PSA: H1N1 aka Swine Flu

From my Aunt K, who is a school nurse:

I just attended a meeting yesterday with Dr. Rhodes, who is the head of the infection control department at Lehigh Valley Hospital. With all the chatter on the internet and twitter about the H1N1 flu virus and the vaccine, I thought I would share what I learned with you, so that you are better informed and prepared for the 2009/10 flu season.

The incidence of H1N1 or Swine Flu is rapidly rising across the US. It started in April, simmered over the summer, and is now on the rise. Adults who have had it usually experienced an abrupt onset. They can actually tell you a date and time when they came down with it. It starts with severe muscle aches and pains, a fever of 100.2 or higher, and a sore throat. Respiratory symptoms of a cough, runny nose,etc. usually start by the second day. Most healthy young people do not have to see a doctor. However, if you experience chest pains, blueness around mouth or face, dehydration, breathing difficulties, or mental changes such as dizziness or confusion, you should go to the Emergency Room. Please call the hospital ahead, so they can be prepared. Another reason to go to the ER is if you have started to improve, but then suddenly worsened the 3rd or 4th day.. Adults are usually sick for 5-7 days. Kids are sick 7-10 days. Children tend to get it worse than adults. There are very few cases of the swine flu in the elderly.
( infor on how to deal with swine flu )

Today's Weird Word: Apperceptive Achatina

Picked up this really cool coloring book from an art gallery in Jim Thorpe, PA. .
The Stabin Morykin gallery was exhibiting an Alphabet Book by this artist named Victor Stabin
who poured over every word in the dictionary to come up with interesting word combos and then drew bizarre Daliesque (Salvador Dali) pictures regarding them.


The first combo is:

apperceptive achatina

apperceptive, n. : Consciousness of the mind of its own consciousness; self-reflective perception applied to metaphysical ends

achatina,n. A giant African snail

Hee.


In other news, rather enjoying this brilliant fanfic by rahirah entitled Necessary Evils - had me on the edge of my seat last night. Been a while since I've been enraptured by a story. Would be nice if I could find this on my bookshelves as opposed to the internet. Then I could actually read it in bed and on the way to work in the morning. But we can't have everything. (yes, I know I could print it off - but I have a crappy printer.)