Swine Flu... worried yet? - Page 4 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

bodykits · 05-02-2009, 06:16 PM

It is sad to know that it is getting worse and spreading around the globe... hope they could provide something to stop this outbreak.

loquitur · 05-04-2009, 11:46 AM

Charlatan · 05-04-2009, 04:26 PM

They are getting increasingly serious about it here. In addition to the mandatory screening at the airport (thermal scanning all arrivals) they are also instituting workplace safety. All visitors to the building I work in have to have their temperature checked prior to entering the building.

The schools are also in on it. All children have to have their temperature checked before going to school and have their temperature entered into their school agenda to be checked by the teacher. If their temperature is over 37.9°C (for children aged 12 and below) or 37.6°C (for children above 12 or adults) they are to stay home.

We have similar policies in my office. If you have flu symptoms you are requested to stay home. All unnecessary business travel has been cancelled. All personal travel must be reported. If the destinations are to be made to affected areas you must take a 7 days vacation (your vacation time) upon return before returning to the office.

I know that SARS really hit hard here but geez... this just seems to be over the top.

spindles · 05-04-2009, 04:34 PM

Of course someone had to try to make money from this media scrum:

Flu scare triggers rash of fake drugs | smh.com.au

Quote:

DESPERATE people are paying up to $150 for fake Tamiflu, the drug used to treat swine flu victims, because they are frightened pharmacies will run out of supplies if a pandemic hits.

Spam emails for the fake drugs, which are being sold on the internet, have become more common than those for erectile dysfunction and preyed on people who did not realise that Tamiflu would be distributed free if a pandemic was declared, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia warned yesterday. "No one can be sure where these sites are but some of the emails are even coming out of places like Mexico, which is ludicrous because they don't have any supplies of the drug," the guild's president, Kos Sclavos, said yesterday.

He said Tamiflu, which is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, costs about $50 "so there is no reason why anyone should be paying three times that and there is no guarantee it is a legitimate supply".

I also heard a government spokesman in Oz on the radio saying that if there was a huge outbreak here, the drugs would be made available free of charge.

snowy · 05-04-2009, 04:48 PM

All over my university the Student Health Service has posted signs reminding everyone to wash their hands, cover their coughs, and stay home if they're sick. A student at a nearby university came down with it, and they closed that campus entirely. It hasn't come here yet, but we'll see. I wouldn't mind staying home for a few days.

~Melee~ · 05-04-2009, 05:54 PM

I'm not too worried. I already wash my hands plenty often and worrying about it really won't help me any.

itsnick · 05-05-2009, 03:23 PM

..It claimed a good friend....deeply troubled by his own demons the incessant reporting, lists, and media hype helped in some way to tip him over the edge..he had complied lists, based on media reports of what to do, how to avoid it...obsessive lists, scribbled in a panicked fear........

Get real, take normal health precautions.....

The swine flu death toll will go nowhere dear the death toll caused by depression and the darkness we ignore in our society...

hotzot · 05-07-2009, 09:01 AM

I wasn't worried in 76, why should I be worried now?

Crack · 05-08-2009, 07:46 AM

dlish · 05-08-2009, 08:02 PM

why do i get the feeling that the worst is over and this news story almost just fell off the edge?

smells like a drummed up story if you ask me.

sold a lot of papers though...and meds.

Shaindra · 05-09-2009, 11:42 AM

The story isn't now. The story is this fall, when we see what kind of mutations have taken place from the people who were infected from this pandemic. Might be nothing.

The part about this that scares the CDC types is that it's cross-species combinations of DNA. This is fairly unusual as most viruses stay species-specific. This one is sort of choosing ala carte and combining in scary ways. So far the combinations haven't been particularly lethal, but the stage is set in a way that worries anybody who studies this sort of stuff.

So...no need to start looting in the streets for Tamiflu just yet, but if you're sick, stay home. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your mouth when you cough. And stop making fun of people who do all those things.

dlish · 05-09-2009, 11:51 AM

what do you do for work shaindra??

im seriously curious

cdwonderful · 05-09-2009, 12:10 PM

Rush Limbaugh says this is just a ruse to keep people from seeing how Obama is taking the country down the road to socialism.........he he

hunnychile · 05-09-2009, 12:56 PM

So, all the conservatives & GOPers said that we'll get to have a black President when "Pigs Fly"!
.....and on Obama's 98th day,Swine Flu[/I]!!!

cdwonderful · 05-09-2009, 01:00 PM

you dont mean to say a fat white conservative would lie....... are you?

hunnychile · 05-09-2009, 01:56 PM

Ha Ha....nope. But forgive me cuz I'm in Y-town too.

cdwonderful · 05-09-2009, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunnychile

Ha Ha....nope. But forgive me cuz I'm in Y-town too.

you have my condolences for sure......

the river of love isnt the mahoning river is it?????

yeeeeck

Emotion · 05-09-2009, 03:03 PM

wait for fall

Shaindra · 05-09-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlish

what do you do for work shaindra??

im seriously curious

I'm just a garden-variety web geek.

Psychologist · 05-10-2009, 10:41 AM

Haha, Singapore's lowered the level to yellow. I'm not too afraid of the H1N1 virus. The only reason why the world's panicking is because this particular strain seems to be capable of extreme virulence as well as being able to easily mutate and create novel genetic variants that are harder to control in the future. Every 10-15 years, the flu virus, well, "evolves" and scientists generally can predict how it's going to be and come up with a suitable counter against it, but when faced with a mutant strain that has genetic material from strains that infect different species of animals, it's going to be much harder to predict what kind of strain it will turn out to become.

Therefore it makes sense to try to avoid getting the population infected because it spreads, and it spreads fast.

I also noticed that certain individuals in the scientific community have posited that it would be better to be infected with it (as in, inoculated) because once our bodies recognise the strain, we might be protected against it in the future.

Then again, as with all inoculations, there comes a risk... and basically the medical and scientific community would rather err on the side of caution.

Better to prevent masses from getting it rather than deliberately infecting them so that they will gain immunity because it is not exactly confirmed that the infected WILL gain immunity and/or NOT die from it.

But in any case, it makes good reason for me to skip work... but that's a different story for a different day

*grins*

Dammitall · 05-16-2009, 09:23 PM

Do I have a right to be worried, seeing as I supposedly have a compromised immune system to begin with (splenectomy in infancy), have just come down with a bitch of a sore throat, and my doctor mother is checking in on me incessantly and filling my head with her own paranoia?

Maybe I'll stay home from work on Monday.

Ayashe · 05-17-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

They are getting increasingly serious about it here. In addition to the mandatory screening at the airport (thermal scanning all arrivals) they are also instituting workplace safety. All visitors to the building I work in have to have their temperature checked prior to entering the building.

The schools are also in on it. All children have to have their temperature checked before going to school and have their temperature entered into their school agenda to be checked by the teacher. If their temperature is over 37.9°C (for children aged 12 and below) or 37.6°C (for children above 12 or adults) they are to stay home.

We have similar policies in my office. If you have flu symptoms you are requested to stay home. All unnecessary business travel has been cancelled. All personal travel must be reported. If the destinations are to be made to affected areas you must take a 7 days vacation (your vacation time) upon return before returning to the office.

I know that SARS really hit hard here but geez... this just seems to be over the top.

I have to say that I find this funny. What are the chances the person checking temps is washing their hands/using sanitizer between each person? I say about nil. Not to mention that most people who use hand sanitizers do not use them properly. Good way to spread an infection if you ask me.

3GPositive · 05-18-2009, 03:05 PM

As I understand it there have been about 4000 cases in the USA so far and 3 deaths. I calculate that if it were to spread and half the people in the USA caught it there would be about 112,000 deaths....in it's present mild form. ( 300M/2 x 3/4000 = 112,500)

In 1918 Spanish flue also started out mild. Then in the fall it came back and killed millions world wide. We need time to make a vaccine.

lindseylatch · 05-21-2009, 09:34 AM

A lot of the people who have died didn't die from the swine flu. Their immune reaction to the virus damages their lungs, and they then get bacterial pnuemonia.

My mom (a doctor) came down with swine flu 2 weeks ago, and is now being treated for pnuemonia. She's still hacking and coughing and has a hard time even walking across a room. It's a little scary, but I think they caught it quick enough (about a week after she got sick they started the antibiotics).

She suggested that if I do start getting symptoms I should take Tamiflu.

dlish · 05-21-2009, 08:24 PM

hope she gets better soon lindsey.

Ourcrazymodern? · 05-22-2009, 09:22 AM

My tiny South Dakota mentality says:

Go to work.

Getting sick in response to the news is.

Regarding the deaths, there have been relatively few. Tripe isn't nourishing. Think about living. It's fun, right? Why succumb to that which will only eventually afflict you when you don't have to?

The new bug is the same as the old bug & we'll work through all of them.

Have a good weekend.

Nimetic · 05-30-2009, 02:34 AM

It's growing fast.

Overall... this doesn't seem to be too bad for us in the developed world (some are more at risk than others though). I'm worried about it's effect on poorer countries, where there are less medical supplies.

Baraka_Guru · 06-11-2009, 07:52 AM

Quote:

'It is likely in light of sustained community transmission in countries outside of North America — most notably in Australia — that Level 6 will be declared.'
— Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon

Quote:

World in swine flu pandemic, WHO tells countries
Last Updated: Thursday, June 11, 2009 | 10:17 AM ET
CBC News

The World Health Organization has privately told several countries that it will declare a swine flu pandemic on Thursday, which would mark the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

Health ministries in Thailand and Indonesia said an email alert from WHO advised them that a pandemic would be declared by midnight local time.

WHO director general Margaret Chan held an emergency conference call with leading flu experts to discuss the outbreak of the virus, which has spread to 74 countries.

Chan will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. ET, when she is expected to make the official announcement that a pandemic has been declared.

Moving to Phase 6 — the highest level — means a pandemic has been confirmed and the H1N1 virus is spreading from person to person in a sustained manner outside North America, where the outbreak began in April.

A pandemic declaration indicates geographic spread, not severity of the illness.

The declaration would mark the first pandemic call since 1968, when Hong Kong flu killed about one million people.

Health officials from Scotland, Indonesia and Thailand said the United Nations health agency would raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 after the teleconference concluded on Thursday. Officials with the UN have also said they expect the declaration of the global pandemic is imminent.
Some countries alerted already

"It is likely in light of sustained community transmission in countries outside of North America — most notably in Australia — that Level 6 will be declared," Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told Scottish legislators, adding the announcement would be made Thursday.

"We are ready, because we have the experience with bird flu," Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters. "The Health Ministry is on the highest alert and people need not panic. We have sent a circular to all hospitals to prepare themselves."

Seasonal flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.

The WHO's latest statistics indicate the virus has infected 27,737 people in 74 countries and caused 141 deaths. Most of the cases have been in North America, but Europe and Australia have seen a sharp increase in recent days.

The WHO had been trying to ready the world for a pandemic declaration for some time, saying the new H1N1 virus shows no signs of abating.

A pandemic declaration would prompt drugmakers — which is expected to be ready by the end of year — to speed up the production of a swine flu vaccine, and prompt government to invoke their pandemic plans and increase efforts to contain the virus.
Moderate effects

Countries' individual pandemic plans could include investing more money into health services, imposing quarantines, closing schools, travel bans and trade restrictions.

The WHO has said it does not support travel bans or trade restrictions in the wake of swine flu.

"The disease is pretty moderate in its effects so far, so you wouldn't want to disrupt daily like too much," said WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl. "We're not in an Armageddon scenario."

The spike in infections in Australia is one reason the world would be pushed to the pandemic level. The WHO listed Australia's confirmed cases at 1,224 by late Wednesday.

Dr. Donald Low, medical director of Ontario's public health laboratories, said much of the world has already been treating the virus as though it was a pandemic for several weeks.

"I don't see what would possibly change calling this a pandemic," Low said.

The virus is already widespread across Canada, and he doesn't foresee any panic being triggered by a pandemic declaration, he said.

As of Monday, 2,446 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus have been reported in all provinces and territories except Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. There have been four deaths related to swine flu in the country.

Earlier this week, the WHO's top flu expert, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, said despite the fact people dismiss the illness as mild, the WHO believes a swine flu pandemic will turn out to be of moderate severity.

Though most cases of the virus have been mild, there are concerns a rash of new infections, especially in the Southern Hemisphere where it is currently winter and flu season, could overwhelm hospitals in poorer countries.
More cases in Asia

Meanwhile, Hong Kong on Thursday ordered all kindergartens and primary schools closed for two weeks after 12 students were found to be infected.

In Duesseldorf, Germany, officials said 26 students at the Japanese International School have tested positive for swine flu.

South Korea reported two new cases Thursday to bring its total to 55, and Vietnam confirmed an additional case for a total of 20.

New Zealand also confirmed four new cases, bringing the country's total to 27, chief adviser to public health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said Thursday. Three new cases were people who had travelled and became sick after arriving back in New Zealand, and the fourth case was a worker whose travel history or links to a traveller had yet to be confirmed, she said.

Malaysia's Health Ministry said Thursday that two more people had tested positive for swine flu, bringing the country's total to 11 cases.
With files from The Associated Press

World in swine flu pandemic, WHO tells countries

Well, I guess it's official. It's the first pandemic in 41 years. But don't panic. The effects are fairly moderate, and this is more or less confirming what many have suspected would happen for a while anyway.

I suppose the best thing to come out of this is that it perhaps will encourage us to take more precautions.

Wash your hands!

The_Jazz · 06-11-2009, 08:08 AM

We got a memo yesterday that someone in my office building has it. The fileroom staff here is under orders to clean all doorknobs on the hour every hour.

Meh.

If the swine flu pandemic finally came true, where's my flying car?

Jetée · 06-11-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

We got a memo yesterday that someone in my office building has it. The fileroom staff here is under orders to clean all doorknobs on the hour every hour.

Meh.

If the swine flu pandemic finally came true, where's my flying car?

meet you halfway:

what's that saying: "When pigs fly.."? Very similarly describes the blown-proportions and supposed statistics that quantify this as the foretold strain that will crush humanity. It's even gotten to the point where this story seems plausible to the general audience:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jetée

source: BBC NEWS | Europe | EU quarantines London in swine flu panic

There has been a small outbreak of “zombism” in London due to mutation of the H1N1 virus into new strain: H1Z1.

Similar to a scare originally found in Cambodia back in 2005, victims of a new strain of the swine flu virus H1N1 have been reported in London.

After death, this virus is able to restart the heart of it’s victim for up to two hours after the initial demise of the person where the individual behaves in extremely violent ways from what is believe to be a combination of brain damage and a chemical released into blood during “resurrection.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alert to phase six, its highest level, and advised governments to activate pandemic contingency plans.

In Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, President Felipe Calderon urged people to stay at home over the next five days.

The_Jazz · 06-11-2009, 08:53 AM

Jetee: my new hero.

amonkie · 06-11-2009, 01:59 PM

The news broke today that someone in our office was officially diagnosed. I was out the door about 10 minutes later to head out to a ball game, but there was definitely a sense of panic in general in the office. I month ago, I think I would have been a little more concerned. Now? Meh.

ASU2003 · 06-11-2009, 02:31 PM

Why don't people use sick time and stay home? Can I use my sick time and stay away from the other sick people in my office?

spindles · 06-11-2009, 03:48 PM

I played golf this week with a guy who recently retired from quite high up in the NSW health dept. His take? People die every year from the flu - why is this any different? In fact, it is quite a mild flu from most accounts.

MSD · 06-12-2009, 07:41 AM

From a friend at the CT National Guard's annual two-week training:

6-10 7:48PM "suspected h1n1 outbreak: army issues nurse masks to those suspected of having it... i am in a room packed with about" message cut off
6-11 6:57AM "Giving a group of 3/4 veterans of 'stan an unexploded ordinence briefing worth spreading swine flu to them? wasnt sick yesterday"
6-11 7:03AM "Am sick now - when i bitched at leadership they asked if i woulda halted training i said no just quarenteen infected/sick"

I'm surprised the local news isn't all over this.

lostgirl · 06-24-2009, 08:51 PM

My friend just called me and told me he just got back from the hospital, he has swine flu. We hung out with him a few days ago. I have been feeling kind of off today and so has my SO. Damn, I hope we didn't get it from him, neither one of us has insurance.

Dick · 06-25-2009, 01:34 AM

Its just a different strand of Flu, as long as you dont have a weakened immune system from AIDS, old age, or some other disease it shouldnt kill you. I am pretty sure I had it, I am a manager at a grocery store and am in contact with nasty people and there money all day. I never get the flu, but happened to get it shortly after a couple confirmed cases came into my town from canada. Its the sickest I have been in 10+yrs, but it was still just a flu.

lostgirl · 06-25-2009, 09:18 AM

I'm not worried about dieing, just hope neither one of us need to go to the doctor. I'm sure we'll be fine though. All I have right now is a really bad sore throat that started last night. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it, we may not even get sick.

MSD · 06-25-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSD

From a friend at the CT National Guard's annual two-week training:

6-10 7:48PM "suspected h1n1 outbreak: army issues nurse masks to those suspected of having it... i am in a room packed with about" message cut off
6-11 6:57AM "Giving a group of 3/4 veterans of 'stan an unexploded ordinence briefing worth spreading swine flu to them? wasnt sick yesterday"
6-11 7:03AM "Am sick now - when i bitched at leadership they asked if i woulda halted training i said no just quarenteen infected/sick"

I'm surprised the local news isn't all over this.

Update, it did make it to the news, but then the Swine Flu outbreak was downgraded to regular flu outbreak.

Charlatan · 06-25-2009, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostgirl

I'm not worried about dieing, just hope neither one of us need to go to the doctor. I'm sure we'll be fine though. All I have right now is a really bad sore throat that started last night. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it, we may not even get sick.

You probably have it. Just keep checking your temperature.

I am sure we will get it soon enough as it has started to spread through our island nation...

My family and I are traveling ot Vietnam next week and am sure exposure will occur at the airport.

05-04-2009, 04:26 PM	#123 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	They are getting increasingly serious about it here. In addition to the mandatory screening at the airport (thermal scanning all arrivals) they are also instituting workplace safety. All visitors to the building I work in have to have their temperature checked prior to entering the building. The schools are also in on it. All children have to have their temperature checked before going to school and have their temperature entered into their school agenda to be checked by the teacher. If their temperature is over 37.9°C (for children aged 12 and below) or 37.6°C (for children above 12 or adults) they are to stay home. We have similar policies in my office. If you have flu symptoms you are requested to stay home. All unnecessary business travel has been cancelled. All personal travel must be reported. If the destinations are to be made to affected areas you must take a 7 days vacation (your vacation time) upon return before returning to the office. I know that SARS really hit hard here but geez... this just seems to be over the top. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

05-04-2009, 04:48 PM	#125 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	All over my university the Student Health Service has posted signs reminding everyone to wash their hands, cover their coughs, and stay home if they're sick. A student at a nearby university came down with it, and they closed that campus entirely. It hasn't come here yet, but we'll see. I wouldn't mind staying home for a few days. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

05-05-2009, 03:23 PM	#127 (permalink)
itsnick Upright Location: here...come visit	From across the pond... ..It claimed a good friend....deeply troubled by his own demons the incessant reporting, lists, and media hype helped in some way to tip him over the edge..he had complied lists, based on media reports of what to do, how to avoid it...obsessive lists, scribbled in a panicked fear........ Get real, take normal health precautions..... The swine flu death toll will go nowhere dear the death toll caused by depression and the darkness we ignore in our society... __________________ “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." Mark Twain

05-07-2009, 09:01 AM	#128 (permalink)
hotzot We're having potato pancakes! Location: stalag 13	I wasn't worried in 76, why should I be worried now? __________________ The Bully Boys are here!

05-08-2009, 07:46 AM	#129 (permalink)
Crack Misanthropic Location: Ohio! yay!	__________________ Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex. ~Halx

05-02-2009, 06:16 PM	#121 (permalink)
bodykits Banned	It is sad to know that it is getting worse and spreading around the globe... hope they could provide something to stop this outbreak.

05-04-2009, 11:46 AM	#122 (permalink)
loquitur Junkie Location: NYC

05-04-2009, 05:54 PM	#126 (permalink)
~Melee~ Upright Location: Indiana	I'm not too worried. I already wash my hands plenty often and worrying about it really won't help me any.

05-08-2009, 08:02 PM	#130 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	why do i get the feeling that the worst is over and this news story almost just fell off the edge? smells like a drummed up story if you ask me. sold a lot of papers though...and meds. __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

05-09-2009, 11:42 AM	#131 (permalink)
Shaindra Psycho Location: Massachusetts	The story isn't now. The story is this fall, when we see what kind of mutations have taken place from the people who were infected from this pandemic. Might be nothing. The part about this that scares the CDC types is that it's cross-species combinations of DNA. This is fairly unusual as most viruses stay species-specific. This one is sort of choosing ala carte and combining in scary ways. So far the combinations haven't been particularly lethal, but the stage is set in a way that worries anybody who studies this sort of stuff. So...no need to start looting in the streets for Tamiflu just yet, but if you're sick, stay home. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your mouth when you cough. And stop making fun of people who do all those things. __________________ "Never regret something that once made you smile."

05-09-2009, 11:51 AM	#132 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	what do you do for work shaindra?? im seriously curious __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

05-09-2009, 12:10 PM	#133 (permalink)
cdwonderful another passenger Location: Youngstown, Ohio	Rush Limbaugh says this is just a ruse to keep people from seeing how Obama is taking the country down the road to socialism.........he he __________________ Never try to teach a pig to whistle it wastes your time, and annoys the pig.....

05-09-2009, 12:56 PM	#134 (permalink)
hunnychile Alien Anthropologist Location: Between Boredom and Nirvana	So, all the conservatives & GOPers said that we'll get to have a black President when "Pigs Fly"! .....and on Obama's 98th day,Swine Flu[/I]!!! __________________ "I need compassion, understanding and chocolate." - NJB Last edited by hunnychile; 05-09-2009 at 12:58 PM..

05-09-2009, 01:00 PM	#135 (permalink)
cdwonderful another passenger Location: Youngstown, Ohio	you dont mean to say a fat white conservative would lie....... are you? __________________ Never try to teach a pig to whistle it wastes your time, and annoys the pig.....

05-09-2009, 01:56 PM	#136 (permalink)
hunnychile Alien Anthropologist Location: Between Boredom and Nirvana	Ha Ha....nope. But forgive me cuz I'm in Y-town too. __________________ "I need compassion, understanding and chocolate." - NJB

05-09-2009, 03:03 PM	#138 (permalink)
Emotion Crazy	wait for fall

05-10-2009, 10:41 AM	#140 (permalink)
Psychologist Upright Location: Singapore/Malaysia	Haha, Singapore's lowered the level to yellow. I'm not too afraid of the H1N1 virus. The only reason why the world's panicking is because this particular strain seems to be capable of extreme virulence as well as being able to easily mutate and create novel genetic variants that are harder to control in the future. Every 10-15 years, the flu virus, well, "evolves" and scientists generally can predict how it's going to be and come up with a suitable counter against it, but when faced with a mutant strain that has genetic material from strains that infect different species of animals, it's going to be much harder to predict what kind of strain it will turn out to become. Therefore it makes sense to try to avoid getting the population infected because it spreads, and it spreads fast. I also noticed that certain individuals in the scientific community have posited that it would be better to be infected with it (as in, inoculated) because once our bodies recognise the strain, we might be protected against it in the future. Then again, as with all inoculations, there comes a risk... and basically the medical and scientific community would rather err on the side of caution. Better to prevent masses from getting it rather than deliberately infecting them so that they will gain immunity because it is not exactly confirmed that the infected WILL gain immunity and/or NOT die from it. But in any case, it makes good reason for me to skip work... but that's a different story for a different day grins Last edited by Psychologist; 05-10-2009 at 10:43 AM..

05-18-2009, 03:05 PM	#143 (permalink)
3GPositive Upright	As I understand it there have been about 4000 cases in the USA so far and 3 deaths. I calculate that if it were to spread and half the people in the USA caught it there would be about 112,000 deaths....in it's present mild form. ( 300M/2 x 3/4000 = 112,500) In 1918 Spanish flue also started out mild. Then in the fall it came back and killed millions world wide. We need time to make a vaccine.

05-21-2009, 09:34 AM	#144 (permalink)
lindseylatch Addict Location: Seattle, WA	A lot of the people who have died didn't die from the swine flu. Their immune reaction to the virus damages their lungs, and they then get bacterial pnuemonia. My mom (a doctor) came down with swine flu 2 weeks ago, and is now being treated for pnuemonia. She's still hacking and coughing and has a hard time even walking across a room. It's a little scary, but I think they caught it quick enough (about a week after she got sick they started the antibiotics). She suggested that if I do start getting symptoms I should take Tamiflu. __________________ "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities" "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." "It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." -Voltaire

05-21-2009, 08:24 PM	#145 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	hope she gets better soon lindsey. __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

05-22-2009, 09:22 AM	#146 (permalink)
Ourcrazymodern? still, wondering. Location: South Minneapolis, somewhere near the gorgeous gorge	My tiny South Dakota mentality says: Go to work. Getting sick in response to the news is. Regarding the deaths, there have been relatively few. Tripe isn't nourishing. Think about living. It's fun, right? Why succumb to that which will only eventually afflict you when you don't have to? The new bug is the same as the old bug & we'll work through all of them. Have a good weekend. __________________ BE JUST AND FEAR NOT

05-30-2009, 02:34 AM	#147 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	It's growing fast. Overall... this doesn't seem to be too bad for us in the developed world (some are more at risk than others though). I'm worried about it's effect on poorer countries, where there are less medical supplies.

06-11-2009, 08:08 AM	#149 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	We got a memo yesterday that someone in my office building has it. The fileroom staff here is under orders to clean all doorknobs on the hour every hour. Meh. If the swine flu pandemic finally came true, where's my flying car? __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

06-11-2009, 08:53 AM	#151 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	Jetee: my new hero. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

06-11-2009, 01:59 PM	#152 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	The news broke today that someone in our office was officially diagnosed. I was out the door about 10 minutes later to head out to a ball game, but there was definitely a sense of panic in general in the office. I month ago, I think I would have been a little more concerned. Now? Meh. __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

06-11-2009, 02:31 PM	#153 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	Why don't people use sick time and stay home? Can I use my sick time and stay away from the other sick people in my office?

06-11-2009, 03:48 PM	#154 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	I played golf this week with a guy who recently retired from quite high up in the NSW health dept. His take? People die every year from the flu - why is this any different? In fact, it is quite a mild flu from most accounts. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

06-12-2009, 07:41 AM	#155 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	From a friend at the CT National Guard's annual two-week training: 6-10 7:48PM "suspected h1n1 outbreak: army issues nurse masks to those suspected of having it... i am in a room packed with about" message cut off 6-11 6:57AM "Giving a group of 3/4 veterans of 'stan an unexploded ordinence briefing worth spreading swine flu to them? wasnt sick yesterday" 6-11 7:03AM "Am sick now - when i bitched at leadership they asked if i woulda halted training i said no just quarenteen infected/sick" I'm surprised the local news isn't all over this.

06-24-2009, 08:51 PM	#156 (permalink)
lostgirl lightform Location: Edge of the deep green sea	My friend just called me and told me he just got back from the hospital, he has swine flu. We hung out with him a few days ago. I have been feeling kind of off today and so has my SO. Damn, I hope we didn't get it from him, neither one of us has insurance. __________________ We're about to go through the crucible, but we'll come out the other side. We always arise from our own ashes. Everything returns later in its changed form. - Children of Dune

06-25-2009, 01:34 AM	#157 (permalink)
Dick Insane	Its just a different strand of Flu, as long as you dont have a weakened immune system from AIDS, old age, or some other disease it shouldnt kill you. I am pretty sure I had it, I am a manager at a grocery store and am in contact with nasty people and there money all day. I never get the flu, but happened to get it shortly after a couple confirmed cases came into my town from canada. Its the sickest I have been in 10+yrs, but it was still just a flu.

06-25-2009, 09:18 AM	#158 (permalink)
lostgirl lightform Location: Edge of the deep green sea	I'm not worried about dieing, just hope neither one of us need to go to the doctor. I'm sure we'll be fine though. All I have right now is a really bad sore throat that started last night. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it, we may not even get sick. __________________ We're about to go through the crucible, but we'll come out the other side. We always arise from our own ashes. Everything returns later in its changed form. - Children of Dune