the dodgy swine flu

**dfmacliam** · 28th April 09, 06:00 AM

It's like a combination virus combining the bird flu, swine flu, and it's able to go between human and animals and back again. So far It seems to be surfacing in Mexico. Over 160 have died while a thousand plus have taken ill. It's been found in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Isreal, Spain, Scotland, and possibly a couple other countries. The common denominator for the spread is people returning from Mexico. The virus has been deadly in Mexico , but so far no where else have reported deaths. WHO has been monitering the situation.

**beloitpiper** · 28th April 09, 08:51 AM

Here's a regularly updated map of the outbreak

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...,25.488281&z=5

As you can see, the only deaths have been in Mexico.

**thanmuwa** · 5th May 09, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by peacekeeper83

Over 160 have died while a thousand plus have taken ill. It's been found in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Isreal, Spain, Scotland, and possibly a couple other countries. The common denominator for the spread is people returning from Mexico. The virus has been deadly in Mexico , but so far no where else have reported deaths. WHO has been monitering the situation.

The number of confirmed deaths at 19 is actually much lower than the 160 which is still speculation:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8031761.stm

Compare this to the normal worldwide yearly deathtoll from regular flu: 500,000.

Although it is too early to be sure yet, I get the feeling the media just cried wolf, again.

**Iain Robb** · 5th May 09, 05:08 AM

Well, my son's not complaining. They closed his school for the rest of the week because of one suspected case:

http://www.wesh.com/news/19368032/detail.html

The school also asked students not to go to the mall or other places where a lot of people are. Like that's going to work ...

**george7** · 5th May 09, 05:19 AM

I think they shouldn't cry wolf so eagerly. When something really dangerous happens we might get gobbled up due to apathy.

and here's some swine flu fun... http://doihaveswineflu.org/

**JolyStNicholas** · 5th May 09, 05:32 AM

The Media if famous for blowing things out of hand. If they would report the truth no one would pay attention. As Iain stated they closed the school due to a suspected case, not confirmed, causing panic in every parent who has a child in that school.

**Galician** · 5th May 09, 05:37 AM

I wouldn't go that far, George. The main reason for concern with this strain of the flu virus is that it is a totally new one, to which few in the world will have immunity. Plus, unlike the bird flu scare of a few years ago, it is already easily spread among people.

Thankfully, even in Mexico the outbreak now seems to be ebbing. The flu virus, though, is a tricky one, and, now that it is established around the world, is likely to be popping up again and again in the years ahead.

I too automatically think back to 1918 while I've been watching this unfold. I grew up hearing from my grandmother about her younger sister who died at age 12 from that outbreak.

**The Kilted Reverend** · 5th May 09, 06:37 AM

Wrong information.

Slainte,
TKR

**thanmuwa** · 5th May 09, 07:34 AM

By the way, I am not trying to say people won't die from it, and it is just as sad for anyone who loses someone to this flu, my point is simply that if there was a news item that said 1000's of people had flu, and some people had died from it, your reaction would probably be "doesn't that happen every year?" Add the word swine, and suddenly we are meant to panic?

Yes, a big pandemic is due at some point, but the medical opinion is that less people will die from the next one than died in the previous one, and less people died in the 1958 pandemic than in the one before it (1918), all because of better medical treatment...
So, as flus become less lethal, the frenzy over them goes completely over the top. Statistically, someone is orders of magnitude more likely to be involved in a fatal car crash than to die from ANY flu. Why not panic over that instead? Or perhaps some scepticism is in order?

**dfmacliam** · 5th May 09, 07:43 AM

There has been more cases of this strain coming out everyday. The small town I call home has just had six cases confirmed and Ft Worth has some cases. School has been closed for a week now and they plan on being closed till the eleventh of May. I am sure 1918's Spanish Flu is reason most are being cautious. Is there a panic in the area, fanned by the media? No, people are just being cautious.