Alabama (USA)

niman · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:38 am

niman wrote:

Up to 10 University of Alabama football players have come down with flu-like symptoms and a few have been quarantined to contain the outbreak and protect their teammates.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said Thursday that four or five players have developed the flu and a like number had upper respiratory infections but no fever. Saban said those with the flu have been isolated in dorm rooms to keep from spreading the illness.

Defensive lineman Terrence Cody is the only notable player to have missed practice the last two days. Teammate Kareem Jackson confirmed that Cody told him that he had been diagnosed with the flu.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/2 ... ll-players

All-American senior Terrence Cody has been absent from Alabama's past two practices. Cornerback Kareem Jackson bumped into the 354-pound nose tackle on campus Thursday and found out the troubling reason why.

"He told me he hadn't eaten in two days," Jackson said. "I kind of find that hard to believe."

Barely a week before the season opener against seventh-ranked Virginia Tech in Atlanta, the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide is being threatened by a flu bug that is rolling through the University of Alabama and much of the Southeast.

Cody is one of roughly 10 players in the past week who have come down with the flu or flu-like symptoms, according to Alabama coach Nick Saban.

"We're doing as much as we can to try to prevent this," Saban said.

As of Thursday, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,587 confirmed cases of novel H1N1 influenza (or swine flu) in the state, bringing the total of probable and confirmed cases in the state to 1,621.

Of those, only 14 were in Tuscaloosa County, and it's unclear if the flu spreading throughout the university's campus could be classified as H1N1.

The University of Alabama Student Health Center reported 54 cases of influenza to the Tuscaloosa News last week. Alabama sent word Wednesday that the Student Health Center "continues to see students who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms."

Alabama officials noted, however, that the illness was "generally mild."

"The guys that have had it, we have quarantined, kept in isolation so that they would not spread it to other guys," Saban said. "I'm no doctor. I'm not a physician. I don't really want to compare or predict because I really don't know, but the guys that have been sick, they have been sick for two or three days."

Alabama players were issued packets Wednesday that contained tissue paper, hand sanitizer and other products aimed to prevent the spread of the disease. The team has not been subjected to flu shots.

"Our medical staff has done a really good job of supplying every locker with wipes and hand sanitizer and stuff like that," left guard Mike Johnson said. "You just try to be as safe as possible. Hopefully, we can stay out of that mess."

Saban did not name players who have missed time because of illness. Other than Cody, it does not appear currently to have affected the team's more prominent members.

The entire projected first-string offense was present at Thursday afternoon's practice, including quarterback Greg McElroy, receiver Julio Jones, tailback Mark Ingram and all five offensive linemen.

"I don't think everybody can get wiped out by it," Jackson said. "A couple of guys may get it, but for the most part, we've got it contained. We've got to just stay clean and sanitize ourselves. We're all right. It's just the flu."

Saban noted that the problems did not begin until classes started last Wednesday and Alabama welcomed in new walk-on players who were not on the 105-man roster.

"We didn't have one issue when we had the 105 here," Saban said. "When school started, we got new guys here, we got some involvement with the students, and all of a sudden we got some guys that's been a problem with.

"We probably had four or five guys that eventually had the flu and haven't been at practice. And you had four or five other guys who sort of had the upper respiratory thing without the fever - and really not the flu - and they've been able to manage their way through it."

This year's widespread flu outbreak has become a problem for football teams at all levels across the South. High schools teams are considering canceling games in several states.

Ole Miss cancelled a fan day. Tulane had more than 20 players miss practice last week because of a flu outbreak on the team. The Green Wave's team physician, Greg Stewart, told the Tulane Rivals' site WaveReport.com that, "It's an average of five days, usually," for the virus to work its way out of the system.

"We're very hopeful that this does not become an issue for college football or sports this fall," Saban said. "Hopefully, the management things we're doing will help us not have an issue or a problem."

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/ ... xml&coll=1

niman · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:41 am

niman wrote:

Of those, only 14 were in Tuscaloosa County, and it's unclear if the flu spreading throughout the university's campus could be classified as H1N1.

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/ ... xml&coll=1

State lack of testing continues to cause confusion. There are 100's of cases of H1N1 swine flu just on the Tuscaloosa campus.

niman · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:51 am

niman wrote:

"We probably had four or five guys that eventually had the flu and haven't been at practice. And you had four or five other guys who sort of had the upper respiratory thing without the fever - and really not the flu - and they've been able to manage their way through it."

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/ ... xml&coll=1

CDC disinformation on 93% of hospitalized swine flu patients with fever continues to confuse. Over 50% of swine flu infections do NOT have fevers.

niman · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:29 am

niman wrote:

Up to 10 University of Alabama football players have come down with flu-like symptoms and a few have been quarantined to contain the outbreak and protect their teammates.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said Thursday that four or five players have developed the flu and a like number had upper respiratory infections but no fever. Saban said those with the flu have been isolated in dorm rooms to keep from spreading the illness.

Defensive lineman Terrence Cody is the only notable player to have missed practice the last two days. Teammate Kareem Jackson confirmed that Cody told him that he had been diagnosed with the flu.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/2 ... ll-players

All-American senior Terrence Cody has been absent from Alabama's past two practices. Cornerback Kareem Jackson bumped into the 354-pound nose tackle on campus Thursday and found out the troubling reason why.

"He told me he hadn't eaten in two days," Jackson said. "I kind of find that hard to believe."

Barely a week before the season opener against seventh-ranked Virginia Tech in Atlanta, the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide is being threatened by a flu bug that is rolling through the University of Alabama and much of the Southeast.

Cody is one of roughly 10 players in the past week who have come down with the flu or flu-like symptoms, according to Alabama coach Nick Saban.

"We're doing as much as we can to try to prevent this," Saban said.

As of Thursday, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,587 confirmed cases of novel H1N1 influenza (or swine flu) in the state, bringing the total of probable and confirmed cases in the state to 1,621.

Of those, only 14 were in Tuscaloosa County, and it's unclear if the flu spreading throughout the university's campus could be classified as H1N1.

The University of Alabama Student Health Center reported 54 cases of influenza to the Tuscaloosa News last week. Alabama sent word Wednesday that the Student Health Center "continues to see students who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms."

Alabama officials noted, however, that the illness was "generally mild."

"The guys that have had it, we have quarantined, kept in isolation so that they would not spread it to other guys," Saban said. "I'm no doctor. I'm not a physician. I don't really want to compare or predict because I really don't know, but the guys that have been sick, they have been sick for two or three days."

Alabama players were issued packets Wednesday that contained tissue paper, hand sanitizer and other products aimed to prevent the spread of the disease. The team has not been subjected to flu shots.

"Our medical staff has done a really good job of supplying every locker with wipes and hand sanitizer and stuff like that," left guard Mike Johnson said. "You just try to be as safe as possible. Hopefully, we can stay out of that mess."

Saban did not name players who have missed time because of illness. Other than Cody, it does not appear currently to have affected the team's more prominent members.

The entire projected first-string offense was present at Thursday afternoon's practice, including quarterback Greg McElroy, receiver Julio Jones, tailback Mark Ingram and all five offensive linemen.

"I don't think everybody can get wiped out by it," Jackson said. "A couple of guys may get it, but for the most part, we've got it contained. We've got to just stay clean and sanitize ourselves. We're all right. It's just the flu."

Saban noted that the problems did not begin until classes started last Wednesday and Alabama welcomed in new walk-on players who were not on the 105-man roster.

"We didn't have one issue when we had the 105 here," Saban said. "When school started, we got new guys here, we got some involvement with the students, and all of a sudden we got some guys that's been a problem with.

"We probably had four or five guys that eventually had the flu and haven't been at practice. And you had four or five other guys who sort of had the upper respiratory thing without the fever - and really not the flu - and they've been able to manage their way through it."

This year's widespread flu outbreak has become a problem for football teams at all levels across the South. High schools teams are considering canceling games in several states.

Ole Miss cancelled a fan day. Tulane had more than 20 players miss practice last week because of a flu outbreak on the team. The Green Wave's team physician, Greg Stewart, told the Tulane Rivals' site WaveReport.com that, "It's an average of five days, usually," for the virus to work its way out of the system.

"We're very hopeful that this does not become an issue for college football or sports this fall," Saban said. "Hopefully, the management things we're doing will help us not have an issue or a problem."

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/ ... xml&coll=1

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/08280 ... icker.html

Angel_B · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:05 pm

Quote:

The Madison school district stated Monday that swine flu has been reported at Madison Elementary. Superintendent of Education Dr. Dee Fowler said in a notice to parents that a case of the H1N1 virus has been confirmed at Madison Elementary School. “The health department and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have warned us to expect several H1N1 cases this year. I am sure that Madison Elementary will not be the only school reporting cases this fall,” Fowler stated. “Cases are popping up all over the country. Last week, I received an email from the University of Alabama stating that they had over 20 confirmed and suspected cases.”

http://www.madisoncountyrecord.com/arti ... /news2.txt

FluWatcher2009 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:31 pm **Posts:** 83

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is reporting that 99% of all flu illnesses are now H1N1.

[http://www.adph.org/H1N1Flu/index.asp?id=3571]

My son stayed home today with a fever (103 max), cough, and overall tiredness - basic symptoms of H1N1. My wife called the doctor and was told on the phone by this usually very relaible person that a lot of seasonal flu was going around.

Huh? :roll:

Doesn't that conflict with the information provided by the ADPH?

wotan · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:49 pm

FluWatcher2009 wrote:

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is reporting that 99% of all flu illnesses are now H1N1.

[http://www.adph.org/H1N1Flu/index.asp?id=3571]

My son stayed home today with a fever (103 max), cough, and overall tiredness - basic symptoms of H1N1. My wife called the doctor and was told on the phone by this usually very relaible person that a lot of seasonal flu was going around.

Huh? :roll:

Doesn't that conflict with the information provided by the ADPH?

Welcome to the board!

Nationwide, 98-99% of flu circulating is swine flu. Unfortunately, people are using the positive Type A flu tests as an excuse not to say swine flu. If it is flu in the US right now, it is swine flu.

niman · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 3:40 am

FluWatcher2009 wrote:

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is reporting that 99% of all flu illnesses are now H1N1.

http://www.adph.org/H1N1Flu/index.asp?id=3571

My son stayed home today with a fever (103 max), cough, and overall tiredness - basic symptoms of H1N1. My wife called the doctor and was told on the phone by this usually very relaible person that a lot of seasonal flu was going around.

Huh? :roll:

Doesn't that conflict with the information provided by the ADPH?

The confusion really stems from the testing. Many doctors can do a rapid test in their office for influenza A, and prior to this year, an influenza A positive meant that you had seasonal flu (with over 99.9% certainty because "noval" infleunza A was extremely rare (13 reported cases in the entire country in 3 years and almost all were liked to swine exposure in the midwestern US).

However, since pandemic H1N1 (swine flu) is also influenza A, it will also give a positive on the influenza A test, so for the test given by the Dr (or nurse) in the Drs office, swine flu gives the same test result as seasonal flu. A second test is required to distinguish the two, and that test is NOT done in the Drs office. A sample can be sent to the state labs or to a third party (i.e. Quest Diagnostics and others will run a swine flu PCR test on naso pharengeal swab), but most states will not test mild cases, and Quest takes aboiut 4 days).

Since it is not seasonal flu season, there is virtually NO seasonal flu in circulation in the US at this time. There will be more beginning in late September, but most seasonal flu is in January and February, so 99% of influenza A positives are swine flu and there are more reported outbreaks in Alabama than anywhere else in the US, in part becasue of the early start of the school year.

See map of Alabama flu (and you can zoom in on the map linked below to look at your specific location)

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/flu/gma ... 375&zoom=6

niman · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 3:48 am

niman wrote:

FluWatcher2009 wrote:

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is reporting that 99% of all flu illnesses are now H1N1.

http://www.adph.org/H1N1Flu/index.asp?id=3571

My son stayed home today with a fever (103 max), cough, and overall tiredness - basic symptoms of H1N1. My wife called the doctor and was told on the phone by this usually very relaible person that a lot of seasonal flu was going around.

Huh? :roll:

Doesn't that conflict with the information provided by the ADPH?

The confusion really stems from the testing. Many doctors can do a rapid test in their office for influenza A, and prior to this year, an influenza A positive meant that you had seasonal flu (with over 99.9% certainty because "noval" infleunza A was extremely rare (13 reported cases in the entire country in 3 years and almost all were liked to swine exposure in the midwestern US).

However, since pandemic H1N1 (swine flu) is also influenza A, it will also give a positive on the influenza A test, so for the test given by the Dr (or nurse) in the Drs office, swine flu gives the same test result as seasonal flu. A second test is required to distinguish the two, and that test is NOT done in the Drs office. A sample can be sent to the state labs or to a third party (i.e. Quest Diagnostics and others will run a swine flu PCR test on naso pharengeal swab), but most states will not test mild cases, and Quest takes aboiut 4 days).

Since it is not seasonal flu season, there is virtually NO seasonal flu in circulation in the US at this time. There will be more beginning in late September, but most seasonal flu is in January and February, so 99% of influenza A positives are swine flu and there are more reported outbreaks in Alabama than anywhere else in the US, in part becasue of the early start of the school year.

See map of Alabama flu (and you can zoom in on the map linked below to look at your specific location)

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/flu/gma ... 375&zoom=6

The link below has a graph of the types of flu in Alabama (its all swine flu at this time)

http://www.adph.org/Influenza/Default.asp?id=1804

rob · **Joined:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:37 pm **Posts:** 1849

http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/new ... lu-spread/

Quote:

Oak Mountain Middle School became the first school in Shelby County to reach a high absentee rate this school year, with 25 percent of its students missing from classrooms Wednesday.

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