Advice to Parents on H1N1

If you have turned on your TV at all in the last few weeks, you have probably noticed an increase in reports on the H1N1 virus. Many of these reports have been alarming to say the least and can make anyone watching feel a sense of panic. Being aware and using the information to guide us in being prepared, is good. But feeling panicked never brings about desired results, so when I read the following article, I thought it was worth passing along.

The following are excerpts from an article written by Dr. Sanjay Gupta for cnn.com.

"Over this past week, I had some interesting conversations with colleagues who are also health care professionals. These conversations usually start with, "You know what I hate about the media ... ?"

People were scared, more than I had seen in a long time. And, health care professionals were blaming the media -- accusing them of being alarmist.


So, I decided to get away from the studio, away from the talking heads discussing mortality rates, and away from the hypothetical discussions about what might or might not happen. I wanted to see for myself what was happening in emergency rooms right now.

I wanted to create a parents' guide to dealing with the swine flu that is based on the best science and my interviews with experts all over the country.

First off, there is no question that pediatric emergency rooms are much busier than this time last year -- about two to three times busier at the ER I visited.


Many of the patients sitting in the waiting room were there with flu-like symptoms, worried about H1N1.

The doctor who met me started by saying he was giving the media a C+ in its overall coverage of H1N1, and blamed his busy ER, in part, on the media for stoking fears.


"Fair enough," I answered back, "but, how do I get to an A?" In order to get there, I wanted to report clear, concise answers about what a parent should do with a sick child. So, here we go.

Point 1. As things stand now, the vast majority of children who develop flu-like symptoms this fall will have a few miserable days, and nothing more. And those days are best spent at home -- not in the ER or a doctor's office.
Point 2. If you are worried, you should call your pediatrician's office first. Don't take your child in without calling. Two reasons: Your child may not have H1N1, but could become exposed by being around sick children. And, after several hours of waiting, you are still likely to be told the basics -- plenty of fluids, rest and dose-appropriate acetaminophen for a fever. After all, it is still the flu we are talking about.
Point 3. One doctor told me a way to think about things that was helpful. He said "remove the term H1N1 from the equation." If your child had regular flu, would you take him to the hospital? If the answer is no, then don't take him/her to the hospital now.
Point 4. Yes, hearing between 30,000 and 90,000 could die from H1N1 is scary, but keep in mind -- around 40,000 people die from the regular or seasonal flu every year. The numbers may not be that much different, yet there is not panic about the regular flu. As things look now, H1N1 is causing only mild to moderate illness, not the widespread deaths people are worried about.
Point 5. There are some children who should be seen by their doctor.
Call your doctor if:
• A baby younger than 12 weeks has a fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
• A child, older than 12 weeks has a fever for three days
• A child's fever returns after a 12-24 hour time period
• A child is not passing urine or making tears for more than six hours
• A child does not smile or show interest in playing for several hours
Dial 911 if:
• A child cannot speak while trying to breathe
• Has a blue or dark purple color to the nail beds, lips or gums
• Is not responding to you because he is too tired or weak

One point that was reinforced to me over and over again by the pediatricians is the best place for a sick child is at home. And, with regard to school -- after 24 fever-free hours without the aid of medications, he or she can go back."

I hope this information is helpful, if you would like to read the article in its entirety, click HERE.

Guest Post

Not all of us are motivated to get "prepared" for the same reason. What motivates one, may not motivate another. I think there is so much we can learn from each other which is why I asked my aunt and friend, Kay, to write a post about her recent preparation experience.

"Let me start out by saying I am a “Worrier.” Some people might think of me as “Paranoid,” but I prefer “cautious.”

Yes, I have had my fair share of sleepless nights. I stay up worrying about things that I shouldn’t. Like, worrying about what I am going to do when my 2 year old gets drafted in a war. When someone like me hears the words, “If you are prepared, ye shall not fear.” One can only imagine what that creates in my mind.

I have probably thought of every disaster in my mind multiple times. What will happen? Where will my family be when it does happen? Will my children be afraid? Will we be cold? Will I be prepared enough to have the means to provide for my family?

But amazingly I hadn’t thought about the disaster that we have been faced with the past two weeks. A pandemic. All the things I have thought about for years, heat, gas, electricity and water, are not even an issue with a pandemic. You will have all of those things. But still you must be prepared.

You must be prepared enough to not feel the urgency to run to the store the second they announce a pandemic. You need to have all the things that everyone wants, already on your shelves. Because as I learned from personal experience, after it is announced, you can drive to every store within a 30 mile radius and they will not have hand sanitizer.

You must stock pile your shelves enough to have everything you need for at least 3 weeks (in my opinion). So after my 24 hour “freak out” about the swine flu, I finally calmed down and decided to make the most of this pandemic. I have been making lists, of all the things that I wish I had stocked up on, when they announced that the Swine Flu was in Utah.

I personally feel that this Swine Flu scare was a test. A test that I failed, and I don’t intend on failing it again. Next time I will be ready. I know I will still feel anxious about my family’s safety and well being, but I will feel confident that we can stay home until the threat is gone.

Every list for each family is different, but I will just share the things that made mine. This is not a complete list, these are just the first things that came to my mind, but take some time to make your own list."

Hand Sanitizer (of course)

Masks

Latex gloves

Duct Tape

Plastic Sheeting

Comet

Dish Washer Detergent

Dish Soap

Laundry Detergent

Bleach

Disinfecting Wipes

Bars of Soap

Shampoo

Toothpaste

Toothbrushes

Medicine

Chicken (using 1 bag, have 2 more stocked up)

Chicken Nuggets (for my kids)

Peanut Butter

Fruit Snacks

Saltines

Graham Crackers

Cereal (Lots and lots)

Granola Bars

Canned Chicken/Tuna

Cases of Bottled Water

Trash Bags

Ziploc Bags

Milk (currently have 12 gallons)

Butter/Margarine

Bread and bread making ingredients

Vitamins

Pandemic Prep

Talk of the "Swine Flu" is everywhere. There is a lot of uncertainty and with uncertainty can come panic. Thankfully, this particular flu outbreak seems to be fairly mild, but I think with this scare is a great opportunity to take inventory of what you would want to have on hand if a more severe pandemic were to strike our community.
So what things would you want to have on hand during a pandemic?

• disposable gloves
• lots of detergent (as you will probably be doing a lot of laundry)
• bleach
• garbage bags
• toilet paper
• Kleenex
• paper towel
• liquid hand soap
• hand sanitizer
• medicines for fever
• fluids with electrolytes
• N95 grade face masks

For a more detailed list of items to have on hand click HERE.

You would also want to have at least a 2 week supply of food on hand as grocery store shelves could easily be emptied in a panic. For example...one item that is flying off store shelves these days is hand sanitizer. It is nearly impossible to find. When I heard this I went to a store outside my area and all I could find was 5 bottles of Germ X ...in the whole store. All trial size were gone, all bottles of every other brand were gone. I say this not to cause alarm, just to illustrate that when there is panic...shelves can be emptied in no time. Preparing before hand will give you peace of mind during a time of stress.

Make a list today of things you would want to have on hand if you were largely confined to your home, specifically keep in mind items you would need if your family members were sick.

No need to panic today...just prepare for tomorrow.

Update: I was on CNN this morning and read a great article regarding keeping your hands free of the influenza virus. Click HERE if you are interested in reading it.