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Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:03 pm
by Rightey
A pandemic would be a good time to be in the army or government, they get first dibs on drugs.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:09 pm
by SEP
Rightey wrote:A pandemic would be a good time to be in the army or government, they get first dibs on drugs.
I do miss having an annual flu jab. Even though I hate needles, it was good to be secure in the knowledge that I would be flu-free.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:25 pm
by Skarjo
Oh God, another year, another ridiculous health scare.
I can't remember who it was on here who confidently declared that they were sure that bird flu would kill at least 125 million people.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:28 pm
by Tragic Magic
My aunt's crazy ex got bird flu. They had to keep him quarantined in hospital. Funny stuff.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:19 pm
by bear
Skarjo wrote:Oh God, another year, another ridiculous health scare.
I can't remember who it was on here who confidently declared that they were sure that bird flu would kill at least 125 million people.
Alvin wasn't it?
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:56 pm
by abcd
Skarjo wrote:Oh God, another year, another ridiculous health scare.
I can't remember who it was on here who confidently declared that they were sure that bird flu would kill at least 125 million people.
A guy called 1.
I loved hot sause as well.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:59 pm
by Alvin Flummux
It would have if it had developed a means of human-to-human transmission.
Anyway, the great pandemic of 1918 was caused by birds and aided by pigs - chickens and pigs were in very close proximity in the warzones of WW1 and it's thought that the virus developed then. This virus is born of pig and has developed human-to-human transmission capabilities, spreading worldwide out of absolutely nowhere. We don't know if it'll become a pandemic, or how many will die or be affected - it's likely that we're near the final death toll even now - but it's worrying that this can happen so unexpectedly.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:05 pm
by Skarjo
Alvin Flummux wrote:It would have if it had developed a means of human-to-human transmission.
Anyway, the great pandemic of 1918 was caused by birds and aided by pigs - chickens and pigs were in very close proximity in the warzones of WW1 and it's thought that the virus developed then. This virus is born of pig and has developed human-to-human transmission capabilities, spreading worldwide out of absolutely nowhere. We don't know if it'll become a pandemic, or how many will die or be affected - it's likely that we're near the final death toll even now - but it's worrying that this can happen so unexpectedly.
As I told him at the time, it would never kill close to 125 million. The great flu in 1918 didn't get close to that amount and that spread though a war-torn, devastated Europe with a decimated infrastructure. To suggest one now would kill more, with all our better understanding of the disease, better treatments and national health service just doesn't bear out.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:17 pm
by Dual
I hope my boss catches it so I can get some time off work.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:18 pm
by KK
'120 million could die' on the front of the Daily Express tomorrow.
Glad they're being level headed about this.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:19 pm
by coldspice
Rightey wrote:A pandemic would be a good time to be in the
army or government, they get first dibs on drugs.
Almost makes up for all that dying they have to do.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:21 pm
by Alvin Flummux
The 1918 flu was worldwide and only because it became a major threat to human life just as soldiers from the world over started going home from the battlefields of Europe. That way it spread almost everywhere.
Nowadays everyone is going everywhere by plane all the time, and most of the world lacks decent health infrastructures that can cope with such an event. Just because we in the west/UK are well placed to weather the storm, doesn't mean everywhere is. The "125 million" could mostly be in developing or third world countries for all we know.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:25 pm
by Lotus
What about the person in this country who might have it? The one who's been coughing and sneezing. 
Usual scaremongering by the media, desperate for any kind of story that will get people worried and tuning in to their programmes. If it happens, it will happen. Just let the authorities get on with dealing with it.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:26 pm
by Igor
The BA steward that landed at Heathrow has been given the all clear.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:27 pm
by KK
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:29 pm
by Mr Yoshi
The swines are being killed off, Hunter S Thompson would be happy.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:30 pm
by Skarjo
Alvin Flummux wrote:The 1918 flu was worldwide and only because it became a major threat to human life just as soldiers from the world over started going home from the battlefields of Europe. That way it spread almost everywhere.
Nowadays everyone is going everywhere by plane all the time, and most of the world lacks decent health infrastructures that can cope with such an event. Just because we in the west/UK are well placed to weather the storm, doesn't mean everywhere is. The "125 million" could mostly be in developing or third world countries for all we know.
It's more likely just a nonsense number. The third world is being devastated by diseases more deadly and more transmissable than flu everyday, and modern health infrastructures in most places are not much worse than they were in developing, devastated Europe after WW1. Significantly better in most places.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:30 pm
by Lotus
Igor wrote:The BA steward that landed at Heathrow has been given the all clear.
Ah, no surprise there then.
I expect the cogs will keep turning on this for a good while yet though. It'll be like HN51 and SARS all over again.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:06 am
by Rightey
MCN wrote:Rightey wrote:A pandemic would be a good time to be in the army or government, they get first dibs on drugs.
I do miss having an annual flu jab. Even though I hate needles, it was good to be secure in the knowledge that I would be flu-free.
Aren't those free over there anyways or do you mean that you're know too lazy to actually go out and schedule it.
Edit: Aha found a picture of my mask...
Good to go.
Re: Swine Flu Kills 81 in Mexico, more cases around the world
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:11 am
by Cardinal Chunder
Surely the flu jab would be rubbish against this, what with it being a new strain...
