Flu Has Breached Our Perimeter

[Rikao4]

Not intended for General Public..
was on the label..
that's when I stoped takin those meds..
gave them..your choice
lots of med folks passing on this..

Rika

[onewhippedpuppy]

No way anyone with kids can avoid the flu. Its simply inevitable. Nothing can prevent your beloved petri dishes from bringing crap home with them.

[Deschodt]

It's not such a bad thing, you know.. If you get it, you'll be done in a couple of days, and you don't have to worry about that crap anymore. Done, dusted, immune...

So sick of this media crap....

[jyl]

Wow, I practically got hounded out of my office. One coworker went home at 11AM rather than be in the office with me. Our assistant/secretary places my mail on the floor by my door rather than venture into my office. We have individual offices and I stayed in mine all day. Sheesh. Stay home merely because I expect to get sick, when I'm still feeling fine and productive? I have a hard time wrapping my head around that one. But, by popular demand, I guess I will work from home tomorrow.

[Heel n Toe]

If you were around in the mid-70's when this swine flu's "cousin" made a run of it, and you caught it then, you have every reason to expect that you won't get it (according to my doctor).

He claims you'll have some residual immunity (my words, not his) that should keep you from succumbing.

[Rick Lee]

I work from home already and felt too bad to do anything today. After our 8am conf. call I emailed the boss and said to consider me out sick, while I retire to couch and pray for death. I'm not nearly as ill as I've been with past bouts with the flu, but I sure don't feel like calling clients and dealing with billing errors. I've slept a lot today.

[jyl]

Interesting. I was around, but have no idea if I got that particular flu.

Rick, hope you feel better. Make some chicken soup.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by jyl

I'll share my chicken noodle soup recipe, since some of us may be needing some "invalid cookery" soon.

Need two largish pots, one for stock and one for soup. 1 whole chicken, 1 1/2 onions, 2 large carrots, 5 cloves garlic, 3 stocks celery, pasta. You'll make the stock and soup concurrently.

Step 1: stock.

Cut up a whole chicken. Salt the breasts and legs and set aside. Heat the stock pot with a small amount of olive oil. The carcass, giblets, wings, and skin - roughly chopped up - go in the stock pot with a quartered onion. Add any other chicken or pork scraps you happen to have, the more the better. My local Asian grocery sells chicken carcasses, 3 for $1, I put six carcasses in my last stock batch. Brown over high heat. Add lots of water, bring to boil, and keep at low boil, uncovered. Add the leg bones, leg meat, and veggie trimmings from the soup pot. Keep boiling, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by 1/3.

Step 2: soup.

Heat the soup pot with a small amount of olive oil, like 1 teaspoon. Put in the whole breasts reserved from step #1. Brown the breasts over med-high heat, until brown bits (fond) are sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the breasts. Put in 2 tablespoons of white wine, use a wooden spoon to scrape off the stuck bits (deglaze), and keep heating until the wine evaporates. Put another teaspoon of oil, in the pot, add the legs reserved from step #1, brown until more bits stick to the bottom, remove the legs, deglaze with wine again. Burner off. Debone the legs, crack the leg bones and put them into the stock pot. Burner on, med-high. Put the deboned leg meat in the soup pot, with a very small amount of additional oil if needed, brown to sticky-bit-ness, remove leg meat, and deglaze again. Burner off. Chop up the leg meat and toss it into the stock pot. Cut the breasts into 1/2" pieces. Chop the 1/2 onion, carrots, garlic, celery, toss any trimmings into the stock pot. Burner on, med-high. Put the breast meat, onion, carrots, garlic, and celery into the soup pot, and brown with a little butter. Burner off. When stock is ready, burner on, high. Add some stock to the soup pot (you won't need all of it), up to 2 cups of white wine if you like, salt the stock, bring to boil, add and cook a modest amount of pasta, pepper to taste, add some chopped scallions, and serve. I like the spiral noodles, called radiatores I think, and also like some red pepper flakes in addition to black pepper. If you are making a big batch of soup that is going to be served multiple times during the day, then don't add all the pasta - it gets soggy as the soup sits - but rather add more stock and cook more pasta for each serving.

Any other "sickness" recipes?

I would really like a good chicken soup recipe. But I've read this one about six times, and am still confused about which pot is which.

Any chance you could write this out clearly? For idiots?

(For example, in step one are you using six extra carcasses?? In addition to the first one? And also in step one, where did the leg bones you are taking out of the soup pot come from? I thought the carcass was already in the stock pot? Have you deboned the legs?)

I give up!

[jyl]

You must be pulling my leg. But, in hopes of winning my own Peace Prize, I will repeat and restate:

Need two largish pots, one we'll call the stock pot and the other the soup pot. 1 whole chicken, 1 1/2 onions, 2 large carrots, 5 cloves garlic, 3 stalks celery, pasta, and 1/2 bottle white wine.

You'll make the stock and soup concurrently. This means leaping back and forth between the two pots. It will require exceptional alertness and mental agility, don't hurt yourself. Chug a Red Bull, and begin:

Step 1a: stock.

Cut up a whole chicken. Salt the breasts and legs and set aside. Heat the stock pot with a small amount of olive oil. The carcass, giblets, wings, and skin - roughly chopped up - go in the stock pot with a quartered onion. Add any other chicken or pork scraps you happen to have, the more the better. Never mind about my local Asian grocery. Brown well over high heat. Crush and break up the carcass to expose all the meat to browning. Add water (about 1 1/2 times as much as the amount of stock you want), bring to boil, and keep at low boil, uncovered.

Step 2a: soup

Heat the soup pot with a small amount of olive oil, like 1 teaspoon. Put in the whole breasts reserved from step #1a. Brown the breasts over med-high heat, until brown bits (fond) are sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the breasts. Put in 2 tablespoons of white wine, use a wooden spoon to scrape off the stuck bits (deglaze), and keep heating until the wine evaporates. Put another teaspoon of oil, in the pot, add the whole legs reserved from step #1a, brown until more bits stick to the bottom, remove the legs, deglaze with wine again. Burner off.

Step 1b: stock

Debone the legs, crack the leg bones and put the bones into the boiling stock pot. Reserve the meat.

Step 2b: soup

Burner on, med-high. Put the deboned leg meat from step #1b in the soup pot, with a very small amount of additional oil if needed, brown to sticky-bit-ness, remove leg meat, and deglaze again. Burner off.

Step 1c: stock

Chop up the leg meat and toss it into the boiling stock pot.

Step 2c: soup

Cut the breasts into 1/2" pieces. Chop the 1/2 onion, carrots, garlic, celery.

Step 1d: stock

Toss any veggie trimmings into the boiling stock pot.

Step 2d: soup

Burner on, med-high. Put the breast meat, onion, carrots, garlic, and celery into the soup pot, and brown with a little butter. Deglaze with wine again. Burner off.

Step 1e: stock

Take a PPOT break. Continue boiling stock until reduced by 1/3. Burner off.

Step 2e: soup

Burner on, high. Add some stock to the soup pot (you won't need all of it), up to 2 cups of white wine if you like, salt the stock, bring to boil, add and cook a modest amount of pasta, pepper to taste, add some chopped scallions, and serve. I like the spiral noodles, called radiatores I think, and also like some red pepper flakes in addition to black pepper. If you are making a big batch of soup that is going to be served multiple times during the day, then don't add all the pasta - it gets soggy as the soup sits - but rather add more stock and cook more pasta for each serving.

The virtue of this recipe, besides that nothing comes from China, is that the repeated browning and deglazing creates a lot of fond and therefore tastiness. The legs do double duty, giving fond to the soup and the rest of themselves to the stock. And you get to drink a lot of wine.

P.S. I keep adding "burner off" because you don't want all that fond to burn up.

[Dottore]

OK.

That looks better. I will test-drive this and report back.

Many thanks.

[syncroid]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

If you were around in the mid-70's when this swine flu's "cousin" made a run of it, and you caught it then, you have every reason to expect that you won't get it (according to my doctor).

He claims you'll have some residual immunity (my words, not his) that should keep you from succumbing.

I remember this flu well! Our family was on vacation when it hit us all. What a miserable time for sure. Nothing like being at your worst away from home.

[deathpunk dan]

Wash your hands and keep your distance from those sneezing or coughing. Don't touch your face without washing your hands first. Your coworkers won't get it if they keep their distance and don't get coughed or sneezed on.

Believe me, I'm not interested in getting the H1N1 flu and will get the vaccine once its available, but I think you can minimize exposure risk with a few simple steps.

Now having said that, if your kids have flu like symptoms, they could very well have H1N1. 50% of all cases in the states have been age 12 or younger! School and younger less hygenic children are prime breeding grounds.

Hoping your kids get well soon and you don't become ill. You will know - it will hit you like regular a la not the sniffles and progressing from there but rather all at once. Fever over 100, sore throat, and cough are the 3 common symptoms. Headache/body aches, chills, and sometimes diarrhea/nausea are also reported.

Sleep. Hydrate. Alternate ibuprofen and tylenol every 4 hrs to bring fever down.

I hate getting sick and wouldn't wish the flu on anyone. Be well!

[Rick Lee]

I took a Mucinex D about two hours ago and feel a lot better. This might be my new cold medicine. Never had it before.

[Heel n Toe]

Rick, my doc put me onto it last time I was laid up with a bad chest cold that went into a lot of coughing... it's great stuff.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Dottore

OK.

That looks better. I will test-drive this and report back.

Many thanks.

Normally just one chicken carcass wouldn't be enough for a usable quantity of stock, IMO. That's why you have to sacrifice the legs too. Don't be tempted to eat them.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

If you were around in the mid-70's when this swine flu's "cousin" made a run of it, and you caught it then, you have every reason to expect that you won't get it (according to my doctor).

Some irony there: 2 guys at work boasting about that very same fact. Well, they're the only 2 who caught the swine flu a couple of weeks ago... So there goes that theory ;-)

It was pretty funny as we had to endure stories upon stories about how their immunity was better than ours ! ;-) Well, not really ;-)

[onewhippedpuppy]

I have talked with several nurses and doctors who expressed reservations in regards to the new vaccine. Others I know have gotten the same story. If they aren't confident, I sure as hell am not.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

I'm not sure about that. Firstly, there aren't any single doses of preservative-free vaccine for H1N1 that I know about - I've heard that all of the vaccine has been produced in multi-use vials. Certain preservatives used in these vials have been rumored to have been linked to syndromes like autism, but there has been no definitive proof. Still, with your young kids, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Also, they are using adjuvants for the first time with the flu vaccine. Although used commonly with other vaccines, I do not know if they are used extensively with vaccines for very young children.

In the seventies, there was a big push to vaccinate against H1N1 one year, and it turned into a big disaster where more people were killed / harmed by the vaccine than by the flu. That's unlikely to happen this time around, as H1N1 has already killed a bunch of people, but who knows. It's very difficult to figure out what to do when the information is sparse, and even your trusted doctor friends are not completely clued in as to the program's details.

-Wayne

Your info is wrong.

1. There is single-use thimersol-free H1N1 vaccine for use in kids under 6.

2. The H1N1 vaccine in the US does not contain adjuvants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/opinion/12offit.html

CDC H1N1 Flu | General Questions and Answers on 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Safety

Will the 2009 H1N1 vaccines that are currently recommended contain adjuvants?
No. According to current federal plans, only unadjuvanted vaccines will be used in the United States during the 2009 flu season. This includes all of the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccines that will be available for children and adults in both the injectable and nasal spray formulations. None of these influenza vaccines will contain adjuvants.

2009 H1N1 vaccines with adjuvants are being studied to determine if they are safe and effective. Experts will review these data when they are available. There is no plan at this time to recommend a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine with an adjuvant.

Will the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines that FDA is licensing (approving) will be manufactured in several formulations. Some will come in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal as a preservative. Multi-dose vials of seasonal influenza vaccine also contain thimerosal to prevent potential contamination after the vial is opened.

Some 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines will be available in single-dose units, which will not require the use of thimerosal as a preservative. In addition, the live-attenuated version of the vaccine, which is administered intranasally (through the nose), is produced in single-units and will not contain thimerosal. For more information on thimerosal.

[red-beard]

The seasonal flu vaccine I recently had, was pre-packaged as a single unit. I expect to get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it is available.

[jyl]

OK, I am dutifully working from home, sparing my colleagues from my virulent presence, and I feel perfectly fine. So does my wife.