Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Who Cares?

[grydth]

Buzz: Sheriff, this is no time to panic.

Woody: This is the PERFECT TIME to panic!

(From Toy Story)

 

[Tez3]

The flu has reached Spain and the European Commisioner for Health has suggested people shouldn't travel to America or Mexico.
I don't see people panicking here, I see the authorities taking sensible precautions against something which could be potentially very nasty.
Incidentially washing your hands won't stop you catching it, wearing a mask may though.
One should always care about such things, just because you are young, fit and healthy, that doesn't mean your family is though. Older and younger people are going to be more vulnerable and saying I''m fit so I don't care' sounds remarkably unfeeling about your family and friends. Be concerned not panicked or overly worried as being totally hardhearted and self centred is never an attractive trait.

 

[Stac3y]

Well, the Schertz Independent School System has shut down for the week because of this, and the public parks in the city affected (brain cramp) are closed. This is by San Antonio, about 45 minutes from me. I suspect this is overreaction. I really hope it is.

 

[MA-Caver]

40 swine flu cases in US; agents checking borders

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, Ap Medical Writer – 6 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090427/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_fluWASHINGTON – U.S. officials said Monday they were acting aggressively to confront the spreading swine flu virus — now confirmed in 40 victims — while President Barack Obama said there was concern but not yet "a cause for alarm," A travel advisory was being prepared suggesting Americans not travel to Mexico, center of the outbreak.
Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, said that so far the disease in the United States seems less severe than the outbreak in Mexico, where more than 1,600 cases have been reported and where the suspected death toll has climbed to 149. No deaths have been reported in the U.S.
"I wouldn't be overly reassured by that," Besser told reporters at CDC's headquarters in Atlanta. He raised the possibility of more severe cases in the United States.
Besser said a new U.S. travel advisory was being prepared suggesting "nonessential travel to Mexico be avoided."

Getting closer and closer all the time isn't it?

 

[Archangel M]

Yet somehow Im still not panicked.

 

[Archangel M]

"The bottom line on Swine Flu"

Some decent, "dont panic" advice on being prepared.

 

[KELLYG]

I understand that the NEW FLU is dangerous. But it seems like every day or two we are being hit with another cataclysmic event that is supposed to get us worked up into a frenzy and is designed to keep us that way. Most of the things going on are so out of our control that one more thing is like so what! There is nothing that I can about it anyway. I will try to keep informed about what is going on but getting my blood pressure up over it is not going to happen.

 

[Tames D]

I'll file this one with the KILLER BEE INVASION (shouldn't they be here by now????) Not going to worry about it.

 

[Tez3]

So who is panicking? Nothing I've seen on television or read has anyone panicking, governments are not issuing anything that is likely to panic people, the medical officials are keeping calm and telling people not to worry so whats the story about really?
The news stories from Mexico has people staying indoors and away from crowds, they are being issued face masks and good advice. They have reason to worry as so many have died there but they aren't panicking either.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8020222.stm

 

[Thesemindz]

I'll file this one with the KILLER BEE INVASION (shouldn't they be here by now????) Not going to worry about it.

Actually, they are here now.

And it turns out it isn't that big a deal after all.


-Rob

 

[Thesemindz]

So who is panicking? Nothing I've seen on television or read has anyone panicking, governments are not issuing anything that is likely to panic people, the medical officials are keeping calm and telling people not to worry so whats the story about really?
The news stories from Mexico has people staying indoors and away from crowds, they are being issued face masks and good advice. They have reason to worry as so many have died there but they aren't panicking either.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8020222.stm

The people are panicking, that's who. I've had people call me and ask me if they should stockpile food. I have a relative who's flying to Arizona next week for a vacation, and she's afraid the government will cancel her trip. I've talked to people who are afraid they'll be told to stay home from work, or keep their kids out of school, or stay away from grocery stores.

There's panic already, partly because our current system of media and government control encourages a constant state of panic to make people easily led. Turn on your news, I'm willing to bet there's a story about it right now, or at least it's on the ticker.

Just for fun, I switched over to Fox News just now, and sure enough. Swine Flu.

So I flipped over to MSNBC, swine flu on the ticker.

So I flipped to CNN, swine flu on the ticker.

It was also on the cover of our local paper today.

I'm not saying it's not newsworthy, I'm saying the constant bombardment of "the sky is falling" leads people to panic.

And they are.


-Rob

 

[Tames D]

Just tell everyone to calm down and everything is going to be alright. Oh, and California didn't fall into the ocean

. Remember that one? :rofl:

 

[Thesemindz]

Oh, and California didn't fall into the ocean

.

Yet.

Oooooooooooooooooohhhh....


-Rob

 

[elder999]

The flu has reached Spain and the European Commisioner for Health has suggested people shouldn't travel to America or Mexico.
I don't see people panicking here, I see the authorities taking sensible precautions against something which could be potentially very nasty.
Incidentially washing your hands won't stop you catching it, wearing a mask may though

Actually, just the opposite is true.

Most surgical and other masks available will only catch objects more than 120 nanometers in diameter. At 80-100 nanometers, the flu virus itself can pass through these. It does, however, tend to be transported on larger objects-saliva, mucous, dust particles and the like, and these will be stopped by the mask-airborne transmission is not entirely ruled out, though. Best way I've heard it put:the masks will stop spittle, but they might not stop the flu.

Additionally, the flu virus can survive and be transferred on surfaces: shopping carts, ATM's,and, most notably, hands. Purchasing a hand cleanser like Purell gel with VF81, or GSE, with an antiviral component (bleach, essentially) and using it, can help prevent contracting and/or spreading the flu.

 

[Sukerkin]

The panic-mode continues to spread, virus like indeed, as our news is now splattered all over with the fact that there have been two cases in Scotland now ... urgent searches are in effect to track down those the infected have been in contact with.

Be afraid ... be afraid ... trust your government ...


As I said earlier, common sense precautions are all we can take. As other have said, the stress of fretting ourselves to a frazzle is probably worse than the actual risk.

 

[Thesemindz]

Evidence is now appearing that at least some of the supposed deaths in Mexico from swine flu were actually the result of some other, as yet unidentified cause.

So, as usual, we see a panic created by the government and the media, based on events which were originally "misinterpreted."

But the result is panic, and people crying out "save us, save us."

Again, I'm not denying the existence of Swine Flu, or the danger any kind of flu can represent. I'm just saying that at least some of the panic I'm seeing is the result of misinformation and media cycles.


-Rob

 

[Gordon Nore]

Mexico is the wild card in all of this because of what we don't know, as opposed to what we do know. As of today, I believe there have been 150 deaths in Mexico. Out of how many people who have been infected?

Comparatively, what (?) forty confirmed cases in the USA, eight in Canada, with no fatalities so far, and people apparently recovering and doing quite well. A number of reports today have pointed out that the US normally sees 36,000 deaths a year due to seasonal flu.

 

[Bruno@MT]

I
It's not that hard to stay healthy.

Actually, having a healthy immune system can kill you. This is what made the 1918 flu special: it triggered a cytokine storm, which is basically your immune system attacking your body. And your body responeds to this by... putting your immune system in even higher gear so that it can kill you even faster.

The 1918 flku killed those would had the best immune systems: young adults. Not primarily the old, the young and the infirm as a normal flu would do. Those had much weaker immune systems, so their demographic had much better survival odds.

So whatever you do, don't take even more vitamins

 

[Tez3]

Well all I can say is that some of you seem to know people who panic easily, I can put my hand on my heart and say no one I know is panicking and I've seen no sign of it anywhere. It may be that it takes a lot more to panic an Englishman lol!
Hardly anyone is talking about it around my way, we're still reeling from the way the government has treated the Gurkhas (more about that I'm making a thread) no ones mentioned it on any forum I go on other than this one. It's not been on our local news only the national news and I don't see people wandering the streets weeping and wailing. I suspect panic is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Well all I can say is that some of you seem to know people who panic easily, I can put my hand on my heart and say no one I know is panicking and I've seen no sign of it anywhere. It may be that it takes a lot more to panic an Englishman lol!

Experience I guess...

Anything that doesn't disfigure half the European population or covers them in boils, and then kills off most of the victims is not worth talking about. The general feeling here is best expressed as: 'Meh'.