swine flu

[Paul F.X. Armstrong]

Originally Posted by David Ehrhardt

If you have access to the seasonal and/or H1n1 vaccines, get em. Get them for yourself and children/wife/husband/girlfriend etc.

The problem is the supply is low.
Example: Michigan State University just received 1400 doses... FOR THE WHOLE CAMPUS (30,000+ students faculty, staff, etc)... 1:20 is NOT good coverage...

The clinic I work in received 100 doses doses of H1N1... and supplies an entire county...

As it stands, i've only received the Seasonal due to supply issues w/ the H1N1... Hell, even Seasonal flu is in short supply-- my clinic has only received 700 of 2500 requested doses...

Local hospital has 2000 employee's/"caregivers" and those working there that are frequenty exposed-the hosptial employee's are first priority for the vaccine--other than some of those in the state penitentiary-
The hospital also has a new policy nobody under the age of 24 years of age allowed in as a visitor

The hospital has 72 H1N1( as in seventy two ) doses "on the way"------but couldn't say when---

[Corey DuCharme]

Nasty stuff going around. We have been blessed to receive both seasonal and H1N1 vaccines..........except for my five month old twin girls. (must be six months or older to receive)

Can't say that myself, my wife or two and a half year old son had any trouble from either vaccine.

Reminder, it takes about two weeks for the body to develop resistance to the virus after vaccination, so you're not bullet proof right away.

[Paul F.X. Armstrong]

We had a 50 year old man die--they tranferred him to Iowa City(University hospital)--as far as i know didn't have a significant medical history--and was in the age group where it was "less likely to die of H1N1".

[Derek Stone]

I was just diagnosed with the swine flu a couple days ago. I dont feel as bad as eveyone has described it so far and I am counting my blessings that I dont. Hopefully it will not get worse. The question I have is I am sixteen days out from a contest. What can I do to avoid loosing any more strenght than I have to. I have been taking my vitamins and forcing myself to eat even though i have no appetite any suggestions. Im hoping to be able to hit some events saturday. If Not I will probably spread the events over my normal gym days next week then rest the week of the contest. Any thoughts or suggestions would be great.

[Ryan Brown]

personally I wouldn't train at all when you have that--you could lower your imune system and cause yourself some health issues. You don't recovery well when sick.

I'd just eat and sleep and wait. You will not lose much strength in that period of time if you rest. If you train and don't recover you could show up substantially weakened.

[Derek Stone]

Thanks. How long after all symptoms are gone would you wait before training?

[Ryan Brown]

Well at this point you are 15 days out. I'd generally take the last 6-7 off regardless. So you may be able to get a workout in about one week out, but if you don't get that one I'd not worry about it. I've shown up after not working out for 2 weeks and set a bunch of PRs.

[Lance Holland-Keen]

OK.
A lot of good sense but unfortunately the way media reports on this is causing some confusion - they as usual do not report the whole story and are not differentiating a few things.
Firstly, H1N1 is generally a very mild disease - most people who get it do not even feel more than a head cold - most of what we saw here in Austrlaia was not H1N1 in the people that were sickest.
Second, if you are going to be unfortunate and get very sick, nothing will stop it happening and it will happen quick. There have been several cases of people here getting it, barely feeling a sniffle for a day and then having respiratory symptoms and XR changes sugegstive of overwhelming respiratory distress - this relates to another point - the use of ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation - lung bypass effectively) has soared this year in Europe and Australia mainly due to more expertise in using it - it could have been used in the past but if you had to be transferred nobody knew how to do so - so it's getting used a lot for H1N1 because of availability not because H1N1 is that much more severe.
Third, vaccination is probably past it's best timing now. Unless you live in a very sheltered community you have probably had it by now. Though that being said, you guys are coming into winter and flu is worse during the cold months - but do yourselves a favour and look at TC Luoma's article on T-nation - well researched and written.

For me - no vaccination thanks - Australia is past the worst, everyone in the family had viral symptoms during the peak and I do not feel protected by the jabs anyway.
If I were in the US, I might have it coming into flu season as you are, but I would not be getting too concerned if I wasn't able to get it.
Precautions are THE best way to stop yourself getting it.

Finally, as long as you don't train with a fever, you should be OK - though I woudn't go heavy if you were feeling lousy - (though I squatted a PB 200kg when I had "flu" a couple of months ago). Training with fever seems like it might bring on a form of cardiomyopathy and kill you - though the data is there on Scandinavian orienteers, it's worth bearing in mind.

I hope that this can reassure some people and clarify the situation somewhat.
Though I still strongly suggest the T-nation article as it has a good look at the numbers and basically debunks the myth that this is the new 1918 epidemic - it is nowhere near as virulent - millions would be dead already if it were. Child deaths are only up in those high risk groups (and I mean really high risk - chemo, HIV etc). Healthy adults die every year from "normal" flu too. Particularly interesting is the data that shows no reduction in mortality in years where the vaccine was for the "wrong" flu virus - and the fact that having the flu shot makes you less li9kely to be killed in an MVA.

Sorry for the long post - but this information seems needed, and from a qualified person.

[Derek Stone]

Thanks for the info. Im getting back in the gym tomorrow. Training for a week solid then using the next week to deload for my meet. I havent had a fever in 36 hours now so I should be golden.

[Corey DuCharme]

Seems like great info, thanks.

Originally Posted by Lance Holland-Keen

from a qualified person.

Are you a doctor? You echo a lot of points that my wife often makes, she's a Physician Assistant.