CDC is a HIPPA Violator

I read the newest report by the AP press last night, about the 2nd Swine Flu victim. I was infuriated....how could the family possibly have any privacy when so many "details" were released: age: 33, Sex: Female, Job: Teacher for the Mercedes Independent School District, had given birth to a healthy child during her hospitalization.....

Ok, lets break that down shall we. Mercedes...very small town close to the PROGRESSO, Mexico crossing and when I say small town...it wasn't hard for a LOCAL report to match the obituary to the information provided by the CDC (www.valleymorningstar). The Local report goes on to tell how the report er ferreted out information and attempted to get more information from the School Superintendent.

While Mercedes is in the vicinity of various Hospitals: One in Westlaco, 2 or 3 hospitals in McAllen, two hospitals in Harlingen, two hospitals in Brownsville...do you think it will take long for a serious reporter to figure out which hospital she was at, and start a panic??? Especially since the obituary gives her residence as Harlingen? Both hospitals have birthing suites, but how long do you think the families privacy is going to be considered...since it has already been compromised??? I thought the whole "HIPPA" was that information that would identify a patient was not to be released. I guess the CDC doesn't have to adhere to the same laws the rest of the medical profession are required to.

Meanwhile, both the hospitals in Harlingen are in overdrive. Publicized in the paper...changes in their visitation polices. How much will this help??? The woman in the article was in the hospital two entire infectious cycles before her 2nd test came back positive...according to the reporter...now where did he get that information??? Is it correct, is it accurate...I didn't read that in the ASSOCIATED PRESS release from the CDC. Is that hearsay or did he speak to family or was that released by the School Superintendent under duress??? I don't know, but if you count back, that many days would have put her in the hospital BEFORE Mexico admitted they had an epidemic. AND it took two tests before they found the illness. Now how is that for a false negative. How many people will get a "false" negative...get better and go back to work, and never know they actually had the dreaded SWINE FLU?

Just wondering all these things as I wait for the CDC to release my "OFFICIAL" test result. If it is positive and they list all the same information about me to the newspaper...how long before somebody comes knocking on my door...violating my privacy? This area is "small town" where people do know their neighbors, we know when they are sick, in the hospital, or are just praying for healing. It would take exactly the same amount of information released on this 2nd Swine flu victim ... the same exact amount of information...and anybody in the US could find out who I am. We think we are anonymous??? I don't think so.