Why you shouldn't fear the "Swine flu"

[Samuel346]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html?eref=rss_topstories


Duh.

[Zeleii]

Well people are little more worried about Swine Flu because (as of now) we believe our bodies have no natural immunity to it. We have some for natural immunity to the flu.

But still, the virus is getting blown out of proportion.

[xXjAmEZXx]

Seasons dont fear the swine flu....

[ThatAuthoringGroup]

Do you know why all those people died in Mexico from Swine flu?

Because they are an impoverished country(compared to US, England, and the like), and a lot of the people don't seek proper medical care when they get sick.

Remember Sars? Avian(bird flu)? How those were reported that they were going to be pandemics and destroy a huge chunk of the population?

Yeah not so much.

Same thing here.

Unless you are very very young, very very old, or have a very crappy immune system, I wouldn't worry about this at all.

Just another example of the media blowing a story out of proportion.

[RedBaron45]

Do you know why all those people died in Mexico from Swine flu?

Because they are an impoverished country(compared to US, England, and the like), and a lot of the people don't seek proper medical care when they get sick.

Remember Sars? Avian(bird flu)? How those were reported that they were going to be pandemics and destroy a huge chunk of the population?

Yeah not so much.

Same thing here.

Unless you are very very young, very very old, or have a very crappy immune system, I wouldn't worry about this at all.

Just another example of the media blowing a story out of proportion.

/thread

[elfreako]

Unless you are very very young, very very old, or have a very crappy immune system, I wouldn't worry about this at all.

Just another example of the media blowing a story out of proportion.

Except that in this case, the stronger your immune system is, the more violently it reacts to this new virus and puts you at risk of serious complications. The 20-30 years old age group is definitly at risk.

Avian flu still doesn't transfer between humans, this virus does.

I'm not sure where the whole "media blowing things out of proportion" comes from. All I've heard so far is health agencies warnings, information about the time required to produce an eventual vaccine, that we are able to fight it with Tamiflu and that other medication, which goverments have piles of now, and that we are generally well prepared to react and contain the virus as opposed to the SARS episode. The mortality rate is reported as low, and the main concern is that it could spread extremely fast.

Not only should we be showing concern (not panic) for this potential pandemic in particullar, which isn't the plague or ebola..., but with the constantly growing human population we need to be able to react quickly on a global basis when such a menace arises. Next time it could very well be a new form of malaria, or maybe a fatal STD that could potentially decimate an entire continent...

Oh wait...

[ThatAuthoringGroup]

You go to the hospital.

They give you a shot.

You recover.

I don't see the problem.

This is just a different flavor of flu, which like the original strain is treatable, and only dangerous if you ignore it and don't seek medical attention.

[frizzy_bj]

There has been one US death. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

I will tell you that as a health care professional, I am not too terribly worried about this. As long as people practice hand washing, covering mouth while coughing, staying home from work while sick, etc...the spread of this flu will be significantly altered.

[jeccaneko]

As long as people practice hand washing, covering mouth while coughing, staying home from work while sick, etc...the spread of this flu will be significantly altered.

I agree with you, but unfortunately not enough people do this. It ticks me off, for instance, when I see people walk out of the bathroom after using it but without having washed their hands. I also see people just rinse their hands for 2 seconds under the water, no using soap. It's better than nothing I guess, but just barely. Stuff like this happens more often than most people would think.

[elfreako]

You go to the hospital.

They give you a shot.

You recover.

I don't see the problem.

This is just a different flavor of flu, which like the original strain is treatable, and only dangerous if you ignore it and don't seek medical attention.

Absolutely, except it has the potential to spread very quickly across the globe since we'll offer no resistance, and that's when trouble starts. No matter what the virus is, an actual pandemic would cause any country's health system to overload, and many people will not be able to receive treatement. There is a legitimate reason for serious concern here, and the media are there to put the factual information out. Now if some buttholes are twisting the facts and using this to push their own agenda (remember the mad cow disease a few years back?), that's an entirely different story.

I don't know what's going on in the news down there, but in Canada no one is telling us to barricade ourselves and close the borders. We're getting the facts and keeping a close eye on any new developpement. I sure hope this alarmist attitude you seem to refer to comes from some the populace and is actually being countered by the media, not encouraged. Then again considering how american journalists have handled the war on terror, I wouldn't be surprised if they were using words like "apocalyptic" and "wipe-out" daily.

[frizzy_bj]

I agree with you, but unfortunately not enough people do this. It ticks me off, for instance, when I see people walk out of the bathroom after using it but without having washed their hands. I also see people just rinse their hands for 2 seconds under the water, no using soap. It's better than nothing I guess, but just barely. Stuff like this happens more often than most people would think.

Yeah, I know! It is absolutely disgusting. I am very hard on the nurses here about hand washing. It is imperative that people that work in health care practice this or the infection will get out of control for sure. I guess I can do my part in making sure that the hospital that I work for is hygiene savvy.:D

[rowtheboat]

It's in England now

[ThatAuthoringGroup]

It's in England now


So don't go to england ;)

See in america when the press gets a hold of something no matter how small, they seem to blow it way the hell out of proportion.

IF THIS SPREADS IT COULD KILL MILLIONS!

That kind of crap.

Gets people scared, worked up, and irrational.

Which is why I stopped watching the news for the most part.

[Apples]

Seasons dont fear the swine flu....

Nor does the wind, the sun, or the rain

[frizzy_bj]

Nor does the wind, the sun, or the rain


lawl. Clever.;)

[Starfleet_Rambo]

Nor does the wind, the sun, or the rain

Come on baby...don't fear the swine flu
Baby take my hand...don't fear the swine flu
We'll be able to fly...don't fear the swine flu
Baby I'm your man...cause I wash my hands

:D

[frizzy_bj]

Come on baby...don't fear the swine flu
Baby take my hand...don't fear the swine flu
We'll be able to fly...don't fear the swine flu
Baby I'm your man...cause I wash my hands

:D


Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I am printing this out and putting it on the break room bulletin board. :D:p

[Starfleet_Rambo]

Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I am printing this out and putting it on the break room bulletin board. :D:p

Hehe. Awesome!

Any chance of taking a pic and posting for us? :)

[frizzy_bj]

Hehe. Awesome!

Any chance of taking a pic and posting for us? :)

I will try for sure. :p

[veng]

I will try for sure. :p

Make sure to wash your hands.

[Der_Lex]

Fear not the swine flu, for life without bacon is not worth living anyway.

Hmmm... delicious, delicious bacon...

[Apples]

You see, I think this is one area where I don't mind the overreaction.

These new viruses crop up with regularity, and you don't know which ones are going to be relatively mild, and which ones are going to be the next "big one" which causes millions of casualties.

If there's even a slightest potential of the later, I would rather see health organizations overreact to a minor threat, than react too slowly to a truly devstating threat.

[Renrock]

Not to mention it could destroy bacon as we know it !

[voodoo618]

Not to mention it could destroy bacon as we know it !

It's the end of my bacon as I know it...x4.

[ThatAuthoringGroup]

I just had a pork loin sammich for lunch.

They can't kill us if I eat em all!

Everyone do your part!

Bacon sammiches for supper for everyone!

[FloodOne]

meh... there's always something out there that can kill millions of people... hell, its happening in Africa on a daily basis...

Nuclear weapons, man made viruses, pandemic/epidemic infectious disease, AIDS, SARS, SIDS, terrorists, the government.... zombies

It's the end of days people, get your shotgun, gas mask and water

[TheClashTheClashTheClash]

There has been one US death. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

I will tell you that as a health care professional, I am not too terribly worried about this. As long as people practice hand washing, covering mouth while coughing, staying home from work while sick, etc...the spread of this flu will be significantly altered.

But that was Mexican toddler coming to the States so wouldn't that make it still 0 American deaths?

[frizzy_bj]

But that was Mexican toddler coming to the States so wouldn't that make it still 0 American deaths?

In theory, yes but they are still probably going to classify it as an American death.

[estemshorn]

Seasons dont fear the swine flu....

nor do the wind or the sun or the rain

[jeccaneko]

I'm actually getting tired of hearing about it, honestly. Feels like the media is freaking out. Yeah, people should be aware of it, but they make it seem like the world's going to end thanks to it.

It's even more irritating when no one has gotten it yet in my state and where I work they sent out a couple of informational emails about it.

[gosox333]

Better safe than sorry, no matter how annoying being safe might be.

[Limelight]

Actually, I'm worried about the opposite effect- since the media basically made a huge **** fit about a type of flu that really isn't any more dangerous than regular flu, the next big thing might get overlooked because of the "fool me twice" mentality.

In fact, I'm a little surprised there's been this much pants-****ting after the SARS think fizzled out.



You see, I think this is one area where I don't mind the overreaction.

These new viruses crop up with regularity, and you don't know which ones are going to be relatively mild, and which ones are going to be the next "big one" which causes millions of casualties.

If there's even a slightest potential of the later, I would rather see health organizations overreact to a minor threat, than react too slowly to a truly devstating threat.

[General Lein979]

This is a problem. Why aren't we addressing this issue?

[Limelight]

This is a problem. Why aren't we addressing this issue?

If anything, it's being over-addressed.

Unless "West Michigan" is a small town in Mexico, then yeah.

[General Lein979]

I give you a 1976 swine flu commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASibLqwVbsk).

[dady5000]

Seasons dont fear the swine flu....

Nor the wind the sun or the rain.

[moose39]

There has been one US death. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu

I will tell you that as a health care professional, I am not too terribly worried about this. As long as people practice hand washing, covering mouth while coughing, staying home from work while sick, etc...the spread of this flu will be significantly altered.

I heard four people died in San Diego County. Who knows? :confused:

It's now at a level 5 pandemic(http://news.lalate.com/2009/04/29/pandemic-swine-flu-level-5/).

[estemshorn]

Nor the wind the sun or the rain.

lawl so far three people have done that..

[thehunted616]

The united states is the only country that blows **** out of proportion.

I hate this country. And the media in it.

[DarkStar33Cdn]

The Issue is blown out of proportion when you realize Influenza kills thousands of people each and every year globally. Your always at risk of something killing you but living in constant fear isn't going to help you any.

H1N1 is just a new recombinant strain of Influenza type-a doing what the viruses does best, evolve into an even deadlier killing machine.

Sounds harsh but this is the same reason why there is no cure for the flu, it evolves so rapidly that in the time a vaccine is created a new strain is already in existence.

[metalhead27]

You see, I think this is one area where I don't mind the overreaction.

These new viruses crop up with regularity, and you don't know which ones are going to be relatively mild, and which ones are going to be the next "big one" which causes millions of casualties.

If there's even a slightest potential of the later, I would rather see health organizations overreact to a minor threat, than react too slowly to a truly devstating threat.

I agree. People are getting burnt out from the media and it overreact to most anything, but I think people are beginning to think a big pandemic can't happen in this day and age. Of course, that's what people thought in 1918 too, which also jumped from swine by the way. Yeah you can't live life in fear, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned or vigilant about these types of things. Pandemics are inevitable after all.

I was watching some C-SPAN this morning (:D) and they had a health official on explaining why this strain is being tracked closely (re peoples immunes systems defenses aren't built up like for the annual seasonal strain, so many more get sick).

[tridentgum0]

In honor of the Swine Flu, you can create a worse Pandemic here. (http://www.phillyd.tv/2009/04/28/are-you-stronger-than-swine-flu-game/)

Seriously, it's addictive. I named my disease Slipknot's Music, and it killed the entire Middle East in a week :).

[SteveoKnievo]

Do you know why all those people died in Mexico from Swine flu?

Because they are an impoverished country(compared to US, England, and the like), and a lot of the people don't seek proper medical care when they get sick.

Remember Sars? Avian(bird flu)? How those were reported that they were going to be pandemics and destroy a huge chunk of the population?

Yeah not so much.

Same thing here.

Unless you are very very young, very very old, or have a very crappy immune system, I wouldn't worry about this at all.

Just another example of the media blowing a story out of proportion.

We have a winner!