Pandemic

[The Atheist]

There are approx 65 million people in the world with HIV/AIDS. We are not paralysed with fear over this. Does anyone remember the 80's and the propaganda that went down about HIV? What I'm saying is that HIV/AIDS is spreading throughout the world at a steady rate - like wildfire if you will but people are not alarmed to the point that we are paralysed by that pandemic. We are desensitised and we go about our daily lives without giving it a second thought.

It's a lot easier to avoid HIV than H1N1-A.

Have you discussed already about the name of the illness?

lq~

Not really.

I agree with the move to stop calling it swine 'flu. On history, where all pandemic 'fkus have been named after the place of discovery, it should be Mexican 'Flu, but H1N1-A is good for me.

[Jozanny]

There are approx 65 million people in the world with HIV/AIDS. We are not paralysed with fear over this. Does anyone remember the 80's and the propaganda that went down about HIV? What I'm saying is that HIV/AIDS is spreading throughout the world at a steady rate - like wildfire if you will but people are not alarmed to the point that we are paralysed by that pandemic. We are desensitised and we go about our daily lives without giving it a second thought.

AIDS killed my brother, who was a drug addict, so I am not indifferent to it, but the problem with it today is it is no longer the gay man's disease, but a Third World killer which has otherwise stabilized among the affluent, and, if you behave, and take the cocktail, you can die with it instead of from it. Hence, it has gone off the public radar. I have read a fair amount of literature on it, and it is one hell of a complex virus, but even in Africa, there are small populations which have developed resistance to it, so I don't think it would wipe us out. It is things like the super resistant TB that worry me, something so strong that nothing could control it.

[Delta40]

You could be right. i won't challenge that notion but my point is via propaganda, there was a time when more people were afflicted by AIDS Fear than AIDS. More people have flu fear atm than flu itself. Frankly, I think feeding fear is an effective strategy of governments who find their people most malleable in this state.

[The Atheist]

You could be right. i won't challenge that notion but my point is via propaganda, there was a time when more people were afflicted by AIDS Fear than AIDS.

That was probably when a lot less was known about the disease and myths persisted about the ease of catching it.

More people have flu fear atm than flu itself.

You know, I keep seeing this said, but aside from a very few people with existing anxiety issues, I really haven't seen any fear, despite the best efforts of media - wittingly or unwittingly.

Frankly, I think feeding fear is an effective strategy of governments who find their people most malleable in this state.

That is simply political, so we'll avoid the issue.

The other side of the coin is while this, like H5N1 and SARS, will probably turn out to be a damp squib, the potential for disaster is real.

I said from the start that the biggest danger - in my eyes - is that when the real threat comes along, people will think it's just another scare.

What's needed on all sides of the issue is a deal of common sense:

In this case, it looks like we'll be lucky, although influenza viruses can mutate at any time and it could still become a serious health risk. It is becoming pretty obvious that it is milder than usual 'flu, indicating good public resistance levels.

If the disease progresses, as looks increasingly likely, most people will catch it and many will die. Since these are extra deaths to whatever will occur from influenza this year anyway, one more is too many in my book.

If we can mitigate risks and display preparedness for a genuine threat, both at the same time, let's use that opportunity. The thing which bothers me most is the naysayers inability to see that an already-crowded and overworked health system will have enormous problems if - more likely when - a worldwide health threat emerges.

It is sillier to ignore the issue than over-state it.

[Nightshade]

Can I just add one little thing? Having consulted with my resident Emergency and Disaster Medicine expert ( its amazing what you can find on your family tree it really is) one of the official things ( have temoprarily lost the english word criteria/criterium? maybe) of a pandemic is OUT OF CONTROL as yet this isnt out of control people need to stop fretting. Or you could think of it as a stage of eveoloution . :d

[librarius_qui]

Not really.

I agree with the move to stop calling it swine 'flu. On history, where all pandemic 'fkus have been named after the place of discovery, it should be Mexican 'Flu, but H1N1-A is good for me.

Actually, they've been calling it Mexican Flu, already, in Brasilian news (some people, not all, mainly doctors).

I think it quite proper. (And it's far from reaching the disaster the Spanish Flu was ... It's estimated that, in the beginning of the XXth, the Spanish killed around 20 to 100 million people (according to Wikipedia) ... And notice that the planet's population was waaay less numerous, by then.)

[Jozanny]

Time to PANIC .

[PeterL]

Panic will do no good. This pandemic is not especially dangerous, but it is a strain of flu that hasn't been around in the last thirty years, so people under thirty have a good chance of getting it. When I had it around the end of March, I didn't find it as bad as seasonal flu.

[Jozanny]

The art of sarcasm is apparently a lost one on LN. The WHO has been attacked for going to level 6 so rapidly.

[PeterL]

There are people who have been panicking for months. I asked an epidemiologist I know about it back in April, and her response, in part, was something the effect of 'We're doomed.'

[The Atheist]

Panic will do no good. This pandemic is not especially dangerous, but it is a strain of flu that hasn't been around in the last thirty years, so people under thirty have a good chance of getting it. When I had it around the end of March, I didn't find it as bad as seasonal flu.

Just one correction, it is an entirely new strain of influenza which has never been around before. The last pandemic was 40 years ago, but H3N2 strain.

I'm interested that you had it. Were you diagnosed formally as having A-H1N1?

[PeterL]

Just one correction, it is an entirely new strain of influenza which has never been around before. The last pandemic was 40 years ago, but H3N2 strain.

I'm interested that you had it. Were you diagnosed formally as having A-H1N1?

It is a type A H1N1 influenza. While this is not precisely the same as previous type A H1N1 viruses, anyone who had type A H1N1 influenza in the past will have immunity to this one. The immunity diminishes over time, but the 1918 pandemic was type A H1N1, and the Russian flu of 1977 was also type A H1N1.

I did not have a formal diagnosis, as is the case for most people. I woldn't have thought anything of it, if the talk of Swine Flu wasn't around. The course of my sickness was what they describe for the Swine Flu: coldlike symptoms for a few days, vomitting, diareahia, abdominal pain, tiredness, etc. The intestinal symptoms were what tipped me off. I have only had intestinal problems from flu once before.

[Janine]

Today I found this article which might interest all of you. It seems to be current information on the flu situation worldwide.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090611/...n_un_swine_flu

[Virgil]

Today I found this article which might interest all of you. It seems to be current information on the flu situation worldwide.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090611/...n_un_swine_flu

I still don't see what the big deal is. To quote from that article,
"So far, swine flu has caused 144 deaths, compared with ordinary flu that kills up to 500,000 people a year."

It also says in there that 29,000 people world wide have been infected. That's nothing. If 500,000 people die from the flu world wide, then the number of people who get the flu must be in the double digit millions. That means the number of people who got the swine flu is probably less than a fraction of a percent. Definitely this has been over hyped, either from media stupidity or irrational fears.

[Janine]

I still don't see what the big deal is. To quote from that article,
"So far, swine flu has caused 144 deaths, compared with ordinary flu that kills up to 500,000 people a year."

It also says in there that 29,000 people world wide have been infected. That's nothing. If 500,000 people die from the flu world wide, then the number of people who get the flu must be in the double digit millions. That means the number of people who got the swine flu is probably less than a fraction of a percent. Definitely this has been over hyped, either from media stupidity or irrational fears.

I don't agree with you on this Virgil at all. I think they have worked hard to contain it; I think left unchecked and ignored it could be much worse. I believe the key note in this article is the fact that this particular virus doesn't not kill people at high risk but rather healthy individuals.

Still, about half of the people who have died from swine flu were previously young and healthy — people who are not usually susceptible to flu. Swine flu is also crowding out regular flu viruses. Both features are typical of pandemic flu viruses.

That is something to be concerned over. I am glad the medical community is taking action and being vigilante. My mother remembers the flu back in my grandmother's day and the stories they told her and her brother about it. It was a horrible time and many did die. She said they didn't even have enough undertakers to handle them all. The thing is when any virus is first discovered, and it happens all the time, they don't know how it will change and morph and what this will mean in the future. Virus' do not always stay stable. I don't profess to know much in medical terms but surely what I don't know has to be great. I don't think this flu is hyped up. I think the comedians are riot but I do think it's commendable that action has been taken. Better to be safe than sorry.