Gov't should release local physician Negative Flu results to Public via Internet.

[emt]

The only reports I hear are the one's that are + for the flu.

I think it would be great if you knew what your local Medical Clinic had seen ex. 100 patients wanting to rule out the flu. 99 were negative with 1 having a specimen examined still. Of the 99--- 95 reported fever, 15% diarrhea, 5% vomited. 100% had cough. etc. etc.

If Gov't wants to lower peoples fear of the flu, requiring reporting at local physician clinics of the #'s seen and % that the flu was ruled out and the sympstoms etc. woud be great. Then allowing you to go online and see your local community visits and type of complaints needing to be ruled out as not the Flu would be very helpful to parents etc.
Computers could easily convey this kind of stuff...

[navyhmc]

That's a ver good idea. Here in Wichita, we are running at least 15 calls in a 12hour shift that are being dispatched as flu calls. Some of them are down right hillarious. Guy calls from a pay phone because he has felt bad for 2 days and doesn't want to expose his family. I hate to say it, but the hype is here.

[Lulubelle]

What would be a good idea is if people would spend the energy they are spending worrying about the swine flu, which has a VERY low probability of harming them permanently, and instead, worry about modifying their risk factors for heart disease, which have a very high probability of harming if not killing them.

There is too much hype and herd theory at play here.

I'm sure there is data on how many tests are being sent (presumably because the patient had "flu like" symptoms) versus how many have tested positive. I am seeing this type of data published in my local paper. The CDC site only tracks positives per state.

The last thing the medical system needs is to be required to report on the massive number of viral illnesses/symptoms presenting to each physician every week, each physician would have to hire a whole new team of people in order to try to comb through patient charts and enter this data. Pretty costly idea.

[Grizbear98]

To a certain extent, I'm enjoying the hysteria. What I really don't get is how our "nations best and brightest" think that using an alcohol handspray at a doorway is going to prevent anything at all when alcohol won't kill a virus, and it's the mechanical motion of handwashing that removes bacteria and viruses from the skin. Most of the time people don't use the antibiotic handsprays the right way anyways and they are ineffective.

[emt]

I disagree with this quote from Lulu in many ways:The last thing the medical system needs is to be required to report on the massive number of viral illnesses/symptoms presenting to each physician every week, each physician would have to hire a whole new team of people in order to try to comb through patient charts and enter this data. Pretty costly idea.
1. Definitely not the last thing.
2. Daily reporting would be more beneficial than weekly.
3. I could type into a computer a 20 questionaire of a,b,c,d,e choices of
of signs/symptoms and last questions being ruled out flu and maybe
and maybe a few questions like presumed event: a.cold b.flu c. bacteria infection ....I think this would take less than 20 minutes
typing in this typeof a,b,c,d,e report daily.
4. I don't think 20 minutes a day would be pretty costly for a receptionist etc. to type this in.

For the parents and general public, this would give them an idea of the types of infection in the local community. Most all parents have to normally resort to checking with their kids friends, school groups, etc. to try to figure out what is primarily "going around" in the community.
This would save the health care system much more money IMO by not seeing as many unnecessary visits than the 20 minutes required to type in a report daily.

I believe the Gov't should step into this required reporting of ruled out flu reports if decreasing fear and panic is a top priority.

(Tidbits: IMO most people experiencing fear & panic do not think about: the economy. CDC may receive much more money if perception remains the same. Physicians/Hosptials/outpatient clinics are extremely busy & none locally are giving the ruled out flu diagnsois for free that I'm aware of (unless you prove indigent "medicaid" status))

[Lulubelle]

emt,

Primary physicians are seeing 60 plus patients a day, most of whom have relatively benign common viral illnesses which only require supportive care. Having worked as a primary care provider myself, I am well acquainted with the extensive requirements already in place due to insurance and prior auth requirements, lab testing and requisition requirements, medical records requirements, documentation and referral letter requirements, employer requirements, CDC requirements, patient phone calls, pharmacy calls, etc. Precisely why my own primary care provider was filling out some paperwork for me on a Sunday night when he called me for some information. Your estimate of 20 minutes for someone to enter data on every patient presenting with a viral illness to that doctor on that day is probably off by several hours.

Additional manpower like this would be costly. These offices are already very busy and overtaxed. And importantly, this strategy is not likely to accomplish anything. People will still go to the doctor when they are sick, regardless of what information is out there about community patterns. Viruses will still be transmitted freely without much ability for us to intervene as they are contagious before the onset of first symptoms as well as for the first few days of symptoms. No more lives will be improved or saved by this strategy you suggest.

The CDC is doing the right thing by only reporting positive tests, recommending that people stay home if they are ill, and advising people to use extra care in washing their hands. These are the only measure likely to have an impact.

Your chances of dying from the flu are very slim compared to your chances of dying from other causes. Look at the millions of people dying every year from heart disease in this country, most of whom have risk factors which are modifiable. People should be panicked about THAT, not the swine flu.

[BubblesMcCoy]

This all sounds like more of a public relations issue than public policy issue. I'm with Lulubelle, I think the CDC is on track. Although the pig flu doesn't seem to be living up to the hype, I certainly appreciate CDC and WHO's quick action. Had this been an actual pandemic causing killer bug, better to face it head on than be left wishing we had acted sooner.

The bigger question in my mind, is whether you can get the swine flu from breathing compressed air. If not, seems like the thing to do is to go deep and see whether the little bug can function in nitrogen loaded tissue.

Just my misguided, albeit ever so humble, opinion.

[USF_Diver]

Originally Posted by BubblesMcCoy

I certainly appreciate CDC and WHO's quick action. Had this been an actual pandemic causing killer bug, better to face it head on than be left wishing we had acted sooner.

I forgot who I heard talking about this, but the CDC was warned about this like almost a month before they got serious with this pig flu.

[BubblesMcCoy]

Originally Posted by USF_Diver

I forgot who I heard talking about this, but the CDC was warned about this like almost a month before they got serious with this pig flu.

My understanding is that a month before the WHO released their warning, the Mexican government was still having difficulty determining whether the bug was simply a late arriving seasonal varietal or something different. That's when the CDC and its canadian counterpart got involved and eventually isolated the bug as something new.

But, that's just what I've been hearing on news radio.

[reactive]

"I fell down the stairs and there was a crack and a jagged white thing is sticking out of my arm guys is this swine flu?"
xkcd - A Webcomic - Swine Flu