I found this on another board. Cacun and the Riviera Maya are not really being effected:

Cancún, Quintana Roo, April 27, 2009
QUINTANA ROO STATE SECRETARY OF TOURISM
PUBLIC RELEASE
“QUINTANA ROO KEEPS FREE FROM SWINE FLU”
Quintana Roo State Secretary of Tourism informs that the state is free from Swine Flu disease up to now, and that not a single case of the disease, or related cases have been reported at the main tourism destinations.
The detection and prevention plan implemented by Mexico´s Ministry of Health continues, by means of check points placed at airports, cruise and bus terminals, as well as permanent monitoring in the more than 77,000 hotel rooms operating in Quintana Roo.
The government agency also informs that tourism related activities develop normally in Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Riviera Maya, Cozumel and Grand Costa Maya. All destinations remain attentive to the Health Authority´s directions.
Quintana Roo State Government is supportive of other Mexican states where the Swine Flu outbreak has taken place, and will be respectful of precaution measures and recommendations implemented in foreign countries in regard to international travel.
For the State Government the highest priority now is the preservation of health among all the population, including citizens and visitors.

For me best to use prevention in in high risk situation.

Current CDC position on prevention with Tamiflu.

Pre-exposure antiviral chemoprophylaxis with either oseltamivir or zanamivir can be considered for the following:

1. Any health care worker who is at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g., persons with certain chronic medical conditions, persons 65 or older, children younger than 5 years old, and pregnant women) who is working in an area of the healthcare facility that contains patients with confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) cases, or who is caring for patients with any acute febrile respiratory illness.

2. Non-high risk persons who are travelers to Mexico, first responders, or border workers who are working in areas with confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Tamiflu does not cost 1500. I think it was expensive when we got it for my family this winter. (only because we had my husband still fairly newly recovering from a heart attack and we were trying to contain the regular flu to one kid in the house.) But it is nowhere near even 100. I can't remember how much. I do remember commenting that it was pricey, maybe 35 or 40 per person with an insurance plan?
Jette: I thought the kids from Queens were confirmed with swine flu? I am pretty sure that is what the media was reporting the other day.
Monica: Yes. I do know that Mexico is huge. I also think that containing any kind of virus in a country like Mexico is probably almost impossible. I hope and pray this does not escalate.

I've seen several news articles raising (but not answering) the question of why the swine flu seems to be more deadly South of the Mexico/America border than it is north of the border. I think it is for the exact same reason that SARS proved so much more deadly in Canada than it did in the US: America's health care system, as expensive as it is, provides quicker response and more ready access to top-quality care. Americans are lucky that this disease struck now, before the US Congress has gotten around to nationalizing the health care system.

Remember that much of Mexico is still rural and isolated. The first death in Oaxaca was of a woman who'd traveled quite a distance to reach the public hospital in the state capital. It's probably significant that the first puzzling cases were identified in that hospital.

For a quick (personal) overview of the situation in Oaxaca, please go here:
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ad=1182&page=1

girlonthego,
I agree with you. Nothing I've read indicates that the Queens cases were unconfirmed. To the contrary.
Also, it is a bit premature to assume that when all is said and done, the disease has been more deadly south of the border. Doesn't the comparison depend on how many people have truly been affected down there? That info may not be reliable at this time or ever.

My husband and I decided to cancel our trip to Cancun. There was just too much talk about this flu virus that is very concerning. Luckily, we were refunded with a voucher for our airfare (eventhough it was nonrefundable)and we were lucky enough to be able to book in Maui instead for the same date travel. The hotel and airline we had reservations with for Mexico understood our concern and gave us refund (only if you were traveling to Mexico)because of this swine flu. I want to thank everyone for all their responses. It helped made our decision easier. Thank you again.

I also want to thank everyone for their comments...it was all very helpful!!! I have to say I def agree with you mah1980...your right how can I relax if I am worried about getting this virus. We have changed our plans from Cancun to Jamaica!!! We are still excited but stressed from trying to change all the plans!!! All I have to say is we will def remember our wedding ceremony...lol!!! What a story for the kids one day!!! Thanks to all!!!

So glad both of you were able to make other arrangements. Hopefully you will be able to venture forth into new territory with peace of mind. Hopefully! Who knows where this thing is going? We have travel plans in late July for Mexico City--medical mission trip in the mountains above Puebla. For the people of Mexico, and for the rest of us, we can all hope the crisis has worn itself out by that time. Even so, it will be difficult to go worry-free.

Cheap shot, bobludlow.

The People's Republic of China did not share info on their "flu epidemic" which later was called SARS. In the earliest stages, it was actually Canadian intelligence that alerted the World Health Organization of the problem, from routine electonic monitoring.

As I recall it took some time to manage screening protocols, EVERYWHERE. As a front line medical professional , I can tell you that we have been preparing, in Canada, for a flu pandemic for years while Sars came as a surprise.

Here's what Vincent Lam said in an interview a while back. Dr. Lam is the Giller Prize winner for his novel, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. He is also an emergency room physicain who treated SARS patients in Toronto.



Q: How would a flu pandemic stack up against SARS?

A: SARS was a logistical nightmare, and threw us for a loop as asystem. But it actually affected relatively few people in terms ofthe final number of illnesses and deaths. An influenza pandemic would affect a much larger percentage of the population. One of the big differences is that with influenza, in the day before a person has any symptoms at all, they may already be highly infectious. With SARS, people were shedding the most virus and were most infectious about 10 days into the illness, when theywere already quite ill. That's one reason it could be more easily contained, you could see that they were sick. There are somethings which people expect in a pandemic, and in a scary way,almost fantasize about, like enforced quarantines and signs nailed on the front door telling people not to go in or out. The reality is that we probably won't see those, because the success rate of en forced, individually directed quarantine and isolation in the past pandemics simply has not been borne out -- influenza is too infectious, and people shed virus before they know they're sick. Once an influenza strain hits the general community, it's almost impossible to completely stop its progress. What will likely be possible is to slow down and limit its progression by asking people to stay home, voluntarily.

Q: How do you shed the virus, exactly?

A: It comes from your mucous membranes, typically: your nose, ormouth or perhaps from rubbing your eyes. A person coughs or sneezes, and a virus-containing droplet flies out and lands on another person, or an object like a table or an elevator button.It only travels about a metre, but the droplet, depending on temperature and humidity, could survive a maximum of about 48 hours. A lot of people can touch an elevator button in the meantime, but the thing to understand is that you don't get influenza from touching the button -- you get it from touching the button, then touching one of your mucous membranes, scratching your nose or rubbing your eyes. This is why handwashing is so important, you can prevent that indirect transmission.

SO..

Perhaps tht answers part of your question as to why H1N1 has been more serious in Mexico, SO FAR ...maybe not as much hygeine therefore secondary infections such as pneumonia develop.

Well stated, rivet. Your first sentence expressed the opinion of many, no doubt. Thanks for the valuable info.

Just heard on the news that Cancun is pretty much shut down at this time, hotels empty, cruise ships not going in and out.

All the Canadian charters have stopped flights to Mexico, Air Transat, Sunwing......

Just to clarify, at the time of my initial posting the Queens cases WERE unconfirmed. Things have obviously changed since then altho since there are no confirmed cases in Cancun it's unclear where they picked it up. If they flew thru Mexico City as I've heard, it was more likely contacted there than in Cancun.

Anyway as I also said, the situation should be monitored daily for anyone still thinking of travelling.

http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/view...2523&start=150

For first hand info on what's happening in Cancun, check this.

None of the hospitals in Cancun report any admissions for flu symptoms. The larger clubs are closing for a short while but it's certainly not empty or shut down.

I'm not denying things should be closely monitored but lets try and stay with the facts. Mass hysteria in the face of a possible crisis is NOT a good way to control the situation.

Our paper was reporting today that this flu is actually LESS virulent than the regular flu so far. And comparing it to the 1918 flu strain showed that it lacked an amino acid that would cause it to replicate in the lungs to the extent that the 1918 flu did, meaning it's much less likely to kill. So there is starting to be some good news. Yes, it could be a pandemic in that it's a new virus that is spreading around the world, but if it isn't worse than the current flu that we already deal with, is that so terrifying?

This is somewhat reassuring. As late as yesterday, CDC officials were still stating that the problem is that this is a new strain and they do not know what it will/could do. Hopefully that has changed and they have a handle on how it compares to other strains in virulence. Certainly there is no call for hysteria; however, until we know more I'll probably be one who will err on the side of caution and would advise my family to do the same.

Jette, your post was April 28. This article was dated April 26.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/travel/t090426.html

And yes, you are correct that we all need to get the facts straight. From what I've been able to gather by reading online, tourism is way down (compared to usual) in Cancun and the tourism industry is being very CLOSED MOUTHED about the swine flu--understandably; they have so much to lose. I'm not sure silence is the best approach as to the safety of travelers. And I don't think I'd trust updates that come out of Cancun as reliable.

The tourist industry anywhere has a tendency to sweep problems (health scares, crime, natural disasters, political unrest) under the rug. I feel for anyone who works in tourism in Mexico, but I agree with you, motmot: resports generated by the tourist industry in Cancun naturally will have a bias.

If anyone wants to see pics taken today from PDC from both the beach and in town/restaurants they are posted on the www.playa.info site in the general forum under the heading swine flu.

Well, that's it.

I am not going to Mexico, instead I am going to Montreal to visit bellaboo :)

I don't think my comments were a cheap shot at all. Granted, Canada's health care system is much more accessible in outlying areas than Mexico's spotty network. But even the last president of the Canadian Medical Association spoke very negatively about the "growing a significant cost" associated with long wait times to see GPs and specialists alike (quote from a National Post article, Jan 15, 2008). It was those long wait times that led to higher infection rates and (more horribly) higher mortality rates. American health care costs its citizens a frightening amount of money, but when it comes to treating acute diseases no other country does it better.

Getting back to Qwovadis' original question, so far there have not been even any suspected cases of the swine flu in Cancun. That doesn't mean you are safe, exactly, but you probably won't be any more at risk there than you would be visiting Texas or Southern California. Wash your hands, avoid crowds, and hope thunderstorms don't spoil the weather during your vacation.

I just changed my trip from Mexico to Costa Rica....pura vida y ojala que no hay gripe de cochinitos en la tierra mas bella del mundo.

Me voy a Costa Rica tambien--en la manana. Y ojala que no hay sneezing (what IS that word in espanol?) en el avion!

By the way, Jeff, sometimes I masquerade on Fodor's as motmot. It's Fodor's fault--can't sign in under "shillmac" on my work computer.

Are you going to join us at BdC in June? Hoping so--the more the merrier!

Ha! The verb is estornudar and the noun, estornudo I have a terrible mental block against those words -- they just don't sound "right".

Oh, so shillmac = motmot? Thanks for the clarification. What did Shakespeare say? A rose by any other name ...

Safe and healthy travels to you: I've started adding the "and healthy" part to people these days.

I can't make it to BdC this year, much as I'd like to. A couple of major family illnesses this winter and early spring threw my schedule into upheaval, and I'm now trying to make up for lost time. Next year maybe. :)

shillmac I figured out how you got to use the word shillmac

but mot mot ...hmmm!!!!!

update from WHO today:

No rationale for travel restrictions
1 May 2009 -- WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus. Today, international travel moves rapidly, with large numbers of individuals visiting various parts of the world. Limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading, but would be highly disruptive to the global community.

Influenza A(H1N1) has already been confirmed in many parts of the world. The focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally. Furthermore, although identifying the signs and symptoms of influenza in travellers can be an effective monitoring technique, it is not effective in reducing the spread of influenza as the virus can be transmitted from person to person before the onset of symptoms. Scientific research based on mathematical modelling indicates that restricting travel will be of limited or no benefit in stopping the spread of disease. Historical records of previous influenza pandemics, as well as experience with SARS, have validated this point.

Travellers can protect themselves and others by following simple recommendations related to travel aimed at preventing the spread of infection. Individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travellers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care. These recommendations are prudent measures which can limit the spread of many communicable diseases and not only influenza A(H1N1).

"I don't think my comments were a cheap shot at all. "

Agreed. Too many here on Fodor's think that if you have a differing opinion, it's a "cheap shot". Plenty on here have mentioned the USA's high cost of medicine, it's true but nobody say it's a cheap shot. Yet mention longer waits with socialized medicine and it's true too but they say it's a cheap shot.

PS-"America's health care system, as expensive as it is"

If you think it's expensive now, just wait until it's "free".

Hey Percy!

Come visit beautiful Montreal anytime!!!

I can't wait to get home to my sweet little green & red gem though....(PEI) !!!!

As for the swine flu, hopefully things get under control & most importantly...no more lives are lost.

Influenza A(H1N1) - update 8.1 -- 1 May 2009
-------------
The situation continues to evolve. As of 23:30
GMT, 1 May 2009, 13 countries have officially
reported 367 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

The United States Government has reported 141
laboratory confirmed human cases, including one
death. Mexico has reported 156 confirmed human
cases of infection, including 9 deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory
confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1),
Canada (34), China, Hong Kong, Special
Administrative Region (1), Denmark (1), Germany
(4), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand
(4), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United
Kingdom (8).

Further information on the situation will be
available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or
closure of borders. It is considered prudent for
people who are ill to delay international travel
and for people developing symptoms following
international travel to seek medical attention,
in line with guidance from national authorities.

There is also no risk of infection from this
virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and
pork products. Individuals are advised to wash
hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular
basis and should seek medical attention if they
develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.


Summary table of cases reported to WHO 30 Apr 2009 vs 1 May 2009
----------------
Country: No. cases (deaths) 30 Apr 2009 / No. cases (deaths) 1 May 2009

Austria: 1 / 1
Canada: 19 / 34
China, Hong Kong, SAR: 0 / 1
Denmark: 0 / 1
Germany: 3 / 4
Israel: 2 / 2
Mexico: 97(7) / 156 (9)
Netherlands: 1 / 1
New Zealand: 3 / 4
Spain: 13 / 13
Switzerland: 1 / 1
United Kingdom: 8 /
United States: 109 (1) / 141 (1)

Total No. countries reporting cases: 11 / 13
Total cases reported: 257 (8) / 367 (10)

My office nurse decided to travel to Mexico with her kids this week against my (and the government's) advice. At least she's in Cancun. Agree that this may be as safe as the American southwest. The notion of sealing the border against swine flu is silly. For a humorous take on some of this hysteria, see http://travelvaccineforum.wordpress....l-the-borders/

Bellaboo/Faithie,
Maybe we should have a GTG in Montreal? I understand there is some very good birding there!

Jeff--so sorry to hear of family illnesses and the like. Hope things settle down for you soon. We will miss you--and perhaps lift an Imperial to you!

Okay the GTG is in Montreal..... faithie gets to pick the place.!

Yes,I too am sorry to hear about family illness Jeff.
Take care, best of luck

Hi shillmac

So, everything is open as usual, not a lot of tourists around, but those who are here are more intelligent, the dumb ones, who believed the media hysteria, cancelled.
It's almost like the old days, before the town became a tourist mecca.
We never had even one case in town, or in the state for Jalisco, or the adjoining states of Nayarit & Colima.

That's good--hope it stays that way. Those who decided to change their plans probably aren't "dumb"--maybe just more cautious than others. That's a personal issue regarding comfort level--not a reflection of intelligence.

I am going to PDC tomorrow which is in the state of Quintana Roo. Just a short weekend before my extended stay in June and July. I'll be happy to pass on any info when I return.

Whatever you may think, it is not the subject of this thread.

Back to the topic of discussion:

Guatemala now has its first case. The government has announced that it reserves the right to take extraordinary measures and possibly suspend rights to deal with the situation.

Percy and Shillmac, thank you for your good wishes. Next year, maybe? :)

I live in Playa del Carmen.

No worries, no cases, all of this is just about prevention, what is currently kiiling the country i the media making such a fuss about it... Travelling to Mexico, you get less than 1 over a million to contract it, and even if so, it is just a flu.
Know that over 53 000 people die of regulat flu in the states every year.
Come to Mexico, come to Playa del Carmen, let this country live and share its beauties, further than all the "mala onda" it's been covered with...

Sophie
www.kaaxan.com