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Swine flu: the next pandemic?


krazeeboi

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By now, I'm sure you guys have heard about the swine flu epidemic in Mexico with a few confirmed cases also here in the U.S. The U.S. has also declared a public health emergency to deal with the emerging new swine flu. The CDC and WHO are saying that it appears as though it cannot be contained and that this could possibly be a pandemic in the making. We've been warned about something like this for years. So is it finally upon us?

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I wonder how bad this 'pandemic' may be, one of the most perplexing things so far about this strain of the H1N1 virus is why so many Mexicans have died of the disease but Americans have recovered or are recovering, so far. Of course, it is possible that this strain could mutate further. Cases in the U.S. are now reported in TX, CA, KS, NY, and OH. Possible foreign cases have been reported in New Zealand, Israel, and Canada all from people who have been to Mexico or been in contact with someone who has been to Mexico.

This is still in the early stages, so we have no idea how bad it may be, but imagine if it does get bad that this could be a summer where no one goes to the ballpark, concerts are cancelled, and people don't venture far from home for fear of catching this? It will make for an strange year.

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There was a big Swine Flu scare in 1976. Seems like they managed to give vaccinations to about 1/4 of the population before they gave up. Maybe this scare isn't any different.

In the late 1960s when I was in elementary school, there was the Hong Kong Flu. 35,000 people died from it in the USA. In those days they simply ordered every kid in school to the cafeteria where you had to get an injection and there was no option to say no. There was none of this getting the parent's permission first. I remember lining up and getting my shot via an air injection pistol. For some reason they don't use these anymore, but they were less painful than getting a needle.

I don't think this one is going to amount to anything comparable.

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It appears as though this particular virus is a novelty as it is a Frankenstein of sorts: an amalgamation of swine flu, avian flu, and human flu viruses. I do think it's a bit strange that no one in the U.S. has died of it. I'm thinking that immunization requirements here may have something to do with that.

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Spain is now on the list as well of having a probably case, and Canada is reporting up to 6. Governments around the world are also issuing travel advisories for people travelling to Mexico and the US. Some governments (China, Taiwan, and Russia) are saying they will quarantine anyone off of flights who has a fever until an adequate explanation is reached. They have installed temperature monitors at the Narita Int'l Airport outside of Tokyo that can alert screeners to passengers with a high body temperature so they can face additional screening.

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I think people should really take these kind of viruses seriously because overtime they do mutate, become harder to cure and become more deadly. Thats really the scary part. There are many viruses out there I hope to God doesnt mutate. Some of our deadly viruses that you can only catch through bodily fluids could one day be caught airborn. If that happens we are talking world depopulation. But this out break could be the largest swine flu outbreak. Time and time again people don't wash their hands and they cough and sneeze without covering their face.

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God this almost sounds like the panic when HIV was first pinpointed. Countries all over the world began reporting incidences. Same with this swine flu. The chronology of events looks terrifyingly similar.

This could be even worse, since people don't have to have sex to get it. Very scary stuff. As monsoon mentioned flu epidemics are deadly and leave thousands of fatalities in their wakes.

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Just as a point of reference, here are the last 4 noted flu pandemics:

  • Asiatic (Russian) flu - 1889-90 - 1 million dead - H2N2

  • Spanish flu - 1918-1920 - 40 to 50 million plus dead - H1N1 (variant of the same strain in today's scare)

  • Asian flu - 1957-58 - 1 to 1.5 million dead - H2N2

  • Hong Kong Flu - 1968-69 - .75 to 1 million dead - H3N2

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I think that while it has the potential to mutate further and become serious, it is not anything to run around in panic of right now. The WHO and DHHS are monitoring it and thats all you need right now. I think the media is just really bored right now and desperate for a doom & gloom story to catch peoples attention as they get tired of reading about the economy.

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20 more cases from the school in NYC were confirmed today and they expect an additional 100 from the same school to be confirmed this week. There are reports of suspected cases in Michigan and South Carolina. A school in SC was actually closed due to the 'scare' today.

Our company has invoked part of our pandemic protocal today asking anyone who feels sick with a fever to stay at home and seek medical attention in a mass email. A questionnaire was also circulated on email asking what work can we get done from home and if we could connect to our PC's at the office from home.

I agree, it's probably being WAY overblown by the media, but it is good to take precaution in case.

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the latest is that there are 10 suspected cases in North Carolina. Almost all the ones in North Carolina just got back from Mexico and they are reporting flu like symptoms. They have not reported where in North Carolina these people are but did say they are spread across the state in different areas. Last week I had a sore throat and flu like symptoms but that was from having strep throat and after being on antibiotics the past 4 days all my symptoms are gone.

BTW I heard that president Obama shook hands with a man in Mexico who had the Swine flu and died the day after he shook his hand.

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WHO has raised the pandemic alert to 5 now, further adding to the fiasco. To add emphasis to how crazy people are getting with this, stores in the district under my jurisdiction (I work for a major pharmacy chain) have seen an increase in the sales of hand sanitizer by 300% in the past few days alone! We are also completely sold out of face masks in the entire southeast and our distribution center is rationing what they get to 2 per kind per store. I've even tried getting masks from our pharmacy supplier and they are out too! Its complete insanity on a scale I've never seen in my life.

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Doesn't regular flu kill between 250k and 500k people each year around the world? This swine flu seems like child's play in comparison unless I'm missing something. Why are the more uncommon diseases and sicknesses always the ones that get greater attention when there are more common types that kill more by number?

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Doesn't regular flu kill between 250k and 500k people each year around the world? This swine flu seems like child's play in comparison unless I'm missing something. Why are the more uncommon diseases and sicknesses always the ones that get greater attention when there are more common types that kill more by number?
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I agree that this seems to be a lot of media 'hype.' However, everyone in the medical field is worried about the one outbreak where the virus mutates into something much more sinister. The good thing about this outbreak for North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia is that the traditional flu season is coming to an end. That should limit potential outbreaks. However, it is bad for Australia, Africa, and South America.

If the virus stays as is, this will go up with SARS and MRSA as over-hyped. Only time will tell...

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^

Well the real worry now isn't now the pigs spreading it, or even just people, its birds. The virus has elements of the bird flu in it and as a result can be carried by birds. As we all know, birds are pretty mobile and at this time of year, they are still migrating north and can easily pick up the flu along the way, which could result in its spreading. Ultimately, we will just have to wait and see how it all plays out, there really isn't a whole lot we can do at this point.

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There is also the issue of "seasonal flu". Every year, the CDC pinpoints a flu virus likely to be infecting people and vaccines are distributed throughout the country (the "flu shot"). There are no vaccines for this, so the issue is that nearly everyone who might come in contact with the virus could get it. While deaths might not be common place in the US from it, the sheer numbers of people out of work, school, and in hospitals could cripple the nation. Those are the worries about the pandemic in the US, Canada and Europe.

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The corporate controlled media in the USA has barely touched on investigating the news this virus might have first infected people at a Smithfield Farms of Virginia pig farm in Mexico. .....

Meanwhile, if you like pork, the grocery stores are putting their pork products on sale because people are not buying it for fear of getting the flu from their ham and pork chops. Time to fill up the freezer.

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