Seriously thoughtful Run for the Hills! Swine Flu!

[DixieGal]

And again, what in dog's name is wrong with that poor wretched disgusting hog?

[columbus]

There was a UK TV series called Survivors with just this scenario - creepy

[tirsales]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

And again, what in dog's name is wrong with that poor wretched disgusting hog?

It simply has heard that hair is considered beautiful and it likes locks.

[HarryT]

There is little reason to feel "scared" by it. There seems little evidence that, outside Mexico, this flu variant is any "nastier" than the typical winter flu (and this last winter's was, in the UK at least, a pretty nasty one). It is being postulated in several sources that I've seen that the reason it's killing people in Mexico is that it's interacting with some other virus that's already endemic in the local population and that, by itself, it's not a particularly nasty virus.

[columbus]

Originally Posted by DixieGal;

And again, what in dog's name is wrong with that poor wretched disgusting hog?

Apparently it is a rare Austrian Mangalitza pig (crossed with a sheep?? maybe)

[HarryT]

Can we please stay on topic in talking about the flu outbreak?

Thanks!

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There is little reason to feel "scared" by it. There seems little evidence that, outside Mexico, this flu variant is any "nastier" than the typical winter flu (and this last winter's was, in the UK at least, a pretty nasty one). It is being postulated in several sources that I've seen that the reason it's killing people in Mexico is that it's interacting with some other virus that's already endemic in the local population and that, by itself, it's not a particularly nasty virus.

Now I feel better Just watching the news and they say there's 25 cases in the UK under investigation, 3 confirmed. The WHO are meeting now and it looks like they're going to elevate the outbreak to a Level 4 or 5 (6 is Pandemic). They also said that the cases in UK are being successfully treated with anti-virals.

[HarryT]

If it makes you feel any better, Moejoe, the WHO has also said that the UK and France are the two best-prepared countries in the world for a flu pandemic, with both countries having massive stocks of anti-viral drugs, prepared in response to the outbreak of "bird flu" a couple of years ago.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There is little reason to feel "scared" by it. There seems little evidence that, outside Mexico, this flu variant is any "nastier" than the typical winter flu (and this last winter's was, in the UK at least, a pretty nasty one). It is being postulated in several sources that I've seen that the reason it's killing people in Mexico is that it's interacting with some other virus that's already endemic in the local population and that, by itself, it's not a particularly nasty virus.

My nightmare is wondering what will happen to the hospitals if it really explodes there in Mexico City. That is a place I can't wrap my mind around because of the size and population... and that big ol' volcano sitting there ready to take them all out. Paris is big, NYC is big, but Mexico City is overwhelmingly big.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If it makes you feel any better, Moejoe, the WHO has also said that the UK and France are the two best-prepared countries in the world for a flu pandemic, with both countries having massive stocks of anti-viral drugs, prepared in response to the outbreak of "bird flu" a couple of years ago.

Yeah, apparently we have 33 million anti-virals stockpiled in case of such an outbreak. Definitely good news

[HarryT]

Quote from the BBC:

The fact that all the cases in the US have so far produced mild symptoms is encouraging. It suggests that the severity of the Mexican outbreak may be due to an unusual geographically-specific factor - possibly a second unrelated virus circulating in the community - which would be unlikely to come into play in the rest of the world.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can we please stay on topic in talking about the flu outbreak?

Thanks!

No. The humor here is an attempt at whistling past the graveyard. Some of us react to worry by downplaying it with humor.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

What should really scare you is Ebola Reston, the 1989 outbreak of the Ebola virus in Reston, VA. The only reason it wasn't an epidemic was that this particular strain of the virus wasn't communicable to people.

I so wish I hadn't clicked on that link

[tirsales]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There seems little evidence that, outside Mexico, this flu variant is any "nastier" than the typical winter flu (and this last winter's was, in the UK at least, a pretty nasty one).

An Infektiologe (sorry, dont know the English term - a doctor who has specialised on infection diseases) from the university hospital in Leipzig said that the mortality of swine flu is expected to be higher then normal flu, while the rate of infections is lower.

[DixieGal]

Yesterday, during the Homeland Security press conference at the White House, when Napolitano said, "No, you can not catch swine flu from eating pork," did you see Gibbs standing behind her swallow a laugh and get choked up? I had just a few hrs earlier seen him on Meet the Press, where he talked about how much fun he is having with that new job. That gleam in his eyes is refreshing.