Deadly swine flu virus in Mexico

[MsShelley]

I have merged your thread, please make sure to do a search first

[MarieSam]

Forgot to add....there is now 1 confirmed fatality in the U.S. as a result of the swine flu -- a 23-month old toddler in Texas. *sigh* Can't even imagine what that family is going through.

 

At the same time, this also means the media will once again be all over this because now we've got a death in the country and it's an infant...God I don't think this is gonna be a good day.....

[tylersgirl]

I am so sorry Yamille and MarieSam! I hope today is a good day for you both. *huge hugs*

[abbygirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgbrown Hi ladies, First, thanks for all the support. It really helps to know I'm not the only one in this situation. I've been speaking with my travel agent this morning and it looks like she's going to try and re-route our group to another resort in either the Dominican, Cuba, Jamaica, wherever! I really don't want to move out of Mexico, but it looks like MANY of our guests will cancel if we don't. In fact, we've had about 12 already cancel. Although I don't share their fears about contracting the flu, I am sensitive to the fact that its their health and their decision. At the end of the day, I want to enjoy my wedding experience and if moving away from Mexico helps, then I'm all for it. I'll keep you guys posted on any developments...

Hello! This flu thing sucks!!

Our flight leaves on Monday and our guests are dropping out too. I was wondering if you TA has found another destination and are you still able to get married there? That is my concern. I wouldn't mind changing resorts, but I do still want to get married!!!

This is sssooo upsetting!! Less than a week before travel and this happens?? It's so hard to make a decision

[beach2009]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kits55 I am staying at Secrets Maroma right now and my guests have all left. No one was freaking out but my sister's fiance's mom did call here about an hour ago and she was kind of freaked out. As of earlier tonight there have been no reported cases in Quintana Roo, the RM region of Mexico. My photographer left yesterday and said that all customs and immigration workers in the US are wearing masks as are all of the flight attendants. I received an email relating to how Zoetry, Secrets, and Dreams resorts are handling the situation. [Dear Travel Partner, Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas continue to remain open and welcome guests at this time. In light of the current threat of influenza in Mexico, our primary focus continues to be on the health and safety of our guests and employees. As a result, we are taking and will continue to take heightened measures to ensure a high level of sanitation at all times. As we understand some travelers may not want to travel at this time, we have implemented two alternative options for direct reservations: 1) Reservations made at a Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resort, Secrets or Dreams Resorts & Spas in Mexico for travel through May 16, 2009 can be changed to a Dreams Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic in the same room category or higher for the originally scheduled dates, based on availability. 2) Reservations made at a Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resort, Secrets or Dreams Resorts & Spas in Mexico for travel through May 16, 2009 can be postponed at the same property for future travel dates through December 15, 2009 in the same room category or above, based on availability. For guests still wishing to cancel their reservation, our standard cancellation policy continues to apply. For additional information and/or questions, please contact [email protected] ,[email protected] or [email protected]. Sincerely, Guest Services Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets and Dreams Resorts & Spas]

Hey Kits55! Nice to hear from you! Congrats on your wedding, I hope it was everything you hoped for. You've been having quite the eventful wedding week! I'm looking forward to hearing about your stay and seeing some pics. Enjoy your honeymoon, MRS and take care

[yamille]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarieSam Awww Yamille, I'm so sorry What did you guys decide to email your guests? Have you guys decided to cancel or postpone or just wait it out?

This is the email we sent last night. We are very torn becuase if someone got sick-- or even just wasn't able to relax and enjoy the whole thing swould be a bad expereince.

Friends and Family,

We received many calls and emails in response to the message we sent yesterday. Thank you so much for all of your support! It's a crazy time for us, so we apologize if we did not get back to you. As you can imagine, we are stressed and overwhelmed, but we are trying to keep things in perspective, think positive thoughts, and remember that everything happens for a reason.

After many hours of frantic research, phone calls, and some serious soul searching... We have decided that we do not want to move the location of the wedding. We planned the wedding at the Paradisus Riviera Cancun because we love it there and feel that it will suit this occasion perfectly. We could move the celebration to another resort in another country, but the time, effort, and financial resources we put toward planning this over the past year makes a hasty move of the celebration to another resort feel wrong for us and all of you.

We still have a little over three weeks, and we are praying that all of this swine flu stuff passes over. What we want for our wedding weekend is to relax with you all in sunny Mexico. If the situation does not get better, we may have to consider a later date. This is not the outcome that we want, but we are aware that the decision may not be up to us.

The situation in Mexico seems to change each hour. Please contact Karyn regarding your travel package and what options are available to you should we have to choose a later date. If you did not book through Karyn, we suggest that you check the website of your airline.

We hate to be addressing you all like this -- We want to see you on the beach! -- but we wanted to fill you all in on what we are thinking. We are going to wait a few days then see where we are at. We will keep you all informed.

With Love,

Terry & Yamille

[Virg]

Ladies,

My heart goes out to you. This is a devastating developement and I knwo you will be stronger for it. You know that expression about rainy wedding days makes for long happy marriages... influenza postponed wedding days makes for the same

 

That being said I am now starting to get paranoid that they will spread the travel retrictions to other areas in the Carribean if this damn flu keeps going.

 

Hang in there ladies

[MarieSam]

I think it's a great email Yamille ~ we are pretty much taking the same approach. And Tommy and I are just like you guys, we just can't imagine having our wedding anywhere else and if necessary we will simply postpone until the time is appropriate.

 

I keep reading that the next 7 to 10 days are critical in determining just how serious this damn flu is. I have been obsessed with reading and watching everything on this thing. Last night I did read that Mexico believes their situation is stabalizing. I'm trying to keep positive that this will somehow pass, and that wedding of yours and so many others on here will go on and be as fabulous as we've dreamed them to be

[bumbles]

Yamille, very well written letter. We feel the same way: we love PRC and plan on postponing if necessary. Hang in there!

[ACDCDCAC]

GREAT email yamille!

 

also, this is a good article to put some balance into the flu subject. altho as of this morning there is 1 confirmed swine flu death in the US (a small child in texas), the basis of this article should calm some fears with your guests:

Regular flu has killed thousands since January - CNN.com

 

REGULAR FLU HAS KILLED THOUSANDS SINCE JANUARY

By Doug Gross

CNN

 

(CNN) -- There had been no confirmed deaths in the United States related to swine flu as of Tuesday afternoon. But another virus had killed thousands of people since January and is expected to keep killing hundreds of people every week for the rest of the year.

 

 

People are nervous about swine flu, but the regular flu kills 36,000 people a year in the United States.

 

That one? The regular flu.

 

An outbreak of swine flu that is suspected in more than 150 deaths in Mexico and has sickened dozens of people in the United States and elsewhere has grabbed the attention of a nervous public and of medical officials worried the strain will continue to mutate and spread.

 

Experts are nervous that, as a new strain, the swine flu will be harder to stop because there aren't any vaccines to fight it.

 

But even if there are swine-flu deaths outside Mexico -- and medical experts say there very well may be -- the virus would have a long way to go to match the roughly 36,000 deaths that seasonal influenza causes in the United States each year.

 

"That happens on an annual basis," Dr. Brian Currie said Tuesday. Currie is vice president and medical director at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York.

 

Mexico closes public places to prevent swine flu spread

Since January, more than 13,000 people have died of complications from seasonal flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly report on the causes of death in the nation.

 

No fewer than 800 flu-related deaths were reported in any week between January 1 and April 18, the most recent week for which figures were available.

 

The report looks at deaths in the 122 largest cities in the United States.

 

Worldwide, the annual death toll from the flu is estimated to be between 250,000 and 500,000.

 

About 9 out of 10 of those deaths are among people older than 65, Currie said. Most times, they already have health problems that the flu makes worse, he said.

 

"Regular influenza can be taxing," he said. "It causes their underlying disease to decompensate and then they don't have the reserves to get through it.

 

"While it may not be the direct cause listed on the death certificate, it certainly contributed."

 

One of the reasons medical experts are nervous about the swine flu outbreak is that many of the people who have died in Mexico have been young and otherwise healthy. The strains found in the United States have so far been weaker.

 

But even the regular flu is sometimes fatal for younger victims.

 

"It's not unheard of. It happens, either directly from influenza or they get a bacterial superinfection" like staph, said Currie.

 

While researchers haven't developed a vaccine to fight the new swine flu, it can be treated with antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, the same drugs used on the regular flu.

 

Many times, seasonal flu itself is tough to prevent because it has mutated to a form different than it was when the vaccine was made.

 

Seeking to put the swine flu outbreak in perspective Tuesday, Los Angeles County public health officer Dr. Jonathan Fielding echoed other public officials calling it "cause for concern, but not for alarm."

 

"Given the size of L.A. County, given the traffic between here and Mexico, it would be very surprising if we didn't have any cases," Fielding said.

 

He said the county, where the CDC had confirmed 10 cases of swine flu by Tuesday, sees more than 1,000 flu-related deaths every year.

 

"So it would also not be surprising if there were deaths with swine flu -- even if it had the pattern of seasonal flu," he said. "Thus far, the pattern we see in the United States is very similar to that of seasonal flu -- relatively mild to moderate cases."