Swine Flu Screening @ U.S. Border
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/?GT1=43001

I wonder how many FT-ers, who wouldn't answer questions like "what's your name" and "where are your going ?", are going to answer this time.

I certainly hope they have been passively monitoring all inbound travellers for signs of a communicable disease even before this outbreak.

*****

...and the thousands of Mexicans who cross the Border each day to legally shop in US Border cities.

Most FTers can't envision just how many folks "legally" crioss to and from Mexico every day a every border point.

As for the swine flu, I'd be a great deal more worried about the illegals who cross away from legal entry points (and are unlikely to stop to be asked).

The irony is when he did enter the US over the road, a flag came up on his record that he was being sought after (attorney with TB), but the agent still admitted them not knowing what to make of the note in the record.

I would hope CBP would look for signs of sick travelers to start with and if someone doesn't appear well to at least do a Q&A - if the person is sick enough that they should see a doctor, at least help them get in with an airport medical clinic from a "service" aspect of their position as civil servants to serve and protect. I don't know if this is something they already do or not.

Big problem here is how many people are going to be honest, especially with something like this hitting the news as it is. I believe fear exists that if you answer the questions honestly, one could end up in a forced quarantine until it the person is better or it is determined it isn't the bug they're looking for (SARS previously, Swine Virus this time around).

They could use thermal imaging to determine ones body temperature as people proceed into immigrations and use that as a way to determine is one is sick - or at least using a fever. I believe some nations used a technology such as this during the SARS outbreak.

I know some countries give passengers "heath questionnaires" with questions like "Have you had a headache in the past 24 hours", "have you had .. within the past 5 days?", etc. I doubt many people answer these honestly because they don't want to be bothered explaining "yes I had a headache, but it was just sinuses from my 12 hour flight and some Sudafed(or whatever) cleared it up and I'm fine now".

Hopefully this Swine Virus will quietly run its course and it'll be back to politics as usual within the next news cycle or two.

Good points.

I've been across some of the major land borders with Mexico (in automobile as well as by foot) and likewise have visited some of the large (mega) retail shops strategically placed near the border.

Not sure what to think of the Swine Flu at this point, but I'd suspect the chances are much greater of an illegal coming across (as you describe) carrying such a virus during an outbreak.

*****

Pandemics are pretty serious, an epidemic is what Mexico is facing. A pandemic is when you see the high rate of infection in multiple countries and flu pandemics are the worst. They spread rapidly and its very hard to get the public to understand that the flu can be fatal in large numbers. The Spanish Inlfuenza of 1918 was bad news, modern health care can only do so much, preventing the spread is critical.

We all remember last year when a passenger was warned not to fly because he had tuberculous and he got on airplane instead.

Yeah, Bart. Here's a risk scenario: Some wheezy, sneezy pax recently arrived from Mexico and now in line for security for another flight, has a carry-on that alarms. The TSO you train puts on gloves and rifles through my friend, the Mexican pax's, dirty undies and soaking wet handkerchiefs in his carry-on. I'm next. Oh, my goodness, my carry-on bag alarms, too! Your TSO, fresh from my Mexican fellow-pax's carry-on, reaches for my bag, unzips it and says, "Next?"

What's wrong with this picture? I'll give you a hint. I'm telling your TSO to get his germy gloved hands OFF MY BAG RIGHT NOW, and I want to see him or her pull a fresh pair of gloves from the box (not his or her pocket) before they touch my things.

Why do I, as the innocent by-stander here, have to be the one to ask for fresh gloves? Why don't you train your TSO's to remove gloves according to proper procedures for glove removal, and put on fresh new gloves for each passenger?

Otherwise, it's gross. And now with swine flu, dangerous.

Seriously? :rolleyes:

From what I have seen in movies of illegals crossing borders, I doubt very much we have to worry about the illegal scenario as a danger to the USA. If I am not mistaken, most of the border is desert and requires surviving dangerous elements that are often not passable even when healthy.

More likely a businessman or random individuals on a plane bring the disease here than an illegal trying to cross the border where there is no checkpoint.

Using this pandemic scare as a political football to hate on illegals is in poor taste though I am not saying anyone here is doing so.

If very pregnant criminal aliens can make the crossing to have anchor babies, I am sure someone in the incubation stage can make the crossing.

I'm willing to talk to CDC. I still don't talk to TSA.

*****

There is (much) more than what you see in the movies when it comes to individuals crossing the border illegally - it all depends where one crosses. I've seen illegals climb through fences and come right into the US (not too far from a legal border crossing I might add).

Anyone that comes through an official CBP checkpoint is at least going to have interaction with a CBP official. They're coming in legally and have a greater chance of having access to medical care.

A businessperson (likely educated with good hygiene -- vs an economic refugee or drug smuggler) is likely aware of the Swine Flu, the facts, and precautions, i.e. taking steps like washing hands. This random pax or business person you describe is likely to be the one traveling by plane and will enter the nation via a legal checkpoint where CBP will be on the lookout.

At any rate, the virus is already in the US and it appears it may be in other nations - no doubt it was transported via passengers on commercial airlines.

Hopefully this will not turn into a pandemic, will take its course, and be done with. Only time will tell.

*****

Spiff, that's one of those cases where your individual right to privacy damages everybody else.

I wouldn't talk to the CDC either - they can have you forcibly quarantined.

I would not answer these questions truthfully at the border, but I would voluntarily keep myself away from other people to avoid spreading anything. I don't need the government to know or monitor my health status - it's none of their business, provided I take appropriate precautions to avoid contaminating others.

..and I commend you for that!
You have to recognize that not everybody has the same civic sense as you, though.
Also, sometimes, you might not be knowledgeable enough and be aware of what's going on with your health...

I said I *would* talk to CDC.

I refuse to talk to TSA. They're as unqualified to do health screenings as they are to do "security" screenings. My silence inconveniences no one.

I have told EVERYONE here for YEARS not to try to teach pigs to sing, and now look! How on EARTH did they think they could get all those pigs across the border without masks, anyhow?

My, how time flu...

Except that CDC qualified personnel has to be present at every point of entry...wait, maybe they can hire unqualified people in a rush, to cover all those vacant positions. That reminds me of something... :)

It sure does! :D

That's good that you do.

However, the same point still stands from when you were here the last time: not everyone does things the way they do in SAT or Bartworld.

An associate's relative was informed of that just yesterday. He turned up at some designated place to get checked out for the "swine flu" as part of what he thought was his civic duty after having gotten quite sick while around Quintana Roo in Mexico last month and displaying flu symptoms. Not only did he submit to the Q-tip swab or whatever they stuck deep up his nose enough for it to hurt at least some, they also wanted to charge him for self-reporting and getting tested upon their request. They released him given he was at the trail end of whatever illness he had picked up while in Mexico but not until after getting him concerned about a possible involuntary quarantine.

This swine flu is probably going to amount to just another SARS-like hysteria that carries on while thousands of more people die in car accidents every day than die of this flu over the course of this month.

No good deed goes unpunished. :rolleyes:

Speaking of swine, it appears that an entire planeload on Airtran inbound from Mexico was detained at BWI tonight after the crew noted 2 people who seemed sick....

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1663213

"Out of an abundance of caution....."

This time will they stop the dangerous type of hold?
 

Where were they detained- inside or outside of the plane?

Anyone else remember how during SARS there were cases when airplanes landed with a potentially sick passenger, and they'd hold all the passengers INSIDE THE PLANE while checking it out? And they didn't immediately run boxes of N95 masks, protective eyewear and gowns on board either.

I was then (and through memory, am now again) angry for all the other passengers trapped with the sick person. I've spent time visiting a person hospitalized with MRSA- even with the disposable covers etc., there was still a danger of transmission, but then I was volunteering to visit. To be trapped in a seat near a person-of-illness with the authorities not letting you move away? That's just wrong.

I understand the need to screen the one potentially sick passenger. I understand why they might need to isolate all passengers from the rest of the airport, sure. Build a screening zone, and let everyone out so they can stand as far apart from each other as is possible. But the first person to board the isolated plane better have a box of masks, gloves, gowns and SaniZide wipes.

The article says "held on the tarmac"

I just got done traveling and canceled some travels in the US due to the risk (refunds pending). That and I have been advised to limit my travels for the next couple of weeks as this is likely to spread quickly.

Not much will change at work as were always on watch out for persons on isolation, but i will be keeping a N95 mask handy till CDC calls all clear

I was advised that close to where i live there are a couple of confirmed cases and more suspected. A school and daycare have been closed while they decon the facilities The counts in the media are off and the numbers they are projecting are low.

Everyone needs to be vigilant and keep your hands washed, and put a mask on anyone that has a cough.

Yes, I remember what happening lot of those people who cause of death with SARS in Asia. So the situation is going on lot of people who gotten very sick. It was more than 200 people death due to swine-flu. So homeland security need to have more precautions with those people who does not have sick with swine-flu. So they won't let the passengers onboard the aircraft. So they will have need to be check with doctor to make sure its everything okay. So this is too much vulnerable lot of those people who have any diagnosis before. It might to be very carefully out there in between Mexico or USA. I believe there is enough evidence some of those few people who gotten swine-flu. The CDC will have to screening for every passengers before they are allowed onboard the aircraft. The safety must to be screening who is not have any health illness. I think they will have to get flu-shot before they are clearance enter into USA. I think it would best time try to stay home and don't go anywhere to see these people will causing lot of disease problems. I think it should getting better to stop the flu-swine.

With the closed air circulation on planes, isn't it too late for any fellow passengers?

Yes, it might be too late for the passengers who does not onboard the aircraft more than 15 minutes. The gate door will be closed before the aircraft is takeoff. If they doesn't show up at the gate on-time.

I think there are two separate and important factors

1. How the risk of transmission changes with time.
The risk of transmission often depends on how close one is seated to the passenger (see TB cases), so perhaps for those nearby people it's a binary "not too late / too late" situation. For everyone else, though, their risk might grow as the sick person increases their fever/ cough, and each time the sick person moves around and uses the facilities. So the last half hour could be far more important than the first half hour.

2. How the perception of risk changes when you know there's a sick person on board.
Of course there can always be a sick person that no one else knows about. But by the end of a flight, if a plane is being held and you know exactly who/where the sick person is, you will want to get away from them. Being held with a known sick person and not allowed to move away from them, and not being given protection, that's not good.

For decades now, on average the US has tens of thousands of "flu deaths" annually. The US also had way more than 20,000 non-SARS-related flu deaths even when SARS was grabbing the media headlines and influenza was not the headline grabber. Where were the travel warnings against going to the US because of the flu last year, the year before, and the year before the year before .... and so on?

sheesh..... i can't wait for some pax to pick out some brown skinned pax who sneezes and then screams, "there's a swine flu ter'wrist on the plane" :rolleyes:. you should see me when my allergies are in "full bloom".....eyes watery, bloodshot & looking like went 12 rounds plus not to mention the sneezing, stuffy doze and blocked ears.

Please explain to me why DHS has apparently been given the lead role in attempting to control this outbreak? I can see why they might be charged with monitoring flights into the US, but why was not HHS given the lead?

For the same reason that those assclowns were put in charge of making a complete cluster____ out of Katrina. DHS consistently screws up because it is a bloated, unnecessary, un-American agency that should have never been created.

My thought was along those lines, too, Spiff. If we want an epidemic, put DHS in charge rather than people who know a bit more about what they are doing.

HHS Secretary, Surgeon General and some other appointed health-related senior positions (including at CDC IIRC) had not yet been filled/confirmed by the Senate at the time this flu started grabbing headlines -- so DHS was given the lead by default.

DHS? Trying to track AIRLINE transmission of swine flu???

WHEN PIGS FLY!!!