Killer Flu...

[Dirk]

Everyone I know who's 'in the know' thinks this is majorly scary shit. My mate's bird is a Dr of Biochemistry and when this all kicked off she was at a conference, and virtually all talk was that this could be 'the big one'.

 

You can't blame the politicians for trying to calm it down though I suppose, no point starting a riot!

 

It's difficult to find a balance between planning and hysteria. However, a lot of people don't have a clue what's really happening. It might seem hysterical but I carry alcohol gel with me everywhere now (80% of viruses are spread by the hands), if I touch the ATM, I clean my hands, after handling money I clean my hands, if I've used a shopping trolley I clean my hands, so on and so forth, primarily because I am asthmatic and I have lowered immune system function and, even though it is currently mild, it's better to start practicing now and getting into a routine for when it gets worse.

 

I've been reading around and the Red Cross are suggesting that people store 2 weeks of food and a gallon of water per person per day for up to 2 weeks. If it becomes a worst case scenario 30% of the population could be off work ill at any one time, leading to supply problems for essential goods. I will limit how much I leave the house, try to keep off public transport (I read a stat that something like 99% of commuters have at least one cold per year, compared to 58% of those that worked from home). I won't use public phones, try not to use a shared computer, if you use a communal phone in work or at home, sanitize the mouth piece before using it and clean your hands where you've dialled the number. The Red Cross also suggested that people use colour coded towels for each family member to prevent cross contamination. There's quite a bit that can be done to increase your chances of survival but most people won't do it, because they will denounce it as hysterical. I don't give a shit if people think I am hysterical or not, it's irrational to think like that, best to be safe than sorry.

[Jennings]

From the figures I saw over the weekend it looks like more people have died in the USA than in Mexico. Yet the news reports have been fairly quiet.

 

There is a vaccine scheduled for next month. Will that provide immunity against a mutation?

[Dirk]

From the figures I saw over the weekend it looks like more people have died in the USA than in Mexico. Yet the news reports have been fairly quiet.

 

There is a vaccine scheduled for next month. Will that provide immunity against a mutation?

 

I don't have any knowledge of this. I have been wondering about this. I don't think the flu vaccine provides complete immunity unless you have two doses - we won't be given two doses. It does provide protection from death which is what matters most, I suppose. I don't know to what extent the vaccine would provide protection from a mutation, though, perhaps Hermes knows more about this.

[Dirk]

Yeah, my Burnham comment was just an opportunistic pop at him. It's irrelevant really. I am amazed about how blase everyone is about this though - shows the deep distrust in anything official nowadays. Unfortunately this is one case where we should sit up and listen. Not to say that we should go round in a Corporal Jones manner, but we should take it seriously and balance the risk properly.

 

I don't think the primary factor is mistrust, I think it's denial. Most people can't or don't want to accept that they might die, so they put it to the back of their mind and then when the politicians say something, they use devices like mistrust but I think the mistrust, in this instance, is just an agent of denial.

[aws]

Hermes will save us all.

[LFC4LIFE]

4 cases of Swine Flu have been confirmed in my school. All 4 boys are my close friends. NOO!

[Original202]

A hospital patient from Essex has become the first person without underlying health problems to die after contracting swine flu.

 

I'm taking this a lot more seriously now. It's easy to bury your head in the sand but it isn't just going to go away. I actually think I may have had it as I had a pretty rotten cold a few weeks back (Dark green snot, body aches, shivers, headaches, sore throat etc) and I reckon someone else at work had it too in it's mild form - she never has time off and never has a cold.

 

Thousands of people must have or have had it, but either don't know about it because the symptons are so mild or they just think it's a cold. And there seems to be a lot of people sneezing at the moment due to hayfever which is probably spreading it even more.

 

I hate mass hysteria and overreaction, but this winter could be pretty unpleasant.

[BRAP]

I deffo have it,sore throat,fever,belly ache,cough,and feel like shit even my eyes hurt,I visited the midlands last week and every fucker was coughing,just stayed in for the last 3 days its bad but I have felt worse

[Section_31]

The local PCT has moved to 'treatment' phase rather than containment. The health centre also has a sign outside saying "If you think you have swine flu, don't come in, go home and phone us."

 

I shit you not!

[She Knows It]

I deffo have it,sore throat,fever,belly ache,cough,and feel like shit even my eyes hurt,I visited the midlands last week and every fucker was coughing,just stayed in for the last 3 days its bad but I have felt worse

 

Get on the phone and get your Tamiflu. Hope you're on the mend soon.

[Joe Le Taxi]

Hah I left my school after finishing my last exam now I find out 12 people in my school have it. This all points to me being the cure as fate made me survive by scheduling my exams that way and shit.

[Section_31]

Hah I left my school after finishing my last exam now I find out 12 people in my school have it. This all points to me being the cure as fate made me survive by scheduling my exams that way and shit.

 

They're the lucky ones young'un. They'll have two or three days of snotty nose then they'll have an immunity to it.

 

Meanwhile, the virus will be winging its way around the world via Hong Kong, doing push-ups on steroids and becoming impervious to Tamiflu - then in the Autumn in will swing back our way and hit us all like a truck.

 

That's what happened with the Spanish Flu pandemic, it had a minor wave, then a fucking Tsunami a year later - that's just how Influenza roles.

[Elmyn Noos]

I rang the out of hours surgery the other day with a genuine complaint as I spotted white blistering at the back of my throat indicating the imminent onslaught of tonsilitis which I suffer from intermittently. I was told that my urgently required appointment to get a prescription for antibiotics was likely to be severely delayed because the lines were being jammed with fucking over-reacting pansies whining that they might have swine-flu.

 

Man up you fucks.

[Joe Le Taxi]

They're the lucky ones young'un. They'll have two or three days of snotty nose then they'll have an immunity to it.

 

Meanwhile, the virus will be winging its way around the world via Hong Kong, doing push-ups on steroids and becoming impervious to Tamiflu - then in the Autumn in will swing back our way and hit us all like a truck.

 

That's what happened with the Spanish Flu pandemic, it had a minor wave, then a fucking Tsunami a year later - that's just how Influenza roles.

 

Right time to go get me some swine flu. Is it easier to get than aids? I don't want that again. :whistle:

[Section_31]

Right time to go get me some swine flu. Is it easier to get than aids? I don't want that again. :whistle:

 

Get yourself round to one of your classmate's houses while you've got the chance. People are having 'swine flu parties' so they can get it now while the going's good.

 

If I had it I might actually sell some hugs on Ebay, and kisses if they're female and under 50.

 

Or maybe 60.

[Joe Le Taxi]

Swine Flu parties. A party of getting sneezed on. Well for the girls I guess they get spit-roasted.

[Section_31]

I'd like to catch swine flu from Hannah Spearritt's colon. Ain't no party like a swine flu party.

[Elmyn Noos]

I'd like to catch swine flu from Hannah Spearritt's colon. Ain't no party like a swine flu party.

 

That's a damned good call right there. Hannah Spearitt's colon......mmmmm...

[Antynwa]

A hospital patient from Essex has become the first person without underlying health problems to die after contracting swine flu.

 

I'm taking this a lot more seriously now. It's easy to bury your head in the sand but it isn't just going to go away. I actually think I may have had it as I had a pretty rotten cold a few weeks back (Dark green snot, body aches, shivers, headaches, sore throat etc) and I reckon someone else at work had it too in it's mild form - she never has time off and never has a cold.

 

Thousands of people must have or have had it, but either don't know about it because the symptons are so mild or they just think it's a cold. And there seems to be a lot of people sneezing at the moment due to hayfever which is probably spreading it even more.

 

I hate mass hysteria and overreaction, but this winter could be pretty unpleasant.

 

[Elmyn Noos]

I'd like to catch swine flu from Hannah Spearritt's colon. Ain't no party like a swine flu party.

 

[Dirk]

A couple of decent(ish) videos that you may or may not be interested in. It's impossible to embed the second one which is a video by the US Red Cross on making plans for a flu pandemic.

 

[YOUTUBE]3QwrrhfGT9k[/YOUTUBE]

 

Pandemic Flu, Are You Prepared?

[Anubis]

FAO of Swine Flu.

 

You're shit, and you know you are,

You're shit, and you know you are,

You're shit, and you know you are,

You're shit, and you know you are.

[odris]

Couple of questions.

 

1) Underlying health problems, is that like if i am to get diabetes in later life because my dad has it?

 

2) If i caught it and was cured would i be able to catch swine flu again?

[Elmyn Noos]

Swine flu, for fuck's sake.

 

Has anyone got any stats comparing deaths from swine flu this year compared to deaths from normal flu that doesn't make the news?

[Dirk]

Here is some info on how flu viruses mutate.

 

Antigenic drift - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Antigenic shift - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia