Flu shots for crew & Emergency Health Measures at USAIRWAYS

[freedom]

your right this isn't a crisis yet ... and so far there are no deaths reported within the united states ... however with only 20 cases we can't get a good kill rate on it yet , EDIT: kill rate unkown .. ..if it should become pandemic ...

As to my rant about sick policy ,, on the ramp if your sick and you call in sick , you get a point that can be used against you , after something like oh 9 points you can be fired ... even with a doctors note i hear ... hence no one calls off sick anymore even if they are ..

As to going to see doctors for treatment , i myself wouldn't go to get checked out unless i was fairly confident that i had it ... the last thing i want to do is walk my healthy self down to the doctors office and sit there in a room filled with the influenza virus ...

i'd like all of you to take a moment and review your own preparedness please ..

I'd like to suggest that all of you go out and get a pantry started ... i wouldn't go today however , wait until low traffic times ,, such as during the middle of the night or early morning ..

Think about buying one a day vitamin pills ... I know they taste horrible , but it’s time for us to juice up our immune systems … ( 7 dollars for a bottle at frys )

You can get 2 face masks N95 grade at Walgreens for 5 dollars …

And as always , wash your hands and avoid crowded places ..

 

[JS]

...
I'd like to suggest that all of you go out and get a pantry started ... i wouldn't go today however , wait until low traffic times ,, such as during the middle of the night or early morning ..

Think about buying one a day vitamin pills ... I know they taste horrible , but it’s time for us to juice up our immune systems … ( 7 dollars for a bottle at frys )

...

I wouldn't do that -- a strong immune system is what killed people with the Spanish flu in 1918, and this flu is showing the same characteristics, where the majority of deaths are in healthy people age 20-40.

 

[freedom]

I wouldn't do that -- a strong immune system is what killed people with the Spanish flu in 1918, and this flu is showing the same characteristics, where the majority of deaths are in healthy people age 20-40.

First of all , wasn''t the spanish flu caused by an avian strain ? hence they may have different properties ...

Secondly , i think your refering to a Cytokine storm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm

i only learned about it today ... so yeah that's scary ...

you maybe right and it NOT be a good idea to juice up .... BUT just to be on the safe side i'm still advising people to BUY the vitiamns , just so that they have them , and if medical advice recommends their use at a later date , then we can all go to town ..

 

[700UW]

Actually when SARS was an issue any flights from Canada and several other cities, they made us wear masks while cleaning and doing the security checks.

Gloves were also mandated and coveralls were suggested (Tyvek).

 

[Travelpro72]

Yes and during the SARS scare flight attendants working didn't wear masks. I do remember however the yellow and white masks in the last overhead bin a/c left. They were to be given to anyone coughing or appearing ill. Flight attendants were in direct contact on the aircraft with recycled air. Go figure.

 

[28L_or_10R?]

Surgical masks do little to help. As soon as you rub your eyes or pick or scratch at your nose, you are exposed to the flu and colds. WHO and CDC are trying to figure out the reason but the strain in US and Canada is not lethal for now. Let's just chill and accept whatever happens. Anyone remember the swine flu "epidemic" in the 70s? More people died from the vaccine than the swine flu, itself. Some who got vaccines had their arms paralyzed for up to a year.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

Yes and during the SARS scare flight attendants working didn't wear masks. I do remember however the yellow and white masks in the last overhead bin a/c left. They were to be given to anyone coughing or appearing ill. Flight attendants were in direct contact on the aircraft with recycled air. Go figure.

I flew to asia during SARS, it was pretty funny the madness. People wearing masks on the plane, but taking them off to eat. I sat next to a girl that wore kitchen gloves. Then, at the airport, everyone would take off their masks at the duty free, to smell the sampler perfume, yeah, like a thousand noses hadn't touched that!

I got home, and a crazed employee wouldn't let me work in her building, she was pregnant and not very smart. But, I could attend meetings 20 feet away from her, seperated by a door.

Madness

 

[john john]

The policies of being force to come to work sick and being force to fly on a ticket because of penalties is not being a responsiable company. You will probable see some warm and fuzz release on the surface but major hoops to jump thru for the front line workers to make it happen

 

[USstew23]

The Company would probably suspend anyone on the crew caught or reported to be wearing a mask. They threatened this several years ago when the SARS Virus was the hot topic.

Are you serious? Well I guess that doesn't suprise me considering... I think on the East A/C we had masks in the last OHB during SARS.. I know I worked a trip to YYZ and we had them..

 

[mrman]

2. Planes should sit on the ground for a longer amount of time and we should clean them more thoroughly ….

Please the drama. You guys have more chance of getting ill from the disease growing organisms on the trash between the seats and seat backs, and fungus and bacteria growing on all the duct tape and mold on the sticky side of the tape around the plane, than the chance of getting ill from loading a bag or handing a coke on the plane

 

[redheadtempe33]

Surgical masks do little to help. As soon as you rub your eyes or pick or scratch at your nose, you are exposed to the flu and colds. WHO and CDC are trying to figure out the reason but the strain in US and Canada is not lethal for now. Let's just chill and accept whatever happens. Anyone remember the swine flu "epidemic" in the 70s? More people died from the vaccine than the swine flu, itself. Some who got vaccines had their arms paralyzed for up to a year.

People really need to keep this in mind before screaming "I will go to the media if they don't let me wear a mask!"

Masks do more to protect OTHER people if you are sick rather than protecting yourself. Why do you think doctors and nurses wear them in surgery but not the patients? Viruses typically are present in bodily fluids (saliva) and spread when someone sneezes, rubs their nose or face and then touches something else, etc. Masks prevent a sick person from sneezing all over the place but don't do a lot to protect healthy people. It is a virus, it can eaisly get though the cotton fibers of a mask.

 

[hp_fa]

AFA 66 has put out a Swine Flu Influenza Update that said, in part:

"Mexican gate and ticketing agents have been advised to perform a visual inspection of passengers and to refer any passenger who may have symptoms to local authorities. The Company is waiving ticketing restrictions through April 30 to passengers who wish to change their Mexican travel plans."

Uh huh. Yep, that will happen. The check will be spotty at best and the check will more likely be checking to see if they have a pulse and can get on the plane so they don't have to refund or re-issue tickets at the airport.

Call me cynical.

 

[usfa304]

HP FA...you GET it..you TOTALLY get it!!! I would love to sit down with you sometime and sling back a couple margaritas when i'm at the tempe locale

 

[hp_fa]

Sure, we can do that.

Before I was a FA I worked at the airport and I know that what is put out in a briefing and what happenes when lines are out the door are two different things and from my FA career I know things are even worse at out stations, particularly Mexico.

 

[freedom]

At this point the mask debate is moot because their sold out everywhere ... if you don't have one yet , good luck finding one for sale ... while they may not offer alot of protection , some is better than NONE ...

Any employee's who deal frequently with the traveling public may want to think about getting latex gloves ... at this point and time they are still in stock ... but as we continue to move forward , consumers will purcahse things based on fear ... so for instance today , masks are sold out , but there are still latex gloves .... tomrrow if people become more afraid , gloves and masks are sold out etc


If your concerned about becoming infected , (which we all should seeing as that we work at the AIRPORT , a high infection area ) then please , please be aware of your surroundings at ALL times ... do NOT get in elevtaors ever ... AVOID crowds , this means during your LUNCH break as well , if the break room is full , then stay out of it .. if your on an employee bus , seat yourself away from others and open the window .... DON'T shake people's hands , break yourself of that habit right away ... and as always , WASH YOUR HANDS .... i can't tell you how many people get sick from simply failing to wash their hands before eating , or after using the bathroom etc ....

i didn't see any memo's from the company today , and i think people at work are under the impression that if things get bad the company will hand out face masks etc ... well i don't know what the company is thinking and neither do you .... so just remember YOU are responsible for your OWN personal safety , no one else ... don't expect anything to be given to you .... you need to prepare YOURSELF ....