Seven Swine Flu Poems

Here are seven Swine Flu poems–

1.

Does your child cover her mouth when she coughs/Or is she a reflection of you/Because of the poor example you’ve set/Your kids are spreading the Swine Flu

2.

You’ve enjoyed those pork chops/And that pork rib B-B-Q/But now the table has been turned/And pigs are killing you

3.

Some are mad at Mexico/Because that is where the Swine Flu began/But when disease our ancestors brought killed Native Americans/We happily took their land

4.

Here is a problem/For all you creationists to solve/ If evolution is not true/How is it that viruses evolve

5.

Texas Governor Perry said/ Maybe Texas should secede/Then he called up Washington/And said send the flu medicine we need  

6.

People die in poverty and disease/All around the world each day/But we never hear the end of it/When people in wealthy nations get sick in some novel way  

7.

Between the global flu outbreak /And the global economic disaster/ Who can make a prediction/Of what will do us in faster  

First Swine Flu Case In Houston Area—Wash Your Hands, Cover Your Mouth, Stop Kissing

The first Swine Flu case has been found in the Houston-area. This case is in Fort Bend County. Fort Bend County borders Harris County. Houston is in Harris County. 

Here is the story from the Houston Chronicle—

The Houston area’s first local resident to be diagnosed with swine flu has been confirmed in Fort Bend County. Officials at Fort Bend County’s health department said early Wednesday evening that they just received confirmation of the case from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The resident, a teenage girl, was not hospitalized and is recovering, said the officials. She is a student in Bellaire at Episcopal High School, which starting Thursday will close through the weekend. The illness started in the middle of last week, and she was treated by a private medical center. She had not recently traveled to Mexico.”

(Here is a later update on Swine Flu in Houston from the Chronicle.) 

(Here are my seven Swine Flu poems.)

So far we have one confirmed case in an area of over five million people and the girl who got sick did not have a severe illness. That’s we are at this point in Houston. It may well be a bad deal before it is all over. But all we can do now is take steps not to get sick.

Here is some more global Swine Flu information from the BBC.

Here are tips from the City of Houston Swine Flu web home about avoiding the Swine Flu—

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

There is no vaccine available to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick with influenza, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue and throw it away promptly.  If there is no tissue available, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
• Avoid shaking hands.  Do not kiss in greeting.

Here is the full City of Houston site. It has information relevant from wherever in the world you are reading this blog post.  

Instead of a kiss or shaking hands, try a hat tip instead as you see President Calvin Coolidge doing back in 1924.

Remember, there is no point getting mad at pigs for all this trouble. They are just getting us back for how we eat them. Below is an illustration of the process of pork packing in 19th-Century Cincinnati. Cincinnati was known as “Porkopolis” in those days for all the pork packing. I don’t believe in Karma, but here may a case of what goes around comes around.

Here is how to wash your hands from the folks who bring you National Hand Washing Week—

There’s a right way to wash your hands. A splash of water and a drop or two of soap won’t do the trick. Follow these simple steps to keep your hands clean:

• Use warm water (not cold or hot).
• Use whatever soap you like. Antibacterial soaps are popular but regular soap works fine. If you suspect that your hands have come into contact with someone with an infection, think about using an alcohol hand sanitizer.
• Rub your hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces: Lather up on both sides of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, and around your nails. Wash for 15 seconds – about how long it takes to sing “Happy Birthday.”
• Rinse well under warm running water and pat dry with a clean towel.
• In public restrooms, consider using a paper towel to flush the toilet and open the door because toilet
• and door handles harbor germs. Throw the towel away after you leave.