Swine Flu

Know Five Things

1. The Facts: It’s Spreading

• Swine flu has now caused more than 100 deaths in Mexico.
• The flu has spread to seven countries: Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Spain, Israel, Scotland and New Zealand. [MSNBC]
• The World Health Organization raised the pandemic threat level to 4, out of a possible 6.
• Tuesday, New York City Health Commissiner Thomas Frieden reported “many hundreds” of schoolchildren are sick with suspected cases of swine flu. [Fox News]

2. The Advice: Stay Home, See A Doctor

• “If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.” [CDC]
• The CDC is also urging people that, if they do feel sick, they should see a doctor immediately.

• Health experts take it even further. From MSNBC: “Slowing the spread of a swine flu epidemic in the United States could well depend on how quickly communities can empty schools, close day care centers and shut down public gathering spots – and on whether ordinary people are willing to stay away from their neighbors.” [MSNBC]

3. What If You Can’t Say Home?

• What if you can’t stay home? “Nearly 50 percent of private-sector workers have no paid sick days, and low-income workers fare even worse-76 percent have no paid sick leave. Overall, 57 million private-sector workers in this country have no paid sick days, and 94 million cannot use their paid sick days to care for a sick child.” [AFL-CIO]
• According to a 2008 University of Chicago survey, one out of every six workers say “that he/she or a family member had been fired, suspended, punished or threatened with being fired for taking time off due to personal illness or to care for a sick child or other relative. [University of Chicago]

• Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D., CT) is planning to reintroduce the “Healthy Families Act” next month. The bill would “guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from an illness or care for a sick family member.”

4. What If You Can’t See A Doctor?

• In 2007, there were 46 million Americans without health insurance, which works out to 15% of the population. [American Health Care since 1994]
• Analysis by the Center for American Action Fund progress shows 14,000 people lost their health insurance every day in December 2008 and January 2009.

• A new study by Families USA this week shows “86.7 million people-one out of every three Americans under the age of 65-were uninsured for some period of time during 2007 and 2008.” [CAPAF] [Families USA]

5. Recent Pandemic Flu Budget Cuts

• Congress stripped nearly $900 million to an influenza pandemic from the economic-stimulus package earlier this year as part of last-minute negotiations to gain GOP support for the plan. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who was one of three Republicans to back President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package. She opposed inclusion of the pandemic-preparedness money during a floor debate on the legislation, arguing it would not jump-start the economy. [USA Today]

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