CDC Swine Flu Update - Clinic Conference Call Live Blog

Today's Call

RT: @CDCemergency: CDC Swine Flu Update - Conference Call for Clinicians - 2-3PM Listen live: http://bit.ly/y9g7Z

TITLE: Swine Influenza Investigation Update
SPEAKER: Timothy Uyeki, MD MPH MPP
DATE: TODAY!!! Monday, April 27, 2009 TIME: 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET

Well, here we are again. Waiting for the CDC to broadcast its latest update titled "Conference Call for Clinicians" and listening to easy listening & classical muzak while we wait to see if we are all going to die for real this time, or go broke thinking we are going to get sick.

Take These Broken Wings now playing.

And....here...we...go!

2:09 - They've got more info posted about this event than a paranoid schizophrenic on Twitter.

We interrupt this update with MUZAK! The phone conference has been infected with the flu! God have mercy on us! We are all going to.... oh we're back.

2:12 - Human to human transmission only. No pig screwing going on at this time.

The Canadian Swine Flu is similar to US swine flu but thicker cut, cured and smoked.

Question Time!

Initial cases were found because (luckily) the sites were participating in monitoring protocols. Coming up "A+ non-subtype-able"

Clinicians will need to rely on Rapid test or immunoflorescents (sp?) to figure out if person has Flu. It will only come up A+ but they won't know if it's regular seasonal A flu or Swine A Flu.

2:22 - FDA plug - fda.gov/medwatch

Caroline's Question: Standard airborne contact protocol?

Human-to-Human transmission - assuming transmission like regular flu for right now.

Denise Curtis - Q: What is your probable case definition? Tamiflu for cases or contacts as well?

A: All confirmed cases get [prescribed] Tamiflu/Oseltamivir
THE US & CANADA CASES HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED SEVERE DISEASE! (Unlike Mexico).

Most US cases have retired without treatment (read: all those without Rx insurance copay toughed it out)

They don't want to freak everyone out, but they don't want to make everyone believe that we're all OK either!?

The science nerd talk is getting kind of thick.

2:38 - Airplane travel: Gateway to Physical and/or Portfolio Death?
A: No widespread disease and transmission through US. Nobody said nothing about stopping all air travel. Check CDC and/or WHO website for travel advisories.

I find these webcast interesting in that it gives insight into what goes on behind the scenes for when you go to the doctor. Who'd have thought swabbing technique could be such a big deal?

Check out photo on BBC site. This is how people will makeout in the 22nd century.

"Productive Sputem" is a good band name.

Transcripts available later @: emergency.cdc.gov/coca

Double check it for accuracy, don't want to add to the misinformation.

LiveBlog of CDC SwineFlu Webcast

I'm currently following the outbreak of Swine Flu related twits (twats?) & stories pouring over the net. It looks like most of the US has put aside pirates and Pakistan for pigs and the diseases they carry.

A disease that is an unholy chimera of pig, bird, and human virus parts!

CDC webcast @ 2:30 about swine flu (audio only) http://tinyurl.com/cudt9m - smooth jazz hold music now playing


I'm waiting for the CDC webcast to begin (smooth jazz & classical music is the hold music).

Maybe I'll try liveblogging it!

Sorry, I'm geeking out over this horrible, possibly big pandemic (status pending per WHO) but this is the first time I've been jacked-in when a big event is breaking.

2:34 - "conference will begin momentarily" - over Tears in Heaven

2:40 - still waiting. No worries, it's not like the fear of a pandemic flu outbreak is scaring the crap of out of people.

2:43 - Richard Besser, M.D., Acting Director, CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Tom Harkin Global Communications Center (Building 19), Press Room

So I wonder what would happen if I call in to the "media only" line? Do they authenticate my credentials prior to letting me press "1" to ask a question?

888-795-0855 MEDIA ONLY
866-556-1092 NON MEDIA
210-234-0118 INTERNATIONAL
Passcode CDC Media

2:47 - It begins!

2:48 - "public concerned" - you should see the twitterverse updates about it!

2:50 - local approaches? In one area a man shot a gun in the air over infected patient- that didn't seem to help. In another, a girl was given Tamiflu - that seemed to help.

Total # of confirmed US cases - 8

2:51 New swine flu lets whole family of the infected join in the fun of solving the puzzle by being guinea pigs

2:53 - CDC initial way of dealing with the new virus: Cover hands when you cough, wash your hands - continue to travel to Mexico.

Questions in the Room:

Growing more concerned, why?
Lots of people dying in Mexico.

Lauri Daniel ABC news: Travel to Mexico restricted? No, Lauri (check spelling of her name later) he already said you could still travel, but wash hands.

To the phones!

"Been looking @ one part of virus - it's similar, but whole genome hasn't been done" between Mexico & Cali samples

Pandemic threat level: No change at this time. WHO will let you know when to panic.

David - Washington Post: Can you give us some sense about # of cases/deaths in Mexico? 60/100?

A: Call Mexican Gov & WHO. Continue to speculate & makeup #'s as necessary to keep ratings up.

WXI ATL: paraphrase - do we know how people got sick?
A: Don't know yet. But stop the buggery just to be safe.

The room seems confused or not interested in asking questions compared to phone lines.

Comment from my peanut gallery: "It was our plan for border control all along. Send infected swine."

News Flash: CDC States common behavior for San Diego-ites to travel to/from Mexico.

WebMD Q: What might we see happen that would get CDC to up threat level?
A: There's a plan in place to deal with pandemic (had it for years). See: "pandemic flu planning" on CDC site. WHO not calling it pandemic officially yet.


When can we get a computer generated simulation showing the virus spreading over the US and the world Outbreak style?

Maggie Fox - Reuters - Are CDC in Mexico? Containing the virus?
We are not in Mexico yet, (lack of use of "magic word" being used cited as main reason).

Canada is helping with this!? Bilateral cooperation? This is why Science is wrong.

Pick your favorite Outbreak quote to apply to the situation: http://tinyurl.com/ch2w9b

Two more questions left!

1 - Did someone screw a pig?
2 - travel screening?

CDC out.

How'd I do on my first liveblog? Please wash your hands before commenting.

Humping Tortoises, an Earth Day Entry

I have forever been recording episodes of Nature on PBS. The reason why can be summed up in two words: humping tortoises.

In a cutaway from the main topic at hand about lemurs basking in the sun, the show had a little cutaway to two tortoises in the brush populating the species. This wasn't throwaway, B-roll monkey fucking; this was an encapsulation of hilarity (HT=LOL).

When I started writing this post, I tried first to go find the episode of Nature to which I was referring. I didn’t find it (sorry). I did find PBS has many episodes of Nature available online to watch at leisure. The episode database can even be searched by type of animal (Support PBS)! Luckily, YouTube has many humping tortoise videos.

What is it about other species getting it on that enthralls us human so much? Perhaps some primal Id-driven part of our dirty, little minds must recognize the importance of the continuation of the species, or perhaps realizes all species, great and small, look and sound really silly doing it.



So remember these majestic, 100-year-old, living fossils bumping uglies the next time you carelessly choose to take your precious bottle of water and throw it into the regular garbage in one of the tens of thousands of populated areas in this country that do not offer a recycling program of any kind.

Just be sure to use up as many bottles as possible. Ask cashiers to double bag those bottles in plastic bags and then shrink wrap it during your initial purchase. Plastic is oil and until we use up all the oil there is no real chance we will ever make any lasting progress on alternative fuels, because there is not enough profit to be made. Shell Oil agrees, which is why they cut most all alternative energy research.

Happy Earth Day!

Travelogue: Honeymoon Road Trip

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon road trip after being married in Las Vegas. We toured Hoover Dam, visited the Grand Canyon, drove on Route 66, and experienced a taping of The Price Is Right (Airs 4/23 - we're 3rd row center behind contestant row). Below are some random observations from the trip.

Hoover Dam does not allow hard liquor or boomsticks

As my woman and I exited our vehicle to descend the stairs to begin taking in one of the modern wonders of the world, we were surprised to find we had to leave the Jack Daniels and my shotgun in the car. Instead we had to settle for a cube of Natty Ice and my trusty Bowie knife to get us through the tour.



Mastering the lingo of the Great Depression is pretty easy.

The Greenhorn thought he would do a little goldbricking with the Puddlers by slowly cleaning each others banjoes and crutches, but was surprised when a Drilling Jumbo ran over him at The Glory Hole. Needless to say, the employees’ Easy-dough was very agitated.

The Arch Erection Method

Double entendre are a long held tradition at Hoover Dam.

Standing in line at 2am for game show tickets doesn't top my list of "fun" activities

The only time I will stand in line at 2am for television show tickets ever again is if the shows are Conan or TDS/Colbert. That's it. Beyond that, forget it.