i think there's some deal of chance all the media hype could be related to covering up some other fact.
I mean, not COVERING, per se, but just diverging attention from it. For example, if you do a micro google search you find out the last time there was a massive hysteria for pig flu was in '76
http://www.capitalcentury.com/1976.html
just after the Vietnam war, in the same year north & south vietnam became a socialist republic.
Coincidence? maybe

Well, thar be 3 cases in Norway so far. Should I be worried? Hmmm.

Well, thar be 3 cases in Norway so far. Should I be worried? Hmmm.

Well, do you have close contact with pigs, or a pig-herder of any descritpion, Abydost? Or happen to be friends with one? Because they're of the highest infection rate.

Well, do you have close contact with pigs, or a pig-herder of any descritpion, Abydost? Or happen to be friends with one? Because they're of the highest infection rate.

Probably because of the fact that Mexico was the place where the disease first mutated and spread... It's nothing to do with that outside of Mexico because if you think about it, there are thousands infected there and not even a couple of hundred affected in the rest of the world. It was spread from person to person after it left Mexico, and that's also probably why nobody else has died; because it's a weaker strain. Second-hand bacteria which has been weakened because it has been outside of the body. It's thought that initially, the bacteria developed in pig manure which was putrefying on a farm in Mexico. That would probably mean that those in direct contact for perhaps about six generations of the spread were at risk of being fatalities. So if you think about it, unless the people in close proximity to the people on the farms leave Mexico (which they probably won't, because they're probably dead), we're all fine.

That's it, I'm going out tomorrow night!

http://www.capitalcentury.com/1976.html

"By Oct. 1, the makers had the serums ready and America's public health bureaucracy had lined up thousands of doctors, nurses and paramedics to give out the shots at medical centers, schools and firehouses across the nation."
That article suggest there was a vaccine for swine flu in 1976. What happened to it?

I hate vaccines. I got meningitis which nearly killed me as a baby because my system was fighting off the pathogens given to me in a vaccine I didn't need. Vaccines may prevent illnesses, but they weaken your immune system horribly while doing so. If you know anything about biology you'll know about the three types of T Cells - Killers, Helpers and Memory T's. From what I remember, when you take a vaccine, a virus is sent into your system, your Helper T's are all like "omg, wtf" and they tell your Killer T Cells to destroy it (and all other foreign bacteria) so that your Memory T Cells will recognise if a stronger strain of the pathogen is ever in your system, and will know how to combat it quickly and efficiently without having to completely demolish the rest of your immune system. But while your immune system is down after the Killer T's initially wipe you out, there's a chance that other malicious bacteria can infect you and reproduce at an exponential rate because there's nothing there to destroy them. SCARY TIMES.

Well, do you have close contact with pigs, or a pig-herder of any descritpion, Abydost? Or happen to be friends with one? Because they're of the highest infection rate.

Probably because of the fact that Mexico was the place where the disease first mutated and spread... It's nothing to do with that outside of Mexico because if you think about it, there are thousands infected there and not even a couple of hundred affected in the rest of the world. It was spread from person to person after it left Mexico, and that's also probably why nobody else has died; because it's a weaker strain. Second-hand bacteria which has been weakened because it has been outside of the body. It's thought that initially, the bacteria developed in pig manure which was putrefying on a farm in Mexico. That would probably mean that those in direct contact for perhaps about six generations of the spread were at risk of being fatalities. So if you think about it, unless the people in close proximity to the people on the farms leave Mexico (which they probably won't, because they're probably dead), we're all fine.

That's it, I'm going out tomorrow night!

you are probably right.
there was a report on an outbreak scare in a brooklyn school. they said the kids were getting over it like a regular flu.
They didnt really specify wether it was people freaking out over a regular flu or if in fact it was just a weaker strain.

but shit it still hurts that so many people have lost their lives. its not a huge number but they are lives...i really hope it doesnt continue like this.

geh, and on all the hype...
an interesting point someone made: sensationalism can be a tool. if people are scared enough they'll go through more shit to avoid getting it.keeping it from spreading, whether its a freaking apocalypse pandemic its made out to be or just a overblown sneeze.
despite being the grandkid of a crazy hick town survivalist, im not really worried...that much.........well maybe a little.

I live in Mexico, not Mexico City tho (Which is like the Ground Zero), and all the media are talking about this virus. Oh and my relatives living in Mex City tell me that it's getting scarier over there, restaurants closed, no one one the streets, etc.

Looks like anybody who comes from general direction of Mexico with runny nose makes the news instantly. That's indeed annoying. And tabloids are particularly awesome, with firstpage material with huge skulls and SWINE FLU WILL KILL MILLIONS headlines. Brilliant.

[swervedriver]

http://www.googlebattle.com/?domain=swi ... &submit=Go!

Only 1 person outside Mexico has died of swine flu so far (in the USA).

It's nothing, trust me. Just go see a doctor if you feel ill - apparently the symptoms are pretty much the same as 'ordinary' flu. As long as you're pretty healthy without swine flu, it's very treatable.

Hmmm... I am afraid of the swine flu, but not too much at the moment... As far as I know, no one outside of Mexico has actually died from this yet. It's just a mild case of it, which is interesting.

I do feel really sorry for everyone in Mexico at the moment though. I hope something can get done about it soon.

Oh edit then, 1 one person. But then that was sorta like how one guy died of bird flu in Britain...

I guess the only thing is to wait...

Honestly though, I'd rather people pay alot of attention to it and sort it quickly, rather than just go "Naahhh its nothing." and let the disease develop.

I can't say I'm too worried to be honest. I'm sure it's a serious situation, but I don't see much point in stressing about it.

My mum's very much the type of person that gets taken in by the media regarding this sort of thing, so she's quite worried. I think I put it into perspective for her a bit when I pointed out to here that she'd lived through the cold war, including the cuban missile crisis.

Honestly though, I'd rather people pay alot of attention to it and sort it quickly, rather than just go "Naahhh its nothing." and let the disease develop.

I agree with Amber. Even if it is nothing, we should try and deal with it now, that way there will be plenty of time to make zombie jokes later.


http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpre ... piddle.jpg

Doesn't really have anything to do with what I just said, but I had to have some sort of excuse to post it.

It's a small flu like thing...it can be cured with anti-virus stuff....people are being cured..a few people have died but thousands of people every year die from normal flu

MEDIA HYSTERIA

God damn it....

Only 1 person outside Mexico has died of swine flu so far (in the USA).

It's nothing, trust me. Just go see a doctor if you feel ill - apparently the symptoms are pretty much the same as 'ordinary' flu. As long as you're pretty healthy without swine flu, it's very treatable.

The odd part, it was a Mexican child on vacation who died.

Source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090429/ts_nm/us_flu

WHO raised it to level 5. I'm not really worried yet, but it's kind of big if it does turn into a full-blown pandemic.