Swine Flu (A) H1N1 in the United States and the World Today

Still planning that U.S. vacation? Where do you want to go? In what U.S. state will you be staying?

You might want to study this map first.....



And if you're planning to skip that US vacation, what about the rest of the world?

Swine flu has been confirmed in more than 9,830 people in at least 40 countries, with most of the cases in Mexico and the U.S. The global death toll was at least 82 --- 74 in Mexico, six in the U.S., one in Canada and one in Costa Rica. ~ AP, 20 May 2009

It will not be a surprise if more than 10,000 cases will be reported tomorrow. Although it seems that swine flu's case fatality rate is relatively low compared to the other infectious diseases, the way it spreads still confirms it is very contagious. Imagine cases increasing by almost a thousand every day.

Best option?

Stay home. The Philippines remains free of swine flu.

Manny Pacquiao and the Threat of (A) H1N1

By the time you read this, Manny Pacquiao will be back home.



It would have been better if he postponed his trip. The treat of swine flu or (A)H1N1 still looms large, and it seems Manny Pacquiao only excels in boxing. And yes, I almost forgot --- he has some talent in singing, too. Other than that, his knowledge about infections and global pandemics is utterly lacking.



The deputy presidential spokesperson, Anthony Golez, is also a physician. He knows how deadly a pandemic can be if left uncontrolled. Manny Pacquiao is coming home with family members, close friends, and people belonging to his famous Team Pacquiao. These people spent their times partying and shopping around Los Angeles after Pacquiao defeated Ricky Hatton.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Los Angeles in the US is a place where they have recorded a "third-generation, human-to-human transmission" of the A(H1N1) virus."

The most prudent thing to do is to quarantine Manny Pacquiao and his company.



Healthy? How does he know? Does being healthy and being free of flu symptoms mean he and his company are no longer virus carriers?

Does Manny Pacquiao care about the recent CDC swine flu figures below?



I don't even know why I bother to ask. He is a hopeless case. Add to this, his adviser, notably DENR secretary Atienza (why does he always meddle?) is equally ignorant. He is responsible for discouraging Pacquiao to postpone his trip, even commenting that the champion boxer might be the "healthiest Filipino" around. Foolish. What a very foolish statement.

Those thermal scanners in the airport are also useless. Virus carriers need not be febrile.

I just pray the President does not eat lunch with him today wearing a face mask.


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ADDENDUM--- Here's another foolish person who thinks that going through the thermal scanners "twice" makes him "clean" and free of any (A)H1N1 virus: