Locked up

[simgaroop]

MEXICO CITY – The schools and museums are closed. Sold-out games between Mexico's most popular soccer teams are being played in empty stadiums. Health workers are ordering sickly passengers off subways and buses. And while bars and nightclubs filled up as usual, even some teenagers were dancing with surgical masks on.

Across this overcrowded capital of 20 million people, Mexicans are reacting with fatalism and confusion, anger and mounting fear at the idea that their city may be ground zero for a global epidemic of a new kind of flu — a strange mix of human, pig and bird viruses that has epidemiologists deeply concerned.

And it's just being announced that schools will be closed at least a week.

That means, no work for at least a week for me :(. And according to the news, they are still evaluating if they will eventually declare a full quarantine in the city.

There are no more masks available on stores. We don't have masks, so we're going to search for some today because it's being advised to not leave home without them.

I won't lie to you, I'm also scared :(

Comments

[barbsbookfreak.livejournal.com]

OMG now I'm scared to:(
I hope nothing will happen to you and your family
(and now I'm wondering why I haven't heard anything about it)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

You haven't? It's all over the news here (in Canada). They have researchers here and in the States working to try to determine what exactly the flu-like condition is.

Last evening, they were saying it was very likely a new strain of swine flu, but that report Simgaroop just posted seems to suggest that it's a new combination of several types of flu, and that idea is very scary. Well, either way a new virus is scary.

[barbsbookfreak.livejournal.com]

Right after my reply it was everywhere...maybe I schould have paid more attention to the news...

[the-death-child.livejournal.com]

Bloody hell, may you pray to whatever diety you believe in and pray you nothing bad will happen to you or those around you.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's so scary. I hope you and your loved ones will be safe. Don't go out there unless you really have to, okay? I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

[aryssabrooke.livejournal.com]

Is mail being delivered? I'll post you some masks!

Be okay, honey! You're in my prayers. (as is all of Mexico, actually)

[simgaroop.livejournal.com]

I really don't know about the mail, but don't worry. I've just arrived home with some masks. My sister is a dentist, so she knows where to buy surgical masks.

We also bought enough food in the market in case there's a quarantine, so we're now just waiting until the government issues new instructions. But for now we are safe.

Thank you very much! :)*hugs*

[jayeless_archive]

Oh wow, that is scary. =( I hope they don't have to declare a quarantine on the city -- for me, I think that would be very terrifying indeed.

I don't know what to say, really. I hope everything works out, that scientists and doctors work out what the virus is and how to eliminate it, and so on. I also hope people aren't panicking too badly there.

I'm sure you'll pull through, but still, good luck! =(

[an-nas.livejournal.com]

That's awful. I'd be terrified too. :( I hope you'll be okay.

[leilia.livejournal.com]

My mother leaves for Central America today. She is worried about this as well.

The flu is a virus though, I am not sure how much help a surgical mask is going to be. Especially since you need to brave an infected city with lots of other people to try to find them. You are better off quarantining yourself away and limiting your exposure as much as possible as try to do things that bolster your immune system. Like eat foods rich in anti-oxidants, full of vitamins, and get lots of sleep. The masks are more of an aid if you become sick because they help limit the spread of mucous or saliva when you sneeze or cough.

If you can get them, anti-viral tissues may help. However don't take anything anti-bacterial - it won't help and may help strengthen other illnesses.

Be safe. Vaya con Dios.

[showercapfrog.livejournal.com]

*thumbs up* I agree with this comment, but I figured that (hopefully) the people who were making the recommendations knew what they were talking about.

Depending on the type of mask, they may not even help prevent the spread too much - some masks become essentially useless after a while as they create larger droplets due to the accumulation of fluid.

[leilia.livejournal.com]

There isn't a lot you can do to stop a virus until you know the vector. I mean the flu is primarily transferred through the mucous membranes through things like doorknobs and people coughing and sneezing in crowded areas. However that is not the only way to get it. And you also have to consider how long the virus can live outside of the host. Most of them have a short lifespan, only a matter of minutes or hours.

That is why quarantine is effective, if the disease is not truly airborne then making people stay off the streets and out of crowded places works. The disease literally has nowhere to go. It worked for cities dealing with the Plague back in the 1300s and it why doctors tell people to stay home when they are sick. Not to help the sick person, but to prevent the infection from spreading more.

Your point about the mask is a good one. And something I didn't think of.

Most of what I know about epidemiology is from history and reading. So I am by no means an expert. But recently I've had to do a lot of research on how disease spreads and my mother is a biologist.

A lot of times, officials give a placebo answer to prevent mass hysteria. Especially if the public is clamoring for some kind of response. The masks aren't a bad idea, per se. But quarantine is better.

[profbutters.livejournal.com]

Of course, since plague is also spread by rat fleas, not sure that quarantine alone solved the problem. Sanitation plays a major role, too.

[showercapfrog.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I hadn't heard anything about it until now, so I hope you're doing okay.

Good luck with finding face masks.

[naughtydolphin.livejournal.com]

That would scare me a lot too.

[simplode.livejournal.com]

I don't blame you for being concerned. It's a very scary thing. We'll all be keeping your country in our thoughts and prayers this week.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

You be careful down there.}:(

[dragancaor.livejournal.com]

[cuddles]

That's really no fun at all. Though I find it worrying that they're inducing a state of panic & haven't declared a quarantine to stop it spreading to other communities - people are likely to leave the city to avoid it, yet if they're already carrying....

The TB stuff has been scaring me enough. This is all amounts of NOT.GOOD.

I'd post you a mask if I thought it would arrive soon enough for you. That said though, if you'd like me to anyway just let me know & I will. Our post offices open again on Tuesday (coz of the ANZAC holiday).

[simgaroop.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's why people are so upset. We've been hearing about this flu for a at least a week, but they decided to take measures until Thursday night. No one knew how bad was this issue until yesterday morning, so it came as a shock for everyone when they suddenly closed all schools, museums, cinemas, etc.

Thank you very much for your offer, but I've just arrived home with some masks. My sister is a dentist, so she knows where to get surgical masks. We're only wearing them if we go outside, though.

For now we'll stay inside as much as possible! :)

[uys.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, that's so scary! I hope you'll be okay o.O

[mizzytizzy.livejournal.com]

!
Take care of yourself!
xo

[psitticism.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of you when I saw this on the news and was just getting ready to drop you a line to see how you were doing. Please do be careful and try to stay inside and safe as much as possible. Take care of yourself! I'll be thinking of you and your loved ones.

[dancinginsecret.livejournal.com]

Please continue to post whenever you can so we know you're okay. *hug from near-stranger*

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

This is looking worse and worse every time :|
I can only wish you best of lucks, take care and hope everyone in your family is safe. <3
*hugs*

[redikolous.livejournal.com]

I hope everything turns out okay!

[marhis.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I hope you are safe. I would be scared too. Apparently it's an almost *new* virus, part North-America pig flu and part European-Asiatic variant.
That kind of virus should infect in the ways generic flu viruses do, so the masks could be really helpful. I really hope so.

I hope they'll find a vaccine as soon as possible. Take care. :(

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

I was reading about this last night and I read a few encouraging things...

First, they've already developed seed vaccines that are genetically matched to this new flu strain, so it will only be a matter of time before there are vaccines.

Secondly, meds such as Tamiflu are effective against this, which should reduce the severity of the virus in immunocompromised people that do happen to get it.

Thirdly, as scary as this all may seem, the virus/illness itself is no worse on the body than the "normal" influenza that goes around every year. Thousands of people every year die from influenza and complications from it... which is sad, of course, but it helps to put this in perspective.

Take care of yourself and try not to worry too much! ((hugs))

[profbutters.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you're going through all this. It must be very scary.

I don't have much to add to what everyone else said (except also wash your hands.) It looks as though the same virus is here in Southern California, though it isn't causing as many problems. I suspect some of this is scare and panic. I remember a lot of fear when swine flu broke out in Fort Dix, NJ, and legionnaire's disease, and a lot of other things, but when the whole thing was over, very few people even got the disease, let alone died from it. So take all the precautions you think are necessary, but also try not to worry. And keep us posted.

[leenyland.livejournal.com]

Stay safe! I don't blame you for being worried. :(

[http://users.livejournal.com/comagirl_/]

Good luck with the masks :( I hope you stay safe and healthy! (I hope everyone else does too, that is scary indeed)

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Glad you're safe. If you can, try not to panic. Keeping your stress levels lowered is the first step to maintaining good health. You're in my thoughts. *hugs*

[tehlobster.livejournal.com]

*hug* Stay safe. I was just talking to my dad, and he recommended surgical gloves, because this sort of thing is more often spread from hand-to-hand contact. So maybe see if you can get some of those.

[last-turn.livejournal.com]

*hug from stranger* stay safe! I'm in New York City, and the New York Times said that there were a few possible cases in Queens...most of my friends live in Queens...I really hope it doesn't spread to my school! It must be terrifying to be in Mexico right now. I'm freaking out, myself...best of luck!

[forestpixie.livejournal.com]

Stay safe! My best to you and your family.

[angy182.livejournal.com]

I'm so scared now! I know I haven't commented on you lately but you know that I'm shy, so please forgive me. I still read every post you do and everything you write :) anyway, speaking of your post, I feel bad now I know that. I'd like to help you but I know I can't. that's sad. I hope you'll be okay.