.
The main groups:
- You can also check with your local board of health
It is easy to hear all this and start to panic, especially since the U.S. declared a public health emergency yesterday, but it's important to remember there's a lot you can do, and the cases so far in the U.S. have been relatively mild.
If you want to know more about the symptoms, or find answers to other questions, check out our FAQ.
We will continue to do more on this topic to bring you the latest information, and the best explanations about what you need to know.
If you have questions, please ask them here and we'll do our best to find answers for you. What are you doing to protect yourself, and what concerns you most?
Sean Swint
Executive Editor, WebMD
12 Comments:
... the PDR for Herbal Medicines gives information like the home remedy for the common cold (plain yogurt, musturd, ect)and alergies (would be honey if you do not have an alergy to honey)... you can order the book at the book store...
What happens when this swine flu combines genetically with the highly pathogenic avian bird flu (H5N1) strain?
What I haven't seen addressed is related to someone who has had a severe case of flu in last few weeks. Is that person likely to still be vulnerable to swine flu, or since it was such a short time ago, that person may have already had it, and recovered? Is there a better chance of not getting it now?
I'm very interested in finding out if it's known that someone could be a 'carrier', ala "TYPHOID MARY."
Also wondering if one has the H1N1
antigen, could it be passed to house pets?
Is someone immune to the swine flu if his own antibodies defeated the bug back in 1976 without any medical assistance at all? If so, then can this person's blood be used in some helpful manner to overcome this current threat?
From what I've heard from the CDC if someone had the swine flu injection in the 70's or ACTUALLY had the swine flu, it's a moot point with this new strain of the virus.
PLEASE,,,, Move to level 6 NOW before we have a repeat of 1918/1919 flu. The people deserve the best possible protection and level 6 is it.
I have yet to see if there is a "target age group", The 1918 flu targeted healthy young adults. Does this strain appear to have the same pattern or is it the very young, elderly and people with weak immune systems who are at the greatest risk for a severe/fatal reaction to this flu?
I have a daughter who is under the age of 2. We live in an area where there are not yet any confirmed cases of the swine flu. My mother in law tells us that we should go ahead and ask her pediatrician for a prescription of the Tamiflu so that we can have it available?
..a couple of days ago it was said that this "swine flu" is a 'mix' of swine,human and avian flu.
a) how is that possible via 'Mother Nature"
b) it was said in the same report that, since this is a 'new' virus configuration, there is no vaccine
c) yesterday I heard a health specialist say that it is an 'old, known virus"...
What is it? Is it a new virus or an 'old' one?
Vaccine or no vaccine?
35k people day per year from 'ordinary' flu virus.
That numbe rhas not been reached,yet, however, a pandemic has been declared.
Why?
I was the sickest I have ever been for 2 weeks in March. Fever over 102 for over 7 days, couldn't get out of bed, sore throat, headache, chest congestion, joint pain. I don't get sick often but I am raising 2 special needs grandchildren and things come home from school. They were both quite sick for over 2 weeks with fever, coughs, congestion. I can't help but wonder if we had Swine Flu but it was so early we didn't recognize it. We all had flu shots in the fall.
What vaccines were tested against the Swine Flu "epidemic" in 1976. I was in the military and one of those used as a "human guinea pig". I now have several medical problems and am looking for answers.
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