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You compared this to bird flu earlier, Zyph, and that is not a good comparison. WHO never elevated the threat level to 4 in either of those illnesses, and they are on the verge of lifting it to 5 right now over this flu.
To put that into perspective, the level system was introduced because of the bird flu, and has never topped 3 since that time over the bird flu. That means that those who know about these things believe this strain is a far more significant risk than the bird flu ever was.
Instead of using the media's idiocy to gauge the threat level, you should be using the people who never really freaked out about bird flu as your gauge.
The biggest difference being human-to-human transmission. This is not occurring with the bird flu at high rates, but is with swine flu.
Reasonable precautions would be appropriate in this scenario. For example: I would normally not seek immediate medical attention if I had flu-like symptoms. I would rest and take fluids. Now, If I have flu-like symptoms I will seek medical attention. I will also replace my normal friendly handshake with an Obama-approved terrorist fist-bump and wash my hands more often after contacting other people.
I'm not about to stockpile surgical masks or anything, but I think reasonable precautions are warranted in this scenario.
And I guess this is actually a better representation of what I'm thinking when I say that I'm not really that worried about it. I'm not completely and utterly thinking its all made up, and yes I probably will find myself washing my hands a bit more often or being a bit more observant to flu symptoms. But then, if this was getting even half the type of media coverage its getting I'd probably do that simply because there's some truth to the fact that its out there and may as well take a few extra basic precautions.
Its the people that are now forgoing eating pork because they think they'll get it. Its the people that think they need to walk around with surgical masks on. Its the people that are acting like this is the next coming of the black plague that bother me.
There's taking reasonable precautions to a disease that legitimatelly is real, just like bird flu or sars or whatever is real and just like the normal flu is real, and then there's going over the top and blowing it out of proportion to great lengths.
I guess when I talk about my "worried" level I do it relative to the general atmosphere I see around me.
I'm keeping an eye on it out of curiosity, but as you say, I'm doing so through slightly more reputable sources than our idiotic ratings driven loves to stir up fears media.
And I guess this is actually a better representation of what I'm thinking when I say that I'm not really that worried about it. I'm not completely and utterly thinking its all made up, and yes I probably will find myself washing my hands a bit more often or being a bit more observant to flu symptoms. But then, if this was getting even half the type of media coverage its getting I'd probably do that simply because there's some truth to the fact that its out there and may as well take a few extra basic precautions.
Its the people that are now forgoing eating pork because they think they'll get it. Its the people that think they need to walk around with surgical masks on. Its the people that are acting like this is the next coming of the black plague that bother me.
There's taking reasonable precautions to a disease that legitimatelly is real, just like bird flu or sars or whatever is real and just like the normal flu is real, and then there's going over the top and blowing it out of proportion to great lengths.
I guess when I talk about my "worried" level I do it relative to the general atmosphere I see around me.
I'm keeping an eye on it out of curiosity, but as you say, I'm doing so through slightly more reputable sources than our idiotic ratings driven loves to stir up fears media.
Eh.
People should be more worried about heart diease. Not to say that you shouldn't be aware of people coughing around you excessively, but you're far more likely to die from mundane things then stuff like this. And that avoid airports if you can.:2wave:
Eh.
People should be more worried about heart diease. Not to say that you shouldn't be aware of people coughing around you excessively, but you're far more likely to die from mundane things then stuff like this. And that avoid airports if you can.:2wave:
38 Marines are quarantied in 29 Palms.
Geez.
I hope you're staying clear.
They pump us so full of vaccines and immunity meds that I don't worry about such things. Just this morning I got Typhoid.
Haha.
Robot much?
I hear cyborgs are the real deal.
One confirmed case of Swine Flu and 37 other Marines are quarantied in 29 Palms today. That's a platoon.
The Associated Press: Commandant says Calif. Marine may have swine flu
.....I still have no interest. Some Chicken Noodle Soup and some meds and and all is well.
Swine flu is the least worrisome disease Marines at 29 Stumps need to worry about coming back with, from their little trysts into Tijuana.
Tijuana has been off limits for a looooong time. Coming back with the "cold" or being robbed in an alley way was becoming routine.
Oh it's humerous. They actually call it a "Shot Exercise." They line everybody up and start sticking. Even if you are good and your next shot isn't due for another few months, they will jump ahead...."just to be safe."
I guess it would have sucked if September 12th, 2001 saw half the Marine Corps with the flu or something.
They pump us so full of vaccines and immunity meds that I don't worry about such things. Just this morning I got Typhoid.
Imminence is a factor in fear. People don't fear something that is in their distant future, but they do fear something that can strike in the near future.
For me, heart disease is much less fear-worthy.
But I do understand your point. I saw this woman on TV who was so fat I expected to see propeller scars criss-crossing her back and she was talking about how scared she was over this flu.
Seriously, bitch, if you feared Krispy Kreme as much as the flu you might actually live to 60!
From what I've seen it is a slightly more lethal version of the regular flu.
As much as everyone wants there is pretty much zero chance of avoiding contracting it unless you isolate yourself.
I don't think "slightly more lethal" is an accurate depiction of this flu at all.
For people in the normal "lethal" zone for a flu (very old, very young, and compromised immune systems), it is actually less lethal than the normal flu.
For people in the normal "safe" zone, it is dramatically more lethal than your average flu. Normally, healthy people have only a very, very small chance of dying form the flu, whereas with this strain, there is a relatively large chance or at least a dramatically increased chance.
If the normal flu has a .1% chance of being lethal to a healthy person, and this one has a 2.5% chance of lethality, that would be 2400% increase in lethality for that demographic.
While a 2.5% does not seem all that daunting, when taken as "1 out of 40" otherwise healthy people who contract the illness will die from it, it means that, odds-wise, if this thing goes fully pandemic, we will all probably know someone, or be someone who dies from it.
That puts it into perspective for me. How many people do you know that have died from influenza in your lifetime? I don't know anyone. I hope that next year, or the year after, I can still say that.
(2.5% number is taken from the Spanish flu pandemic which had similar characteristics to this one)
On this I pretty much agree (although I think you can decrease the amount of the virus you are exposed to by taking certain steps as well as make sure that you infect as few as possible if you do contract it).
And what you can do is seek medical attention you otherwise wouldn't have if you do contract it. Normally, I wouldn't even think about going to a doctor over the flu, but if I do contract this one, I'm going to do whatever I can to minimize it's lethality.
Granted, this doesn't mean people should flood emergency rooms when they get the sniffles (although they will), but they should call their doctor and ask them what they should be doing when symptoms develop.
I don't really know (like friends) 40 people but that isn't really important.
I don't think that people, that normally die of the regular flu, will be less likely to die of this flu.
That doesn't make any logical sense in any way.
Me love you long time Tucky but I'm not sure that is true(not calling you a liar though).
Please explain it so it makes sense because this really doesn't.
Those teams noticed something strange: The flu was killing people aged 20 to 40. Flu victims are usually either infants or the elderly...
...Asked why there were so many deaths in Mexico, and none so far among the U.S. cases, Cordova noted that the U.S. cases involved children _ who haven't been among the fatal cases in Mexico, either.
I know that some people may do it for about a week and that a few die hards will do it for longer but natural human ticks over rule eventually.
If I get it, I'd probably go to the doctor to if I'm sure I could die.
So far I've seen a frenzy of panic mongers who only influence people to do things that won't make a difference.
They might as well tell them to stop, drop, and roll or to duck and cover to prevent the flu.
Went to Phoenix Children's hospital last evening to visit a grandchild that just had a brain tumor removed, had to wade thru the emergency room as it was late and the main entrance was closed. The place was packed with people bringing their children in to make sure that they don't have the flu. I doubt many of them actually have the flu, if so, it will be on the local news soon enough.
The media is making a mess of this....
Today the hospital is limiting visits with admitted patients due to the panic.
Then again catching it during the first wave is probably beneficial as future waves are likely to be worse.
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