Swine Flu Over-reaction?

[airdvr 210]

I've been feeling over the last few days that this has become a media-driven event.

Are we over-reacting?

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[shropshire 0]

Yes .. or better yet YES... I believe that the media has blown it out of all rational proportion.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[jtnesbitt 0]

Where is the option for "We are all going to die once it mutates into a human transferable strain of cat-aids?"

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[Andrewwhyte 1]

159 people have died in the last week. The first US fatal case has now been reported. The scary thing is that the deaths in Mexico have often been of young, previously healthy, adults. No, I do not believe it is a media driven event. 2 million people died in 1968; the 1918-20 "Spanish flu pandemic killed somewhere between 20 to 100 million people. Some economists are estimating that a full blown pandemic will cost the world GDP 5%. The current banking/real estate crises is expected to cost 0.5%. This is as scary as it gets. The crazy thing is, I am not sure there is anything we can do about it. The measures being taken may do nothing but spread the death toll out over a bit longer time.

Going to have my coffee now. Here's hoping I have a sunnier disposition afterward.

[masterblaster72 0]

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I've been feeling over the last few days that this has become a media-driven event.

Are we over-reacting?

Since I don't watch television news, I don't know how sensational coverage of this sickness has become. From what I've seen on the internet, it doesn't seem to me that we're overreacting.

Better safe than sorry -- peoples' lives are possibly at stake here, and there is a large number of people with no concept of manners or consideration (not covering their mouths when coughing in public places especially on buses/trains/planes, etc), which makes them a threat to the health of others.

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[FallingOsh 0]

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The crazy thing is, I am not sure there is anything we can do about it.

Except Tamiflu.

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Stay positive and love your life.

[lawrocket 3]

We will find out in the coming weeks or months whether it is an over or under reaction.

Of course, if 500 people die from this it will be the worst thing ever - even worse than the regular flu which kills 30-40k Americans every year.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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The crazy thing is, I am not sure there is anything we can do about it.

Except Tamiflu.

Maybe. Hopefully, but doubtfull in the end. Viruses are so simple they tend to end run around such things. If their was enough tamiflu for everyone it might head this one off, but there isn't enough to go around.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

I suspect 500 people will be dead within the next 48 hours. Or did you mean 500 Americans?

[lawrocket 3]

I am not in on how many people worldwide die from the flu. I think the average is 36k in the US.

I also reckon that this will be like the normal flu and kill mainly infants, the elderly and immune compromised. Which worries me because my daughter is only 30 months of age.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[airdvr 210]

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159 people have died in the last week.

754 people died in auto-accidents in the U.S. last week.

10,500 people were killed by cancer last week.

Heart disease killed 1538 people last week.

I think we need to keep this in perspective.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[shropshire 0]

+1


Perspective ....... which can be updated as and IF the situation changes.. i.e less of "The Sky is falling" sensational reporting.


Hey Air, are we agreeing on stuff?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Remster 30]

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159 people have died in the last week.

754 people died in auto-accidents in the U.S. last week.

10,500 people were killed by cancer last week.

Heart disease killed 1538 people last week.

I think we need to keep this in perspective.

While I agree that we must keep things in perspective, the auto accident, heart disease and cancer death have been pretty stable. This flue strain has gone from nothing to 159 in a week. That is a cause for concern. To just brush it aside would be very irresponsible.

Remster

[riddler 0]

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Which worries me because my daughter is only 30 months of age.

+1, I have a 30-month-old daughter, and also an 11-month old daughter. But I agree that people ignore the fact that flu is still one of the leading virus killers in the world, much more than HIV. The media is hooked on this story because it feeds fear, and has an easy name.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[airdvr 210]

Kind of off topic but as near as I can tell the budget for CDC is around 8 Billion per year. For this we get the following...

Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.


Why don't they just admit there really isn't a damned thing they can do about this, give part of the 8,000,000,000 to my mother for using her advice, and move on.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[airdvr 210]

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Hey Air, are we agreeing on stuff?

Umm..yes. Must be an epidemic of agreeament somewhere

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[riddler 0]

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This flue strain has gone from nothing to 159 in a week.

I think they're having trouble separating which viruses are killing people. The WHO has so far only confirmed that 7 deaths in Mexico were from swine-flu. It's possible that half or more were from other flu strains, but it's too early to tell.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[Remster 30]

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Kind of off topic but as near as I can tell the budget for CDC is around 8 Billion per year. For this we get the following...

Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.


Why don't they just admit there really isn't a damned thing they can do about this, give part of the 8,000,000,000 to my mother for using her advice, and move on.

You are right. This is the only product from CDC .

Remster

[airdvr 210]

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To just brush it aside would be very irresponsible.

I don't think anyone is suggesting we just brush it aside...but let's tone down the 'sky is falling' media hype.

On another board for travel agents I read that somewhere in Washington state a client's kids were banned from returning to school for 7 days because they just returned from Mexico.

Please.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[masterblaster72 0]

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To just brush it aside would be very irresponsible.

I don't think anyone is suggesting we just brush it aside...but let's tone down the 'sky is falling' media hype.

On another board for travel agents I read that somewhere in Washington state a client's kids were banned from returning to school for 7 days because they just returned from Mexico.

Please.

So in the name of not buying into some "sky is falling" hype, do you think it is worth the risk for those kids to go to school and risk contaminating other kids? Personally, I don't think it is. Better safe than sorry.

***

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Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

I think it would be interesting to discuss why this most basic element of common courtesy is lost on so many people. Nothing irks me more than seeing someone spray their germs in a closed and crowded space.

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[billvon 3,096]

>Why don't they just admit there really isn't a damned thing they can do
>about this, give part of the 8,000,000,000 to my mother for using her
>advice, and move on.

Fortunately most people have a better understanding of what the CDC does.

[Shotgun 1]

I was just reading that Egypt has ordered the slaughter of all pigs in the country:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_swine_flu

That seems like a bit of an overreaction to me.

As for the media here, they seem to be reporting about it responsibly (in my opinion). But I've only read news from the Internet; I don't know how the TV stations are covering it.

[billvon 3,096]

>I also reckon that this will be like the normal flu and kill mainly infants,
>the elderly and immune compromised.

This flu has the opposite effect. It kills primarily healthy people age 20-40. (It's technically their immune response that kills them, but same end result.)

[airdvr 210]

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>Why don't they just admit there really isn't a damned thing they can do
>about this, give part of the 8,000,000,000 to my mother for using her
>advice, and move on.

Fortunately most people have a better understanding of what the CDC does.

Fortunately most people have a better understanding of sarcasm

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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I don't think anyone is suggesting we just brush it aside...but let's tone down the 'sky is falling' media hype.

It isn't the media doing the hype, it's the people we pay to know about stuff like this.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090429/national/swine_flu_expectations