When is influenza news and when is it not? Last week, people were stocking up on food, water, and masks. They were paying attention to the news and thinking through what they would do if they or a family member got the virus. So what happened? Did the flu go away? What happened is that the current flu virus (H1N1) is still circulating and people are still getting sick. People are dying from complications of this disease. It is what didn't happen that caused the massive disinterest: the prediction of a killer pandemic wiping out millions a la 1918 within weeks hasn't happened. Because it is a mild strain of flu, the warning antennae are retracted.
The best news that came out of this viral infection, is the systems work. The media gets the message out, the local emergency groups interact correctly, people keep their kids out of school when they are sick, and they remember to wash their hands.
Stay tuned. To quote the famous line from the Terminator series: I'll be back. The virus is now percolating in the areas of the globe that are going into their fall and winter seasons, which is the traditional flu season. Scientists from WHO are monitoring these seasons closely for it is in these areas the tame H1N1 could pick up the virulence that made the organization raise the level to 6.
Join me tonight at the Civic Center Library for a conversation about the current strain of flu, H1N1. Get the facts so you can make the best decisions for you, your business and your family.
Swine Flu is a catchy title for the current viral strain that is circumnavigating the globe. But what everybody really wants to know is: Am I in danger of getting this crud?
To tell the truth, the answer is yes! When a new strain of a viral influenza that had its origins in birds and pigs infects humans none of us are immune. That's the point: no immunity!
Remember the flu shot you got last fall? Forget about it. This is a novel strain (brand new, never been seen before by our body's immune system) and it will take at least 6 months to make a vaccine that counteracts this particular flu.
What to do? Remember your school nurse? You know the one in the clumsy white shoes that always knew when you were scamming her with a fake stomach ache to get out of a geometry test? Remember how she drilled into all of us to sneeze into our sleeves, cover our mouths when we cough, and wash our hands all the time? She was right! These are the best things to do to keep the flu at bay.
Next concern: to mask or not to mask? The answer may surprise you: put the mask on the person with the flu. It keeps it from spreading and lets you help them without getting it yourself.
If you want to find out more about influenza, check out our on line report. And if you want to chat about it, meet me at the Civic Center Library at 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 4th.
George Santayana has obtained immortality by his oft repeated (and frequently misquoted) statement:
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905 . As a philosopher, Santayana created an impetus for introspection as we proceed to address the changing conditions of our world and adapt our work to those realities. Such is the case with LINKS. The past successes of the organization have challenged us to consider carefully the role we play in our community. At first we were a source of community connections where those in the not for profit sector could engage with key leaders in business, government and education. This community round table brought about a network of collaborative partnerships that I believe LINKS had a critical part to play and for the most part those relationships are flourishing today. Several years back, the Board of Directors began to plan for the new ideation of the organization. Recognizing that we could no longer continue to function as if we still existed in a pre-internet culture, we began the serious introspection and took Santayana to heart. In this updating of the organization, we have embraced new technology. We became proactive in addressing issues that make up what we believe to be the seven key building blocks of a healthy community: youth, education, housing, transportation, business & economics, healthcare and aging. We took to the air waves on CityCable 11 and with the help of the terrific team at the City of Scottsdale as well as talented board members, we produced shows to address these issues. This led to a reframing of our organizational vision to: "a Scottsdale community that is informed and engaged in local public policy." We also revised our mission: "We facilitate collaborative interaction among the greater Scottsdale community to affect long-term, non-partisan solutions." What that boils down to is that we need you to continue to support our efforts by joining us on-line and in person as we address the quality of life in our community. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I invite you to join us in the upcoming year as we begin to add interactive elements to our product line.Chair Bruce Johnson presents his vision for the year.
As Dwight D. Eisenhower put it: "Neither a wise nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him."
What do these numbers have in common? No, they are not the difference in the median incomes between Los Angles and Little Rock. If you have been reading the news during the past few weeks you know that these are the number of people who lost their lives in two natural disasters in Myanmar and Chengdu, China. Picture this. In the instant media-linked world the horrific pictures and video poured in as waves washed over thousands in Myanmar and the earthquake toppled buildings in Chengdu like a child's Lego village.
What we witnessed, played out graphically on all channels, are the limitations of humans to withstand the forces of nature. In addition, we also are seeing the impact of inadequate disaster planning.
So what can we do? Common sense tells us that we will never be able to harness Mother Nature. We have seen tornadoes in our own country wreak havoc in community after community almost without warning. However, the distinct difference is that in the US preparedness is a community practice. Americans living in "tornado alleys" think about, plan, and prepare for these potential disasters. Most have storm cellars or shelters. As a result, most survive with property losses but not with loss of loved ones.
So here is another clarion call to prepare for emergencies. Think about the consequences of ignoring potential threats by dismissing them as something that only happens on the other side of the globe. Take one look at the frantic rescue workers attempting to remove debris of a collapsed 10-story building in hopes of finding a child, a grandmother, father, mother, or grandpa alive. A realistic plan is essential to community survival. Take the time to prepare before some natural or man-made disaster catches you off guard.
Last evening hundreds of us gathered at the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale, Arizona to celebrate Dr. Art DeCabooter's thirty year tenure as the President of Scottsdale Community College. As I listened to the testimonials and felt the genuine affection of those gathered to honor this man, it became apparent that what we all came to pay tribute to was not the usual but the extraordinary. Here's what we were really celebrating: a 30-year covert community development campaign orchestrated from the president's office. Through relationship after relationship, he "Artfully" crafted a new methodology of community engagement which actually produced long-term community partnerships and significant change in local public policy. One concrete example is the leadership he provided during the foundation of and the continued support for LINKS, the organizations that I am proud to lead as the current executive director. Our organization with Art's involvement and leadership created cross-system collaboration where none existed. That collaborative network continues to work together today to address issues that are greater than any one group or organization can resolve in isolation. So how did this one man make such a huge impact on this community?
Here are ten lessons that I have learned from my interactions with this dynamic community leader:
1. Recognize everyone's contribution 2. Remember names 3. Love what you do 4. Be unashamedly faithful 5. Always tell a good story 6. Give gifts, often 7. Love your family 8. Arrive early, leave late 9. Laugh often 10. Mark a trail for other to follow
In Flew Enza 2008: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water
Just look at the headlines of the last few weeks: Influenza Hits All Fifty States; Emergency Rooms Packed to Capacity; Staff Shortages Causing Concern for Critical City Services; More Companies Looking at Telecommuting. So we are in the midst of the yearly silent war on humanity from these invisible microbes, and yet those of us who have been harping on planning a response to a potential pandemic are still labeled as "crying wolf." Remember the moral of this childhood parable: no one in his community responded when the real wolf arrived, and, alas, the aforementioned crier met his untimely demise.
So what can we learn from this year's minor league game? The yearly flu vaccine is a best guess and was wrong this year. No one practices social distancing. The virus spreads at the speed of air travel. No one knows what the symptoms are and as a result spread the disease by coming to work when the virus is at its peak of communicability. The loss of productivity does have an economic impact. Working moms do stay home to care for sick family members. People still attend large group gatherings bringing the hitchhiker viruses to a whole new group. The virus does weaken the immune system and ushers in pneumonia and other bacterial caused lung diseases. People do die from complications of influenza.
Oh yeah, avian influenza is still killing people worldwide.
Why should 208 flu-caused deaths matter given that the world's population is topping 6 billion? While it is beyond belief to hear of a case mortality rate of 61.5% for any influenza, isn't the biggest obstacle to taking the threat of a worldwide flu pandemic seriously the small number of human victims?
If we consider the tens of millions of domestic poultry that have been culled from the Far East to the countryside of England, it becomes more of a potential threat. Just a few genetic morphs and, viola, we have not just 338 cases of human infections but upward to 1/5 of the world population or over a billion cases. Should the case mortality rate continue at the height it is today that would tease out to over 650 million dead. "Pandemic is going to happen. It's like earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis," says Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Research Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. "It would only take a grain of sand to bring the gears down."
After following the trail of the H5N1 avian influenza virus for over two years, it is apparent that the scientists who continue to sound the clarion call of "A pandemic is coming" are looked at as purveyors of just one more false alarm.
Why should a potential pandemic matter to the citizens of Scottsdale? Because we need to be aware of potential disruptions to our way of life that such a worldwide catastrophic event would spawn. If you look at what is happening in parts of the United States the past few weeks, we see over a million homes in the Midwest without power, across the Northwest residents struggled with snow and mudslides, a very tangible look at what Mother Nature can do to disrupt daily life. Now, imagine an unseen wave of virus impacting 40% of the entire population.
Again LINKS is suggesting you consider creating an individual road map for personal and business emergency planning. We have listed resources on our website as well as LINKS publications to help you create your map. We will continue to remind you that it is up to you to plan, and be prepared to deal with, pandemic flu or any other widespread disaster.
