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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 28, 2009 14:42:26 GMT
I figure a thread for this is a good plan, as proper information on it seems important. All links are to The Times: Live Map - updated as new cases occur. Live Updates - information from around the world as it comes in. Swine Flu Q&A - info on what it is, etc. Add info, comments or well wishes, please. |
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Post by LaFille on Apr 29, 2009 3:36:24 GMT
The Canadian flights to Mexico and a lot to the places like Cuba began to be suspended today and the people there are being repatriated.
While it is serious and a little worrisome, I think the medias are casting things worse than they really are though... And that the biggest consequences of this flu scale-wise may well end up being mostly psychologic and economic.
They found a dozen or two of cases of infected people in the US and Canada, but the symptoms were nowhere as bad as those on some of the Mexicans.
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Post by The Sonar Chicken on Apr 29, 2009 4:38:27 GMT
Actually, I've got two trains of thoughts about this issue:
a) On one hand, I think people are over-reacting and panicking too much over an issue, where there've been few deaths. I'm actually afraid that if people over-medicate and over-compensate, the flu could actually mutate even more quickly.
b) On the other hand, it may actually pay to over-react 'cos pandemics are never easy to deal with. In fact, if people take this issue too easily, there could be even more deaths.
Yes, I've read quite a few reports about this pandemic but I'm still waiting for them to find the place where it originated from. That'd likely answer at least a few questions.
As for Singapore, I'm unaware of the severity of this issue here. There've been no reports so far of anyone being infected. But it's got a widely-used airport and a port too and many other ways where you can travel in and out of the country, so who knows?
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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 29, 2009 11:05:39 GMT
Is it just me who thinks that one of the stupidest things the world govts are doing is pulling all their own possibly-infected citizens out of Mexico and dragging them home, rather than quarantining them there?
I don't think we can honestly describe it as a Pandemic yet, thankfully - for all that that word is getting brought up a lot. It's not something to take lightly, don't get me wrong, but so far it is responding to treatment.
I just hope they're sending proper drug stocks to Mexico.
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Post by Ubereil on Apr 29, 2009 14:39:02 GMT
I just hope they're sending proper drug stocks to Mexico. But that would cost money! Aren't you aware that we're in the middle of an economic crisis at the moment?  Übereil |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 29, 2009 15:39:33 GMT
Cost a lot MORE money if this isn't dealt with ASAP, Ube. And quite possibly a lot of lives, too.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 29, 2009 21:51:47 GMT
WHO raise the status to epidemicIt's spread to "at least nine countries, four of them in Europe" apparently. That said, the NUMBER of actual infections does not appear to be that high, yet. Which is good.
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Post by Dark Phoenix Rising on Apr 29, 2009 22:26:54 GMT
any one get the feeling that there's a real life game of pandemic happening atm?
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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 30, 2009 0:26:20 GMT
any one get the feeling that there's a real life game of pandemic happening atm? Does make the game a lot less fun, I have to admit. Somehow it stopped being funny... |
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Post by Terrordar on Apr 30, 2009 10:38:18 GMT
Folks this stuff is serious. The last major Pandemic with properties like that of Swine Flu was a little something called Spanish Influenza.
This little gem killed 50,000,000 people in 1918. Did I also forget to mention that Swine Flu, if properly asscertained so far, also shares the property of killing young adults in far larger numbers than any other infected demographic?
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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 30, 2009 10:56:52 GMT
I know, Terror. That's why I thought it was worth making a thread about. Not to mention that I actually have a friend in Mexico who I am obviously worried about.
I don't see any point in panicking, but I figured it's a good idea to post all the facts we can find so that everyone knows what's really going on and can react sensibly.
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Post by Terrordar on Apr 30, 2009 11:27:58 GMT
This is not something to panic about "Right now".
In two weeks however, we could be thrown into a crisis not weathered in a century (how ironic, kinda like the economy, seems like old memories come back to haunt in droves)
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Post by Elliot Kane on Apr 30, 2009 11:34:10 GMT
We could be. But let's worry about that IF it ever happens, shall we?  |
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Post by Terrordar on Apr 30, 2009 11:41:04 GMT
ALERT!
Pandemic is now expected to be imminent according to the World Health Organization. Not a joke here people. Hygene is top of the priorities list for everyone now. I'd recommend having some dry food and water around the house too. I know that sounds foolish, but if this gets really bad, public transit will entirely shut down. Stores may not be able to staff, and may not be able to receive shipments.
This is not a joking post, or anything like that. Do not underestimate this. We're now qualified as a "Class 5" out of 6.
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Post by Ubereil on Apr 30, 2009 12:04:50 GMT
Folks this stuff is serious. The last major Pandemic with properties like that of Swine Flu was a little something called Spanish Influenza. This little gem killed 50,000,000 people in 1918. Did I also forget to mention that Swine Flu, if properly asscertained so far, also shares the property of killing young adults in far larger numbers than any other infected demographic? That was thanks to "unique" conditions though. Thanks to WWI there were loads of wounded pepole packed tightly in hospitals, which ensured that it could spread easily and still stay really aggressive. If this virus stays as agressive it will seriously hamper it's ability to infect pepole, since the hosts will become imobilized. To that we eat far better food today leading to better immune systems. So this most likely won't be as big a pandemic as the Spanish Influenza. The guy who said this calculated that the lethality of this one would be about 1 death in 1000 cases. Still, say 500 000 000 get infected, that's half a million dead and 500 000 000 ill pepole won't exacly do wonders to that other crisis... Übereil |
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Post by LaFille on May 1, 2009 3:58:05 GMT
Repatriating citizens may seem stupid, but I don't know; the health care and life conditions are much better in more "developed" countries, which probably accounts a lot for the fact that the symptoms of this flu are milder in the cases of people from such countries. Our labs are in much better conditions too...
This is a strain that is worrisome because we have no immunity defence toward it (it being new and not so much like the other ones) and that there were grave symptoms on young people over there. But, to keep things in perspective, influenza normally kills about 8000 yearly just in Canada (mostly old, weak or very young people, but it can happen for young adults or teens in some cases). And yeah, like Her Avian Highness ;D said, overreacting could make things worse; not necessarily favoring more mutations, but the sudden massive use of drugs is often (unfortunately) pretty much the real beta testing of them, meaning that it's then that some nasty side-effects are discovered. It's really a double-edged blade and the balance in protecting/healing people is a tough one to find. For a story of such situation, just dig on the 1976 American swine flu and massive vaccination campaign that was set up then... It is suspected that the vaccines made more victims than the flu itself, and its outbreak was never as bad as expected.
For now, waiting and watching...
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Post by Galadriel on May 1, 2009 20:07:30 GMT
Since we have to deal with truck drivers from Europe and Asia, we got the warning to wear masks whenever in contact with them.
Today I heard on the news that the virus has been cought in the Far East and in Denmark as well. Both countries (area's) that we get close in touch with.
There is a new cleaning program and we get permission to wash our hands more often while working. Let's hope it doesn't turn into a massive killingspree. 
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Post by Elliot Kane on May 1, 2009 20:10:59 GMT
So far, it doesn't seem to be fatal outside of Mexico. Let's hope it stops being fatal there ASAP and is never fatal anywhere else.
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Post by Ubereil on May 1, 2009 20:11:50 GMT
I read in my local newspaper that face masks acually increases the chance to get infected, since you keep touching it with your hands. And it's your hands that is the major source of infection.
Wash your hands often and throughoutly.
Übereil
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Post by peterh on May 1, 2009 20:15:58 GMT
The first case documented in Denmark. A woman picked up the swine flu during a visit to New York and will make a full recovery without even needing treatment with Tamiflu.
As Fille said the health care and life conditions in Western countries are generally high which is probably why the swineflu develops much milder and I very much doubt we'll see anything like the Spanish flu - at least in Europe and the US.
We could have a pandemic on hand but since there's been no indication that the flu will develop in a singular direction I don't see the reason for a worldwide panic. A premature panic will have huge economic and psychological consequenses, especially given the current financial situation.
I've read that doctors hand out Tamiflu to perfectly healthy, but worried, citizens - either as a precaution or just to control their panic. That could allow further mutation of the epedemic making it resistance to that particular drug.
The best thing we can do is continue as usual, take the necessary precautions and not panic.
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