--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <no_re...@...> wrote: <snip> > So, just in case you have similar "just in case" > plans for yourself or your family, t'would be > better to act upon them sooner than later IMO. > > 'Nuff said. The two antibiotics in question are: > > Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) > Relenza (zanamivir)
For the record, these two drugs are antivirals, not antibiotics. Antibiotics have no effect on the flu (although they're often needed for *complications* of the flu, such as bronchitis and bacterial pneumonia). Barry's right, this is a potentially very serious situation. At this point not enough is known about the swine flu outbreak to know just *how* serious. Bear in mind, though, that if you don't happen to get sick, stocking up on these antivirals may mean someone who *does* get sick won't be able to get them. The supplies are fairly extensive at this point, but they're not unlimited. What there is *will* be available through the health-care system. A quarter of the U.S. stock has already been released to the states where swine flu cases have been confirmed. Tamiflu can *prevent* the flu if you start taking it as soon as you know you've been exposed (to someone who is already ill). Once you've *got* the flu, Tamiflu may reduce symptom severity and make for quicker recovery, *if* you start taking it within 24-48 hours of the appearance of symptoms. Relenza is for treatment rather than prevention. It's delivered by inhalation rather than tablets, and has about the same level of effectiveness as Tamiflu. (All bets are off if the flu virus develops resistance, which is not unlikely in a pandemic situation.) One of the best sources for up-to-date information on the swine flu outbreak is the blog DailyKos, specifically the front-page diaries (on the left) by DemFromCt, who has been posting updates on a daily basis, more frequently if necessary. His posts include links to a wealth of information on the Web, in terms of what's happening currently, general information about flu, and what you can do to prepare if a pandemic strikes. (You'll have to scroll the front page to find the latest diaries, since DailyKos covers a lot of different topics.) Here's his diary from yesterday: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/26/724688/-Swine-Flu-Update:-Public-Health-Emergency-Declared http://tinyurl.com/crmj2p There's also some good information in the Comments, but you have to plow through a lot of fluff of various kinds to find it. DemFromCt often adds his own comments in response to questions raised by the commenters. Since the avian flu uproar a few years ago, a whole genre of blogs and Web sites were created to keep an eye on the flu situation. Some of the information is specific to avian flu, which isn't currently an active threat, but much of it is applicable to swine flu as well, and these sites are rapidly gearing up to focus on swine flu. Much of the information on preparation is of the survivalist variety--how to stock up on food and other necessities in case a pandemic causes the infrastructure to break down. It's hard to know when one should start making these more extreme preparations. If people start to panic, there may be shortages of just about everything, making it difficult or impossible to stock up because so many others are doing so. Note, by the way, that this year's flu shot for the standard seasonal flu is apparently not effective against the swine flu in the current outbreak.
