I'd say "we" stopped being afraid of polio about the same time we stopped being afraid and respectful of tuberculosis. I am astounded by how ignorant many health care professionals are of TB today, but after all, most of them have never seen a single case. Now on to read Nurse Teri's column. -----Alan
The Salk vaccine became available when I was in 5th grade; they loaded us all into school buses and took us down to the Veterans' Hall to be vaccinated. There was no question about whether or not a child should be vaccinated. A relative of mine by marriage got a dose of a bad lot of the vaccine and came down with the disease; not a bad case, though, and a rare occurrence. -----Alan
In re the Palisades fires, they are nearly a yearly occurrence. I think the houses in that area should be built to the fire resistance standard of the woodland-urban interface, but that is optional. I recall seeing a photo of a completely undamaged house built to that standard near Paradise after other houses were burnt to the ground in that terrific fire a few yeas back. Also a photo of a wealthy neighborhood near Santa Barbara that was largely burnt to the ground by a wildfire some years before that; here and there were untouched houses built in ways that made them more fire resistant, although by no means to the full woodland interface standard. ------Alan P.S.: Our home is built to be resistant to both fire and earthquakes, though neither of those things are anticipated hereabouts.
Hot and absolutely dry winds of 70-80 mph are common there at this time of year, if memory serves me well. (I have never had reason to visit the area.) The recommended building standards include non-flammable roofs and siding, covered eaves, no wooden decks or porches, and deployable window coverings to prevent ignition of flammable materials inside the house by infrared radiation passing through the glass. Also, of course, adequate clearance of brush and trees around the house. ------Alan
According to the local weather lady, these current winds are not the customary hot Santa Annas, but rather very cold winds from the Arctic. Also, IIRC winds up to cat 2 hurricane force were expected overnight. I haven't had the heart to follow the coverage today. The devastation I saw last night disturbed me enough for a while, though of course I'll have to check in on it eventually. Even on television/Youtube, those fires are the most horrific things I've ever seen.
If they are cold winds from the Arctic they are detouring around this part of the state; we have had only barely perceptible breezes, and no frost. I suppose they could come down east of the Sierra Nevada and go through the same passes the Santa Ana winds use. ----Alan
{listener} My family knew a man who had a curving bent arm and hand due to polio. There was a girl in my 2nd or 3rd grade class who wore leg braces. There was a girl in my Sophomore class with a leg and arm affected by polio. This is not the part of history that should be forgotten!
I remember the stories every summer about public swimming pools being closed because of polio outbreaks. During the US Civil War it was noted that soldiers from cities were less susceptible to polio, presumably because of subclinical infections during childhood. -----Alan
Nurse Teri is first! She co-wrote this:
ReplyDeleteWhen Did We Stop Being Afraid of Polio?
{^listener} _
DeleteAlso, Teri’s co-author, Donna Gaffney, had to evacuate her Palisades home yesterday, due to the fires!
I'd say "we" stopped being afraid of polio about the same time we stopped being afraid and respectful of tuberculosis. I am astounded by how ignorant many health care professionals are of TB today, but after all, most of them have never seen a single case. Now on to read Nurse Teri's column.
Delete-----Alan
The Salk vaccine became available when I was in 5th grade; they loaded us all into school buses and took us down to the Veterans' Hall to be vaccinated. There was no question about whether or not a child should be vaccinated. A relative of mine by marriage got a dose of a bad lot of the vaccine and came down with the disease; not a bad case, though, and a rare occurrence.
Delete-----Alan
In re the Palisades fires, they are nearly a yearly occurrence. I think the houses in that area should be built to the fire resistance standard of the woodland-urban interface, but that is optional. I recall seeing a photo of a completely undamaged house built to that standard near Paradise after other houses were burnt to the ground in that terrific fire a few yeas back. Also a photo of a wealthy neighborhood near Santa Barbara that was largely burnt to the ground by a wildfire some years before that; here and there were untouched houses built in ways that made them more fire resistant, although by no means to the full woodland interface standard.
Delete------Alan
P.S.: Our home is built to be resistant to both fire and earthquakes, though neither of those things are anticipated hereabouts.
{listener}
DeleteThey may have yearly fires, but this year they are accompanied by winds up to 100mph. That’s been the game changer.
Hot and absolutely dry winds of 70-80 mph are common there at this time of year, if memory serves me well. (I have never had reason to visit the area.) The recommended building standards include non-flammable roofs and siding, covered eaves, no wooden decks or porches, and deployable window coverings to prevent ignition of flammable materials inside the house by infrared radiation passing through the glass. Also, of course, adequate clearance of brush and trees around the house.
Delete------Alan
According to the local weather lady, these current winds are not the customary hot Santa Annas, but rather very cold winds from the Arctic. Also, IIRC winds up to cat 2 hurricane force were expected overnight. I haven't had the heart to follow the coverage today. The devastation I saw last night disturbed me enough for a while, though of course I'll have to check in on it eventually. Even on television/Youtube, those fires are the most horrific things I've ever seen.
DeleteIf they are cold winds from the Arctic they are detouring around this part of the state; we have had only barely perceptible breezes, and no frost. I suppose they could come down east of the Sierra Nevada and go through the same passes the Santa Ana winds use.
Delete----Alan
There are now 4 fires in the LA area, all four 0% contained.
DeleteMake that 5 fires that are 0% contained. And 5 people confirmed dead. Just horrific.
DeleteI remember well, as a child, my mother warning us all to wear jackets outdoors because "it's polio weather". ~Susan
ReplyDelete{listener}
DeleteMy family knew a man who had a curving bent arm and hand due to polio. There was a girl in my 2nd or 3rd grade class who wore leg braces. There was a girl in my Sophomore class with a leg and arm affected by polio.
This is not the part of history that should be forgotten!
I remember the stories every summer about public swimming pools being closed because of polio outbreaks. During the US Civil War it was noted that soldiers from cities were less susceptible to polio, presumably because of subclinical infections during childhood.
Delete-----Alan