Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Love in the Time of H1N1


I'm sure that many parents in Ontario have been rattled by the news of the deaths of a 13-year-old boy and a ten-year-old girl from H1N1. In the case of the boy, his mother is a nurse and they were attentive to his symptoms yet he succumbed so quickly.

It seems that H1N1 talk is incessant and pervasive. We can't turn on the TV or radio without hearing about it and there are conflicting outlooks about the virus itself and the need to get a preventative injection. I will get the shot because I work with vulnerable people and in situations where it is easy to spread the 'flu. Yesterday I visited several people in Bowmanville hospital and there were masks everywhere. I had to mask, gown, and glove to visit one person in the critical care unit. I was aware of the cautions issued and my need for precaution because our two twenty-something daughters are home for their reading weeks and they are in a high-risk group.

We are also taking what we hope are appropriate steps at St. Paul's, encouraging people not to shake hands over the next while and providing hand sanitizing stations. It seems the prudent and Christian thing to do in unusual circumstances.

Are you worried? Too much fretting? Will you get a seasonal 'flu and/or H1N1 shot?

7 comments:

roger said...

I commend you, David, for taking these steps at church. Unfortunately, many other churches will continue with the handshaking, etc and ignoring the very real situation we are facing: a pandemic that could reach horrific proportions.

Personally, I will probably not be getting a shot - perhaps I need to see just how bad this gets first. That may not be logical, but I have a struggle with this. I do have a child and, although she will also probably not be getting a shot, the first sign of anything other than a typical cold will mean getting her to the hospital.

I have always been a bit fearful of germs - never touching door handles and taps of public washrooms, that kind of thing - but this pandemic may have put me over the edge. Handshaking may be a thing of the past for me.

Anonymous said...

I have an anxiety disorder, and it has been a long time since I have dealt with this level of anxiety. I have two sons in the high risk group as well. I have a fear of shots that is doubled now because of the requirement for two shots this year. It isn't getting the shot that causes anxiety but rather thoughts of horrible side effects. One of my sons has anxiety over shots as well which is one of the main reasons I plan to get one for myself, so that he will. I am planning on getting the shot because of my sons and because I volunteer in a school and I don't think I could live with myself if I should carry the flu into these environments. I have tried not to read or listen to much of the hype to help combat the anxiety but it is impossible. Truthfully I haven't found it this hard to manage my anxiety in a very long time.

Nancy said...

Should we, shouldn't we? These are the questions and discussions at our lunch table of late. I work in a school and today our number of absences were up and there was a constant stream of children leaving as they felt ill. Our daughter had some of the signs this week and was home from school, high fever, headache, was three days before she was fever free, but was it in fact H1N1? Not sure.

I am anxious about the spread of H1N1, and about both having the shot, and getting my child immunized. What are the side affects, do they out weigh the benefits? I am praying that as a family we make the best decision for all of us, with the information we have. I think because two of us are asthmatic and one is diabetic we will get the vaccine, but????

roger said...

Nancy, it sounds like your daughter may indeed have had H1N1.

The top doctor in Ontario - not quite sure what exact title is, but her name is Dr. King - made a startling comment today. She said that if anyone has the flu right now, there is a 99% chance it is the swine flu!!

I realize it still leaves you wondering whether or not to go ahead with the shots, since there was no official diagnosis of your daughter, but I found that statistic quite chilling(no pun intended).

Laura said...

Having young daughters that have had, or now have varying stages of what last year I would have called a bad cold, I too wonder if they have now had it, and don't need the vaccine.It sounds as though they aren't even testing anymore, and people presenting with symptoms are just determined to have the "flu". I did go and get a thermometer last night, which I haven't used since they were babies, and I think I've coddled them more with this bug than ever, so yes I am worried. We plan on vaccinating but my oldest daughter brought home permission forms for hep b and meningitis vaccines today, and now I begin to wonder at so many vaccines so close together...argh, I feel continually grateful for medical advancements but befuddled at the moment at what to do...off to the doctor tomorrow to see.....but of course, there is no sure answer.

David Mundy said...

The general consensus seems to be ambivalence about what to do and anxiety about doing the right thing for those we love. I think a term such as pandemic which simply refers to the global nature of the outbreak scares the bejabbers out of us. And all four respondents have children who were are told are more vulnerable.

In fact, I am the only person amongst the commenters who was born before 1957, making me less likely to get H1N1 -- and I plan to get the shot.

I suppose the best we can do is ask God's guidance in our decision-making.

Thanks pupil for being so candid about the challenges you face with anxiety. This must all be unnerving.

Nancy said...

johnny, thanks I heard that same report.