By: rokuroku on 9/19/09
They are just now telling us, I am sure most of us already knew about this earlier in the week!!! Thanks for keeping us up to date OPP.

By: secretsquirrel on 9/19/09
I wouldn't complain much rokur oku, at least OPP doesn't use H1N1 to rip on their community's athletes:
http://faribault.com/news.php?viewStory=94096
Read the second subject under Saturday Starters and then note the kind remark made by either Jaci or Paula about Putrah's remark. What a way to support community athletes....

By: rothvl on 9/19/09
Yeah, Faribault's a peachy place to live, isn't it?

By: secretsquirrel on 9/19/09
It certainly has it's days.... or should I say editions?

By: TaxPayer on 9/19/09
Just a question - The picture on the 'home page' is . . . ???? Anybody know??

By: pax2u on 9/19/09

UFO?...FBI??....IRS??...GOP???

LOL

By: kadrmas21 on 9/19/09
Well, my question is, where is this swine flu coming from? The school needs to be shut down, and scrubbed and disinfected. I want to know where these kids and their families were? That flu did not get here by accident. Were they down in Mexico or what?

By: trueblue on 9/20/09
Mexico? Are you serious. I don't think this individual understands just how widespread the h1n1 really is.

By: tor101 on 9/20/09
My question is: If we are not testing people here until it is bad enough to be hospitalized,how do we really know who really has the H1N1 virus. This is what owatonna clinic told a member of my family who is really sick rite now, that they will only test her if it is bad enough to be hospitalized.
The other thing is how about the kids in the schools that have underlying health conditions in which they are saying it will be the worst for them, auto immune disease,diabetes and so on. What about these kids that cannot get the shot until it comes out. Will they test these people who have an underlying condition or shall we just not even worry about it. If it was my child who had any of these I would want to know if they are sick and have it as they say it is worse for them.

By: Thinking_Outloud on 9/20/09
kadrmas21: The H1N1 virus is a worldwide pandemic. Here is a simple definition:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met:

1. emergence of a disease new to a population
2. agents infect humans, causing serious illness; and
3. agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.

A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic because the disease is not infectious or contagious.

So, in light of that information, the influenza is coming from everywhere. (to answer your specific question) No one is brought it here on purpose.

By: kadrmas21 on 9/21/09
Yes, I am aware that it is a world wide pandemic now. I also did not suggest anyone intentionally brought it here on purpose. Nice try at passing me off as a bigot and a xenophobe though. Not true. Thanks for taking what I said out of context. However, this whole mess DID start in Mexico, there is simply no doubt about it. I was merely wondering why people would be irresponsible enough to go around and not wash their hands and cover their mouths when they cough? I am not claiming to be perfect, but I will state the obvious, when there is an illness going around, it always makes sense to wash one's hand to cover one's mouth.

By: PhillyNow on 9/21/09
Personally I'd rather have the H1N1 than the regular flu. People I know who have had it were only sick for 3 days while those who have regular seasonal flu are out for a week.

By: secretsquirrel on 9/21/09
I suggest that all of you be inoculated with rodent antigens. Being a squirrel that's the only logical explanation I have for NEVER having had the flu for more than 24 hours no matter what critter it's named after.
For some reason, on the extremely rare occasions I have had the flu, it comes on like gangbusters after midnight, makes me wish I were dead as I snooze with my head resting over the rim for about four hours. Then, I go back to bed and wake up a couple hours later feeling tired but otherwise perfectly alright.
Is there a doctor in the house? Explain THAT one to me. LOL

By: Thinking_Outloud on 9/21/09
ss...What you describe having would either be gastroenteritis or food poisoning.

Influenza is the illness (both seasonal and H1N1) that attacks the upper respiratory system with lung and cold like symptoms. Then you get the added bonus of high fever, muscle/body aches, chills and sore throat. Sometimes (albeit rarely) there are intestinal/stomach issues associated with Influenza, but it is not one of the common signs.

A lot of people hear "the flu" and think of their stomachs. That is an old misnomer.

Hope that helps.

By: depressed81 on 9/21/09
Wake up people....WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC....When this H1N1 started getting worse over the summer here in MN...they maybe should have thought about closing the schools until the vaccine was ready for the children. I am only thinking of the children here, I have 2 elementary kids and when this flu hit the school here, I had only heard about the 7th graded having it. I found out from the girls that I work with that go to high school up there that it was actually 3 people that got it. Then the school goes and puts in hand sanitizers when it's already to late. No one thought it would be bad once schools started, yeah whoever thought to tell people that was not thinking at all. Schools are starting to be the breeding grounds for this flu. What are they going to do when all the children get sick? By that time it's going to be to late to do anything.

By: pax2u on 9/22/09

ss ..that could be alcohol ....lol
symptoms:
*after midnight
*wishing you were dead
*up close and personal with the rim
*getting rid of it all then feeling better!
yep..
sounds like a fun night in O-town!


depressed...I am sad that you choose that for a name! hope things get better for you!

By: quinn on 9/23/09
Dr pax2u, you could very well be right!

By: stormchaser28 on 9/25/09
Thanks for the laugh pax2u.