Chile Forum

ADMIN NOTICE: UPGRADING THIS TO GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT

UPDATE JUNE 14th

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The Chilean government is now covering the cost of medication and the testing for everyone in the country.


Under the emergency response measures, the government is now covering these cost nation wide for anyone with a fever above 38 C / 100 F, and at least two additional symptoms. The drugs are now being prescribed before the confirmation is back, if you present the above symptoms.

They are spending 15 million US on medication. They are estimating that each patient, with test and medication is costing 77,000 pesos each. The drug is normally about 45,000 pesos for a course.

Free Tamiflue for everyone!!!

So, if you think you might have the symptoms above, don't be a cheap skate. GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!

UPDATE MAY 19th:
Chile has confirmed cases of H1N1. No deaths are reported at this time, and all cases seem to be relatively mild.

UPDATE:
It seems Chile is implementing monitoring at the airport for people arriving from Mexico and the United States. A good portion of all international flights, excluding regional flights, come from those two countries to Chile. Anyone exhibiting flu symptoms at the airport will be taken to a hospital for evaluation.

http://about.reuters.com/dynamic/countr ... 507499.ASP

We are trying to get more information on this.

Anyone with more links regarding Chile's measures please post links or quotes. Translations of relevant information would be appreciated for those that do not read Spanish.

Original Post:
Seems the WHO is set to make an announcement raising the pandemic alert level today regarding a SWINE flue outbreak in Mexico and SW U.S. They are talking about the possibility of travel restrictions.

I find it interesting that somehow this has escaped my news junky radar for over a month with 68 dead, and over 1,000 confirmed cases.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... fer=europe

The scarry thing is that this is the early start of next years flue season, and the very high exchange of people and food products across the Mexican / US boarder means there is almost no way to control something like that in North America.

Among the many benefits of Chile geographically is its location. I read a study last year that tracked where and how pandemics are created, and they said they seem to mostly start in Asia, work their way through Europe and North America, then die in South America. They had no explanation for why they don't seem to ever start in South America and go the other way.

I bet you at the end of the day, they are going to find out that Mexico was importing swine from Asia and not regulating it.

That press conference is slated to start at 3:00 p.m. British time (1400 GMT), or about a half hour from now. I will see if I can catch it somewhere (the conference not the flu).

Yea, it was none announcement for the most part. Too politically sterile to be interesting.

It does seem to have a unique mix of bird, swine, and human flu strain combination that scientist say they have never seen before.

Been following this story when it broke big time early yesterday.

On last night's Chile news, starting with a flight from Mexico this morning, all incoming passengers from Mexico (and maybe other countries) will pass by an electronic video temperature sensing monitor for evidence of fever. The last Mexico flight on Thursday, the passengers were just asked if they felt OK.

Looks like I may have to cancel my traditional late May trip to the States, depending ………

Kind of strange this virus which is a mix between two swine viruses, an avian virus and a human virus.

I also recall from last night's news that the Chilean government has masks stockpiled if needed to be distributed.

Another link:
http://www.emol.com/noticias/nacional/d ... cia=355176

They are setting up what appears to be thermal imaging scanners at the airports. The good thing about Chile is that the airport is relatively small, and there is just one door that every person on an international flight must go through when arriving to reach things like immigration and customs. Even at the busiest time of the day, say in the morning, there are points where they can check say a 100 people a min or more passing by.

When I was in China they still had the scanners up from the avion flue outbreak at the airports. It was mostly political show because there are just way too many people entering china to effectively monitor. The U.S. is in a similar position. There are just way too many people getting off of flights, never mind the whole issue on the ground between Mexico and the U.S., or ships.

Yea, according to that last article Chile's health organization is activating their "sanitary barrier" program that they developed in 2004 for the pandemic in Asia.

Quote from Reuters article, Quoting the CDC that they can not contain the virus:

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCr ... SN25473389

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - An unusual new flu virus has spread widely and cannot be contained, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Saturday.

"It is clear that this is widespread. And that is why we have let you know that we cannot contain the spread of this virus," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat told reporters on a conference call.

The strain of swine flu is suspected of killing as many as 68 people in Mexico and infecting more than 1,000 more, including eight in the United States. (Reporting by Maggie Fox, editing by Patricia Zengerle)

More cases in the States:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1240697 ... lenews_wsj

It is looks likly that 8 cases in NY are swine flu, another 8 where confirmed in CA, and Kansas has confirmed 2 cases. There is also I believe 2 in Texas.

It sounds like it has more or less been confirmed to do human to human transmissions.

The official inside the USA tally but only updated once a day (already old news with the new cases) from the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm

The official WHO site regarding the outbreak:

http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/

yea, I have been trying to examin recent search engine trends. Just adding up the few articles on the wire is proving that they are already behind. One article says the total is for example 8, and then list them in NY. The next article list the total as 8 also, but then list a totally different state.

There is a method / theory that claims you can anticipate in almost real time outbreaks of flu by studying the search engine trends by region because people will conduct more searches for things like doctors, flu cures, and so on.

This is very crude and not updated very fast:
http://www.google.org/flutrends/
Here is an article on how it works however if you have better access to the data.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v4 ... 07634.html

The only problem with this is that it should show trends related to peoples anxiety level, not necessarily those that are sick. In the early stages of a pandemic it would help alert to regional activity, but once word became widespread the numbers would be tainted with all the hypochondriacs.

Lots of reports all of the world this morning. New Zealand and France among them.

Chile had three suspected cases yesterday from people that returned from Mexico and Central America that tested negative for the swine flu. I am still waiting for my Sunday morning paper to arrive, and will see what else is out there.

I was a good run while it lasted, human race.

Chau!

I would begin taking precautions now. Masks, immune system builders like gram doses of Vitamin C (before you get flu symptoms). Broad spectrum stuff with anti-viral effects if needed - Olive Leaf extract, MMS, CS. And especially stuff to keep your dwelling sterilized and purify water and rinse food an extra step if needed - cloro, hydrogen peroxide etc. Having food stored so you do not have to visit the store so often and be around other people during the outbreak would be a sensible plan (you already do this - food provisions - for earthquakes, right?). Get some pajaritos and powdered whole milk with no additives to make kefir to keep the good bugs in your system plentiful. And wash your hands frequently with soap that suds up copiously.

The Tamiflu (remember Donald Rumsfield?) and similar manufacturers will make a killing on this thing. Anyone know how much that stuff costs at the Cruz Verde/Ahumada/Salco racket?

Movies to watch for entertainment purposes only: The Andromeda strain, and the remake, The Omega Man, The Stand, Outbreak, 28 Days Later ……

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine! R.E.M. circa late '80's