FLU, ORDINARY- Experts, is it safe yet to go near crowds?

[oscar111]

CDC's Weekly Report suffers from overly tekkie writing style.

Which figure should i use to botttomline whether it is now safe to go around as freely as normal? I have been carefully avoiding crowds.

Use the bar graph .. total isolates.. or line.. "percent positive"?

Why the two diverge this last reporting week?

How get current data? Report is eleven days old.

If i use "Percent positive", as i think may be the best stat, what value should i hold in mind as indicating a return to "normal times", when it is safe to go among crowds?

PS For extra credit .. LOL.. tell us why La and Miss are shown as states with superlow flu rates, when Katrina should have them at highest rates... does that map really indicate that sentinal physicians are out of commission there, and so... that the real lesson of the map is to ignore the map, its data is greatly flawed?

PS Does "natl baseline" mean a multiyear average for the nation?

Many more questions raised by the tekkie Report of the CDC.. if you guys are reading this, shame on you. I have no patience with tekkie egotism and contempt of the general public. Report says it is for the general public. If it needs tekkie sections, that should be given in split page or similar format.

[oscar111]

1. anyone? no need to answer all the points.. just any comments will be

most helpful

oscar

[Celebration]

2. here is the link

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

I wonder how many people compile this thing. My only comment is that I am glad that my grocery store has wipes to use on the hands and handles of my grocery cart. That *is* interesting about Louisianna and Mississippi, particularly since the surrounding states are different colors. Maybe even if there are doctors there people don't have the money to go.

I know I have had the flu a few times over the years, and whether I went to the doctor or not, the CDC never found out about it. Should I call them when I get sick? I'm not sure every community is equally compliant about reporting this stuff.

[Warpy]

3. I'm a fanatic about washing my hands the minute I come in

the door from doing anything where I touch contaminated surfaces. I'm also good about using the back of my wrist if I have to scratch anything near my face because my fingers will be the most contaminated part of my hand.

I got my flu last year from a SYT cashier who came in sick because either she had no sick days or wanted to use them for vacation and she coughed right in my face.

Neither of us got counted by the CDC, which typically counts reported cases, the people who flood ERs looking for antibiotics that do nothing for viral illnesses like the flu.

[oscar111]

5. hi warpy, dont use wrist.. better idea

is to use folded kleenex.. fold twice for four layers.

they are porus.

Wrist, even the back of it, might have had contact with some viruses, esp if the other hand did something with fingers on the wrist that you may not even have noticed doing. Like shifting the watch band, or pulling the sleeve around.

Use kleenexes like free water. I dont wash my hands much, i use the bottomline method.. never touch the face ever,... unlesss cover the fingers with four layers of kleenex.

washing is negated the moment you touch a letter, doorknob, pen, .. so many things. But you are always safe if you never touch the face or ears.

Of course, washing is good.. just not the best practice, IMHO.

Cover the pillow edge where your face sleeps on it.. four layers kleenex.

never touch food or the food end of spoons.

avoid crowds.

[oscar111]

4. dont need to call the CDC: they have preselected dr's who are the

only ones allowed to report to the CDC. If i understand it rightly.

seems to be a random sample of dr's.. which would accurately portray the general spread of the flu.

you are right about those two states.... the Report says nothing about the glaring oddity.
the Report is lame for not explaining that and many other glaring oddities. I have no respect for their ability to inform the public. They have experts yet no ability to translate for nonexperts. Dereliction of duty. Disgusting. Lives are at stake here.

[oscar111]

6. kick nt

nt

[Pugee]

7. Our local health communicable diseases nurse calls every doctor,

hospital, school, etc every Monday to get the required stats for the state. (30 phone calls) We are a small county, (25,000). (they ask about numbers of patients for anything popping up from STDs to viruses, this also produces patterns so they can notice locally or statewide if something new is happening)

[oscar111]

8. thanks pugee.. must be a progressive dem state like Wisconson

that has not cut funds for such things

[oscar111]

9. kik

kik