Oscar Arias, Costa Rica's President, Has Swine Flu

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Nobel Peace laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said Tuesday that he has swine flu, showing that not even a head of state is safe from the virus that has caused worldwide concern but relatively few deaths.

The 69-year-old president and Nobel Peace Prize winner said in a statement that he was quarantined at home and is being treated with the anti-flu medicine oseltamivir.

"The pandemic makes no distinctions," Arias said. "I am one more case in this country and I am being submitted to the recommendations that health authorities have established for the entire population."

Arias suffers from asthma and is at higher risk than most, but was in good enough health to continue working.

"Aside from the discomfort of the fever and sore throat, I feel in good shape and in full capacity to carry out my work by telecommuting," Arias said in the statement.

The president had flu symptoms since Sunday, but participated in public activities as late as Tuesday morning, when he appeared at a call center.

Arias has been serving on-and-off as a mediator in the political crisis in Honduras after that country's president was ousted June 28 in a coup.

Comments

[jl4141]

Get that man some Swine-Quil.

[sanaaiman]

Grace & Peace President Arias and to the Costa Rican people

[petera63]

He caught it from Zelaya... spent too much time with him.

[slowhand0728]

Cuidate Senor Presidente, Pura Vida Comparde.

[CrazedSurfer]

Hope all my Tico surfer friends down there will be ok.

[Thessayist]

Swine flu is very contagious and they should come up with the vaccine soon.
http://www.thessayist.com

[Redeemer777]

Vaccine?
A modicum amount of research on vaccine procedures and risks should alarm anyone.
Am sticking to exercise and vitamins + hope.

[Carolab]

cliffhammond I'm a Fan of cliffhammond I'm a fan of this user 18 fans permalink
photo

Ahhh, so you remember the Dulles brothers too.
Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:10 AM on 08/12/2009

________________

Who could forget? It's where it all began.

[PhilipTaylor]

Help Carol!

[Carolab]

Google United Fruit Company.

[Carolab]

Analysis: Honduras coup shows Chavez power limited

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090728/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_chavez_s_challenge_analysis_1

This "analysis" brought to you courtesy of AP.

Following the military coup d’etat, Chávez accused the U.S. of helping to orchestrate the overthrow of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.

http://www.counterpunch.org/kozloff06292009.html

[timmmahhhh]

Wait, I saw the email - he must have eaten the bananas!

Yes I'm kidding.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/b/bananas.htm

[Carolab]

Gee, all he did was disappoint certain "interests" during negotiations by issuing a call for the return of Zelaya, a populist who raised the minimum wage. Coincidence? Yeah, must be. Right?

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/05-0

[cliffhammond]

Makes ya wonder, doesn't it?

[Carolab]

I've been wondering about this from the start. I said just the other night, it would be "interesting" if someone in a high-profile position got this "flu", someone who does NOT have a tar-get on his or her back. This guy doesn't qualify.

[DSuth]

That's a reason to worry.

Don't worry, have a good laugh with this satirical political article:

TOWN HALL HEALTH CARE MEETINGS PROVE THAT DEMOCRACY IS RETARDED

http://sarcasticdbag.blogspot.com/2009/08/town-hall-healthcare-meetings-prove.html

[LMPE]

"Swine flu" is an inaccurate description, as the virus did not originate in pigs. H1N1 is the correct name.

[whoknew---]

According to the genetic history of this particular influenza virus it originated from a swine with avian and human gene segments.

"Swine" is a correct term which reflects its genetic history...

[whoknew---]

Added note H1N1 is a correct term but does not indicate where it originates­...

Here's a link with more informatio­n...

http://www.recombinomics.com/

[DirkinArnhem]

BS govt propaganda to get americans ready for mandatory flushot.

Watch as Americans will be begging for the shot soon

[cliffhammond]

It had better not be mandatory. The German press reported yesterday (Tuesday) that an important head of heath in the German government testified that the vaccine could cause cancer via the injection of cancer cells used in its manufacture.

[whoknew---]

I read a bit about what you indicated and have not seen any more reports regarding getting cancer from the H1N1 swine vaccine.

H1N1 swine flu variants (1918, 1976, 2009) depending on its virulence and how it evolves into a deadly pathogenic disease is justifiably a concern because of the evolving nature of H1N1 swine flu and its capacity to come back at the northern hemisphere in the fall a new potentially deadlier H1N1 swine flu variant.

This is the only problem that may factor into this new vaccine;

In 1976 a H1N1 swine flu vaccine was developed and apparently people who are predisposed to guillain-barre syndrome had reacted adversely to the vaccine. Apparently many people were harmed with that 1976 particular vaccine. I believe the 1976 flu there was only one fatality (a soldier) and unless I am reading this wrong the scope of the infection rate geographically speaking of that particular 1976 swine flu outbreak was not as encompassing as this present 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak.

The only bad thing about any virus is that the CDC or the WHO cannot predict with absolute certainty if it will become as infectious or deadly as the 1918 H1N1. All they can do is analyze the potential of a novel virus.

I really hope the CDC and the WHO come up with an effective strategy when it happens because what little I have read about specifically the 1918 H1N1 is really a cause for concern.

[Carolab]

Under BARDA, it could be.

[bluemirror]

Get well.

[factotem]

Can we pay him to go cough all over the RNC?

[cliffhammond]

or to visit Limbaugh and spit in his soup.

[brenner21]

He's the only world leader who lives by the Beatitudes:
Blessed are the peacemaker­s...Blesse­d are those who hunger & thirst after righteousness.
He's been falsely "accused" of all kinds of evil by the Warlords whose arms he won't purchase with his people's money; Costa Rica does not even have an army.

God Bless Arias