Re: Re: CDC seeks data on nondrug prevention of pandemic flu

[Guest guest]

I wonder if I qualify as an consultant, as I have children and grandchildren and

I have been ADVISING them on washing their hands for the past 20 years!!! That's

got to qualify as EXPERT opinion. Why not, the rest of the research is just as

absurd!

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: Now let me get this right,

they are paying $5.2 million to

study " common sense?! " That's a good as when they spent several

million to study why people were dying in rip tides. Boy can I

think of a better way to spend this money where it would help people

already ill from a known illness, unfortunately one that is still

not openly recognized...........

>

> The following article seems bizarre to me. The CDC is spending

$5.2 million

> to determine if " hand washing, cough etiquette and face masks "

could help

> limit the spread of a pandemic flu. Ummmm? Yes?

>

> But what is really bizarre to me, is the concept that the CDC is

> anticipating a possible future need for the masses to be wearing

masks to protect

> against airborne microbes, bacteria and viruses. Doesn't that

sound like something

> out of a futuristic sci-fi movie?

>

> Sharon

>

>

>

> CDC seeks data on nondrug prevention of pandemic flu

>

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/oct130

6grants.h

> tml

>

> Roos * News Editor

> Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy

>

> Oct 13, 2006 (CIDRAP News) †" The Centers for Disease Control and

> Prevention (CDC) plans to fund eight studies on whether simple

> measures such as handwashing, " cough etiquette, " and face masks

could

> help limit the extent of the next influenza pandemic.

>

> The CDC announced this week it would provide a total of $5.2

million

> to research institutions, some outside the United States, to

assess

> nonpharmaceutical measures for battling pandemic flu.

>

> The announcement comes amid a wide-ranging CDC effort to come up

with

> specific guidelines on the use of such prevention steps by the

end of

> this year, according to Dr. Cetron, director of the

agency's

> Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.

>

> Nonpharmaceutical measures may serve as a first line of defense

in a

> pandemic, since it could take several months to develop an

effective

> vaccine, the CDC said in a news release. But officials said there

is

> little scientific evidence about the effectiveness and potential

> impact of such steps.

>

> " Our challenge now is to determine which community-level measures

will

> work best to limit the spread of infection, " CDC Director Dr.

> Gerberding commented in the announcement.

>

> Besides handwashing, cough etiquette, and masks, community

prevention

> measures include " social distancing " steps such as closing

schools and

> workplaces and canceling large gatherings. Other steps include

> voluntary isolation of patients and voluntary quarantine of their

> household contacts, according to the CDC.

>

> Initial results from some of the studies should be available

within

> about a year, Cetron told CIDRAP News yesterday. Several of the

> studies will involve following groups of people through the

upcoming

> flu season, he said.

>

> The studies and their principal investigators are as follows:

>

> * Effectiveness of Selective Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions in

> Reducing Influenza-Like Illness Among University Students, Tomas

> Aragon, MD, University of California, Berkeley

> * Pittsburgh Influenza Prevention Project, Burke, MD, and

> Sam Stebbins, MD, University of Pittsburgh

> * Nonpharmaceutical Interventions for Pandemic Influenza,

> Holmberg, MD, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North

> Carolina

> * A Controlled Trial of Masks and Hand Hygiene for Reducing

> Influenza Transmission, Leung, MD, University of Hong Kong

> * Reducing Transmission of Influenza by Face Masks, Arnold Monto,

> MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

> * Stopping Upper Respiratory Infections and Influenza in the

> Family: the Stuffy Trial, Elaine Larson, PhD, Columbia

University, New

> York

> * Pandemic Influenza Control at the Border of Island Countries and

> in Households, Baker, MD, University of Otago, New Zealand

> * Evaluation of Masks as a Source Control Non-Pharmaceutical

> Intervention, Milton, MD, PhD, University of Massachusetts,

> Lowell

>

> Cetron said the CDC has had requests from state and local public

> health agencies and other groups for specific guidelines on

community

> prevention measures. The current federal pandemic flu plan

contains

> some general information on the topic, but groups have asked for

more

> details, he said.

>

> " We've been engaging for the last several months in responding to

that

> need for greater specificity, " Cetron said. " We've been working

with

> many external partners and stakeholders to come up with more

refined

> guidance for community preparedness. We hope to have an interim

> document by the end of the year. "

>

> When available, the findings of the studies announced yesterday

will

> be used to help refine the guidelines, he said. Other plans

include " a

> series of public engagement projects around the country over the

next

> months. " In addition, the CDC has asked the Institute of Medicine

to

> assess community prevention measures by examining mathematical

> modeling studies and historical evidence.

>

> " The science base used to formulate some of these policies [on

> nonpharmaceutical control measures] is thin, " Cetron said. " We're

> trying to develop a new evidence and science base. . . . This is

an

> ongoing process that will continue to be informed by new studies. "

>

> The CDC has also engaged the Harvard University School of Public

> Health to gauge public opinion and knowledge on the topic. A

group led

> by Dr. Blendon is polling people about their ability or

> willingness to cooperate in prevention measures, such as by

staying

> home from work when sick and finding child care if schools close.

>

> " His group is actively working on this project now; we expect to

have

> some results in a couple of weeks, " Cetron said.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

they could also quarantine people coming in from known bird flu areas like they

used to quarantine immigrants coming in to Ellis Island.

Riffee <hotsandonmyfeet@...> wrote: I wonder if I qualify as

an consultant, as I have children and grandchildren and I have been ADVISING

them on washing their hands for the past 20 years!!! That's got to qualify as

EXPERT opinion. Why not, the rest of the research is just as absurd!

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: Now let me get this right, they are

paying $5.2 million to

study " common sense?! " That's a good as when they spent several

million to study why people were dying in rip tides. Boy can I

think of a better way to spend this money where it would help people

already ill from a known illness, unfortunately one that is still

not openly recognized...........

>

> The following article seems bizarre to me. The CDC is spending

$5.2 million

> to determine if " hand washing, cough etiquette and face masks "

could help

> limit the spread of a pandemic flu. Ummmm? Yes?

>

> But what is really bizarre to me, is the concept that the CDC is

> anticipating a possible future need for the masses to be wearing

masks to protect

> against airborne microbes, bacteria and viruses. Doesn't that

sound like something

> out of a futuristic sci-fi movie?

>

> Sharon

>

>

>

> CDC seeks data on nondrug prevention of pandemic flu

>

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/oct130

6grants.h

> tml

>

> Roos * News Editor

> Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy

>

> Oct 13, 2006 (CIDRAP News) †" The Centers for Disease Control and

> Prevention (CDC) plans to fund eight studies on whether simple

> measures such as handwashing, " cough etiquette, " and face masks

could

> help limit the extent of the next influenza pandemic.

>

> The CDC announced this week it would provide a total of $5.2

million

> to research institutions, some outside the United States, to

assess

> nonpharmaceutical measures for battling pandemic flu.

>

> The announcement comes amid a wide-ranging CDC effort to come up

with

> specific guidelines on the use of such prevention steps by the

end of

> this year, according to Dr. Cetron, director of the

agency's

> Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.

>

> Nonpharmaceutical measures may serve as a first line of defense

in a

> pandemic, since it could take several months to develop an

effective

> vaccine, the CDC said in a news release. But officials said there

is

> little scientific evidence about the effectiveness and potential

> impact of such steps.

>

> " Our challenge now is to determine which community-level measures

will

> work best to limit the spread of infection, " CDC Director Dr.

> Gerberding commented in the announcement.

>

> Besides handwashing, cough etiquette, and masks, community

prevention

> measures include " social distancing " steps such as closing

schools and

> workplaces and canceling large gatherings. Other steps include

> voluntary isolation of patients and voluntary quarantine of their

> household contacts, according to the CDC.

>

> Initial results from some of the studies should be available

within

> about a year, Cetron told CIDRAP News yesterday. Several of the

> studies will involve following groups of people through the

upcoming

> flu season, he said.

>

> The studies and their principal investigators are as follows:

>

> * Effectiveness of Selective Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions in

> Reducing Influenza-Like Illness Among University Students, Tomas

> Aragon, MD, University of California, Berkeley

> * Pittsburgh Influenza Prevention Project, Burke, MD, and

> Sam Stebbins, MD, University of Pittsburgh

> * Nonpharmaceutical Interventions for Pandemic Influenza,

> Holmberg, MD, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North

> Carolina

> * A Controlled Trial of Masks and Hand Hygiene for Reducing

> Influenza Transmission, Leung, MD, University of Hong Kong

> * Reducing Transmission of Influenza by Face Masks, Arnold Monto,

> MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

> * Stopping Upper Respiratory Infections and Influenza in the

> Family: the Stuffy Trial, Elaine Larson, PhD, Columbia

University, New

> York

> * Pandemic Influenza Control at the Border of Island Countries and

> in Households, Baker, MD, University of Otago, New Zealand

> * Evaluation of Masks as a Source Control Non-Pharmaceutical

> Intervention, Milton, MD, PhD, University of Massachusetts,

> Lowell

>

> Cetron said the CDC has had requests from state and local public

> health agencies and other groups for specific guidelines on

community

> prevention measures. The current federal pandemic flu plan

contains

> some general information on the topic, but groups have asked for

more

> details, he said.

>

> " We've been engaging for the last several months in responding to

that

> need for greater specificity, " Cetron said. " We've been working

with

> many external partners and stakeholders to come up with more

refined

> guidance for community preparedness. We hope to have an interim

> document by the end of the year. "

>

> When available, the findings of the studies announced yesterday

will

> be used to help refine the guidelines, he said. Other plans

include " a

> series of public engagement projects around the country over the

next

> months. " In addition, the CDC has asked the Institute of Medicine

to

> assess community prevention measures by examining mathematical

> modeling studies and historical evidence.

>

> " The science base used to formulate some of these policies [on

> nonpharmaceutical control measures] is thin, " Cetron said. " We're

> trying to develop a new evidence and science base. . . . This is

an

> ongoing process that will continue to be informed by new studies. "

>

> The CDC has also engaged the Harvard University School of Public

> Health to gauge public opinion and knowledge on the topic. A

group led

> by Dr. Blendon is polling people about their ability or

> willingness to cooperate in prevention measures, such as by

staying

> home from work when sick and finding child care if schools close.

>

> " His group is actively working on this project now; we expect to

have

> some results in a couple of weeks, " Cetron said.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's all about funnelling money to their friends..

Isn't it obvious?