04-27-2009, 12:06 PM | #51 | ||
Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Oh no! The egg McMuffin I ate had Canadian Bacon on it. I am doomed!
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04-27-2009, 12:12 PM | #52 |
Coordinator
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Location: Big Ten Country
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04-27-2009, 12:19 PM | #53 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: St. Louis
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How do they take a swine flu victim to the hospital? A hambulance.
Have you heard the latest news story about the swine flu, it's really a big boar. |
04-27-2009, 12:22 PM | #54 |
General Manager
Join Date: Nov 2002
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Apparently there are possibly some cases in the Houston area...
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archi...04/post_79.html • The disease may have reached Harris County. There are rumors circulating in the Texas Medical Center this morning of a few suspected cases of swine flu in Harris County. Houston Health and Human Services spokeswoman Kathy Barton said, "We are in active surveillance mode. We have cases we are interested in, but we are only going to talk about confirmed cases." Confirmation may come later today. ...and a school district near San Antonio shut down completely for at least a week. SCUCISD Classes Canceled All Week - Health News Story - KSAT San Antonio SCUCISD Classes Canceled Due To Swine Flu SAN ANTONIO -- The Texas Department of State Health Services on Sunday announced that all 14 schools and district facilities in the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District will be closed effective immediately after several more flu-like illnesses have been discovered in the department's ongoing swine flu investigation. The closure will be in effect for at least a week for 11,000 students and 1,400 district employees. All extracurricular activities also were cancelled.
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04-27-2009, 12:43 PM | #55 | |
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That was a close call. I think maybe there's a reason you are still here on earth. Something you were meant to do. |
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04-27-2009, 02:16 PM | #56 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Swine flu and now an earthquake. Mexico is doomed!!! DOOOOOMMMMED!!
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04-27-2009, 05:07 PM | #57 |
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It's pretty ridiculous to see the media freak out so much about something that has caused about 150 deaths worldwide.
It was only about 40 years ago that about 35,000 died in the U.S. alone from the Hong Kong Flu. And only about 90 years since the Spanish flu killed 675,000 here. How would the media cover something like that today? It boggles the mind. Last edited by molson : 04-27-2009 at 05:08 PM. |
04-27-2009, 05:11 PM | #58 | |
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It's something new for them to report, so they don't have to keep depressing us with news on the economy... /tk
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04-27-2009, 05:14 PM | #59 |
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I don't know about you guys, but, all this swine talk makes me want to get a BLT.
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04-27-2009, 06:45 PM | #60 |
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I'm having pork chops tomorrow night, doing my part in the fight
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04-27-2009, 07:10 PM | #61 |
Coordinator
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Wonder how business is going at the Piggly Wigglys...
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04-27-2009, 07:20 PM | #62 |
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: St. Louis
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What I don't get about this story is why the intense media coverage? Obviously most everyone is mocking it on here but I also consider this site to be above average intelligence. But even my friends and coworkers think it is way overblown. (And I sadly can't say that about stuff like American Idol or the Octomom) Where is the audience for this story?
I do have to admit though that I am fascinated watching this thing pick up steam and go completely over the top. I am actually actively checking sites during work to see what ridiculous story they have next. 40 more people sick in NY! Add that to the probably 30,000 that have the other flu's and you have quite a story. Not even saying it isn't news. A 100 died in Mexico and the flu is now in this country so I expect some coverage. But it seems as though the 3rd world nature of Mexico is more of the culprit for the deaths than the virus. And while I would hope in a perfect world that 100 deaths makes the news there are like 5 stories a day from other countries with high death tolls that don't get even page 5 coverage. Maybe it will become big but they do this so often and so early with every story that when something catastophic does happen they will have cried wolf so many times we won't know what hit us. |
04-27-2009, 07:43 PM | #63 |
Pro Starter
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The only part of this that is unusual is that it's been hitting people in their prime who apparently don't get hit this hard. Also that swine flu doesn't normally jump person to person. However, here in the US it's acting like a fairly typical flu, which can (and does) kill, but for the most part is just making people sick.
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04-27-2009, 07:44 PM | #64 |
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I guess I'm the guy who doesn't understand why the coverage is a big deal.
WHO just went to the 4th of 6 levels of alert, with the next level likely to bring travel & trade restrictions, and level 6 being an official pandemic. More importantly though, to borrow the phrasing from one of the many articles "the issue is a never-before-seen strain that people have little if any natural immunity to". Meanwhile the U.S. is cautioning against travel to Mexico, the EU (or the head of their health agency unofficially) is cautioning against travel to Mexico or the US, and several countries including Russia and Taiwan are starting to quarantine travelers who show symptoms while China wants pretty much any inbound traveler has so much as sneezed in the past couple of weeks to check in with them upon landing. I mean, how much bigger does this need to get before it warrants some attention instead of another 3 minutes on some other topic that the average person can't do jack shit about either? This is the newest charging rhino on the block, whether it stops charging before it makes contact or not doesn't mean it isn't heading this way with a bad attitude.
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04-27-2009, 07:55 PM | #65 |
College Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
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Is the question why is this news or why is the media coverage over the top and borderline silly?
JiMG and gstelmack listed several of the reasons why this is news and why WHO and others are reacting as such - direct human to human transmission, novel strain, young, otherwise healthy victims, and perhaps unusually high mortality (iirc, Spanish Flu killed less than 5% of those infected). Does poor media coverage really suprise anyone? |
04-28-2009, 11:08 AM | #66 | |
Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
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This article gets bonus points since it mentions an actuary:
Millions and Millions Dead | The Onion - America's Finest News Source Quote:
Last edited by Passacaglia : 04-28-2009 at 11:09 AM. |
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04-28-2009, 11:23 AM | #67 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicagoland
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So, I consult for pharmaceutical companies, including my current client. Given the number of MDs, Ph.Ds and RNs floating around the office, this has obviously been a big topic of conversation. Of course, however, these people are super-informed.
Here's my understanding of why this is important: Any flu virus has the potential to become a pandemic, and the actions being taken by the WHO and CDC are good practice, common sense actions for this type of threat at this point in the process. The news media are taking these actions, combining it with little science, extrapolating out to the worst case scenario, and trying to get their audiences all riled up. That's not to say that the worst case scenario won't happen, but it should be noted that worst case scenarios usually don't happen. While there are some aspects of the current virus that are of unique note, there's still too little data, and too small of an incidence rate, to draw strong conclusions. Based on what I'm hearing, there's certainly no need to panic, but the recommendations for restriction on travel certainly do make sense until more is definitively known about the virus. While it's not outside the realm of possibility that this will turn out to be a particularly virulent or devastating strain of flu, it's probably more likely that we'll see a few dozen or even a few hundred more deaths and then it'll fade. So, it's worth keeping up on, but it's not "OMG PANIC" time yet. |
04-28-2009, 11:32 AM | #68 |
Coordinator
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I guess my problem with how this has been covered...according to the CDC website, annually, 250k to 500k people die EACH YEAR from the flu and we have a little over 100 that have died. Where is the media alarm bells from years past when up to half a million people have died from the flu?
100 compared to up to half a million seems a bit off kilter here.
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04-28-2009, 11:36 AM | #69 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Wisconsin
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I love some of these questions on the 'ask the Dr.' portion on CNN
"Is there a way to irradiate money in order to attempt to kill this virus on coins and dollar bills to attempt to stop this spread through currency, or should we use bank cards only in order to decrease the cross contamination currency could cause." "I was wondering as far as the swine flu is concerned, would it be tied to the rocket launch that N. Korea sent into the ocean last month? It just seems crazy that the majority of the infected are in the costal states, especially mexico, which is directly across from Korea. I believe that the virus seems to be man-made and could have possibly been sent into the ocean to where it would contaminate the water." "wonder if we were so smart years ago allowing the commercial air carriers to cut back on the number of air exchanges on flights. As I recall, to save fuel, the carriers reduced the air exchanges from over 30 to less than 5 per hour. I always turn off the overhead air vent when flying. At least anecdotally, it seems obvious that with such a reduction, the incidence of flight-related airborne illnesses has risen. Perhaps the governent should focus its attention on this aspect of the crisis and encourage the carriers to re-up the number of in-flight air exchanges." "What are the chances of this being a genetically created virus by a pharmaceutical company who will miraculously present the cure a month from now and generate millions in profit." *L* oooookay.
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You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its... |
04-28-2009, 11:40 AM | #70 | |
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Quote:
Twenty bucks says this question came from one S. Palin, Alaska. |
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04-28-2009, 11:54 AM | #71 |
Hall Of Famer
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Location: Back in Houston!
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Mustang- the sad thing is that while I'm sure some of those are the gems- there are many more that are just as bad
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04-28-2009, 12:58 PM | #72 | |
Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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Quote:
None of these questions surprise me. Anyone intelligent is actually at work and doesn't have time to surf the internet for information about a superflu. Except all of us that is. |
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04-28-2009, 12:59 PM | #73 | |
Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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Quote:
My wife's boss had a business trip planned to Mexico and canceled it. Not so much worry about dying there but picking something up and being quarantined. |
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04-28-2009, 01:01 PM | #74 | |
Head Coach
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Location: North Carolina
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Quote:
I think that (1) the media knows that fear = ratings, and (2) because this virus is new and unknown, there is a chance that it could really take off due to a lack of natural immunity to it. |
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04-28-2009, 01:01 PM | #75 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edinburg,TX
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Our first school closing down here in this area. I blame San Antonio and Houston though, not Mexico. It clearly jumped over us from Mexico and those snobby bastards brought it back down here just to screw us.
SWINE FLU HITS VALLEY? | school, district, students - Now - TheMonitor.com
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You Stole Fizzy Lifting drinks! You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and steralized, so you get NOTHING! You lose! |
04-28-2009, 01:03 PM | #76 |
Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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My wife is flying from Seattle to Boston today. Hopefully they wait to shut down the airlines until she gets back.
actually... |
04-28-2009, 01:12 PM | #77 |
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edinburg,TX
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Huh. I haven't paid much attention to this really, but as of yesterday morning I have had a slight fever, body aches, and a cough that kills my lungs. I just read those are symptoms. The cough is the only thing bugging me so...oink, oink.
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You Stole Fizzy Lifting drinks! You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and steralized, so you get NOTHING! You lose! |
04-28-2009, 01:27 PM | #78 | |
Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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Quote:
Maybe we need to ask CNN if this can be passed through the interwebs |
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04-28-2009, 01:39 PM | #79 | |
Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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just got this email
Quote:
I have a mid term in that class on Thursday. I wonder how many cases of Swine Flu will be popping up between now and then |
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04-28-2009, 01:43 PM | #80 |
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Join Date: Oct 2000
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Prof. XXXXXXXXXXX?
Didn't know you were a mutant.
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You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its... |
04-28-2009, 01:45 PM | #81 | |
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Quote:
Unfortunately that is correct. There was one in there about sanitizing slot machines since the elderly visit casinos a lot and they are susceptible to the flu. Give them an A for creativity at least.
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You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its... |
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04-28-2009, 01:47 PM | #82 | |
Favored Bitch #1
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: homeless in NJ
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could you imagine this happening in NY or some other major US city?
Quote:
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04-28-2009, 01:52 PM | #83 | |
General Manager
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Location: The Town of Flower Mound
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Quote:
That's my big worry...either all of my employees getting sick and us having to shut down, or everyone becoming shut-ins and not going out to eat. Either way, that puts a huge damper on business...
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04-28-2009, 01:54 PM | #84 | |
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Location: homeless in NJ
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yeah, you are obviously much closed to ground zero. have you decided on your trip? Is it to a resort area? |
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04-28-2009, 02:05 PM | #85 |
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We've switched to Barbados instead. I'm not sure what her source was, but she said she heard that the kids in NY who are sick had been in Cancun, and that's where we were going to be flying in to. I would much rather be safe than sorry, though I'm still not 100% worry free considering we're going to be on airplanes with recycled air with people who have been god knows where for a total of 14 hours...
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04-28-2009, 02:09 PM | #86 | |
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Quote:
I'm definitely agreeing on number 1. However, since I have now tuned out the news about this, is the media at the very least trying to explain number 2 or are they still calling it a pandemic and just relaying how many new cases have been reported?
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04-28-2009, 02:10 PM | #87 |
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It doesn't qualify as a pandemic yet. Anyone who's saying that doesn't know what they're talking about.
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04-28-2009, 02:42 PM | #88 |
Coordinator
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I'm not sure I can find the link anymore, but I read yesterday that Chicago Public Schools instituted a "no handshakes" rule.
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04-28-2009, 02:44 PM | #89 |
Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
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My bad, looks like it was just one school in Chicago:
Chicago Public Radio Blog » Handshakes Banned on Swine Flu Fear | News and Notes from WBEZ |
04-28-2009, 02:55 PM | #91 |
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04-28-2009, 03:04 PM | #92 | |
Coordinator
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Quote:
OH NO I HAVE BIRD FLU! |
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04-28-2009, 03:26 PM | #93 |
Coordinator
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Should have ate the fish...
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04-28-2009, 03:37 PM | #94 |
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04-28-2009, 03:42 PM | #95 |
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No reason to be sorry. We are all (mostly) friends here even if we want to flog each other at times.
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04-28-2009, 03:55 PM | #96 |
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04-28-2009, 04:08 PM | #97 |
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Well, there's been one case found in Northern Indiana. This prompted our school district, in Southern Indiana, to issue a memo to have us remind our students about proper hygiene, etc (which is fine). Then, an Indiana Health official then came out to talk about safety measures, including not shaking hands.
There's been even talk that some districts may close if they get as many as one case. Is this media driven? I think so. |
04-28-2009, 04:52 PM | #98 |
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That picture is 80,000 kinds of awesome.
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04-28-2009, 06:47 PM | #99 |
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Back to seriousness, while I think the media is blowing things out of proportion, I found a link to this free online book on Boing Boing:
Microbial Threats to Health: The Threat of Pandemic Influenza (Microbial Threats to Health: The Threat of Pandemic Influenza), written in 2005 and published by the National Academies Press. Actually, if you sign up (free) you can download the PDF. /tk
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04-28-2009, 06:59 PM | #100 |
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Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit taking pig flu vacine.
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