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Survey: You Can’t Get Swine Flu From Eating Pork. Ever Thought You Could?

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“Oh Lord,” Clark said while buying gas at a Shell station on MacArthur Drive Wednesday. “Please don’t let that happen again.”

“That” was last year’s explosion in fuel prices. A year ago at this time, the average price of regular unleaded in Louisiana was more than $3.50 a gallon. It would go over $4 in mid-July

Though prices have jumped recently — as high as 20 cents per gallon in a day at some local providers — it does not appear the industry is headed for the near-calamitous costs it went to a year ago.

“Prices have gone up,” said Don Redman, a spokesman with AAA. “But no one’s anticipating anything close to $4 a gallon.”

“Personally, I don’t think we’ll see anything like that,” said Frank Grimes with Fuel Plus, which operates nine Chevron stations in Central Louisiana. “I hope not.”

Prices in Louisiana have climbed fairly steadily in 2009, from $1.70 at the start of the year to a $1.99 average Wednesday, according to AAA’s daily fuel report.

Those prices are expected to go up throughout the summer, for several reasons.

Despite U.S. crude oil stockpiles recently reaching a 19-year high, the price of oil has gone up. Crude closed at $56.34 a barrel Wednesday, its highest close since mid-November, signs that the demand for energy may be going up as the global recession slows and a sharp cutback in oil and gas production starts to have an effect.

“The thought among many investors is the cuts in production were finally going to have an impact,” Redman said. “We’re starting to see that.”

Also, summer often sees a hike in gas prices as more people hit the road for vacation and recreation.

Several providers in the Alexandria-Pineville area went over $2 a gallon this week. Prices went down a bit Wednesday — there were still some station as high as $2.09, but many were in the $1.84-1.86 range.

It won’t be the last spike in fuel prices in the coming months. The question is, how much will gas go up?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts the national per gallon cost of regular unleaded for this summer’s driving season (April-Sept.) will be $2.23. That’s approximately 12 cents higher than the national average Wednesday, but nearly $1.60 cheaper than what it was over the same time period last year.

Locally, Grimes said the highest he sees gas getting this summer is $2.59 a gallon, after going to nearly $4 last summer.

“I can see that at peak summer time,” Grimes said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it got to that. I don’t think we’ll see anything more than that.”

The EIA predicts the average national gas price in 2009 will be $2.16. In 2010, when crude is expected to jump to about $63 a barrel, the EIA foresees a jump to $2.42 a gallon. Louisiana has been about 7-12 cents cheaper per gallon than the national average in 2009.

While that’s more expensive than people would like to see after paying well under $2 earlier this year, it’s not a return to the $4-and-up days of the not so distant past.

“I’d be happy if it was a dollar,” Carter said with a laugh. “Two dollars or less would be nice. I don’t like paying more than that.”

“Certainly, there’s a concern when you see a spike in gas prices,” Redman said. “It would be a shame in these bleak economic times to see high fuel costs.”

(the town talk)

Related Links:

Gas prices starting to go up Aiken Standard

Drivers surprised by jump in gas prices WHAS

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You might have noticed people wearing surgical masks in areas of Mexico to avoid the Swine Flu epidemic. At least 150 people have died from Swine Flu infection in Mexico and clusters of swine flu are found in areas all over the United States and around the World as well. The Swine Flu is currently under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

Swine flu symptoms include runny nose, muscle aches, lethargy, lack of appetite, fever over 101 and sudden onset. It is difficult to distinguish from other flu types, and does require a diagnosis.

Researchers are not yet sure if antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu or Relenza may remain effective against swine flu, although these antiviral medicines are working against the current strain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) are currently in the process of developing a vaccine to protect against the Swine Flu.

The Swine Flu is a combination of four known strains including Avian flu, Human Influenza and two other viruses. This new strain of influenza is not only extremely contagious but also deadly, however, there are flu pandemic preparation measures you can take to ensure you do not get the Swine flu.

Instructions

1. Stay Home

   If you are sick or have any flu-like symptoms, stay home. Do not go to school or work. Swine flu symptoms may mimic those of regular flu and cold symptoms.

2. Contain Your Cough

   Cough or sneeze into the crook (inside elbow) of your arm. This way you do not transfer the germs to your hands and then to every object you touch. Swine flu is very contagious, and can spread easily by touching an infected object and then touching your face. A flu mask will help you avoid infection in enclosed spaces.

3. Wash Hands Frequently

   Wash hands constantly to avoid swine flu. Anything you touch may be affected, so keeping hands clean will help you avoid infection.

4. Hand Sanitizer

   Carry hand sanitizer with you. If you have things others have touched, use your hand sanitizer to avoid swine flu infection. In addition, avoid shaking hands or other hand to hand contact whenever possible. Also avoid kissing on the cheek or other face to face contact as a greeting method.

5. Public Facilities

   Touch public handles and pens as little as possible. These are loaded with germs that may carry the swine flu virus.

6. Air Travel

   When you fly, be most diligent about following these guidelines. Transferring any flu, including swine flu, is most likely in close quarters like an airplane.

7. Clean Your Produce

   The life span of a virus is different for each and can vary from as much as 48 hours to 100 years depending on the hardiness of the virus. Although there have been no known cases of swine flu transmission through fruit and vegetable consumption, there does seem to be some concern about the possibility. The best bet is to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables if possible. Make sure you wash your fruits and vegetables with water, and soak for greater effectiveness. Washes and using chlorinated rinses have not been proven to work. So far there have been no cases of swine flu transmission through fruits and vegetable sources.

8. Avoid Crowds

   Stay out of crowds as much as possible. Close proximity to other people will heighten your chances of to get swine flu. Wear a surgical mask in areas of high traffic concentration. Try to stay at least 3-6 feet away from people.

9. Eating and Drinking

   Do not eat or drink after others without complete sanitization of containers or utensils. Swine flu can be transmitted by contact with infected eating utensils.

10. Visit Your Doctor

    Get to a doctor immediately if you develop symptoms of swine flu including high fever and body aches. Swine flu can be deadly, and it is imperative to get to a physician immediately if you think you have swine flu symptoms and think you might have contracted the swine flu virus. Both Tamiflu and Relenza are antiviral medicines that are currently effective against some strains of Swine Flu. These medicines should be taken within 36 hours of flu infection for maximum effectiveness.

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