[Archived] Pandemic

[BuckyRover]

WHO increases pandemic threat level to phase 5 of 6. Phase 5 indicates that a pandemic is imminent. Media getting carried away or reason to be worried?

[modes98]

The thing that is reassuring me is the minimal amount of serious effects the virus is having outside of Mexico and it makes me wonder if it is just their poor medical facilities that are contributing to it. Reading the comments on the BBC's world user map from Mexico it sounds awful out there and I'm glad I work in a Hospital in this country and not there.

[broadsword]

We need a good pandemic, if it wipes out 1 out of every 3 people then the Earth might just live to breathe again.

[BuckyRover]

Very true at a macro level but no so comforting when you realise that a family of 4 will lose 1.6 members

[T4E]

Especially if you're the .6

[Hughesy]

.6 of a person? Why has this topic gone off onto something about dingles again?

[incy wincy little spider]

I'm not sure if its the real deal or not yet. If it is the real thing then I guess we may be saved by the summer months, which should give us time to make a better vaccine if needed.

Anyway I guess we will find out in the next few weeks.

[Flopsy]

I'm in the dont panic category, especially as I'm currently suffering from a cold anyway.

Nothing like the threat of a flu pandemic to get the media in a tiz.

Is there a reason to be worried? No probably not, is there a reason to be careful and remember basic hygene? Hell yes, use a tissue, bin it and wash your hands.

[Olveres]

We need a good pandemic, if it wipes out 1 out of every 3 people then the Earth might just live to breathe again.

Conspiracy Theorists would say this is deliberate and has been unleashed from a lab in the hope it mutates wildly and does basically cull the world's population. It's much cheaper than a world war for one thing and would be much quicker.

Personally, unleashing a pandemic would be madness, akin to opening Pandora's box.

[thenodrog]

Conspiracy Theorists would say this is deliberate and has been unleashed from a lab in the hope it mutates wildly and does basically cull the world's population. It's much cheaper than a world war for one thing and would be much quicker.

Personally, unleashing a pandemic would be madness, akin to opening Pandora's box.

Depends on the crieria set. If that was the case the Aids agenda seems to have been set by a commitee including Eugene Terreblanche, Osama Bin Laden, The Pope and Bernard Manning!

[philipl]

Given the finger is pointing at a Virginia-based pig breeding company's operations in rural Mexico, I doubt they would be found so easily as the culprit if this were a conspiracy!

On the otherhand, the Director of a Museum in Mexico died from swine flu five days after meeting Obama, apparently.

[LeChuck]

Conspiracy Theorists would say this is deliberate and has been unleashed from a lab in the hope it mutates wildly and does basically cull the world's population. It's much cheaper than a world war for one thing and would be much quicker.

Personally, unleashing a pandemic would be madness, akin to opening Pandora's box.

What a ludicrous suggestion. Pandemics have been occurring for far longer than we've been able to manufacture such things in a laboratory. Then again, conspiracy theorists are inherently ludicrous.

Back on topic...I agree with Modes, the fact that (one case aside) it appears to be relatively mild outside of Mexico is encouraging. Also, the current vaccines we have for flu have shown to be effective against the particular strain as long as it is caught quite early on.

[thenodrog]

Given the finger is pointing at a Virginia-based pig breeding company's operations in rural Mexico, I doubt they would be found so easily as the culprit if this were a conspiracy!

On the otherhand, the Director of a Museum in Mexico died from swine flu five days after meeting Obama, apparently.

Most of these type of things seem to be rooted in ruthless unregulated large scale farming methods and especially with monogastric production. I wonder therefore why the government banned such practices in this country many years decade ago yet continue to encourage the supermarkets to import food products from all over the 3rd world produced under these methods. The easy answer is that by allowing our population to increase whilst contributing greatly to the decline of our agriculture at the same time successive governments have ludicrously and dangerously led us into a situation where we cannot now feed our own population.

An incredible but true dereliction of duty by our political masters.

[Amo]

It's Sars and Bird Flu all over again.

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

[stuwilky]

I rang the swine flu helpline last night, all I got was crackling.

[BRFC Comander]

whole load of tosh this is, i work at a chemists/pharmacy down, sorry a long long way down in oz and we got so many ppl coming in wanting to buy the mouth mask thingys, ive never seen anything like that in my life ... btw, dont u guys think it would be more logical for infected ppl to put the masks on rather than the non-infected ppl ... just a thought

and the media here is out of control... http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/807960/a...n-in-full-swing ... lol, considering no one has been affected in the country .... its also definately an over reaction considering more ppl get affected by pneumonia than this thing but thats just not newsworthy for these headline grabbers ...

btw, this is my first post ever ... in my life so hope im doing it right ...

[T4E]

I rang the swine flu helpline last night, all I got was crackling.

love it

[Olveres]

I think I've got it, I've come out in rashers.

[modes98]

8 confirmed cases within the UK now. The original 2 from Scotland have been released from Hospital.

[Guest Vinjay606]

I rang the swine flu helpline last night, all I got was crackling.

Did you steal that line from Kelvin MacKenzie's Sun column?

[Eddie]

My father originally specialised in this and many of his old colleagues are now at the heart of the research going into this and he has always warned that a flu pandemic is inevitable. The fact that this particularly strain looks as if it can be relatively easily treated is encouraging, but the next couple of weeks will decide a lot. I don't think there's any reason to lock yourself away at this point, but equally to just dismiss it because of recent events (sars and bird flu) is naive and the threat isn't very real.

[Hughesy]

Live each day like its your last

[Alan75]

I've won an all inclusive holiday in Cancun.

Cant go now.

I'm Pig sick

[whittle blue]

I think I've got it, I've come out in rashers.

Ask the chemist for some oinkment.

[stuwilky]

Did you steal that line from Kelvin MacKenzie's Sun column?

No Vinjay I didn't. I refuse to buy/read the sun.