Swine Flu

[Keystone Gray]

Okay, I just had to make this topic. No, I won't be sitting here warning people how dangerous it is. I'm righting some wrongs in perspective caused by the United States government and our alarmist media about a relatively harmless virus that has been blown out of proportion. I say "relatively harmless" because while everyone is running scared from a particularly small problem, they live day-to-day unafraid of the big one.

Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes.

Clearly, regular infections of influenza are more dangerous than swine flu is being purported as being. Yet I don't see mass hysteria about the regular flu, let alone people scrambling for immunizations or flooding the hospitals in fear of having it on a day-to-day basis.

Can humans catch swine flu?

Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.

"But wait! What about the 100~ Mexicans who died from it?"

Keep in mind that the deaths happened in a country where the tap water can easily give you dysentery, and where the living conditions are terrible. Many of them, I'm willing to bet, were farmers. Also, keep in mind that you are most likely to catch it when in direct contact with living or recently deceased pigs; you can not catch it in your food, as the CDC website clearly states that food that is properly cooked will not sicken you.

I'm finding this public mass hysteria to be quite unsensical, especially since people are believing anything they see on TV nowadays without researching the issue thoroughly. People wearing masks in downtown Los Angeles? It's ridiculous.

But now I have to beg the answer to this question: Why, oh why, Mr. US Government and Mrs. Mass Media, why does this issue raise so many alarms when regular influenza does not?

[Cyphre Iredell]

Also relevant: http://xkcd.org/574/

Alarmists once again, just like the bird/avian flu. People die from the flu regardless of its source on a yearly basis. The only basis for the uproar on the swine flu is that it is an abnormal schedule of the flu virus, one that wasn't immunized against in the first place.

[Esichs Sonnerstein]

Thank you Keystone and Cyphre, I was actually waiting for a friend to post something like this on his journal. The whole swing flu thing is way over blown and thank you for explaining why.

[Keystone Gray]

Link 'em here, Esichs; it's a public section. :>

[Rei Kuhr]

I just wanted to point out that the Mexican government said it was over 100 deaths, while WHO have denied that figure and have stated no more than 7 people have died so far in direct relation to the swine flu.

Either way, I dont want people coughing on me. Swine flu or not.

[Scientific Waffle]

Just as a note, the fact that more people die from flu each year does not make regular flu more deadly. The reason people are concerned about this strain of swine flu is that it does spread easily from person to person and there won't be a vaccine ready for distribution for another 6 months. The people actually at risk for death are usually vaccinated for regular flu, and the lack of vaccination is what causes this flu to cause legitimate concern. That being said, a healthy person can simply get any variety of flu medicines to be cured with little to no risk.

This isn't just some overblown minor flu strain; the World Health Organization (WHO) has already classified it as a level 5 disease threat level (with 6 being full on world pandemic). There are many different types of swine flu, this is a particularly deadly strain largely due to its ease of transmission and recent spread. Assuming you have modern health care, however, you should not panic. The concern, however, is legitimate. We don't have a vaccine for those who need it (the very young and the elderly). This isn't just "Big Media" making something out of nothing.

(edit: level is 5)

[Rei Kuhr]

Scientific, it's level 5 now.

[Gulliver Carpool]

Some mexican chicks came into my store wearing surgical masks yesterday.

Swine Flu=Crap

[Keystone Gray]

I never said it makes the regular flu more deadly. I just meant that it was stupid to be afraid of something that has less of an impact on the world than the currently "normal" influenza virus does. Considering that first world countries such as the United States have the "BEST HEALTH CARE IN THE WORLD" (lol), a death toll of 36,000 yearly does sound a bit severe. So you can only imagine what the rest of the world is feeling.

We've just lived with influenza for so long (it's been recognized for centuries) that people have stopped classifying it as a threat. The same thing goes for radiation, but seeing it as less of a risk and then fearing something mild and harmless in comparison is foolish.

[Cyphre Iredell]

Yeah, as people used to die from the common cold in a different era, only due to the level of medical technology in the day. The point about the media is that the classification, while now a level 5, has been making it out to be a pandemic since there was first word received about it. Even if it is possibly the worst threat since the black plague, its the boy who cried wolf from all the previous 'virus threats endangering our society'

[Esichs Sonnerstein]

Weren't the WHO the organization that labeled West Nile and Avian Bird Flu to be the worlds next Pandemics...and then the whole thing blew over?

[Cyphre Iredell]

Pretty sure there is only one WHO. Problem is that due to regional populations and conditions, there will always be other countries where people die more easily. I could very well be the worst pandemic to hit Mexico, but it doesn't really relate to the rest of the world.

In other news, it appears other drastic actions have been taken: Egypt slaughtering 300,000 pigs and the lebanese government suggesting against the typical greeting of a peck on the cheek as per their tradition. Due in part to knowing that it can only spread through touch, as it isn't an airborne virus.

[Tiridates Mikadze]

The CDC and WHO aren't exactly alarmist. Caution is prudent.

Be extra mindful to wash your hands, and try to use a little of the gelled Alcohol hand sanitizer stuff. That alone should keep you in good standing. And avoid getting sneezed on. That's pretty much it.

[Cyphre Iredell]

Alarmists = Media.

Also of note from current studies is that the symptoms are indistinguishable from the regular flu, as studies are still being made on how or what it effects at this current time. I believe caution was also pertaining to coughing rather than sneezing, as one of the notable symptoms is a dry cough.

[Lilium Supermarine]

[Guest Guest]

No reports of it from where I am. Good.

[Cheeso Szydlowska]

http://doihaveswineflu.org/

YES. PANIC.

[Xegras Xue]

SWINE FLU

DO YOU HAS IT?

[Kronus Gaffer]

H1Z1

http://bouncewith.me.uk/europe/8027043.htm <--- I consider this lulzy

[Esichs Sonnerstein]

H1Z1

http://bouncewith.me.uk/europe/8027043.htm <--- I consider this lulzy

Funny, its a copy and paste of a fake article for CNN that came out about five years ago...all the did was change "west nile" to "h1n1"