Michelle Malkin » Hey, maybe we’ll finally get serious about borders now; Update: 2 swine flu cases confirmed in Kansas; 8 probable in NYC; Update: US declares public health emergency

Hey, maybe we’ll finally get serious about borders now; Update: 2 swine flu cases confirmed in Kansas; 8 probable in NYC; Update: US declares public health emergency

By Michelle Malkin • April 25, 2009 02:01 PM

Scroll for updates…

The deadly flu strain sweeping across Mexico and into the U.S. has world health experts sounding the alarm bells. Mexico City has been shut down. Officials are advising citizens there to wear masks. There’s talk of a pandemic. California and Texas have seen several reported cases, but no deaths in the U.S.

Yet:

A new flu strain that has killed up to 68 people in Mexico could become a pandemic, the World Health Organization warned on Saturday, as health experts tried to track the disease’s spread.

Hospitals tested patients with flu symptoms for the never-before-seen virus, which has also infected eight people in the United States. No further deaths had come to light since Friday afternoon, but officials warned the person-to-person infections meant there was a risk of a major outbreak…

…Mexico has shut schools, cinemas and museums and canceled public events in its sprawling, overcrowded capital of 20 million people to try to prevent further infections. Weekend soccer matches were played in empty stadiums and people on the street wore face masks.

The strain of flu has spread fast between people and infected some individuals who had no contact with one another.

The WHO says the virus from 12 of the Mexican patients is genetically the same as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas. All of the eight later recovered.

An emergency committee of WHO experts, convening on Saturday, will advise Chan on issues including possibly changing the WHO’s pandemic alert level, currently 3 on a scale of 1 to 6.

A NYC prep school saw 75 students fall ill on Friday and health officials are testing to see if it’s the new strain of swine flu.

The World Health Organization is set to declare the outbreak an “international concern.”

I’ve blogged for years about the spread of contagious diseases from around the world into the U.S. as a result of uncontrolled immigration. We’ve heard for years from reckless open-borders ideologues who continue to insist there’s nothing to worry about. And we’ve heard for years that calling any attention to the dangers of allowing untold numbers of people to pass across our borders and through our other ports of entry without proper medical screening — as required of every legal visitor/immigrant to this country — is RAAAACIST.

9/11 didn’t convince the open-borders zealots to put down their race cards and confront reality.

Maybe the threat of their sons or daughters contracting a deadly virus spread from south of the border to their Manhattan prep schools will.

***

Update: Two swine-flu cases confirmed in Kansas…

Kansas state health officials have confirmed two cases of swine flu, just minutes after New York health officials said they had eight probable cases, CNN reported on Saturday.

***

Sunday afternoon update: US declares public health emergency.

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#687601

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:32 am, John424 said:

I don’t get the hype. I know somebody posted these thoughts earlier, but I think it’s worth reiterating:

We had the “swine flu” scare during the failed, miserable presidency of Jimmy Carter. The only thing that scare accomplished was to get a bunch of people sick and dead from the vaccine, and a later admission from the feds that the “swine flu” really wasn’t that bad at all, no worse than any other common strain of flu. This of course, after scaring the country half to death with their “sky-is-falling” predictions of half the country dying and the other half being too sick to move if you didn’t rush off, lemming-like and get vaccinated immediately.

The only difference I see this time is the feds are telling everybody not to get vaccinated because there isn’t any vaccine – unless they’ve changed their story since yesterday about this time.

Same scenario – a completely amateur Democrat administration looking for a diversion from their clueless foreign policy and inflationary domestic policies. Trying to set themselves up as saviors from a public health standpoint.

It didn’t work in the 70’s. It won’t work now.
#687602

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:32 am, md1964 said:

Rahm Emmanuel said.. to never let a crisis go to waste..

…will the Adolph Obama admin use this as a springboard to Nationalize Healthcare to coordinate and combat a potential pandemic??

I put nothing past these fascists…
#687605

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:37 am, Ragspierre said:

…will the Adolph Obama admin use this as a springboard to Nationalize Healthcare to coordinate and combat a potential pandemic??

I put nothing past these fascists…

Right! We know that the Dimocrat majority PLANS to impose nationalized health care on us by a simple majority vote. A simple UNCONSTITUTIONAL VOTE by a bare majority in the Congress.

That is REAL, happening NOW, and will effect EVERY American.

Swine flu…? Not so much.
#687609

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:42 am, Teddy Kennedy said:

Errah, BTW why is Nutpolitano taking the lead on this in lieu of the Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Dir of NIH or the Surgeon General. Just seems like there’s an alterior motive here putting DHS out as the point person/department. From what I’ve heard so far she isn’t screening people at ports of entry or airports which is under her pervue and we all know there are no stepped up measures at the borders or any interior enforcement of folks from Mexico who are ilegally here so what’s up with putting her out in front of this one. Did someone tell her that Canada is on our northern border and that Mexico is on our southern border yet?
#687612

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:45 am, Rogue Cheddar said:

I tell you, this illegal immigrant thing is nothing to sneeze at!
#687618

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:55 am, PhredE said:

“One of my rules is: Newspeople are scientific idiots. When they say things about science, don’t trust them.”

Yup. Amen brother. You called that spot on.
Even some scientists aren’t all that good with science too, IMHO…
#687623

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:58 am, Mainah said:

speaking of…~~scientists~~~~politicians~~…LIARS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py6yay2c0Oo&feature=player_embedded
#687627

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:01 am, Ragspierre said:

Even some scientists aren’t all that good with science too, IMHO…

Many, many in the “scientific community” are completely doctrinaire leftists, who willingly prostitute science…and their own integrity…to a political agenda.

There was a guy here in Texas who did a daily feature on NPR here, The Engines of Our Ingenuity. He was a professor of Engineering at U of Houston. I was amazed to see that you could insert socialist ideology into even engineering.
#687629

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:04 am, happyscrapper said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 10:32 am, md1964 said:
Rahm Emmanuel said.. to never let a crisis go to waste..

…will the Adolph Obama admin use this as a springboard to Nationalize Healthcare to coordinate and combat a potential pandemic??

I put nothing past these fascists…

Also a springboard to impose permanent martial law?
#687631

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:05 am, Ragspierre said:

HEADLINE…

Blackburn gently piths frog…

(Pithing is to insert a needle into the base of the brain)
#687634

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:10 am, conservative in europe said:

Happy,

We already are under permanent martial law. It was never repealed after the civil war. Note the gold fringe on US flags. It is simply not enforced via the magnanimity of the Government.
#687636

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:11 am, happyscrapper said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:10 am, conservative in europe said:
Happy,

We already are under permanent martial law. It was never repealed after the civil war. Note the gold fringe on US flags. It is simply not enforced via the magnanimity of the Government.

Seriously?
#687639

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:12 am, Rogue Cheddar said:

(Pithing is to insert a needle into the base of the brain)

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought I was behind again on my urban street slang!
#687644

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:18 am, Mainah said:

I dunno about the frog, but he is pithing me off pretty bad too.
#687645

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:19 am, Ragspierre said:

Blackburn is a fox…in so many ways….

And she skewered Gore soooo sweetly…

I may be in love…
#687646

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:21 am, moonsbreath said:

I expect Georgia to be on that list soon. We have a huge population of illegals.

The border needs to be closed. As of this morning, you can still enter the US in California. Unbelievable.
#687648

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:23 am, chapoutier said:

We already are under permanent martial law. It was never repealed after the civil war. Note the gold fringe on US flags. It is simply not enforced via the magnanimity of the Government.

Uhhh, there was no need to repeal it as the proclamation was stricken down as unconstitutional in 1866 by the Supreme Court in Ex Parte Milligan.
#687651

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:28 am, Pasadena Phil said:

The gold fringe on flags has nothing to do martial law, eliminating the gold standard or any other “lunatic fringe” issue. It has a significance that I used to know (I was once “educated” about improperly displaying such a flag) and I will find it when I have time. Almost every time you see such a flag, it is being improperly displayed. Few people know the national flag protocol but trust me, there is no “DaVinci’s Code” symbolism to be found in it.
#687658

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:32 am, Bulldogger said:

Just read this on ALIPAC

“We are asking our supporters to call their Congressional representatives immediately to demand that Congress hold emergency hearings to override the open borders policies of the Obama administration and protect our citizens from this potential pandemic.” said William Gheen.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-888912.html#888912
#687671

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:42 am, RTater said:

http://www.usflag.org/colors.html

I can’t vouch for the source, but as long as we’re so far off topic:

The fringe on a Flag is considered and ‘honorable enrichment only’, and its official use by the US Army dates from 1895.. A 1925 Attorney General’s Opinion states: ‘the fringe does not appear to be regarded as an integral part of the Flag, and its presence cannot be said to constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statute. An external fringe is to be distinguished from letters, words, or emblematic designs printed or superimposed upon the body of the flag itself. Under law, such additions might be open to objection as unauthorized; but the same is not necessarily true of the fringe.’”
#687674

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:43 am, happyscrapper said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:32 am, Bulldogger said:
Just read this on ALIPAC

That article mentioned his golf game yesterday. I don’t know why everyone is criticizing our Dear Leader for playing golf. His job is 9-5, Monday thru Friday, with weekends off, except for TV appearances to campaign for the next election. He also has free time every Wednesday night for partying. You can’t expect him to work all the time, can you? Geez..cut him some slack! /sarc off

I was just remembering when Pres. Bush went to the ranch for a WORKING vacation. You know…the kind where he was on call 24/7 and was totally kept in touch with all that was going on. But even so, the press hounded him and criticized him mercilessly about all his “vacations”. Obama goes golfing and no one says boo. Now, I don’t begrudge him his “down” time. But it really sends the wrong message to keep showing him in his party mode and yukking it up with his cronies, always smiling and looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world when we are all in an almost panic mode out here in the real world. He is so stuck on himself and his power trip, he doesn’t see the real America any more.
#687682

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:46 am, happyscrapper said:

Regarding contacting our representatives to close the border and not allow any planes in from Mexico…that is a great idea. I wonder why THEY didn’t think of it?? These people are totally incompetent. And Obama doesn’t have enough qualified people in place to deal with these crises. Apparently, it takes more than 100 days to appoint his cabinet. You can’t rush these things you know…and good help is hard to find!
#687683

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:46 am, JusDreamin said:

Teddy Kennedy said:
Errah, I seem to remember a few years ago when a white lawyer with TB came back from Eurpoe the lame stream media tracked his every movement, but not a word this weekend on the 8 people in New York on how they contracted the disease or the other folks in Ohio on how they got infected. I guess the politics of the pathology of swine flu by folks coming from Mexico is something we just can’t talk about.

Good catch Teddy. We have (or at least did at one time) the finest healthcare system in the world all things considered. The CDC alone has no doubt saves hundreds of thousands of people. All can be rendered useless by politcal correctness, or whatever you want to call it. Will we EVER hear the truth? I’m not counting on it. I hate having to mistrust our government and media, but what choice do I have?
#687685

On April 27th, 2009 at 11:47 am, Pasadena Phil said:

RTater: your take is consistent with my understanding. I possess an official US manual on proper flag protocol and it makes no mention of fringe.

As I think back to why I was criticized for improperly displaying a fringed flag, it had something to do with military. The person who brought it up was/is a naval commander. Turns out our organization had been improperly displaying such a flag for as long as anyone could remember.
#687734

On April 27th, 2009 at 12:23 pm, Ragspierre said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 12:13 pm, vinny said:

I tried to go over the pathophysiology on flu on my site earlier, hoping to clear up some confusion. Unfortunately as I looked at my post today, I may have written it for a medically trained audience. Anyway, there is no good evidence that this particular flu outbreak will be any worse than the last flu epidemic we experienced earlier this year. If you develop symptoms, you should drink plenty of fluids and see a doctor. Sometimes the flu can lead to a secondary bacterial infection which needs to be treated with antibiotics. When the smoke clears in Mexican deaths, you will most likely see that those deaths were from Pneumonia.

Another reassuring thought is that people in this country who were exposed to this same virus as the people in Mexico, are having milder symptoms. The only thing I can think of to explain this disparity is that Americans were much more likely to be immunized against the flu every year. Even if they say this year’s immunization doesn’t offer complete immunity, there may be partial immunity. Furthermore, immunizations from prior years may also offer you some immunity.

If anyone wants to read a detailed explanation of how symptoms of the flu develop you can see it on my site. Just click on my name. I will try to rewrite the article to make it easier to follow later this evening.

I thought some of you would like information that may assuage some of your fears about this flu.
#687799

On April 27th, 2009 at 1:11 pm, Random63 said:

From a Yahoo News story….this little blurb well explains what will happen if Congress pushes through Universal Health Care and you refuse to participate in it….

“Others complained they had symptoms but couldn’t find a doctor to see them. Jose Isaac Cepeda, who has had fever, diarrhea and joint pains since Friday, said he was turned away from two hospitals — the first because he isn’t registered in the public health system, and the second “because they say they’re too busy.”
#687824

On April 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pm, Ragspierre said:

Random63;

EXACTLY right. I picked up on that, too.

Mexico has National Health Care.
#687869

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:01 pm, Ragspierre said:

I just had a minor flash of insight…

Mexico has nationalized health care.

We don’t.

How far does that go to explaining the mortality in Mexico…

opposed to the lack of mortality here…

from the same disease?
#687880

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:09 pm, Random63 said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:01 pm, Ragspierre said:
I just had a minor flash of insight…
Mexico has nationalized health care.
We don’t.
How far does that go to explaining the mortality in Mexico…
opposed to the lack of mortality here…
from the same disease?

I don’t know. I am sure that the socialized medicine is a factor in one way or another on the fatality rate. But, you also have to take into account the overall health of the folks who died. Was their health already compromised before falling ill? Were they registered in the healthcare system in the first place or were they like the guy in that quote who wasn’t and couldn’t get care. Since many of them were so young, could the doctors assume that they wouldn’t die so they didn’t treat them aggressively enough? Many variables to consider. So to blame it 100% all on socialized medicine may be unfair.

Be safe and well.
#687887

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pm, Ragspierre said:

Your questions all are valid, BUT…

what would have happened to the guy in the story if he were in cold, heartless, capitalist America…

and went to a hospital?

ANSWER: he would have been treated. Period.
#687894

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:23 pm, John424 said:

test
#687910

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:33 pm, Random63 said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pm, Ragspierre said:
Your questions all are valid, BUT…
what would have happened to the guy in the story if he were in cold, heartless, capitalist America…
and went to a hospital?
ANSWER: he would have been treated. Period.

It is Federal Law that he be given minimum treatment. An ER cannot turn him away, but they don’t have to “go all out” in his treatment. Fair or not? I guess it depends on your perspective and the day of the week. Most of these type of folks without insurance also are unemployed, uneducated, and practice self destructive habits that continually bring them to the ER over and over again. (Speaking from personal experience, 22 years in the medical field) So, I don’t usually have much sympathy for them and feel they are a large drain on the taxpayer.

Overall, we have a pretty good system here. 250 million Americans have insurance and get decent treatment. 50 million Americans do not.

I’m sure if you look at those 50 million, you will find the bulk of drug addicts, non-compliant diabetics, alcoholics, etc. Few of them have health insurance because of their lack of education and job skills. That is a good reason why they don’t have health insurance.

Cold, heartless, capitalist America would treat them, but minimally. As it should be. Why should we be paying for the healthcare of others who do not take responsibility for their own lives and health? Call me cold and heartless for I don’t want to pay for them.

Ok, enough ranting now. Sorry.
#687918

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:40 pm, Ragspierre said:

50 million Americans do not [have health insurance].

True…ish.

I am one of the 50 million who is included in that statistic, that is EXTREMELY misleading.

I have catastrophic health insurance.

Being ridiculously healthy, I elect to pay for all other health needs, including doctor visits. MILLIONS of Americans make the same election.

I have a daughter who’s a nurse, and another who was a paramedic. Both relate to me that the guy in the story would have gotten effective, appropriate care, and that in a flu epidemic he would not likely leave the hospital unless he insisted.
#687956

On April 27th, 2009 at 3:16 pm, Random63 said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 2:40 pm, Ragspierre said:
50 million Americans do not [have health insurance].
True…ish.
I am one of the 50 million who is included in that statistic, that is EXTREMELY misleading.
I have catastrophic health insurance.
Being ridiculously healthy, I elect to pay for all other health needs, including doctor visits. MILLIONS of Americans make the same election.
I have a daughter who’s a nurse, and another who was a paramedic. Both relate to me that the guy in the story would have gotten effective, appropriate care, and that in a flu epidemic he would not likely leave the hospital unless he insisted.

I did not say it was an absolute rule for all 50 million. And yes, that guy would have gotten a bed in the hospital, but still minimum care. He would not get the best antibiotics, treatments, etc. Oh they would have let him think he was being treated like a king, but the best meds and treatments would be kept for the insured.

It’s a good thing your children are in the field. They will ensure that you do get the best drugs and meds. As for choosing to pay catastrophic insurance and routine care on your own, that doesn’t make you like the group I described. Sounds more like you are just being responsible and self sufficient.

Be safe and well.
#687974

On April 27th, 2009 at 3:29 pm, Ragspierre said:

It’s a good thing your children are in the field. They will ensure that you do get the best drugs and meds.

Having children is good.

They owe me big, and I’m not gonna let em forget it…
#688122

On April 27th, 2009 at 5:02 pm, Random63 said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 3:29 pm, Ragspierre said:
They owe me big, and I’m not gonna let em forget it…

You got that right! I keep telling my daughter to hurry up and finish college so I can retire young and sponge off her.
#688258

On April 27th, 2009 at 8:23 pm, happy2behere said:

Hey Rags and Random, I heard the CDC does not even know if its an actual flu yet and that some cases in Mexico have killed healthy young adults by becoming hemmoragic pneumonia. Do you know if that is true?
#688287

On April 27th, 2009 at 9:37 pm, Random63 said:

On April 27th, 2009 at 8:23 pm, happy2behere said:
Hey Rags and Random, I heard the CDC does not even know if its an actual flu yet and that some cases in Mexico have killed healthy young adults by becoming hemmoragic pneumonia. Do you know if that is true?

The patients experienced a Cytokine Storm, a type of positive feedback of the immune system when overstimulated by a new virus invader. In this case, the storm centered in the lungs causing the patients to die of flu induced pneumonia or basically drown to death. Read the attached link and it will help you understand better why this flu is so dangerous, especially the second wave if it comes this late summer/early fall.
#688472

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:08 am, Ragspierre said:

Happy;

Where did your information come from?

In most flu deaths, from what little I know of medicine, there is an opportunistic pathogen that delivers the actual death-blow…very often a pneumonia caused by a bug that we almost universally have all the time, but is no threat under normal circumstances. Sort of God’s Recall Button…