Is it still safe to assume that any flu in our area is H1N1?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seasonal flu wont be hitting until December. Any flu like symptoms are basically classified as H1N1 since it's too early for the flu.

This is 100% total and complete misinformation. Two people in my family tested positive for the flu, NOT SWINE FLU.

I bet you feel stupid now. It was not total and complete misinformation. know your facts.

[Anonymous]

It depends on why you asked the question.


For diagnostic purposes, they are presuming that the flu is H1N1 (or maybe typing but not subtyping the virus) because most of it is H1N1, the tests take time and money, and there is no point waiting when the best treatment is to give Tamiflu immediately and encourage you to take precautions not to infect everyone else. So if they are wrong 5% of the time, they saved a bundle on testing, you got Tamiflu right away, which will help any flu, and since you will try hard not to infect anyone, we're all better off.

For epidemiological purposes, they are doing some testing, but they only need a statistically valid sample. So it's OK to skip lots of people. But they do care about the numbers and whether the mix is shifting.

For your own decision-making on whether or not you get the vaccination, you should get vaccinated unless you were typed and sub-typed and told you had H1N1. If your family ran through the flu, there is no point in going through it again with H1N1 because of a faulty assumption about your influenza.

[Anonymous]

But if we have the flu and all the flu in our area now is H1N1, why isn't it safe to assume we have H1N1 now? What could the faulty assumption be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on why you asked the question.


For diagnostic purposes, they are presuming that the flu is H1N1 (or maybe typing but not subtyping the virus) because most of it is H1N1, the tests take time and money, and there is no point waiting when the best treatment is to give Tamiflu immediately and encourage you to take precautions not to infect everyone else. So if they are wrong 5% of the time, they saved a bundle on testing, you got Tamiflu right away, which will help any flu, and since you will try hard not to infect anyone, we're all better off.

For epidemiological purposes, they are doing some testing, but they only need a statistically valid sample. So it's OK to skip lots of people. But they do care about the numbers and whether the mix is shifting.

For your own decision-making on whether or not you get the vaccination, you should get vaccinated unless you were typed and sub-typed and told you had H1N1. If your family ran through the flu, there is no point in going through it again with H1N1 because of a faulty assumption about your influenza.

PP, thanks for that really thoughtful answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But if we have the flu and all the flu in our area now is H1N1, why isn't it safe to assume we have H1N1 now? What could the faulty assumption be?

*almost* all flu is H1N1. But not all. If you don't have the definitive tests you won't know for sure, and very few people have the definitive test. So see the PP's thoughtful response. It depends why you want to assume it was H1N1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Flu A is a variant of H1N1, it IS NOT the swine flu. My son tested positive for the flu and NOT for swine flu. The CDC doesn't update in real time. Medical reporting methods are monthly or weekly, not instantaneous. I can tell you that there is 100% flu out there and that Flu A or B is NOT swine flu. If Flu A was swine flu we would not need a swine flu vax as Flu A is taken care of in this year's regular flu vax.

No, H1N1 is a Flu A strain. There are other Flu A strains, but right now, the other ones aren't circulating that much, if at all.

Yeah, sure, someone has to be in that .4% that had Flu B in the past week, and I suppose it was your son.

But for the most part the flu that is going around right now is flu A, and it is Swine/H1N1.

Look:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly

•All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses

.

What's the date on this because the CDC isn't even tracking the swine flu anymore....


Look at the second chart on the page -- the results of the current week being reported (ending Oct. 10 2009)

WHO and NREVSS collaborating laboratories located in all 50 states and Washington D.C. report to CDC the number of respiratory specimens tested for influenza and the number positive by influenza type and subtype. The results of tests performed during the current week are summarized in the table below.

Not a SAINGLE specimin tested was positive for H3 or H1 (the two seasonal strains of influenza A) Not a single one. .4% of the samples tested were Flu B. The others were Flu A / Swine flu (64%) or flu A "didn't subtype.) Sure some of the ones they didn't subtype COULD turn out to be seasonal flu A strain.... but if seasonal flu A were going around at all right now, surely ONE of the samples tested would have turned it up? Just ONE? Even .1% of all samples tested could have been seasonal flu A? But no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the County Health Director in MoCo, there is no seasonal flu in the County. It's all swine flu. She testified today in front of the Council.

Ok, I am in Rockville and my child tested positive for Flu Strain B at Shady Grove hospital. I guess the County Health Director didn't get the memo that my kid had it. Did it occur to you these types of updates aren't reported in real time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seasonal flu wont be hitting until December. Any flu like symptoms are basically classified as H1N1 since it's too early for the flu.

This is 100% total and complete misinformation. Two people in my family tested positive for the flu, NOT SWINE FLU.

I bet you feel stupid now. It was not total and complete misinformation. know your facts.

Actually, no, I do not feel stupid. I am looking at a slip of paper that states my child tested positive for Flu Strain B. In this area! In October! So, as it stands, you are wrong in telling people the flu is not in this area and wont be hitting until December, as it has apparently already hit in my house and now several of my child's school mates.

Perhaps the CDC hasn't UPDATED the info they are collecting or the date they are reporting is not reflecting NEW flu test information...

But again, no, I do not feel stupid. Your blanket statement that the seasonal flu is not around is stupid.

[Anonymous]

The flu is the flu and any flu can hit anyone at anytime of the year.
The other flu with the strain B is DEFINITELY out now and will most likely peak in December. Peak meaning more ppl will have it in December than in October but you are 100% wrong to think you cant have it now.

[Anonymous]

PP again - another thing is the statistics are certainly skewed. Doctors dont even want to see or test the patients and are blindly diagnosing over the phone assuming everyone that is sick has the H1N1 which is totally getting on my nerves.

[Anonymous]

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

So, you are one of the 15 people who's got Influenza B? okay.
Nice try.

[Anonymous]

Week 40
No. of specimens tested 13,921
No. of positive specimens (%) 4,093 (29.4%)
Positive specimens by type/subtype
Influenza A 4,093 (99.6%)
A (2009 H1N1) 2,505 (61.4%)
A (subtyping not performed) 1,556 (38.2%)
A (unable to subtype) 17 (0.4%)
A (H3) 0 (0.0%)
A (H1) 0 (0.0%)
Influenza B 15 (0.4%)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

So, you are one of the 15 people who's got Influenza B? okay.
Nice try.

Those stats are for the week ending on October 10th. Today is the 23rd. Can you read?

If I took a flu test at a hospital on Thursday, October the 15th, then of course I am not one of the 15 people listed in the link you are referring to!

Doesn't look like stats for the week ending the 17th are you yet?

One more time - THE CDC DOES NOT REPORT FLU TEST RESULTS IN REAL TIME. Info is reported, compiled, posted... and THEN POSTED TWO WEEKS LATER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Week 40
No. of specimens tested 13,921
No. of positive specimens (%) 4,093 (29.4%)
Positive specimens by type/subtype
Influenza A 4,093 (99.6%)
A (2009 H1N1) 2,505 (61.4%)
A (subtyping not performed) 1,556 (38.2%)
A (unable to subtype) 17 (0.4%)
A (H3) 0 (0.0%)
A (H1) 0 (0.0%)
Influenza B 15 (0.4%)

Stats are for the week ending OCTOBER 10th. How would that mean I didn't have a positive test on the 15th? Please explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Week 40
No. of specimens tested 13,921
No. of positive specimens (%) 4,093 (29.4%)
Positive specimens by type/subtype
Influenza A 4,093 (99.6%)
A (2009 H1N1) 2,505 (61.4%)
A (subtyping not performed) 1,556 (38.2%)
A (unable to subtype) 17 (0.4%)
A (H3) 0 (0.0%)
A (H1) 0 (0.0%)
Influenza B 15 (0.4%)

Stats are for the week ending OCTOBER 10th. How would that mean I didn't have a positive test on the 15th? Please explain.

what is your point in posting? You think you have Influenza B. Whoopdyshit. Move on.