schools no longer closing??

Schools are apparently no longer closing because of the swine flu, that despite the advice the government gave about doing so, they are now telling us there is no need. these people need to make up their mind!! we need to know is it a yes or a no?

The government last week advised schools to shut down for about two weeks
if there were suspected cases of swine flu. Hundreds of schools around the
country have followed that guidance and closed schools.

I heard about this from where i live in houston. my brother's middle school was shutting down, not because someone actually had the swine flu, but because it was in the area and some one could catch it. it turns out the swine flu has turned out to be milder than it was said to be.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the swine flu virus
had turned out to be milder than feared and the government decided to change its
advice. So far, the virus has not proved to be more infectious or deadly than
the seasonal flu.

With these children out of school, think of the problems it creates for the parents. yes it is a mini vacation for the students, but for some parents they cannot take off of work just so they can babysit.

As the threat seemed to diminish, health officials also considered the
problems the closings were creating for parents, Besser said. Officials were
hearing about children getting dropped off at libraries, or parents who
couldn't take sick leave to care for their children.

I say just let the children go back to school if they are NOT sick with the flu. if they are they should stay home, but if not they should return to school to take the burden off of their parents. just make sure they practice good hygine so they are less likely to catch the flu from another child.

In the new guidance, the CDC recommends that when children or school staff are sick, they stay home. Those who do go to school should practice good hygiene — like coughing into their sleeve or shoulder instead of their hands or the air, and washing their hands well and often.

Swine Flu could be more dangerous than it already is?

Alot of countries in the southern hemisphere have escaped the flu for now but as winter approaches, they will be more at risk.
The worst hit areas such as Mexico, the United States, Canada and countries in Europe, have been in the northern hemisphere. These areas are now heading into summer, and the south of the equator is getting cooler.

"The highest peaks of influenza activity occur in winter," said Raina
MacIntyre, head of the University of New South Wales' School of Public Health and Community Medicine. "For us in the southern hemisphere, it's particularly concerning."

They say the flu spreads more easily in the winter time, and a virus is most likey to hop from one person to another. What if the regular flu some how collided with the swine flu? What will this create? And how dangerous could it be?

Experts also warn that regular flu that typically spreads in winter may collide with swine flu and recombine to make it more transmissible or more dangerous.

I think since winter is coming to the southern hemisphere, doctors should be prepared on what could happen. they should start making vaccines and giving them out. and even though there is no record of an outbreak of swine flu over there they should be prepared and ready for what could come their way.

"Winter is coming in the southern hemisphere and governments have to step up their actions to protect their populations, especially in the absence of a (swine flu vaccine," he said. "We have a concern there might be some sort of reassortment and that's something we'll be paying special attention to."

Lets hope that by the time it reaches the southern hemisphere they are ready and willing to tackle this nasty virus.