Swine Flu: EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE

[Govinda]

So let's discuss the media circus. Channel Four News have actually dispatched a face-masked explorer to haunt centres of infection and gather stories in Mexico City. What. The. ****.

Okay. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world die each year from bog-standard flu. It is not considered news.

These percentages were gathered from Reuters.com.

Remember SARS, the un-scariest disease history? It has a mortality rate of roughly 10%, which isn't too bad.

OMG SWINE FLU (H1N1) meanwhile, has, depending on which statistics the Mexicans feel like releasing on a particular day, a mortality rate of 6-8% (which is, the observant among you will have noted, less than SARS.) Various survivors have reported that it is far more uncomfortable to endure than your average flu, but they're still alive so who cares.

Avian flu, H5N1, is genuinely scary as it has a mortality rate of about 61%, which may be slightly, slightly lowered in the face of an outbreak in places where people have access to hospitals and drugs. It's also quite good at fending off Tamiflu.

Now then. I don't know about other places, but in the UK at least, swine flu has become the latest 'ARE YOU SCARED, YEAH? WELL BUY THIS ****ING NEWSPAPER THEN' story. The rolling news channels seem to have replaced their studio interiors with pictures of nondescript bits of bacteria, and the BBC even has a little icon composed of the spherical H1N1 ball to put next to stories regarding the subject.

The British Government is mobilising its stockpiles of Tamiflu etc. - drugs that we will really, really need when/if the Actually Scary H5N1 virus mutates and starts jumping from human to human - and ordered 32 million face masks which doctors left, right and centre have said are basically pretty crap at stopping infection. I have a sneaking suspicion that they are only doing this because they have to be seen to be doing something in the face of the spread of the virus because if they don't do these things the media, and thus the public, will jump on them.

There is also the issue of the words 'epidemic' and 'pandemic'. They are scary to most people, myself included, until I looked up the WHO definitions. The media have ramped this up by persistently attempting to make them scarier and invoke images from 28 Days Later and such. 'Pandemic' merely means that a virus has developed the ability to jump easily from human to human and has crossed multiple borders and infected people in different areas of the world. End of. It doesn't mean we're all about to die.

Then there is the question of why it's only killing Mexicans, and one Mexican baby who was taken to America for treatment and died in Texas. Scientists are scratching their heads about this one. My opinion is that the only reason people are dying in Mexico is because of their rubbish health infrastructure. Most of the Mexicans aren't dying from swine flu itself, but from complications like pneumonia which can be and are effectively treated in richer countries.


So, what do you think? Are the media sources in other countries and cities clinging to this 'deadly flu' as rabidly as the British media? More importantly, ARE YOU SCARED YET?

[Halie]

Meh, I'm not worried yet, although I hear it's in Cardiff. Very close to my home.

Haha, on Tuesday in my art class, my friend Katie got really freaked out by it and was totally convinced she had it. Our art teacher then announced to the class that she was feeling unwell and had a bad throat, so I said to Katie, "Hey, maybe she has the swine flu". She nearly cried.

My friends have also decided that if it does get to phase 6, I'll be like the dog from I Am Legend or the little kid from 28 Weeks Later, and everyone'll have to inject my blood cells into their bodies to be cured from it. Yaaaay.

[T.G. Oskar]

Then there is the question of why it's only killing Mexicans, and one Mexican baby who was taken to America for treatment and died in Texas. Scientists are scratching their heads about this one. My opinion is that the only reason people are dying in Mexico is because of their rubbish health infrastructure. Most of the Mexicans aren't dying from swine flu itself, but from complications like pneumonia which can be and are effectively treated in richer countries.

There's one thing I have to point out here. I'm not from Mexico, but I get the news pretty much straight (read: force fed by the damned Hispanic television companies that seek to undermine local television) from the source. And as far as I recall, Mexico actually has a quite impressive health infrastructure. They responded to the outbreak pretty quickly, and they're trying to work with other companies to quell the expansion.

Second, the ones that decided to raise the alarm weren't the Mexicans, but the International Health Organization. Since it has, strikingly, spread like wildfire. They're not making the alert because it's a "Dangerous Epidemic", but because it's a "Fast-Spreading Epidemic". The response is as a result of the lack of preparation by the more dangerous avian flu (H5N1) which took most people by surprise.

Indeed, in contrast, the swine flu isn't as dangerous as most think; the killing stroke are complications. Most Mexicans may have access to public health and competitive doctors, but most of them are also impoverished. Their immune health is quite compromised (from having to stave off the effects of contaminated water, not to mention contaminated air on Mexico City). The danger here is that it's a condition that has spread like wildfire, and that has actual air-based infection, which to the IHO is much more dangerous than the actual effects.

However, look at this the worst possible way. Imagine that someone that might have contracted avian flu and probably has a chance of retaining part of the viral pathogen suddenly enters contact with this new variant, which is known for its apparently high speed of contagion. Now, mix and match the spreading power of swine flu with the danger of avian flu. That alone can cause a downright scary situation. Worse if it gets Tamiflu resistance; that's a science-fiction worthy pandemic. Treating this outbreak as mere news exaggeration is equally as stupid and dangerous as NOT treating it.

My recommendation; be warned, but not in panic. Fortunately, most of the local news actually point to that idea. You should be watching and ready to handle the situation, but it's not to be a frickin' alarmist for it. Knowing what "stage 4" (or level 4, or however it's called) is a start; it's not "this virus is frickin' dangerous and it's gonna kill millions" but "hey, we should watch this virus, it's spreading pretty fast." And also, not be so inconsiderate with people; if you have the flu, don't go coughing on people for the lulz. That also means having proper "coughing technique" (and the idea of it is hilarious alone)

[Cheesevixen]

I have few words on this subject. Because honestly it gets me very angry to think about it. First off; channel 11 is the only news channel that properly depicted the un-seriousness of this disease. Secondly; it angers me that Fox news said," Tired of hearing about the swine flu; well let us tell you why you should be very worried about it". Thirdly, Mexico has horrible health procedures, and their cleaning habits are not up to code (I have family that live there). They are almost like a third world country when it comes to health regulations. So I am no so surprised they are having the most difficultly.....that and they don't really have the means to pay for enough vaccines for the whole country. The last an fourth thing I have to say is that more people die from the actual flu every year in this country than the estimations/death toll they are giving us now.

[Unknown Entity]

ZOMG, Im gonna die! Waaaaa!

Meh, I'm not worried yet, although I hear it's in Cardiff. Very close to my home.

Haha, on Tuesday in my art class, my friend Katie got really freaked out by it and was totally convinced she had it. Our art teacher then announced to the class that she was feeling unwell and had a bad throat, so I said to Katie, "Hey, maybe she has the swine flu". She nearly cried.

My friends have also decided that if it does get to phase 6, I'll be like the dog from I Am Legend or the little kid from 28 Weeks Later, and everyone'll have to inject my blood cells into their bodies to be cured from it. Yaaaay.

Evil. I would have done it too, but even if she did have it, chances of her dieing would be lower than someone in Mexico. Though... she'd probably catch more than Swine Flu being in an NHS hospital.

28 Days/Weeks later... That was the first thing that popped into my mind when I heard about this stuff. But not in a scary way, just a jokey way. Sorry, I can't take this seriously. just goes to show the media have too much power in their boots to make us all think this is one scary situation.

I don't think it's all that big a deal. Shit happens. To be quite honest with you, if it does get bad, I believe the human race needs to be taken out. Look what we've done to the world - do we deserve it?

Anyway, I bet it'll all be over by next month.

[Ralz]

This so-called life-threatening disease is nothing more than another version of the West Nile Virus. This thing doesn't worry me much. I wash my hands everyday, anyway, so what's the point of worrying?

[Scorpian]

RUN FLEE PANIC or -insert current pandemic that will kill us all- will spread to you and your beloveds!! Srsly...anyone remember SARS? same stuff different year yet another lousy attempt to panic and boost ratings.

[Govinda]

There's one thing I have to point out here. I'm not from Mexico, but I get the news pretty much straight (read: force fed by the damned Hispanic television companies that seek to undermine local television) from the source. And as far as I recall, Mexico actually has a quite impressive health infrastructure. They responded to the outbreak pretty quickly, and they're trying to work with other companies to quell the expansion.

However, look at this the worst possible way. Imagine that someone that might have contracted avian flu and probably has a chance of retaining part of the viral pathogen suddenly enters contact with this new variant, which is known for its apparently high speed of contagion. Now, mix and match the spreading power of swine flu with the danger of avian flu. That alone can cause a downright scary situation. Worse if it gets Tamiflu resistance; that's a science-fiction worthy pandemic. Treating this outbreak as mere news exaggeration is equally as stupid and dangerous as NOT treating it.

Firstly, the only news about Mexico that we've gotten over here is doctors writing anonymously on the BBC site and saying that they are underprepared and worried, and interviews with sick people standing outside hospitals and saying how TV told them to come to the hospital and then the hospital told them to go home. They were saying that they felt very sick and weren't getting help. Are Mexicans' immune systems so compromised that they can't be cured of swine flu, and then pneumonia or another complication?

Also, swine flu already contains avian flu components, which is where some scientists think it got its ability to jump from human to human from. It is 78% human flu, with pig flu and avian flu composing the rest of the virus. H5N1 remains a separate, and extremely concerning, virus.

Though I do agree with you on being aware. My post was mostly about how the media have hyped it up to death. I mean, read the reaction of Halie's class to a disease which is less dangerous than SARS.

I just want BBC News back, really, and I want people to stop panicking.

[Clint]

This could actually help the world economy. The media gets people all worked up about a very lame virus that only kills people in Mexico City, the most unsanitary place on earth, claiming that the virus could start taking lives elsewhere any day now, and then people go out to doctors and hospitals and blow all their money on flu shots and pneumonia vaccines. The government then takes all that blown money, being as they would be the ones providing the medicine in the first place, and use it to restrengthen the economy. Or, more morbid than that, the virus could be more serious than people like me are letting on, kill off a lot of people, and the government could use the cost of funerals to restrengthen the economy, being as how ridiculously expensive funerals are. Either way, it's a win-win situation.

[KeybladerXIII]

People..come on. It started in Mexico.MEXICO!!! No offense intended, but that place really isn't the Purell and Germ-X center of the world.

[Cheesevixen]

This could actually help the world economy. The media gets people all worked up about a very lame virus that only kills people in Mexico City, the most unsanitary place on earth, claiming that the virus could start taking lives elsewhere any day now, and then people go out to doctors and hospitals and blow all their money on flu shots and pneumonia vaccines. The government then takes all that blown money, being as they would be the ones providing the medicine in the first place, and use it to restrengthen the economy. Or, more morbid than that, the virus could be more serious than people like me are letting on, kill off a lot of people, and the government could use the cost of funerals to restrengthen the economy, being as how ridiculously expensive funerals are. Either way, it's a win-win situation.

Who's side are you on? O_O j/k

I believe in someway that is the very reason the media is hyping it up so much, and I definitely think that is what everyone here is basically implying. The media isn't scaring us just to scare us. They are doing it for a very specific reason.

I don't see it as simple as you say though. I live in Houston. Houston has had two confirmed cases of swine flu in the area, and two more suspected in the past 24 hours. Due to said scares schools have begun shutting down. If more businesses will follow.The infected have successfully been treated and cured and initially sent home. No money for government in that.

If a mass infection happened; because Houston is so large we will basically be forced to suffocate on our own population and pure fear. To me the only formidable reason for this flu scare is to keep the US on it's toes because something much more frightening is coming, and the government needs to know we are prepared.

[Itachi Uchiha]

I will admit that before reading this thread, I was one of those panicing people over this new strain of H1N1. However, I do usually get worked up whenever I hear about such things i.e Avian Flu, SARS (bad times). So it does seem, after reading these posts, that it is infact the media who are blowing this situation out of proportion.

I mean before this, I would go into quiet withdrawal at the sheer mention of swine flu (and thats hard to avoid at college and other public places when everyone talks about it). But after reading the facts, or at leats I hope they are, that Govinda provided in the first post, my fears are at rest.

And it is after seeing that, that leads me to say it was the media's fault for my concern. I mean before it even hit the news I saw it on wikipedia and I wasn't that fearful of it. But if the media, from the off, told us, or as soon as they knew, that this flu wasn't as bad as previous strains such as SARS, then clearly what would have been the need for me to panic so much? I feel some what stupid in a way that I before this, I'd actually asked for the TV to be turned over whenever it was mentioned on the news!

Such a shame the media has such power over the public.

[RamesesII]

You do have to remember it is a strain of Influenza A wich is the worst strain there is, in Australia last year i think it was we had a case of the normal Human Influenza A pass over and the elderly and young and even the healthy were being ravished by it not only that but the deaths in Mexico have reached what 150 or something like that and they are all in shock panic hutting everything down now only about 1/4 of these deaths have been proven to be from Swine flu and the rest unconfirmed, in my opinion they are making a mountian out of a mole hill it's ridiculous chemists around Australia are beind sold out of Tamiflu and Flu medication for gods sake people settle bloody down if you are hygenic in the first place then you should be right not only that but as long as you hit it on the head within 48 hours you will be right its not like it bloody kills you with minutes the media as usually has blasted the whole thing out of context.

[Rocky]

So far, there have been 109 confirmed cases of the swine flu, resulting in 1 death in the United States. I guess we have a ways to go.


But yeah, I think even the yearly flu gets higher fatality rates then one death, at least over here. Hopefully the media does it's job and overhypes the shit out of this Swine Flu business, because if the opportunity arose to travel to somewhere like the Dominican Republic or somewhere nice for a cheap fee, I would jump straight on that.

[Violet]

Swine flu shuts 300 schools across the U.S. - Swine flu- msnbc.com

I'm not really scared of the whole thing, as I have a pretty good immune system(I was surrounded by several people with the flu for like.. a month or 2, and I never caught it). Also, they'll try to have a vaccine ready by fall, so it's not like all hope is lost. I'd just say sit tight and do what you do every day, just wash your hands and don't bite your nails..or pick your nose.

[Pete]

The people who are really bugging out about swine flu are the same people who think the DaVinci Code is real and also panicked about Y2K. It's just the Pog of diseases. It'll be cool for a little while, then in a year we'll all laugh about how into it we got.

Well, except for the people who died. I don't think they're laughing.

[Cain Highwind]

I'm being a little extra cautious, but not too worried. There was even something on the news saying the health department of Riverside County (where I reside) here in California was one of the best and most prepared for something like this. What I AM worried about is the possible impacts it could have on my upcoming vacation to New Zealand. I've been waiting all year for this trip and I'd hate to come down with it from close contact on a plane/at the airport. But since I'm not leaving until July, I'm figuring it should die down by then.

[RamesesII]

The people who are really bugging out about swine flu are the same people who think the DaVinci Code is real and also panicked about Y2K. It's just the Pog of diseases. It'll be cool for a little while, then in a year we'll all laugh about how into it we got.

Well, except for the people who died. I don't think they're laughing.

Hey that's unfair -sob- i believe the Da vinci code is true lmao but i am not scared or bugged out about it, as long as you practice good hygiene and don't spit on people when you talk to them or start shoving your tounge down someones throat if your sick lol. No but on a serious note human kind survived the ice age, The black Plague, Pollio etc so we can survive this you treat it like a normal Flu.

[01habbo]

Really I don't get worried about it anymore, the papers always think we are going to die. It's nothing new. The media just stir up the public, scare them so much, just to sell papers. Now I'm not saying that noone dies, but it is a low percentage, and it's very likely not going to happen to you. With Bird flu the papers were saying we were all going to die and I'm still here.

[OceanEyes28]

or pick your nose.

Oh I'm ****ed.


The flu is unpleasant. I wouldn't want the damn thing, swine, avian, or.... dog (dog flu, look out!). So I'll keep doing what people should be doing anyway. And ignore the frenzy (yesterday afternoon, they said it was PHASE 5!......!!!!!!).

I read an article this morning about how Egypt has started killing pigs. And that was all the news I wanted to read this morning.

[winterborn86]

I don't know much about it as I'm not a news watcher/reader, but my mum said the UK shouldn't be to be to bad cos we are more medically advanced than some places that are getting hit by the flu. fingers crossed thats she right lol. I honestly havn't iven any thought about it, I'm not the type of person to get worked up and panic about it cos I don't know sh*t about it, and I don't want to know either. I don't to spend everydy thinking "omg omg, theres a flu, what if I get it, oh no" I don't wanna live like that so I'm happy to not pay any attension to it. Some of you might think that is weird, but hey thats me

[Unknown Entity]

Oh I'm ****ed.

So am I. J/k.

I read an article this morning about how Egypt has started killing pigs. And that was all the news I wanted to read this morning.

*raises an eyeborow*

My mum is more worried about it that me - she bought tons loads of hand hygiene gel (which I already carry around with me anyway), and gave me and my brother a bottle each.

Everyone thinks I have it, because I cought the cold my mum had last week, before this Swine bollocks. I'm not even suffering! Just a little cough, and everyone is running for the hills! It's like... wtf?

Heh. What makes me laugh is that everyone thinks you are insane if you say you don't have it.

[Govinda]

I've had a headcold/coughs/sneezes/sore throat thing on the go since Monday - my mum phoned me and freaked out when she heard my bunged upness. She let it go, though.

Plus, having the flu at a time like this and working in the airport is, I shit you not, the most fun thing EVER. I had like no customers on Wednesday. I'd sneeze (politely into my tissue, I might add) and they'd scatter from my counter like marbles. It was insane fun to watch. Probably makes me an evil person, but hey, I despise people once they cross the threshold of my airport. They are, as a general rule, nice to we workers roughly 5% of the time. Revenge. I has it.

[Maridia]

I'm not too worried. You know I heard one day all these things on the news in the paper, online. Everywhere how we're pretty much all gonna die. So as usual I don't take what i hear very seriously. A few days later the WHO, not the Pete Townshend one raised the alert level. So I said okay lets check it out. And then I see how as odd of a disease it may be it's really not a huge threat. It's not like we're digging a hole for thousands of bodies to burn with hazmat suits on. In the end oddly enough much like the regular flu it kills oldies and babies. (Yes I said oldies) And seeing as I'm not either I'm not gonna worry even if I do come down with something until I'm said to be doomed I'll take it one day at a time.

[Musashiden]

Um, anyone who is even remotely scared of the swine flu is a puss.

Me and Kyo, as well as my entire family (minus my grandmother) all got it, and yeah, it was a pain in the ass, but I'm still here. She's still here. My folks aren't dead. It's just a hardcore flu. Big. Effing. Deal. I fart in H1N1's general direction. It's mother was a hamster, and it's father smelt of cheap Mexican tequila.