Swine Flu

I agree..perfectly normal to be concerned. Actually, today was my baby's first day at daycare and you know what I do worry. But as long as i know I am taking precautions as far as cleaning and sanitizing I have peace of mind. Another thing I asked the school director and teachers what they are doing to take their on precautions..... they are sanitizing even more and washing hands even more. Also some of teachers/directors kids go there too so they all have the same concerns. I wouldn't worry about to the point of thaking them ut of school. If you can get it from human contact, you pretty much can get it out and about anywhere.

The very young and the very old are at most risk from death due to the flu. Swine flu is no more deadly than regular flu. It is making news because it is a different strain of the flu we usually see. Yes, some people die from swine flu, but people die every year from "regular" flu. Just take regular precautions and don't read too much news about it because they sensationalize it. If it becomes unsafe to be in public in Texas or in your child's school, you will hear about it. Thankfully, 2 drugs are effective against the swine flu, so if you or a family member start to feel sick, do to the doctor asap so you can get started on one of the drugs. No reason to panic. : )

Remember that the media blows everything out of proportion and replays things over and over and over to keep people interested. Think about how many people are in our country vs. how many has actually been reported as contracting it. I understand your concern and last night I watched the news and it started to scare me too. Then I thought about our media and what they are about and realized not to worry right now. I don't think taking your daughter out of school is necessary right now.

Don't stress, just be smart. I am taking some preventative measures to make sure my family has strong immune systems and good hygiene etc.
We have added a probiotic for all 4 of us, we already take vitamins with 85% solubility the highest available, and also increased fluids and limit time away from home without panic, avoiding errands when stores are busiest etc.

It's not even at the epidemic stage yet, so I think you can rest and just stay informed. The cases in the US have all been mild from what I've read, and no deaths. Also, tamiflu seems to work. I know you're concerned, but I think it's way too early to panic. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1035...

N.,
I know you are a good mom.....let's not go overboard.

Most people do not need to listen to the exagerrated news reports. They WANT you to listen so they tease you with all this info and get higher ratings.

Be the good mother you already are....keep hands washed, and follow the normal precautions you use on a regular basis. Hang in there.....you will be fine. There will be a lot of stuff going on while your little ones are growing up, we have to be strong, not teach our children Fear.

It is normal to be a nervous mom.....just control it. It is hard to let go and see your precious children growing up. Trust that you have taught her well.

Best wishes.

Dr. Oz was on 'The View' today and I think he'll be on Oprah tomorrow to talk about it. They recommend using hand sanitizer many times a day. He did mention, at the end of the segment, 'what would you do if tomorrow they shut down the schools and you couldn't go to work? i don't think they will, but it's just something to think about. we'll know by friday.'

So if Dr. Oz is saying something MIGHT come of this more seriously -- and he's willing to put it out there on national TV, I think the smarter course of action would be to stock up on groceries and necessities - just in case they tell people to stay home.
Yes, no one has yet died in the US; but according to NY Times today, 149 people have already died in Mexico!! And they've had it longer there than here. Europe is already telling citizens to avoid travel to U.S. and Mexico.
The thing to stay on top of is to go to the doctor immediately when you start to experience real symptoms: a temp of 100.5 or above, flu like symptoms, coughing, vomiting/diarrhea.
I'm starting to get nervous, too, but for now.... I'll send a small travel size hand sanitizer to school with my child - so he can keep it in his pocket and use it frequently during school. He's pretty good with keeping his hands clean so I know he'll use it.
The schools will be shut down if/when they think it's necessary.

People in Mexico are dying from it because they don't have the health care access that we have here in the US. I lived/volunteered in some of the poorest areas of that country in recent years and I know this is the case. We are fortunate to live in a country where even the poor and uninsured can get treatment for illness. Plus, we also have access to drugs that fight the flu. My suggestion - turn off the news (or at least mute it during the parts when they are talking about the flu). Mainstream media LOVE sensational stories because it gets everyone nervous and makes us want to watch more (and that's all they care about - ratings and large audiences).

This is a great time to teach your kids about good hand hygiene - wash their hands after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after coughing or sneezing, etc. Also, teach them not to eat or drink after other kids. This will prevent a lot of things, not just the swine flu.

I really don't have any advice for you because I feel about like you do, so it is a good thing that my daughter is younger and not in school yet, because I would probably want to rip her out and not let her leave the house for any reason. So, although I cannot advise you, I would say that no matter what you do you are a good mom. Just make sure that if you do decide to take her out and homeschool her that you are really committed to homeschooling and doing a good job. There is such a short time left for the semester I think it would end up being more trouble than you know to start the homeschooling.

My real reason for responding is to warn any other panicky moms who are sending their kids to school with hand sanitizer. Your kids can get in really big touble for posessing hand sanitizer at school in most districts. I would definitely recommend that you call the school and make sure it is alright to send it and also, please consider the safety factor of sending your kids to school with something that can be really dangerous like hand sanitizer, although your child may be smart and responsible and careful with it does not mean that all of the other kids will be, it could get into other kids hands and become a real danger. Be careful!

If you are going to take her out of school to prevent it, keep in mind that you and your husband will both need to quit work and take up farming to stay out of the grocery store, and give up money - easily the most disgusting thing in our lives (Guaranteed - there is more bacteria on a $20 than in your toilet).

Since that's fairly impossible to do - I think that homeschooling to avoid swine flu is over reacting a tad.

S.

ETA - I apologize if that sounds cruel. It's the truth. When the Pandemic flu of the early 20th century was wiping out villages, there were isolated Alaskan villages that refused to allow anyone to enter - the only way to stay away from something as contagious as the flu. To avoid it, you'd have to avoid the gas stations, the grocery store, the hospital, the pharmacy, and work. To REACT to a scare - any scare - by giving into overcoming, paralyzing fear is not healthy. To pull a child out of school because of fear of an easily transmitted virus, without blocking off other routes to the family - work, park, shopping mall is to not cover the bases.

I fully support homeschooling - and choose it for my children. Reactive homeschooling - whether a parent pulls a child after an incident like Columbine, or the DC sniper, or for fear of the flu or MRSA - is over reacting.

N., I wasn't going to respond because you've gotten so many kind, intelligent responses already. Then, I read the one from the woman who suggested you would have to quit your job and take up farming if you took your daughter out of school and it got my back up. I love it when people slam you, then put a smiley face at the end of their message, don't you? It's the same as saying, "I hate to say anything, but...." when you just can't wait to say something nasty to someone! Anyway, it sounds to me like you're a great mom who's just been bombarded by news reports telling you that we're heading for a pandemic anytime and you better take cover NOW! The news scares us because it keeps us watching. Just keep this in mind, but stay aware of any real news about this whole issue, keep doing what you're doing and say a prayer. You'll be fine - and you'll still be a great mom. Best wishes, and God Bless! S. P.S. Oh, by the way, I have grandkids in public school and I worry about them, too. I think it's natural & I think it's perfectly normal to be concerned.

taking the child out of school would be going overboard. if it was unsafe to be in public, they would shut down the public schools!