Deadly Fungus Is The New Threat

On the heels of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) scare that turned out to be much ado about nothing, a new threat has emerged that has the scientists in a tizzy. A potentially deadly fungus has emerged. The good news is that it affects people who are immunocompromised. The bad news is, if you are one of those folks, you are susceptible.

A potentially deadly strain of fungus is spreading among animals and people in the northwestern United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia, researchers reported on Thursday.

The airborne fungus, called Cryptococcus gattii, usually only infects transplant and AIDS patients and people with otherwise compromised immune systems, but the new strain is genetically different, the researchers said. al-Reuters

There are plenty of microorganisms that affect only those with a compromised immune system. I think the concern with this one is that they claim that global warming might aid its spread. Ah, the old global warming thing. If you can’t get attention by cooking the books or when you get caught cooking them the next best thing is to manufacture concern over a killer fungus that “might” be aided by global warming so probably not.

Will people who are not affected be concerned? There are plenty of microorganisms that affect such people but no one has claimed they are aided by global warming.

We have a fungus that has been growing in America for about 100 years and it is called the progressive movement. It is aided by our government and a Marxist philosophy and it is spread through the exploitation of tax payers.

We might never eradicate C. gattii but we can eradicate the progressive agenda.

Remember in November.

Never surrender, never submit.
Big Dog

Gunline

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Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste

Today, Barack Obama declared the H1N1 flu outbreak a national emergency.

The White House on Saturday said Obama signed a proclamation that would allow medical officials to bypass certain federal requirements. Officials described the move as similar to a declaration ahead of a hurricane making landfall. Yahoo News

When a hurricane is about to make landfall we know what can happen and we can mobilize resources like FEMA, the Red Cross and other organizations that can help. What, specifically, can we mobilize with a flu outbreak. How does declaring this a national emergency equate to a hurricane?

The declaration allows medical OFFICIALS to bypass certain federal regulations. Notice it does not say doctors or health care providers, but officials. What officials? What federal regulations will they be allowed to bypass? Will they now be allowed to get lists of people who refused the vaccine? Will they be allowed to circumvent HIPAA and other privacy regulations in order to get information? Will they be able to FORCE people to get the vaccine?

What, specifically, will this declaration allow these unspecified officials to do?

Rahm Emanuel said that they should not allow a crisis to go to waste. Obviously, a crisis needs to exist before they can run roughshod over the country so is this declaration the manufactured crisis that allows government to enact rules and ignore our rights in order for the Obama Reich to do what it wants?

Yes, there have been deaths from the Swine flu and the numbers given include those who died in the Spring. What is the death rate, the infection rate and the recovery time of those who are getting it now and how does it compare with the normal seasonal flu which kills about 36,000 people per year?

If ObaMao has a good reason for declaring this emergency then he needs to elaborate and tell us exactly why it is an emergency and what federal regulations may be bypassed.

He also needs to tell us exactly who these officials are and what they will be doing.

Be very weary of these kinds of declared emergencies. This is not like a hurricane. The only thing FEMA could possibly do if activated at this point in time is to send health care professionals with vaccine to administer it. FEMA could possibly provide other services in the event of widespread death (set up morgues) but they could do little to curb the outbreak or make it less severe.

Seems to me that we have plenty of health care professionals who can give the vaccine. The issue right now is the shortage and problems with distribution which rest on the shoulders of the government.

What is behind this and what does he plan to do?

If these medical officials start making decisions that affect us then it is further proof that government, and not you and your doctor, will make decisions that affect you with regard to your health.

A thorough explanation is in order.

Big Dog

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Government Health Care Leads To Shortages

In April of this year the world was hit with a flu virus and it spread rapidly. The Swine flu (H1N1 variant) struck late in the year and was fairly mild. Concern over the virus reemerging during flu season and being even stronger led to rapid production of a swine flu vaccine. The private industry that developed the vaccine and got it to market quickly is to be commended. The efficacy and safety of the vaccine are a different issue (last time there was a rush the vaccine killed more people than the flu) and the decision to get it is one that should be made between a patient and a doctor. Suffice it to say that the private industry responded quickly.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius told us that there was plenty of vaccine, the government is distributing it, and that everyone who wants it will be able to get it. Sounds good so far.

The problem is, government is involved in getting it out and ensuring that everyone who wants it, gets it. There are now regional shortages of the vaccine and there is concern that it will not be available in time to be effective. There is a possibility that by the time some are vaccinated (or have the opportunity to be vaccinated) they will have gotten the flu or the threat will have passed.

Remember, the government is in charge of this. The same people who want to take over the health care system and run every aspect of it are not able to distribute a flu vaccine.

Someone on TV (I can’t remember who) said that he believes that Sebelius has the safety of our children in mind but it is not at the top of her list. The person said it might be number two but her number one thought is “Please don’t let this be our Katrina.”

That is probably accurate. The government is showing that it is not very efficient at the small task of distributing vaccine (it is small compared to running health care) but it expects us to believe it will be able to run all of health care. The Obama administration wants this to go well so that it can crow like a rooster about how well it did and that the government is capable of handling our health care. The reality is that the administration is failing in the mission it took on.

It is true that there are shortages of the seasonal flu vaccine each year but then again no one tells us that there is enough for every man, woman, or child who wants it. In the case if H1N1, the government assured us there is enough for everyone

We have already seen plans for a state government to ration care in the event of a severe flu outbreak. Those plans call for those in certain categories (like those with terminal cancer) to be denied care. That is how government run health care works everywhere it is tried.

The vaccine distribution is strike two in government’s latest attempt to demonstrate it can handle health care (it struck out with Medicare a long time ago).

In baseball, three strikes and you are out. Let us hope that the third strike of government is not demonstrated by failure after it passes a complete health care overhaul. Because then we will be the ones who lose.

Oppose the government takeover of our health care. It will add to the deficit, it will not cover everyone (which they said they would do) and it will lead to poor service and rationing.

Then again, if their ineptitude leads to a huge number of deaths they will be able to save some money.

ObaMao wants complete control and the health care takeover is one big way in which he will do it.

Wake up America.

Related Articles:
Suozzi lashes out at Feds, state over flu vaccine shortages
Swine Flu Vaccine: Enough to Go Around?
Swine Flu Vaccine: Too Little, Too Late?
H1N1 Running Rampant Amid Shortage of Vaccine
U.S. Faces Swine Flu Vaccine Shortage

Remember, they said we have enough. So, how are there shortages?

UPDATE: Illinois is denying the vaccine to the elderly who are not in the government’s target group. Vaccines canceled in parts of Illinois. [Thanks to Mike Radigan]

Big Dog

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In Health Care Government Gives Rationing

The federal government wants to run health care. It is the desire of the Obamatons to take control of this large part of our economy so that it can take control of the people. This is what happens with Social Security and Medicare. Every time there is an election old people are scared to death over threats about cuts in services if the right candidate does not win. They also hear the doom and gloom as excuses for tax increases come into play. The government realizes that a large portion of the elderly vote so the politicians try to placate them.

This year there will be no cost of living increase because the cost of living has not gone up. The Congress is looking to give each SS recipient a $250 check because there will be no COLA. The law says that benefits cannot be reduced so the SS never goes down regardless of how well the economy is doing. The law also says that there is no COLA increase if the COL does not go up so why don’t we stick with the law? The Congress wants to placate the elderly by buying them off.

The real concern should be what will happen to them if the government controls health care. Rationing WILL take place. If the government needs to control costs or if there is a disaster then people not deemed worthy, per Ezekiel Emanuel, will be denied care.

The state of Florida is a prime example. The Florida Department of Health, a state government agency, has issued guidelines to hospitals regarding who is to receive care and who is not should the H1N1 flu cause a shortage of hospital beds.

Florida health officials are drawing up guidelines that recommend barring patients with incurable cancer, end-stage multiple sclerosis and other conditions from being admitted to hospitals if the state is overwhelmed by flu cases. Sun Sentinel

A state government agency has drawn up guidelines on who should be refused care should the flu overwhelm the system. The state agency has given guidance for rationing care.

Take this to the next level and you have the federal government. The federal government will also have guidelines that determine who gets what treatment based on age and general health. A 90 year old person stands little chance of getting a hip replacement or heart surgery if the procedure costs too much based on life expectancy. The big difference is that an emergency need not exist for the feds to ration care. The budget will be a major consideration as a cost is placed on human life. If they only expect you to live a few years more then you will not get what you need.

We see it in place in Florida based on a flu outbreak but the fact that they are deciding now who lives and who dies is a foreshadowing of things to come should government take control of the health care in this country.

No longer will a doctor and patient decide. It will be some bean counter in DC who decides based on life expectancy charts and the budget.

We, as a nation, need to decide that it is time for all members of Congress to be denied what they need to exist. That, of course, would be elected office.

Vote them all out in 2010.

And say no to government run health care.

Big Dog

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Swine Flu On The Decline?

As I have been saying all along, the H1N1 Swine Flu does not appear to be the massive killer that people feared. Mexico is reporting that the flu is on the decline and that the worst might be over. It would appear as if people are cautiously optimistic that there will not be widespread outbreak and death.

Officials are now saying that the H1N1 might be no more of a problem than the normal flu we experience during flu season.

However, the head of the World Health Organization is saying that she would rather be overly cautious than unprepared and that the virus might reappear with a vengeance in a few months.

“We hope the virus fizzles out, because if it doesn’t we are heading for a big outbreak.” But she said: “I’m not predicting the pandemic will blow up, but if I miss it and we don’t prepare, I fail. I’d rather over-prepare than not prepare.” FT.com

There is a possibility the flu will die down during the warm summer months and then return when the weather gets cooler and it is certainly a good idea to keep looking for a vaccine and way of combating an outbreak. People should remain vigilant and wash hands frequently.

So far everything I have discussed in past posts has been accurate including predictions that this will not be terribly bad.

Sources:
al-Reuters
My Way News

Big Dog

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