More Doom Flu! Again!

[Alondro]

So, we have another Doomsday Flu that will kill us all.

I assume everyone's heard at least a little something about it, since it's been plastered all over the news for days now.

You know, if this one just fizzles out like last time everyone is going to start acting via the 'crying wolf' effect when a real super-virus emerges.

[Nikki]

What is it called again? Swine flu?

First birds, now pigs?

Next'll be Squirrels.

[Lysander]

I don't even want to know when something like the squirrel flu comes around. It would be like a hyperactive, nut chewing death.   

[Jairus]

If the next one is indeed Squirrel Flu, we'll have to watch out for Jer-oh-me. He may infect us all!

[Lisky]

ehh... duke caught a squirrel yesterday, snagged it by the tail, gave an extremely confused look once he caught it.  It managed to squirm away... so yea, after that, i'm not to scared about them... the ones around my house flee in terror as soon as the door opens now.

on the flip side, the squirrel is fine, though slightly less fuzzy tailed, and probably still on an adrenaline high.

[Passive]

Everyone dies.

[Sunblink]

At first I was going to come into this topic screaming about how we're all going to die and passing out biohazard suits, but then I saw everyone talking about squirrels and I just laughed.

So, thanks everyone.

[Tapewolf]

So, thanks everyone.

So far, I'm a little more worried about it screwing up my Anthrocon flight or heck, the whole convention.

[Faerie Alex]

So, thanks everyone.

So far, I'm a little more worried about it screwing up my Anthrocon flight or heck, the whole convention.

Nah, it'll blow over by then, I suspect. (Says the guy whose state has the most confirmed cases in the country. )

Regardless, with the track record set by 1976 Swine Flu, SARS, and Avian Flu, I'm trying to not worry.

[Brownie]

Whoo! Doom Flu!
That's how many so far? I think that whatever higher power there is is playing a game of Pandemic 2. And failing to reached Madagascar every time. Darn madagascar...

[GabrielsThoughts]

let's see swine flu has been around since the 70's and there is the possiblity that since the symptoms are Identical to the flu being a form of influenza that people have already been hit by this bug in previous years and survived as  there is no way to distinguish it from regular influenza with out testing... but the doctors don't want people to go in for testing if it's just  the regular flu thereby wasting valuable time and resources, they want you to get a flu vaccine so that you can get sick from the flu at your own inconvenience rather than waiting for the hand of god to smite your ass.

Who to trust? the media outlets, the government, people who want to shut down the mexoamerican border... the doctors who have known about the swine flu since the 70's and did nothing to develop a vaccine that actually protects people from it?

[Faerie Alex]

... the doctors who have known about the swine flu since the 70's and did nothing to develop a vaccine that actually protects people from it?

The counter-argument to that would be that, has it ever been this much of a problem before? Why bother wasting time and money curing a disease that no one has? (Or that you can't at least convince people they have, and so make money off of. That's more marketing though. ) Heck, even the normal flu vaccine only has certain strains based on which are predicted to be big in a given year. Even they don't have all the -common- strains.

let's see swine flu has been around since the 70's and there is the possiblity that since the symptoms are Identical to the flu being a form of influenza that people have already been hit by this bug in previous years and survived as  there is no way to distinguish it from regular influenza with out testing

True, but the high death rate so far observer in Mexico isn't. Although, I did hear at least one analysis that suggested that 14% (or whatever) mortality rate could be inflated, if only the most serious cases are being reported.

Just for thought, Wikipedia and a calculator give 14% mortality for Mexico, and 1% in the US, with 7 in 49 and 1 in 91 confirmed cases, respectively. Numbers are lower if suspected cases are considered, about 6% and 0.4% respectively. Compare to Spanish Flu at 2-20% and normal flu at 0.1%

[Alondro]

The reason there is no ultimate vaccine for flu is the same reason there isn't one for the virus behind most of the common cold:  it mutates every year.  The common cold, though, has dozens of strains hitting at the same time, since it never kills its host none of the strains ever truly goes away.  The flu tends to have one or two primary disease-causing strains causing trouble every year, and for those vaccines are made as quickly as possible.

This swine flu is different from others in that it's composed of gene segments from human, avian, and pig influenza viruses.  It's different enough that the immune system doesn't recognize it as quickly and it can do more damage to the host before the immune response kicks in.

Oh, and the one death in the US has been confirmed as a child who recently came up from Mexico.  All fatalities have been in Hispanics, so the virus may have targeted a genetic/immunologic vulnerability common to that ethnicity. 

The other cases in the US have tended to be much milder overall, indicating that it may run into a wall as it spreads into other ethnicities.

Or it could mutate some more, gain sentience, and invade our minds and make us kill ourselves to punish us for abusing the planet... aka, The Happening-II!   

[Teh_Hobo]

The flu is a racist bastard. *shakes fist* Also, Im sick at the moment (dont think its the flu though), I'm in south texas, in a city with several confirmed cases, and I'm hispanic. Awesome.

[Sprocketsdance]

I believe that the anti-viral drug Tamiflu works against it sort of a way an antibiotic would.. but for a virus. The government has a whole stockpile of the drug too so I think we're pretty safe here. I'm not quite sure what Mexico has for a health care system.

And as for flu shots I don't really believe in them too much. I'd still recommend them for children and the elderly but I don't trust in the scientists to pick the right virus strain to make the shots for (since I learned in my medical classes that they basically have to guess which strain will infest everyone *shrugs*). Last time there was a flu outbreak around here none of the shots worked because the picked the wrong strain of the virus. >_<

[Lisky]

i've always wondered how they pick the flu-cocktails that they give in each years flu shots... for some reason i imagine a rather large dart board, 4 or 5 guys wearing goggles, in white lab coats spinning around, and throwing 1 dart each... where it lands is which vaccine they give out that year

[Arcalane]

Stephen Fry says "Don't Panic."

[ShadesFox]

I see the words, but I don't hear them.  Speak man, speak the words!

[Tapewolf]

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1241056994692.shtm

"Precautions are being taken to protect travelers and border personnel. Anyone exhibiting symptoms is being referred to an isolation room where they can be evaluated by a public health official before proceeding to their destruction."

Harsh, or what?

[Alondro]

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1241056994692.shtm

"Precautions are being taken to protect travelers and border personnel. Anyone exhibiting symptoms is being referred to an isolation room where they can be evaluated by a public health official before proceeding to their destruction."

Harsh, or what?

Hmm!  Targeting war vets as possible terrorists!!!   Killing off the infected!!!  The Socialist Regime has begun!  I WARNED U!!   

PS:  Hobo, yes, you are teh doomed.   

[rabid_fox]

I told someone they had ear-leprosy today. I hope that helps.

[Pagan]

That's a disease that hasn't gotten enough fear and panic in awhile. Leprosy needs a new agent. And the Black Plague could use some new blood too.

As far as this swine flu goes, I'm not too concerned. I wash my hands a lot, and I have a pretty good luck as far as diseases and whatnot. So, "Meh."

[insidexml]

The term 'swine flu' has been switched to H1N1 influenza A.

[Faerie Alex]

Really though, it won't stop people from calling it "swine flu." Far as I know, "Bird flu" stayed "Bird flu" a few years ago, even though it was H5N1.

But then, if you really want to be technical, Wikipedia has it down as "Influenza A virus subtype H1N1."

[insidexml]

H1N1 influenza A just seems too long.

Swine flu is easier to say, and easier to remember.

[Alondro]

*A random news reporter gives an update on the WHO classification of the new influenza virus*  It turns out that H1N1 influenza A is difficult for people to remember, therefore it was decided to re-name the flu again using Greek classification.

*news anchor*  So what will be be calling it now?

*random news reporter*  Andromeda.

*TV audience*   

Why didn't they just pick 'Doom Flu'?  If they want to make sure everyone is freaked out and paranoid, that'd be the way to go.

Or perhaps "Armageddon Flu", or "Apocalypse Flu"

[Brownie]

@Alondro: Apocalypse Flu...That's what I called it earlier today in a small writing task I had to do in English class.

[rabid_fox]

Leprosy is one of my two genuine medical fears.

[LionHeart]

Could be worse...

[Sunblink]

Aw SHIT swine flu has just popped up in Florida. I'm going to go around wearing a SARS mask all day.

I've already been washing my hands, coughing into tissues, etc.