[Artemisia] NOT Swine Flu Exposure

[aravis227 at hotmail.com]

I would like to add to the excellent advice already given and to shed some light on the testing process.  There are two types of flu, A and B.  All flu strains fall within one of the two types.  Swine flu is type A.  If they suspect you have it they will do a quick test in the doctor's office to determine whether it is A or B.  Regardless of the results it is then sent to the state health department for additional testing.  It is then sent to the CDC to be tested again.  The reason behind all these levels of testing is that the initial test is around 65% accurate with Swine flu.  There are many cases that are negative at the doctors office and even at the state health department that then are positive at the CDC due to their more elaborate testing procedures.

Doctors are saying that 95% of all flu cases in Utah right now are ultimately turning out to be Swine flu.  While it is currently a relatively minor flu, historically flu pandemics have gone through an initial mild phase in the spring before getting really bad in the fall.  Hence why the WHO is so concerned about it.  Not really pertinent to this email...but proof that my historical geekery extends beyond the SCA. :)    

I would like to reiterate that the best defense is to wash your hands A LOT.  We kept hand sanitizer right inside our tent door for the entirety of Uprising and used it regularly.  I really hate being sick. :)

Lianor, I hope your husband feels better soon!  And that the rest of you continue to be healthy.  One of my brothers recently had the flu also (that's how I gathered a lot of the knowledge I put in this email) and recovered pretty quickly and the rest of the family managed to avoid getting it.

~Maysun, who knows she's a little bit germaphabic       

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On 2009-06-24 11:43:24 -0600 Sarah Natividad <sarah.natividad at gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> We just got the test results back (that was fast-- for some reason I thought
> it'd take a day) and it's NOT swine flu that my husband has.  Whew!
> 
> Obrigada,
> Lianor
> 
>