Swine Flu.
Danger Level: 5/6
Current Status: Close to becoming a pandemic.

Discuss.

Moved to Debate/Current Affairs

I think its getting a bit hysterical if you ask me. With our medical facilities it wont be so bad Only reason people have died in Mexico is because they have very sub-par facilities

About 20 people have died in mexico and all across america (where from what i've read it has supposedly spread to). Oh wow, lets all get really worried.

"How many people get sick or die from the flu every year?

Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and more than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu."

Really, it's a load of overhyped crap imo. Worrying things sell newspapers. This makes the perfect story to do so.

I have one thing to say;

OH HAI BIRD FLU REDUX!

Thats exaclty what i said earlier when we got onto the subject of it in Uni... basically a smushed together version of Wynney's and Skillers' posts xD

I think it's fair to say that not a lot will come form this.

I have been keeping an eye on this for a while.

Be aware that the attitude of only a few people or so was taken in the 1918 pandemic, for example.

These things spread extremely rapidly and with little warning. What starts with a mere, say 20 cases in one area can end in many many more cases if adequate containment steps were not taken.

In my opinion, for all its faults the world is acting appropriately. In fact, my main fear is that it could well not be enough.


We have all had the bird flue scare, but it could easily become a reality if we were not trying to prepare. Sure, the news whips up a frenzy, but the fact is I would rather have the governments prepare than be caught out.

It is possible. Should the virus mutate again and become completely resistant to all known anti-viral drugs, we are in for a possible problem and the typical flu virus mutates at least once a year (which explains why people get the flu every year or so) so it may mutate within a year with these advantages.
Bird Flu is also a threat should it mutate and be able to cross into humans (which it currently is unable to do so thankfully).

In my opinion, we are safe as long as we are physically healthy and the medicine still works. However I do feel it is being taken out of proportion by the media who love a good tragedy end of the world story.

Yes, the scientists are right to prepare. But that's the same for every one of those things. They're also curing cancer and the such.

Mass histeria won't help, and I think it will just be like bird flu.

did you know chocolate biscuits are causing obesity in children.

OMG everyone to the bunkers, stop it spreading.

The media is to blame, not the people preparing.

The media should not be trying to scare people into crying to the doctors and stuff...

If that happens no antidote will ever get created... As everyone will be trying to see not ill people

While they should be prepared, remember that there are labs which house far worse things out there...

has anyone seen the episode of scrubs where there's a supposed outbreak ^^

um Its not like bird flu at all the reason that was hyped was because if it did spread from human to human then we would have been screwed. seeing as birds migrate and all. If it hadnt been hyped then people wont panic. and the precaustions wouldnt have been taken seriously. This flu can spread from person to person, and in my eyes the "hype" is perfectly reasonable. They want to prevent it from spreading any further and im bloody glad they are making a big thing of it, especially as there is no vaccine available.

ive seen them maaan, with my minds eye you know, i mean duuude, deadly.

Conspiracy states zombies.

We have plenty of garden tools that could easily be utilized in the event of the undead.

I was thinking of some sort of saw to be in my preference.

Chains and cars Chains and cars!!

While it is true that it's not exactly like bird flu, its still a lot of fuss over something that will eventually amount to nothing.

Or the end of the human race.

Im not worried either, but then I'm pretty much as safe as any human can be aside from my asthma. (for example Im 17 and quite active) and I know how to survive without leaving the house.

If it does spread, we're all equally screwed anyway. So leave the worrying to the scientists for them to stop.

Ive got bigger, nipple shaped things to worry about

lol 20 million in 1918

We dont really have anything to worry about tbh

as it is now, only 2% of cases are fatal