Swine Flu pandemic

[jordox]

Which they already do with the "normal" flu.

This is getting tiresome maaaaaan.

The normal flu and the swine flu are completely different strands and it theoretically could be possible to have both at the same time.

The normal flu is a killing machine. The swine flu is very similar in terms of damage it can inflict. If they were to let the swine flu spread like the "regular flu" spread in the early 20th century, the numbers of dead would dramatically increase.

I can't possibly comprehend where you are coming from in implying that measures shouldn't be taken to stop it. Yes, the media are being knobs and using it to sell papers. Yes, idiots in the street are flipping out about it. But none of that really matters. What matters is making sure this very capable killing machine doesn't spread

Don't know if it's been said yet, but the difference between this and the bird flu is that it can be passed on from human to human. Bird flu could only be passed from bird to human, but swine flu, which we also know very little about, is a mutation of swine and human flu, and can be passed from human to human, which is why it is spreading so fast, and is not contained in Mexico like the bird flu was mostly in Asia.

Yeah, good point. The Swine Flu is in stage 4 (or is it 3?.. .I'm not sure on the numbering) which makes the disease transferable between humans and humans. The Bird Flu was only in stage 3 as you rightly pointed out. That last time something like this went into stage 4 was in the early 1900s, which lead to the 1918 pandemic which as we all know killed an incredible amount of people. Estimates of up to 100 million died from that.

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Please note I am not in anyway saying that this will KILL US ALLLL!!!1one11 and I am fully confident this thing wont become a pandemic. The numerous national health departments and the WHO are very competent and medical science has developed enough to make sure the Swine Flu doesn't do what the Spanish Influenza did. However, the suggestion that this is all a big load of nothing is ludicrous.

So, I've given this thread well over my 2 cents. I guess lets just agree to disagree Sureshot.

 

[Skater]

I agreed with Frank Skinner on Question Time when he said SARs, Bird Flu and Millennium bug may have passed by, but it's important not to get complacent.

 

[Highlander999]

Good post Jordan. I believe this is also Stage 4 (just to clear up any confusion) so as you said, that doesn't mean we are all going to die, it does mean this has the potential to be serious.

 

[Will_NA]

I thought it was stage 5. Stage 6 and the schools close which is a bitch with exams coming up.

 

[Highlander999]

Yeah just got an email from the uni saying it was Stage 5 and if it goes higher they might close and give me an extra long summer holiday and miss my exams which is a double plus

 

[ste_mc_efc]

Well, technically, people don't die of AIDS, they just get a simple illness like a cold with a terribly weak immune system and die.

AIDS and influenza are not the same thing.

AIDS still causes the deaths if the disease would be easily fended off with a fully functioning immune system.

To use a somewhat absurd conceit it's the same for WW1. What caused it: he assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand or the complex treaties/ rising tensions in Europe?


"The normal flu and the swine flu are completely different strands and it theoretically could be possible to have both at the same time."

What exactly is normal flu? There are dozens of strains, not just normal, bird and swine.

 

[Annoyingdevil]

Yes tom is incredibly sexy!!!!
Its a shame that he is not a actor or a model

 

[Cricketdude]

So in this whole furore, anyone like to guess how many will die from normal flu today in the UK?

8. Where's the pandemic?

That's because I bet all 8 of them each day are very very young or very old. The reason this one is big is because it's killing young adults and people in the mid 20's with very good immune systems.

 

[jordox]

Swine Flu has now gone into another stage. The World Health Organisation have claimed that the virus is beyond containment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br80HSGGPek

 

[McLOVIN]

Yeah just got an email from the uni saying it was Stage 5 and if it goes higher they might close and give me an extra long summer holiday and miss my exams which is a double plus

if they close our school, then they will trim down our summer :

 

[Sureshot]

Don't know if it's been said yet, but the difference between this and the bird flu is that it can be passed on from human to human. Bird flu could only be passed from bird to human, but swine flu, which we also know very little about, is a mutation of swine and human flu, and can be passed from human to human, which is why it is spreading so fast, and is not contained in Mexico like the bird flu was mostly in Asia.

H5N1 (the nasty avian flu we "had") killed nigh on 50% of those it infected. This swine flu, which is oh so deadly, isn't any more lethal than seasonal flu in Mexico, outside of Mexico it's proved to be harmless.

I don't know why people make such a fuss over the human to human, or animal to human perspective, we live with both and can't survive without the other half of either way, so it's quite irrelevant.

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I can't possibly comprehend where you are coming from in implying that measures shouldn't be taken to stop it

Don't put words in my mouth, I never said that. I was it's been a complete over reaction to something which is no more dangerous than our normal seasonal flu.

 

[jordox]

Don't put words in my mouth, I never said that.

I never put words in your mouth, calm down. It seemed to me that you were implying that the world health organisation are wrong in making a big deal out of this and that nothing should be done which I disagree with. If you weren't implying that, I'm sorry for misinterpreting you.

 

[Sureshot]

The Mexicans have now said that only 100 or so died from it, not the 170. Nice and reliable people to be taking pandemic information from, then. I'm now hearing more and more saying that it's no worse than normal seasonal flu's.

 

[Cricketman]

Case of swine flu reported in my town. Time to get me one of those human bubble things!

 

[McLOVIN]

Obama spread it! : he was the 1st one to Mexico latly!