"Swine" Flu - What To Do?

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:02 am

With the medical experts on this forum, I figured it would be sensical to post some articles about this new "pandemic" and see what some of their suggestions are.

This could prove to be an intense discussion and I put it in the debate thread because some people might not want to see this thread blinking or not blinking at the top every day, sometimes ignorance is bliss. If mods deem it needs to be moved, there will be no fight from me, but I do expect some debate on some level.

The Symptoms

Some Knee Jerk Reactions

Calming the U.S.

What's To Come

N.Y. Schools React To Cluster

Ground Zero? Townspeople Convinced.

Table of Outbreaks in the U.S. on Wikipedia, with citations and sources (checked 'em all out).

[Edited on 29/4/09 by Ult_Sm86]

Bamfing_Bob · Post by **Bamfing_Bob** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:58 am

I didn't read any of the articles, just so you know...
But I think it's good to have people informed, but all this talk of pandemic and national health crisis only serves one purpose: freaking people the fuck out. Hypochondiacs have enough on their plate already, seriously. The media's damn good at it though...

Post by **HoodedMan** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:12 am

At least the media's going to be busy today on the 100 Days spiel and might forget all their swine flu footage.

The Drastic Spastic · Post by **The Drastic Spastic** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:40 am

Whoa, I better quit going to work in case I get sick!

Crocodile Hunter · Post by **Crocodile Hunter** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:39 am

The whole pandemic is a huge safety hazard to poor people and countries with a bad health care, it's a low hazard to countries with good medical care.
I live in a latter one.

No need to panic, no need to hype.

[Edited on 29/4/2009 by Crocodile Hunter]

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:17 pm

Well a Texas toddler is apparently the first in the U.S. to die from this thing, but they were saying there will be at least one death. It's unavoidable in such a large population.

My question is why is the press so heartless that they're putting up the "First Death"... like they're expecting more. They seem to instill more panic than reason and it's getting old.

Post by **fourpawsonthefloor** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:46 pm

They always do this. Remember SARS? Bird flu? And then people jump in their cars without a thought. Honestly...how many people are going to die driving today? A helluva lot more than the swine flu is going to even infect.

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:06 pm

It's funny that there's all this media attention about closing borders and people taking their kids out of school.

Flu viruses are "envelope" viruses which means that they don't last long outside the host.

Therefore, the answer to all these potential flu epidemics is to wash your hands.

-e

Post by **Slarti** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:24 pm

Ult_Sm86 wrote:Well a Texas toddler is apparently the first in the U.S. to die from this thing, but they were saying there will be at least one death. It's unavoidable in such a large population.

My question is why is the press so heartless that they're putting up the "First Death"... like they're expecting more. They seem to instill more panic than reason and it's getting old.

Well, the kid died in Texas, but he was from Mexico City and also had underlying health problems.

I'm always paranoid about germs, but even I'm not freaking out about this. Wash your hands, be careful, go to the doctor if you're sick -- it seems pretty common sense.

Jeremus · Post by **Jeremus** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:25 pm

I live in Central Texas, and so far I haven't seen anybody around here wearing a mask. The little boy who died in Houston was a Mexican citizen visiting relatives in Brownsville (on the border) and was transferred to the Houston hospital when his condition worsened...(or so I've heard).

Personally, I don't understand the panic (even in Mexico) except for the fact that this flu may have started in Mexico and under the radar of WHO. I read on the CDC website that and average of 36,000 people die of flu and flu related symptoms every year in the U.S....including about 55 children this year alone. There are 18 million people in Mexico City (over 20 million if you count the surrounding area) and there are only about 140 suspected deaths from swine flu (maybe more reported today).
If this were a strain of flu that was killing everyone it was infecting....or even a quarter of everyone it was infecting, then I'd be worried. But as of now, I'm not. It seems to be that if 36,000 people die from "regular" flu....then that's normal and nothing to be bothered by,....but if one person dies from swine flu, then it's time to panic.

That's not to say that I don't feel bad for the people who died or that I'm just writing them off as statistical numbers (which I guess I am in a way....sorry). But I just don't feel that it's something to worry about just yet. And being in close proximity to Mexico, I'm basically at a point where I think: if I get it, I get it....can't do anything about it. I get the flu just about every year (except this year...knock on wood) so whatever happens, happens. I'm more worried about my parents....but not just about the swine flu....any flu could do them in.
I'll change my mind if the ratio of people who get the swine flu and the people who die from it are in the same neighborhood.

I guess that's my two cents worth.....

wingyding · Post by **wingyding** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:44 pm

While I have hitherto remained firmly in the category of Do Not Care, I have to say that the argument is something akin to a chicken running around with its head cut off, thus provoking my response, consisting of three major points:

A) Panicking will do you no good. Be careful with your food even if it is not pork and wash your hands when you should. As we're all over the age of four I think we probably all know when that is in the course of our day.

B) Use your head. If you aren't in immediate danger of contracting a food- or human-borne illness, stop stocking up on medications, they will not do what you think they will when you take them in overlarge doses, more often than not contributing to a mutated strain of whatever it is you're trying to avoid that will just make it worse for everyone else.

C) Do not believe every single thing the Nightly News tells you. There can be wrong information, and speculation in those waters. If you take it at face value without understanding just how much of the 'big scare' is speculation and how much is founded, it could land you in big trouble.

[Edited on 29/4/09 by wingyding]

Crocodile Hunter · Post by **Crocodile Hunter** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:54 pm

Great, apparently a lot of people from this area have been buying masks.

Which is ridicilous since there have been no cases in whole of North Europe and the flu has only killed two hundred people in Mexico and there are four times as many people in Mexico City than there are in Finland as a whole.

Over reacting is funny.

Post by **Slarti** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 6:12 pm

I've seen this on two news channels today and it makes me go

When interviewed, a guy said he was afraid to eat bacon because he'd get swine flu. Later on another channel a reporter confounded a government official by saying people could get the flu from their pork chops.

pork /= 'swine' flu

There are other reasons to be careful and properly handle and cook pork (and any other food) but it's not because that pork chop is going to sneeze on you.

Did everybody fail basic biology in this country?

Post by **fourpawsonthefloor** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:52 pm

HAHAHAHAHA Slarti. Yeah, I was thinking that. And honestly, does no one know what trichinellosis is? And that's pretty easy. You COOK it. No rare or medium pork. Done.

Garble · Post by **Garble** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:07 pm

fourpawsonthefloor wrote:They always do this. Remember SARS? Bird flu? And then people jump in their cars without a thought. Honestly...how many people are going to die driving today? A helluva lot more than the swine flu is going to even infect.

I suspect more people will die in car accidents because they were distracted listening to stories about this flu on the radio, than will actually die because of being infected by this flu.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:07 am

Well I know this much, after speaking with my doctor today he told me 6 very important points.

1) Everyone from W.H.O. to the U.S. is doing everything they can and doing it all the right way.

2) W.H.O. raises the alert because of things relating to border crossing/trade/etc... so they want to deter this so it doesn't spread. It doesn't not mean people everywhere are falling off the radar dead.

3) The U.S. has incredible healthcare, no matter what Michael Moore or any other idiot says. We have some of the best standards and practices, undoubtedly some of the best hospitals, and some of the best doctors, on this face of the earth (and the other). There will be deaths, but it's not something that is "wrath-of-God deadly. This is not The Andromeda Strain."

4) It may not be the Andromeda Strain, but it is bad. It's no walk in the park, it takes a huge toll on your systems and it's not a pleasant way to go should you try to fight it yourself like any basic flu or cold.

5) I am a cardiac patient. His words were
"You get this? You're fucked. Don't get sick. Someone in your house gets it? Get out. One of your friends? Don't talk to them. Your girlfriend? Don't even think of kissing her let a lone fuck her. Stop everything, stay clean. Your system can't handle this."

6) "You don't have testicular cancer."

That's unrelated but that's why I was there today

anyways

I have a lot of faith in the systems in place to combat this thing and I do feel that the press is running amuck with it and it is shameless, however, I trust my doctor and I firmly believe that now that my sister is "suddenly sick" with "a cold" (though she won't leave her room so i think she's lying to mom and she's afraid of what she may actually have) I'm staying at my best friends. For precautionary purposes and because I don't like my family

[Edited on 30/4/09 by Ult_Sm86]

Post by **steyn** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:05 am

Oh great, two people come back from their holiday in mexico and now SA's in the yellow group. And it's not even confirmed, just suspected swine flu. The one woman is all healthy now, and for the other one, and I quote "She is not particularly ill,"
SA SWine flu Link

No actual confirmed cases, but we got the yellow.

[Edited on 30/4/2009 by steyn]

Crocodile Hunter · Post by **Crocodile Hunter** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:38 am

Omg, one confirmed case of unconfirmed pigflu by a tourist who visited Mexico in 6th largest city of the country...

fuck sakes

And this is the response to the media hype?
I mean, one unconfirmed case and people actually go as far as buying those masks?

We are all going to DIE!

[Edited on 30/4/2009 by Crocodile Hunter]

The Drastic Spastic · Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:24 am

Ult_Sm86 wrote:
3) The U.S. has incredible healthcare, no matter what Michael Moore or any other idiot says. We have some of the best standards and practices, undoubtedly some of the best hospitals, and some of the best doctors, on this face of the earth (and the other).

I never saw that movie, but I was positive his main problem with the system was inequal access due to exhorbitant prices. Loads of people in the US would die if there was a serious illness going around. If you can afford it, no worries I guess.

Crocodile Hunter · Post by **Crocodile Hunter** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:10 pm

The Drastic Spastic wrote:
Ult_Sm86 wrote:
3) The U.S. has incredible healthcare, no matter what Michael Moore or any other idiot says. We have some of the best standards and practices, undoubtedly some of the best hospitals, and some of the best doctors, on this face of the earth (and the other).
I was positive his main problem with the system was inequal access due to exhorbitant prices.

Yeap, he was talking about the US having no social healthcare like most of the countries in Europe have.

Ult_Sm86 · Post by **Ult_Sm86** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:05 pm

Actually what he was saying was that we have a healthcare system that would provide vaccinations for anyone and that we're undoubtedly going to have less of a problem here because of the amount of programs and plans that have already been in place for an incident like this. That and the CDC.

Post by **fourpawsonthefloor** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:27 pm

The pig flu scams cometh, and this to me is probably the closest threat that pig flu is gonna have on most of us.

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:32 pm

They've stopped distributing communion at my church until the swine flu threat is over.

-e

Angelique · Post by **Angelique** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:58 pm

Saint Kurt wrote:They've stopped distributing communion at my church until the swine flu threat is over.

-e

I hope you're kidding!

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:03 pm

Not kidding. I'm on the EMHC mailing list. We're done for now.

-e