M
Mary
It takes a given amount of days to receive confirmation that it's swine flu. They sent a culture off from one of the local hospitals on Saturday and are still waiting to hear if it is, or isn't, the real deal.
Will the Swine Flu become pandemic?
- Thread starter Ross
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Ross
Well-known member
I'm forever hopeful that it is just hype, because I am one with a compromised immune system and I'm deeply troubled because Lyn works with a bunch of Mexicans that travel back home, then back to work.
What's troubling me even more is the rate at which this thing is spreading. Started out with 11 cases in the U.S. and it's expected to be at least 80 by the end of today. Multiple possible cases in the Cleveland area right now. There waiting for those test results to come back also.
What's troubling me even more is the rate at which this thing is spreading. Started out with 11 cases in the U.S. and it's expected to be at least 80 by the end of today. Multiple possible cases in the Cleveland area right now. There waiting for those test results to come back also.
Tom F.
Well-known member
My own father was a chil din the 1918 influenza outbreak, and he had stories of neighbors that died from it. So yes, things can get bad. But it seems that every year there is some health concern that is going to spread and kill zillions, and I am getting kind of tired of this annual scare. Heck, I ever remember the panic over the comet Kohoutek, how it was going to threaten all life on earth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Kohoutek
As for me I am going to go out and have a Margarita !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Kohoutek
As for me I am going to go out and have a Margarita !
Ross
Well-known member
I saw Kohoutek with my own eyes. Probably never will see a comet that close to earth again. It was amazing.
It is already a pandemic. Asthmatics, low immune system people even those who are otherwise healthy are at risk.
Michael Fumento's latest blog.
Michael Fumento's latest blog.
Below is Michael Fumento's latest blog. Michael Fumento is the scientist I was talking about in my previous post.
I think this says it all.
Pondering Pig Flu Panic By: Michael Fumento
Tweeters have jumped out of the gates with all their sagacious advice, such as to not eat pork products, while I go the old-fashioned route and actually research the swine flu outbreak for an article. Remember articles? But since I know some people are interested in what I'm going to say, here's a preview:
As the outbreak develops, keep in mind that seasonal flu, according to the CDC, infects between 28 and 56 million Americans each year, hospitalizes over 100,000, and kills about 36,000. (The death figure is probably on the high side.) Did you bother to get vaccinated?
At this point there's no evidence swine flu is easier to transmit than seasonal flu or that it's more lethal. There have been no deaths yet outside of Mexico. All infectious diseases strike much harder in underdeveloped countries because the people are less healthy to begin with.
"Swine flu" simply means it has pig RNA mixed in. There's nothing inherent to it that would make it worse than seasonal flu. We've had a previous outbreak of swine flu; it killed one person.
True, we have no vaccine for this flu; but two years ago it turned out that the seasonal flu shot was ineffective - the equivalent of no vaccine. We're still here.
No, swine flu doesn't threaten to become "another Spanish Flu of 1918-19." Nothing does. Check your calendar; that was 90 years ago. Since then we've developed things called "antibiotics" as well as antivirals and other anti-flu medicines. In all flu outbreaks, including the Spanish one, the vast majority of deaths come from secondary bacterial infections.
Still scared? Wash your hands several times a day, keep away from coughers, and stay tuned.
April 27, 2009 08:50 PM · Diseases (other than AIDS and cancer) ~ Media
Michael Fumento's latest blog.
Below is Michael Fumento's latest blog. Michael Fumento is the scientist I was talking about in my previous post.
I think this says it all.
Pondering Pig Flu Panic By: Michael Fumento
Tweeters have jumped out of the gates with all their sagacious advice, such as to not eat pork products, while I go the old-fashioned route and actually research the swine flu outbreak for an article. Remember articles? But since I know some people are interested in what I'm going to say, here's a preview:
As the outbreak develops, keep in mind that seasonal flu, according to the CDC, infects between 28 and 56 million Americans each year, hospitalizes over 100,000, and kills about 36,000. (The death figure is probably on the high side.) Did you bother to get vaccinated?
At this point there's no evidence swine flu is easier to transmit than seasonal flu or that it's more lethal. There have been no deaths yet outside of Mexico. All infectious diseases strike much harder in underdeveloped countries because the people are less healthy to begin with.
"Swine flu" simply means it has pig RNA mixed in. There's nothing inherent to it that would make it worse than seasonal flu. We've had a previous outbreak of swine flu; it killed one person.
True, we have no vaccine for this flu; but two years ago it turned out that the seasonal flu shot was ineffective - the equivalent of no vaccine. We're still here.
No, swine flu doesn't threaten to become "another Spanish Flu of 1918-19." Nothing does. Check your calendar; that was 90 years ago. Since then we've developed things called "antibiotics" as well as antivirals and other anti-flu medicines. In all flu outbreaks, including the Spanish one, the vast majority of deaths come from secondary bacterial infections.
Still scared? Wash your hands several times a day, keep away from coughers, and stay tuned.
April 27, 2009 08:50 PM · Diseases (other than AIDS and cancer) ~ Media
Kathy... I agree whole heartedly with you as I live about an hour from the Mexican border but doing something about the border with Mexico wouldn't fit into our PC controlled environment. The border will stay as it is. Mark my words. Our recently elected Washington officials aren't going to move on the issue either. The same happened with the previous administration, they also turned a deaf ear to the people's cries. Once they get to Washington they forget whom they really work for.
BTW.. I am for LEGAL immigration because I am an immigrant myself.
L
Lisa in Katy
Christina - I like that guy! We have a guy who writes a blog for the Houston Chronicle and calls himself the SciGuy. I think his real name is Eric Berger. He has the same kind of common sense as Michael Fumento. He's not saying that it's no big deal, but that it has yet to show that it's going to be.
Lisa..
I had never heard of him either until yesterday when I heard him on the Dennis Prager show. He's got common sense and I believe common sense for the most part has died in this country. The media makes a mountain out of a mole hill.
My dear friends, live your life as a normal person, do what you normally do, wash your hands often and stay away from sick people (hospitals especially) and stay home if you feel sick yourself. Don't share cups/straws with other people. (teenagers often do this) You don't want to infect others.
K
Karlynn
Thanks Christina. I think it's important that people don't get all crazy about this. Be safe, take precautions as you normally would with any flu outbreak and live your life.
I also read that none of the cases reported in the US were even close to being life-threatening. Let's not forget that with the poverty in Mexico, it's no surprise that people have died from it. My guess is that they didn't have access to good medical care.
I also heard today that Mexico is blaming the US for the outbreak.
Karlyn,
The USA gets blamed for everything these days. Many people in this country are bashing the USA for all kinds of things. What they forget to mention is that the USA is the kindest, most charitable country in the world. When there are disasters in any part of the world the USA is the first to send food aid, money, but it is not being reported.
I have lived on two continents and three countries so far in my life and this is the best country by far.
Please keep it that way.
M
Mary
In our community, if the case sent off for confirmation is indeed swine flu, then it will be considered life threatening.
Jkm7
Well-known member
Why
L
Lisa in Katy
Why
I agree with the confusion. Giving something a name shouldn't make it life threatening. Life threatening means exactly that - you are at a higher than normal risk of dying from it. It's kind of like what we all know about valve disease. Some is life threatening, some is not. The same can be said for all kinds of flu.
L
Lisa in Katy
There was a reader who posted a question in our local paper's blog about whether people who have new porcine valves are at higher risk because maybe the valve was infected. The "expert" said that all pigs used for such purposes are raised in sterile environments and at no risk for disease. So, the pigs that we really care about are safe! I just hope that I don't have to avoid bacon!
Do you guys remember the Avian Flu pandemic? That strain of flu was much deadlier than the swine flu. In 7 years there have been 421 official cases reported with 257 deaths. There is approximately 6 billion people living on the planet right now.That means that the odds of contracting the avian flu is approximately one in 15 million. For the 421 people who contracted the avian flu and for the families of the 257 people who died this was a terrible outbreak.
Estimates are that approximately 500,000 people worldwide die annually from the flu in a "normal" season (approximately 36,000 in the USA). That doesn't mean that I take the outbreak of swine flu lightly. I do find it interesting however that as of yesterday no one from the USA that had contracted the swine flu has died from it while Mexico has had 20 deaths.
Anyway...I hope this keeps things in perspective...just use the prevention techniques you would normally use during flu season.
Estimates are that approximately 500,000 people worldwide die annually from the flu in a "normal" season (approximately 36,000 in the USA). That doesn't mean that I take the outbreak of swine flu lightly. I do find it interesting however that as of yesterday no one from the USA that had contracted the swine flu has died from it while Mexico has had 20 deaths.
Anyway...I hope this keeps things in perspective...just use the prevention techniques you would normally use during flu season.
M
Mary
M
Mary
In the particular case I mentioned, the patient is on life support; hence, the term "life threatening" was used.
As a piggy valver (not to mention a certified male chauvinist pig myself) I refuse to blame my porcine cousins for this outbreak.
