April 27, 2009
It depends on who you ask.
POTUS had traveled to Mexico City aware if the threat of drug cartel violence, having increased the number of border guards prior to his arrival. He traveled aware of the Swine flu outbreak-- the first case identified on the 13th.
Or was he?
WH Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on the 27th in his daily briefing that no warning was given. See link below.
That doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't already known.
A member of "Energy Secretary Chu's lead security detail" arrived in Mexico City on the 13th, felt ill on the 16th, fever 17th, sent home 18th. And between the 19th-21st, family members and a coworker he rode in a car with fell ill. His wife and daughter eventually tested positive for Influenza A - subtype unknown (to the public) on the 30th.Offending subtype H1N1.
Fortunately all are fine.
So where was he? In what capacity was he working? Who did he meet ? Anybody on the other side got sick? What did he bring with him?
POTUS' Secret Service had to know about this, didn't they?
But what POTUS didn't know was that he would come in close personal contact with a man, who, less than 24 hours later, would suddenly fall ill with "flu-like symptoms", be hospitalized, precipitously decline and die just six days after shaking the hand and taking on a tour of the museum, the most powerful man in the world.
The man was his host that night (the 16th) at the National Museum of Anthropology was the Museum Curator, accomplished Mexican Archeologist Felipe Solis Olguin.
No word on whether Solis was having symptoms that evening -- the paucity of information is English is suspicious in itself. His death was attributed to "pneumonia" complicated by coexisting medical problems, including immunodeficiency.
The Mexico Health Minister denied that Solis' death was related in any way to the swine flu.
Ricardo Alday, Spokesman for the Mexican Embassy to the United States of America:
[Solis] died of complications of a preexisting condition and not of swine flu.
Either way, it doesn't matter at this point.
The incubation period is very short - 3 days - so he would have already shown symptoms. He was sick on the previous trip - G 20 Summit. A vaccine?
What are the odds? It reads like a Ludlum novel. How long before we find out the truth?
What happened to Mr Solis' body?
Here's a few sources - emphasis added.
Cordova Villalobos said that schools would remain closed next week in Mexico City, where the flu has hit hardest.
The health minister dismissed speculation in the Mexican media about US President Barack Obama's possible exposure to the virus when he was in Mexico City ten days ago, just after the flu started breaking out there.
Reforma newspaper had reported that Obama had had contact at a museum with a reknown archeologist, Felipe Solis Olguin, who died of a combination of diabetes and pneumonia shortly afterwards.
Cordova Villalobos clarified the man's cause of death, saying the pneumonia was not related to influenza, but rather to a combination of an unnamed pre-existing condition and a sudden onset of pneumonia that was not related to influenza.
Rotativo [translated through Google]
Finally, the Health Secretary, denied that the death of the director of the National Museum of Anthropology and History, Felipe Solis Olguin was caused by swine influenza.
UNNAMED PRESIDENTIAL AIDE: I can tell you that the President doesn't have any symptoms, and his doctors advised that there was no need for him to be tested.
--------------------
POTUS exposed to swine flu? (Felipe Solis story links)
GIBBS (4-27): No warning before Mexico trip
Energy security detail contracted flu in Mexico
White House (4-27) Mexican Embassy spokesman Ricardo Alday re: Felipe Solis
No comments:
Post a Comment