Swine Flu Igniting Fears of a Pandemic

On today's morning news it was reported that cases of Swine Flu which appears to have started in Mexico have been found in the United States. Parents of children attending St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, New York are watching their children carefully after eight students fell ill with what is believed to be Swine Flu. Students and parents sat anxiously in hospital waiting rooms with surgical masks over their faces and waited to find out more about what exposure to Swine Flu meant for them.

A school near Antonio, Texas has closed its doors for the time being after a few high school students are believed to have fallen ill with Swine Flu. Swine Flu cases have also been found in Kansas and California.

As the parent of an infant and a toddler the threat of Swine Flu that seems to be able to be spread from person t o person is one that is frightening, particularly since the World Health Organization expresses concern that the illness could become a worldwide pandemic. So far no one in the United States has died from Swine Flu but there have been deaths reported in Mexico. Anti-viral drugs appear to be helping treat individuals who are afflicted with Swine Flu but viruses can change and what works now may not work a month from now.

Precautions that can be taken to protect children are frequent hand washing, limiting exposure to people who might be ill, and trying to prevent children from touching their mouths, noses, or eyes.

A big concern I have right now involves taking my two year old to the playground. He loves to climb monkey bars, slide down slides, and be pushed on a swing. The problem is so do other children. A parent never knows what germs she is exposing her child to in such places and it is impossible to disinfect all equipment at the park before use. What if a child with Swine Flu coughed into his hand, touched a monkey bar, and then my son touched the same bar? I would not be as worried if cases of Swine Flu were developing further from where we live but Queens is only about an eight hour drive from our location. I cannot deny my toddler the fun of going out to play. All I can do is make sure he washes his hands a lot and carry a bottle of hand sanitizer to use when we can't get to a sink easily. I will keep my eyes open for symptoms such as fevers and tummy troubles and bring my children to be checked by their pediatrician for illnesses I normally would not worry about letting them ride out.

Sources:
Associated Press. Texas Gov. Perry Seeks Anti-viral Treatment for Swine Flu in Texas. The Dallas Morning News. April 26, 2009. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-flusider_26tex.ART.State.Edition2.4a91400.html

Presinko, T & Schapiro, R. Anxiety Grips Waiting Room as Fear of Swine Flu Spreads Through City. Daily News. April 26, 2009. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/26/2009-04-26_a_waiting_room_full_of_anxiety__face_masks.html