American Airlines is always terrible. I cannot believe that they are the only ones that refuse to offer refunds to people who are concerned about Zika. They don't care about their passengers at all!
3
Why is this advice focused on *women* who want to have children, when the virus can stay in men's semen for six months or longer?
If a man wants to have children, he should avoid travel to a Zika area.
If a man wants to have children, he should avoid travel to a Zika area.
5
Amazing to see the indicted-for-theft, TeaParty gov demanding federal help! But then, maybe Scott doesn't know what he stands for at this point. Big government help, wow.
1
I don't understand why Yankees don't get it- mosquitos is the US now carry several diseases, like West Nile. Yes, people catch this! Anyplace in the south you go straight to any drug store and buy a can of repellent. We use the stuff constantly down here. Don't wait for a hotel to cater it in on a silver tray. With climate change and hotter weather mosquitos will move north, so y'all need to learn mosquito hygiene. Malaria is resurgent in Venuzuela, we have West Nile here, dengue is moving towards us. Our grandparents had public health projects that kept such diseases at bay, but it's time to step up and do it again. People have gotten lax but these diseases can kill you.
2
Yankees don't understand mosquitos? Have you ever been to northern Minnesota in the summer?
Number of deaths due to opioid overdose since the year 2000 : 0.25 million Americans
Total number of confirmed cases of substance use disorder in 2016 : 21 million Americans
Number of cases of Zika virus since 1950: 2,000 Americans
Number of cases acquired on US Soil : 6
Total number of deaths (all time) : Zero
If your travelling to Miami, or any US city, the problem you might want to consider is the crisis of substance use disorder - a problem the New York Times remains indifferent to because the illness is laden with stigma and misinformation.
Total number of confirmed cases of substance use disorder in 2016 : 21 million Americans
Number of cases of Zika virus since 1950: 2,000 Americans
Number of cases acquired on US Soil : 6
Total number of deaths (all time) : Zero
If your travelling to Miami, or any US city, the problem you might want to consider is the crisis of substance use disorder - a problem the New York Times remains indifferent to because the illness is laden with stigma and misinformation.
1
Zika symptoms include throat and eye pain, red eyes, in addition to the rash (which itches a lot) and fever, joint pain and swelling. Three of my close family members have gotten it in the past two weeks. Ironic, when it hit Puerto Rico back in December 2015, the CDC predicted that the epidemic would spread to the Southern US states where the Aedes aegipti mosquito can also be found, asked the Republican Congress for funds to prevent an epidemic, to no avail. Now that it hit Miami, they won't do anything either because of the high minority population affected, when it hits their beloved Texas, I think that's when they will decide to do something, but, it may be too late.
5
It already has reached Texas. Fact is, Zika was first identified prior to 1950. I would guess globalization and traveling to infected countries (which are world wide)there are far more cases yet unidentified in The U.S. Only now have we started to look
The alarming frequency of Microcephaly in Brazil was the wake up call.
BTW Zika cases are also in New York
The alarming frequency of Microcephaly in Brazil was the wake up call.
BTW Zika cases are also in New York
1
We were supposed to go to Miami Beach for four days mid-August: this was within days of the Wynwood announcement. I was 7 weeks pregnant and my doctor immediately said not to go and advised that my husband stay home as well (or spend my entire pregnancy -- and possibly breastfeeding period-- using condoms and being tested). We submitted a doctor's note and our marriage certificate (required for some reason) to American Airlines and received a full refund for the $854 we paid for the tickets yesterday. I was very pleasantly surprised that the process wasn't worse!
6
It would also in such analyses of travel policies due to environmental issues to include those of the major online travel agents, e.g., Expedia, Orbitz,. Tickets purchased through such services are not subject to relaxed airline ticket policies.
1
Total overreaction.
Not pregnant? go about your lives.......
Not pregnant? go about your lives.......
1
I wonder if all those golfers who did not go to the Rio Olympics due to Zika will now forego tournaments in Florida and move away from their Florida homes?
3
"Only about 20 percent of people infected with the Zika virus become ill."
Only? 20 percent is enormous.
Only? 20 percent is enormous.
5
That means 80 percent come back and have unprotected sex with their partners who may then get infected.
2
A minuscule percentage of the population becomes infected. A small percentage of the infected group actually become ill.
That is not enormous.
That is not enormous.
1
Typical typical American Airlines response: no refunds, we don't care about deformed babies
11
American Airlines could not care less about deformed babies, dying family members or any of their customers period. I am stuck flying them at least 20 times per year and it is always a charge for everything. However, they never reimburse YOU when they delay you due to aircraft changes, crew shortages or aircraft maintenance issues. They are the worst!
3
I'm not defending AA, but they did give us a full refund for cancelling our Miami trip one day prior to departure. We called customer service, submitted a doctor's note and waited about a week for resolution. Shockingly painless.
2
Zika is also a sexually transmitted infection. So the focus of the CDC recommendations on 'pregnant women and their partners' need to be expanded to include 'partners of women who are trying to get pregnant'. Anything less than that seems short sighted.
23
Good advice as far as mosquito transmission is concerned. But we need to emphasize that this is now also a sexually transmitted disease. As such, media, along with state & local public health departments need to educate and remind people about STD prevention methods, including the use of condoms. Along with bug spray, hotels on the beach could certainly have ample supplies of condoms for their guests.
20
Headline on the NYT app is "Headed to Miami? Here's what you need to know about the Zika outbreak"
"Outbreak"? Really?? The rest of the article is not much better. There are five cases of Zika identified in Miami. FIVE. The NYT has no immunity to the media's rush to the bottom when it comes to fear mongering. Might as well read any other sensationalist rag.
"Outbreak"? Really?? The rest of the article is not much better. There are five cases of Zika identified in Miami. FIVE. The NYT has no immunity to the media's rush to the bottom when it comes to fear mongering. Might as well read any other sensationalist rag.
7
Yes. An Outbreak. Really.
By definition, if the number cases exceed baseline number (even one case would be considered an outbreak if there have never been any cases in the region), then it is called an outbreak. Therefore, if in previous years, there have been zero cases of Zika in Miami, then occurrence of 5 cases there would be considered an outbreak.
By definition, if the number cases exceed baseline number (even one case would be considered an outbreak if there have never been any cases in the region), then it is called an outbreak. Therefore, if in previous years, there have been zero cases of Zika in Miami, then occurrence of 5 cases there would be considered an outbreak.
11
Lots of info about canceling reservations. What about what Zika does ? I understand the birth defect concern. Any other worry with ZikA?
18
Not if you are over child creating or bearing age. Men can transmit to women through sex, so condoms are crucial.
2
"Concerns over the Zika virus have focused on pregnant women due to mounting evidence that it causes brain abnormalities in developing fetuses. However, new research in mice from scientists at The Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology suggests that certain adult brain cells may be vulnerable to infection as well. Among these are populations of cells that serve to replace lost or damaged neurons throughout adulthood, and are also thought to be critical to learning and memory... In addition to microcephaly, Zika has been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition in which the immune system attacks parts of the nervous system, leading to muscle weakness or even paralysis. The connection has been hard to trace since Guillain-Barré usually develops after the infection has cleared,” says Shresta. “We propose that infection of adult neural progenitor cells could be the mechanism behind this.”
http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/2016/08/18/zika-infection-may-affect-adu...
http://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(16)30252-1
http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/2016/08/18/zika-infection-may-affect-adu...
http://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(16)30252-1
20
The "herd immunity" principle comes into play, in this case as "herd hygiene." If a mosquito bites a human who has Zika, it can become infected and pass the virus along to other humans it bites. It may also pass the virus to its offspring. It's less clear, from what I've read, if those offspring can then pass Zika to humans they bite.
The more everyone follows the hygiene recommendations and the more mosquito breeding environments are disrupted, the lower chances of Zika spreading.
The more everyone follows the hygiene recommendations and the more mosquito breeding environments are disrupted, the lower chances of Zika spreading.
1