They've been quarantined and haven't been at the office since before they got it, so we should be fine here.

Good to hear that you are not all doomed.

someone at my office has been confirmed with H1N1!

::hums "It's a Small World" in a dirge-like manner::

A water company is selling spray bottles of de-ionized water that they claim will fight the swine flu, which I think is ridiculous. Apparently it has magic properties, because one would think soap and a scrub would be more important in the keeping hands clean thing.

Five confirmed H1N1 cases on my campus.

I wonder about unconfirmed cases.

I've been sick as hell. I ran a temperature (when not tylenoled) for four days. I returned to work after one day out but I "should" have stayed out two more and easily could have not left my bed all week. It sure seems like a flu and I've had the shot (which rules out a number of swine-free varieties). I have no health insurance. I'm not spending money to hear "rest & fluids" and cure nothing but my curiosity.

Obviously if I became dangerously ill I'd have gone to the doctor and eaten the cost or gotten indigent care or the like.

So how many people get plenty sick with H1N1, go back to work as soon as they can, and never end up in the stats? How many non-critical cases go unreported because the uninsured person is untreated and what does this do to the statistics of critical cases?

I sure hope you start feeling better.

So how many people get plenty sick with H1N1, go back to work as soon as they can, and never end up in the stats? How many non-critical cases go unreported because the uninsured person is untreated and what does this do to the statistics of critical cases?

I know that these were key questions in the progressive blogosphere when the swine flu story broke. The lack of public health care in the US could make swine flu, or an equally virulent bug, spread much worse than in a country like Canada or France, where people can go to the doctor and not have to pay out of pocket.

And I have a department co-worker who is home right now with non-swine flu, so I'm sitting here, wondering if my sniffles is something more than allergies, or my slight neck ache is from something more than my sleeping on the couch last night.

I hate it when I get paranoid about my health!

I sure hope you start feeling better.

Me? Thanks!

Whatever this infection is its a doozy. It has made its way from system to system in my body for ten days now. First we had the typical clammy/sweaty/fever/achy thing. Then we got the resperatory symptoms (the really hurty kind of cough). Those are pretty normal.

But then it got weird...

There was a little bladder infection.

Then there were crazy giant pimples in random places on my body.

Then my throat blew up like it hasn't since I recovered from the quinsy/mono/crazy tonsiliectomy period of my youth -- it was so swollen I could feel all the old scar tissue and DayQuil liquicaps would get lodged.

Then I woke up with conjunctivitis in both eyes!

Then a few days of laryngitis.

Just wacky. Every bit of me seemed to take a turn.

Now I'm down to the "lingering cough" stage. I probably won't do the AIDS Walk this weekend since I'm pretty easily tired and might still be coughing. The thought of 5 miles is a little horrifying.

I hate that you don't have health insurance, Trudy. Wish I could loan you mine so you could have seen the doctor. That sounds like a terrible cold.