Swine Flu
 

Haven't followed this too closely and I'm sure it's just the media blowing up a story, but is anyone else a little worried about this? It seems like one of those things that has the potential to really blow up across the world. Probably not a big issue in the states, but other countries that just don't have our kind of medical systems and infrastructure.

We're due for a major flu epidemic.

U.S. declares public health emergency as swine flu spreads - CNN.com

From the looks of it, it has the about less than 10% morality rate in Mexico right now. That means that it'll just give us the sniffles.

Absolutely love the book :)

SI

Me too.

They're already reporting that the US cases are more mild.

Doctors: No definitive answers on flu deaths among young - CNN.com

200,000 hospitalized and 36,000 die from the flu or complications from it every year. This has to get a lot bigger to reach a typical year.

Yep, media making a epidemic out of a pig's sniffle.

Well, I already wear a surgical mask at all times, so I'm not worried. My best friend said it ruined his wedding pictures, but if he doesn't want me to be safe and healthy, IS HE REALLY MY BEST FRIEND???

i lol'd. more of a chortle really.

I think the bigger story here is what I've seen in some articles, where it says this flu is a combination of "swine, bird, and human flu viruses", which has led some scientists to believe this is a synthetic strain.

That, if true, is the far worse part of this story...at least to me.

You're invited on all future vacations we take.....just for the photo ops.

Just wait until the turducken flu hits.

maybe that's why Madden retired.

I think I have it.

Wasn't the bird flu going to wipe out humanity? I'll worry when we get some random animal's flu, like the titmouse flu or something.

No, SARS was going wipe us out before the bird flu. I remember some discussions here about the media blowing up the bird flu and got criticized for it. As long as the govt health officials are on top of things, no reason to get the ignorant public in a panic.

SARS, killer bees, bird flu, Y2K, ebola... yawn. Like gstelmack said above a shitload of people die from the flu every year. Now a couple hundred will die and people will start wearing masks like it's the end of the world.

This one isn't going to be it, probably. But one of these days, there's going to be one so I'm a bit worried when people just shurg them all off like this could never happen.

And, frankly, I thought the coverage on this was reasonable or at reasonable as we can expect the current media to be. It's pretty loudly shouted that in Mexico there are some deaths but here in the US, there have been all mild strains.

SI

I probably already had swine flu. I had an awful flu that turned into pneumonia. And I happen to work with Mexicans. I got over it just fine.

My wife was with someone this weekend who was with someone who was in Texas and he was in the hospital for three days with the flu.....

I'm fucked.

Agree with you that one of these will be big, but the media is just so irresponsible in scaring everyone and blowing up stories to generate ratings. Here is the TOP story on the local St. Louis NBC affiliate’s website...

No swine flu cases reported in Illinois | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO

That's just sad.

I forgot about SARS. That one did worry me a bit, mainly because I was traveling more at the time.

Oddly enough, foot and mouth is the one that worries me the most (though it's hardly an epidemic) just because of my time in England.

On the other hand, when you're missing part of a lung (like my wife) then anything that's a serious respiratory illness tends to get your attention.

heh nice

Biological warfare?

Don't fear the Reaper!

Greatest intro for a made for tv movie ever, perhaps :D

SI

I agree with your edited comment, SI.

As opposed to having a 90% immorality rate. What a bunch of mexican whores

I've already given two girls Swine Flu. It's too bad, I really thought the three of us could have been friends.

Swine flu, isn't that the past tense of When pigs fly?

I'm always a fan of a good (bad) grammar joke :)

SI

Fuck! :banghead:

I have a Mexico vacation booked started May 12. Gotta decide pretty quick if I'm going to cancel it or not, dammit...

It's all over the news here in Spain and we have already 1 confirmed ill guy that came past week from holidays in Mexico, 20 more guys are in hospitals being examined as they have the flu too but of course it could be the standard one.

Some of the biggest hotel resorts in Mexico are owned by Spanish companies and they had a huge drop off in the stock market today along with airlines that do that route and travel agencies (most of Spanish go to Mexico for honeymoon, and we are starting the weddings season as spring is approaching).

Exactly what we need in the middle of an economic crisis...

This is obviously a government conspiracy to kill off the drug gangs in Mexico.

The government here in the Philippines is on alert and they've dusted off the thermal scanners in the airports used during the SARS outbreak a couple of years back.

This is mostly a preventive measure, though, as there have been no reports of human cases of swine flu here in the PI.

Man...feel like I dodged a bullet the other night. I almost ate the Mexican style DiGiorno pizza...but opted for the Supreme at the LAST MINUTE!!

I never really believed in Angels or things like that...but something (or somebody) just made me change my mind.

Ok, everyone's thinking it, I'll just say it. Start of the zombie apocalypse?

Anyone else remember getting their swine flu shot in the 70's?

What about the children!!!

Just eat some cured bacon.

It's relatively safe to eat pork. It cannot be transmitted by eating properly cooked pork.

xkcd - A Webcomic - Swine Flu

On a side note, I don't think I have swine flu, but I think I've got a bug of some sort. Light-headedness, nausea/stomach gurgling. No fever though, thank goodness. Not the time I want to be out of town on business travel, though. :(

/tk

This all adds to my fear of pigs.

The pigs distracted us with zombies and now they're going to destroy mankind.

[Corny Joke]If you die of Swine Flu...do you go to Hog Heaven?[/Corny Joke]

No, sorry. We're full over here.

I blame the police.