Locked up: Day 2

[simgaroop]

"MEXICO CITY – Churches stood empty Sunday in heavily Roman Catholic Mexico City after services were canceled, and health workers screened airports and bus stations for people sickened by a new strain of swine flu that experts fear could become a global epidemic.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrardo said two more people died of swine flu overnight in the overcrowded capital, and three other deaths are suspected to have been caused by the strain. Another 73 more people were hospitalized with influenza, possible swine flu.

City Health Secretary Armando Ahued said most of the fatalities involve victims who only sought medical help after the disease was well advanced and urged people to seek urgent care

President Felipe Calderon has assumed new powers to isolate people infected with the deadly swine flu strain that health officials say has killed up to 86 people and likely sickened about 1,400 in the country since April 13."

According to a televised message from our President, which was transmitted just a few minutes ago, the officials are still discussing if they are going to also close down public transportation or flat out stop all the economic activities in the city. It all depends on the evolution of the swine flu epidemic in the next 72 hrs (<-- I'm pretty sure this sentence is made of grammar fail, but today's one of those days when my English just plain sucks).

It was confirmed last night that schools and Universities will remain closed until May 6th.

The good news is that a. This disease is curable if it's diagnosed on time (what the media is not telling is that from the 1384 confirmed cases in México, 924 have been released from the hospital) and b. There are drugs to attack it in my country (in particular the Tamiflu).

But this is still a very serious issue and that's why they are being so strict with all the closures, to prevent things from getting out of control.

As for me, things are still the same around here. My parents arrived last night from a long trip out of my country and were pretty worried about us, because the international media was being a a tad pessimistic about our situation. I don't blame them, the city feels eerie and it lacks its usual noise because the streets are deserted. This silence is distracting, to say the least.

Comments

[showercapfrog.livejournal.com]

I cannot imagine a city that big closing down, but that's what seems to be happening.

I am glad that Tamiflu and Relenza both seem to have some effect, and that a lot of the cases are being released from the hospital. It's worrying but at least your parents are back as well.

(I am also happy you don't seem to have been infected yet? YAY FOR YOU!)

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

Your grammar looks just fine to me :)

MAY 6??!! O.O That's ... another week and a half!

Hope things stay in control. Stay safe!

[naughtydolphin.livejournal.com]

It was the headline story on the news here this morning. Hopefully they've caught onto it in time and all these precautions help it go away.

[lauriethemuppet.livejournal.com]

They're saying it's already made it's way to Canada now because of the amount of Canadians that travel too and from Mexico every week.

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

I just tried to *headdesk* for this, but my hand got in the way. Ow.

(but you get the idea)

[simsinthecity.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia says 4 in NS and 2 in BC, and they also have unconfirmed cases in Europe, South America and ... Israel?? Probably, again, from travel.

[eien-herrison.livejournal.com]

There's also a group of students in New Zeland which may have caught it (they recently travelled to Mexico). Okay, loading up the Google map of it and they're confirmed. If you look up "Swine flu H1N1" in google maps it'll show you: purple confirmed, pink suspected.

[lauriethemuppet.livejournal.com]

If I click on the two pink dots nearest me they come up a veterinary drug supplier and a micro biology lab.

[eien-herrison.livejournal.com]

...urgh, that's annoying, I can see it but I can't give any kind of instructions.

With the addition of two cases in NZ (north island), this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/Katya_Stevens/swineflu1.jpg) is the current situation.

[lauriethemuppet.livejournal.com]

Closest purple blob to me is down in the states from the looks of it. And the pink blobs look further east from what I can tell. Course there are also pink blobs near where I'm flying to next weekend (Central England).

[eien-herrison.livejournal.com]

The pink blobs are up in Scotland, two people who returned from Mexico five days ago with flu-like symptoms (I'm keeping an eye there 'cause England is where I live).

[lauriethemuppet.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm spending most of May in England, two weeks in Southport and a week in London.

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

That sucks, Simgaroop. There are a few cases her in NYC too, and we're all scared, but I can't imagine what it must be like over there.

[allysonsimming.livejournal.com]

It IS really creepy when a normally busy, bustling city just shuts down. I was in downtown Chicago on September 11th and even scarier to me than everything that was happening was how EMPTY the streets were. It's a very disconcerting, very creepy feeling.

I'm glad you and your family are safe, and I do hope the media is just making the situation seem worse -- I feel like the news always exaggerates.

[simgaroop.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine how bad things were on September 11th, specially in New York. I'll never forget how terrified we were by all the attacks, despite the distance.

I guess, up to a point, we are going through a very similar situation in my city, although caused by completely different reasons.

Thanks for the good wishes. And I agree that the media tends to focus on the bad side of things at times. I was relieved by our president's message, because now I know that the chance of survival from the swine flue is significant, against all odds.

[unholypassion.livejournal.com]

OMG, this is getting really crazy. It's like the plague.

Stay safe!

[pearkiwi.livejournal.com]

I hate walking around in places where it's unnaturally silent. It just makes me think of all the horror movies and video games I've seen that have that plot. While it's not the headlining story here yet (that would be the upcoming fire season), it is on the front page. I hope you and your family continue to stay safe.

[jayeless_archive]

I'm glad antivirals are effective against it -- hopefully that means the virus can be defeated before it gets completely out of hand. People here (in Australia) are somewhat nervous about the swine flu, although their solutions are mostly silly ones like, "Let's sever all ties with Mexico... and New Zealand." And then I think, "Hmmm, no, how about we organise resources in such a way that we're prepared for if it does get here." I guess that means they're probably not really worried, but it's definitely on the radar.

[showercapfrog.livejournal.com]

I am getting emails from various medical emailing lists in Australia about how to prepare patients for it and making quarantine areas, so the medical profession seems to be at least a little concerned.
But it also says that the Australian alert level hasn't been upgraded yet, just to be aware that if travellers are returning from overseas and have a cough, that they should be seen early and separated from other patients.

However, Australia has buckets of Tamiflu, so they should be fine as long as people don't panic.

[angy182.livejournal.com]

I'm more scared now. stay safe. I'm watching all the news here in Italy, but they prefer talkin about the earthquake here that killed a lot of people, so I watch American news and programmes.

[petalbrook.livejournal.com]

We've had one confirmed case quite close to where I live here in Ohio. One school is closed because it was student that was diagnosed.

I feel conflicted because I'm hearing different reports about what the WHO is saying. And jeez louise, why does the media feel the need to scare people about pandemics?