Mutley Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 This virus is at level 5 - it seems to be spreading sustainably person to person. Given that the risk of it going large are high - going large will kill people. Shit, I didn't realise it was anywhere near as serious as bird flu. (Might have to stock up on echinacea) As long as it's not as bad as man flu we'll be grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 This virus is at level 5 - it seems to be spreading sustainably person to person. Given that the risk of it going large are high - going large will kill people. Shit, I didn't realise it was anywhere near as serious as bird flu. (Might have to stock up on echinacea) Echinacea? You're dead. From the muddled reports and reading between the lines of the media hysteria, it seems that avian (bird) flu has a much higher mortality rate than 'ordinary' flu or this new strain of (swine) flu but didn't spread as readily. The swine flu doesn't seem to be any more dangerous than ordinary flu but is a lot more contagious so you are more likely to get it but no more likely to die with it once you have it than with ordinary flu. So far the mortality rate in the UK of those infected with swine flu is 0%. I'd rather have swine flu than avian flu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 @ jimcalgon - it is far to early to tell things like that. I think it is a very brave person to try to put a severity on this virus. Link The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 The Daily Mash: PANDEMIC OBVIOUSLY NOT WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS THE World Health Organisation last night confirmed a pork flu pandemic was now imminent, raising fears that millions of people obviously have no idea what a pandemic is. As confirmed cases in Europe leapt from probably 14 to possibly 19, officials said the very small number of people infected meant it was vital governments across the world were prepared to use the word 'pandemic' as often as possible. Martin Bishop, from Doncaster, said: "I thought it was when millions of people were infected, bodies were piled outside cemeteries and doors were daubed with a big, red 'X' to indicate a 'house of the unclean'. "But then I looked it up and sure enough it said 'Pandemic, noun - 19 people in four different countries, each with a slight temperature and a bottle of Lucozade'. So there you go." Margaret Gerving, from Peterborough, said: "I thought we'd at least see some tanks on the streets and lots of government agents walking around in those scary-looking biological suits they wore in E.T. You know, 'cause they thought E.T. was contaminated with space germs." A WHO spokesman said: "Just so we're all on the same page, a pandemic actually means that about 100 people in at least three different counties are all suffering from the same condition. "We use the word pandemic because it's a combination of the ancient Greek words 'pan' meaning 'everyone' and 'demic' meaning 'frighten the absolute living shit out of'." Julian Cook, from Stevenage, added: "Right. A hundred people. Three countries. Same condition. So that does that mean there's a pandemic of having a small bust of Queen Victoria stuck up your bumhole?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidney Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambon Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I just called NHS Direct for advice on pig flu, but all I got was crackling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 @ jimcalgon - it is far to early to tell things like that. I think it is a very brave person to try to put a severity on this virus. Link The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths. As pointed out above - these are only the people who were ill enough to go to hospital. How many in total have had the virus? I would wager it was a lot more. How many people have been confirmed to have the virus in Europe? How many have died? Latest figures from BBC Mexico: 168 suspected deaths, eight confirmedUS: One death, at least 91 confirmed cases Canada: 19 confirmed cases New Zealand: 13 confirmed cases Spain: 10 confirmed cases UK: Five confirmed cases Germany: Three confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: Two confirmed cases each Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Peru: One confirmed case each So, outside mexico 149 cases, one death (a two-year old mexican child). No indication in Mexico of the total number infected or of the general health status of the mexican victims before infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I just called NHS Direct for advice on pig flu, but all I got was crackling. © Radio 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Dolce_Vita Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I just called NHS Direct for advice on pig flu, but all I got was crackling. Tried to suppress the giggles at my desk at work. How embarrassing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 No indication in Mexico of the total number infected or of the general health status of the mexican victims before infection. Never go to the press - go to the original sources - ie in this matter usually the WHO: The Government of Mexico has reported three separate events. In the Federal District of Mexico, surveillance began picking up cases of ILI starting 18 March. The number of cases has risen steadily through April and as of 23 April there are now more than 854 cases of pneumonia from the capital. Of those, 59 have died. In San Luis Potosi, in central Mexico, 24 cases of ILI, with three deaths, have been reported. And from Mexicali, near the border with the United States, four cases of ILI, with no deaths, have been reported. Of the Mexican cases, 18 have been laboratory confirmed in Canada as Swine Influenza A/H1N1, while 12 of those are genetically identical to the Swine Influenza A/H1N1 viruses from California. The majority of these cases have occurred in otherwise healthy young adults. Influenza normally affects the very young and the very old, but these age groups have not been heavily affected in Mexico. It is very very early days - the media are not helpful at all - but health authorities should be on high alert as quite definitely there is a risk of a pandemic - the only trouble is that in this day and age it is impossible to get the health authorities to implement their pandemic procedures without a media circus. I hope it will fizzle out, I hope it will be mild - but the evidence is far to early to tell Jim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I hope it will fizzle out, I hope it will be mild - but the evidence is far to early to tell Jim! It's flu Jim, but not as we know it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambster Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 It's flu Jim but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it, it's flu Jim, but not as we know it not as we know it now! Beaten to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I hope it will fizzle out, I hope it will be mild - but the evidence is far to early to tell Jim! Mexico basically shutting down: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle6196625.ece Very drastic measures from a country with apparently only 7 deaths don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Maybe - but it takes time to get lab results cultured etc - if you've had over 1,000 people in a few areas suddenly experience flu symptoms, 176 people - mostly young - have died and you've found out that the first 26 cultures you've got done show that they have been infected by a unique virus, then its not unreasonable to presume a large proportion of those other 170 odd deaths are from the same source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shill Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Small but interesting article here - http://www.insearchofalpha.net/ I think this is going to be hard to contain to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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