Swine Flu: Woman's 'Flu-Like Symptoms' Divert Plane To Boston

BOSTON — A flight from Germany has been diverted to Boston because a passenger complained of flu-like symptoms.

Airport spokesman Phil Orlandella says United Airlines Flight 903 landed in Boston early Friday afternoon after a 53-year-old female passenger reported her symptoms.

He says the woman was checked at Massachusetts General Hospital and the flight continued to Washington Dulles International Airport.

United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson says the pilot landed in Boston on the advice of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It isn't yet clear what caused the woman's symptoms or whether she might be suffering from swine flu.

Johnson says the flight had 245 passengers and 14 crew members.

(This version CORRECTS that the plane had 14 crew members, not six.)

Comments

[Apartment604]

I love flying . . . but wow I hate airlines.

[Aabby]

ok, if I feel like I’m coming down with something, should I be super worried? I mean, aren’t people getting normal colds now?

[dems08]

nope, only swine flu

[Culturemaven]

I have 3 kids in 2 schools & I keep getting robocalls updating me on the situation. It's driving me nuts. My little guy was suffering from seasonal allergies this week and I felt compelled to write a note to his teacher explaining that's why he was sniffing. Didn't want him quarantined.

[wdw505]

this is just funny as he11.........who cares about a flu.......move on.......stop the robocalls....stop over reacting

[JackND]

I'm far more concerned about the reaction to this virus than the virus itself.

[MaryanneAZ]

Me too. The economic ramifications of the over-reaction are potentially catastrophic.

[wdw505]

to mexico

[goingnow]

Another civil rights violation. If the woman felt she was well enough to fly then we should trust her judgement.

[BannedInBoston]

And so she, er, flew, didn't she?

[AngieMom57]

It might just be a "test" run, the scientific evidence is pretty strong that a pandimic could happen and being fore warned is fore armed as they say...

Here is what is playing on MSM; the guy is home, safe and sound, but wearing a mask...I wonder what type tests they are doing...

An actual local account of the flu from a young man‏
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp=30515528&#30516061

[KillTheMessenger]

The evidence that a pandemic could happen lies in the past: pandemics happen. Period. No news value.

But the evidence that this is a pandemic is nil. The evidence that this could become one is not much higher.

[Hollywooddeedle]

And who do we trust when she infects the other 300 people on the plane?

[KillTheMessenger]

Then we have about one hundred people with a mild flu. The companies who happen to make flu vaccine do not want you to know that the best way to get immunized against a strain is to get it. There is no business in that.

:-)

[Kelsey Ruiz]

Suppose at some point everyone may start to realize that the over the top reactions to the swine flu have been much more of an inconvenience and problem than the flu itself? Case in point. Oh, and this woman could very well have just the regular old flu. We divert planes, rant about closing borders and slaughter pigs now because of flu symptoms. . . ?

Also, assuming that it is the swine flu, I really would prefer to get it now and build up immunity so that, should it re-emerge in the fall as a major issue, I already have the antibodies I need to fight it.

[wdw505]

well said

[JJR60616]

(1) They diverted the plane to Boston rather than DC.

(2) President Obama is a Bulls fan.

(3) The FAA did it to make sure the Celtics fans were too weak to riot after the Chicago Bulls will beat the Celtics on Saturday night.

OK, now I truly am beginning to believe in conspiracy's... :)

GO BULLS!

[bbriani3842]

SHARK ATTACKS RUNAWAY BRIDE WHO KIDNAPPED THE PRETTY WHITE GIRL AND GOT SWINE FLU!

[bbriani3842]

No, I didn't get this from FoXXX News

[BannedInBoston]

Enquirer or Weekly Globe then.

[DGarr]

She had to be aware she was sick before she got on the plane? :-/

[forpeace]

DGarr
------
Exactly!

[PoliticalAmazon]

Here's a picture of the H1N1 virus:
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/04/28/swineflu-cp-RTXEI3D.jpg

This is a picture of Ebola virus:
http://m.blog.hu/li/lightscience/image/gpw-20050430a-fullsize-Ebola-virus-CDC-PHIL-ID-1181.jpg

The Ebola virus is really pretty, in its own viral way. H1N1 looks kind of pedestrian.

[BannedInBoston]

Yeah, if we can send human beings to the Moon, why can't we design an esthetically pleasing virus?

[KillTheMessenger]

http://www.virology.ws/2009/03/06/virus-images-at-viperdb/

Enjoy!

[BannedInBoston]

Oh, thanks.

[KillTheMessenger]

It wasn't the symptoms that diverted the plane but the hysteria they triggered.

[BannedInBoston]

Ya know, officialdom is treating this whole business like it was the Apocalypse. It's the freaking FLU for chrissake.

[palindrom]

I'm relieved that this appears to mostly be a fairly mild disease -- but let's not forget that some strains of the flu can be incredibly dangerous. The 1918 pandemic flu killed more people worldwide than the First World War, and it hit young healthy people the hardest -- basically by pushing their vigorous immune systems into a kind of suicidal overdrive. I think the nightmare scenario is that the new strain could mutate into something like that ...

[citizensrus]

Yes, I think it has even been referred to as the Apocalyptical Flu.

[PoliticalAmazon]

#2

The strains of virus that hit America and Mexico are very, very similar.

Anyway, have fun reading the article. I had to drag out an old genetics textbook of mine.

P.S We've had our first swine flu cases locally.

[AngieMom57]

Keep us posted, did you see the MSM two minute interview with the young twenty-something year old man who is home now after spending four days in quarantine in the hospital?

brb with the link...

[KillTheMessenger]

Genetics textbooks contain nothing of value about virology. And if they are old, you would be doing better with a scholar.google.com literature search.

PS: The first case of swine flu in your locality most likely happened some 25,000 BC, when the first native Americans moved in (at least if you live in the US).

[PoliticalAmazon]

This is the latest from the CDC's leading virus investigator

http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2009/04/exclusive-cdc-h.html
Publication: Science Insider
Title: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CDC Head Virus Sleuth

It answers, somewhat, the question of "Is it a speciies-combined virus (i.e., original reports of it being avian-human-swine vs. later analysis that showed only human). T

The current H1N1 is very similar to viruses seen in the U.S., usually found only in midwestern states where there are large swine farms. They usually end up wearing themselves out and the outbreak just peters out on its own.

The first time researchers encountered human and avian components to the swine virus was 11 years ago. The combination is an H3 virus. The H3 status and a few important new genes and proteins were all unknown to pigs and when it first hit the scene the pigs had no immunity. The H3 quickly took over, almost making the H1 version extinct.

These viruses have been exported to Asia where they don't seem to be such a calamity, and therefore the countries don't bother checking for it.

They think the first human infected may not have been in Mexico or North America. Samples from humans in Mexico indicate thatit "exploded" in late-March of 2009. This would indicate that it had not been spreading quickly undetected for a long time.

Cont' d:

[KillTheMessenger]

In other words, these have been around for decades... this one doesn't kill pigs. It doesn't seem to kill humans, either. It's not particularly virulent. And the avian variety doesn't do much unless you are working with dead birds and are immunologically compromised...

A lot of ado about ... nothing? That's the impression I keep getting. Having said that, there will be a future one that will do something. But this one ain't it.

[WonderingNThinking]

All I can say is: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".

[BannedInBoston]

As opposed to the wolf who cried, "Boy!"

[victorsays]

I think people are overly panicky. Be calm and wash your hand often.

[KillTheMessenger]

Be calm. You can forget about the washing hands thing.

[jlab]

Okay, got it. Be calm, wash your hand often. What do I do about my other hand?

[WonderingNThinking]

Kiss everyone you can. We'll all die sooner or later.