[Archived] Pandemic

[dopper69]

Think I've got a bad case of swine flu - I've got the trots

[Presty On Tour]

I just phoned the NHS Direct phone line about swine flu. The line was poor.

All I got was crackling.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

It's the aporkalypse.

[SAS]

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.

A majority of supermarket meat comes from Holland, Germany, France, UK and Ireland.

[thenodrog]

A majority of supermarket meat comes from Holland, Germany, France, UK and Ireland.

Indeed SAS, we tend to get poultry meat from further afield. Pig meat is expensive currently so don't discount some coming in from farther afield though. I'd imagine that the mexican pork will mainly end up on the US.

[stuwilky]

I just phoned the NHS Direct phone line about swine flu. The line was poor.

All I got was crackling.

Only a day or two late Presty

[rosie]

Who's still buying supermarket meat? Sorry, I stopped ages ago: i) because it was so difficult to find British produce and ii) because it's more expensive than my local butcher who sells local and good quality produce.

Re: swine flu, I think the Mexicans are unfortunate in their healthcare system and we're very lucky in this country. Let's pray it stays low risk but remain vigilant! In my opinion, the media will always zoom in on the crying kid who's terrified in order to sell their story.

[awhom111]

How are things going for Rovers fans in the Southwest USA or NYC? Are any people taking serious precautions there?

[Ventura Rover]

How are things going for Rovers fans in the Southwest USA or NYC? Are any people taking serious precautions there?

NOPE... Seen a few people with masks on, that's about it. Our office administrator handed me a sanitized cloth to clean my phone yesterday! That's me safe then.

Schools close down for several days if any student is found to have the "flu"

No serious outbreaks though.

[Amo]

Schools close down for several days if any student is found to have the "flu"

No serious outbreaks though.

The perfect crime for any would-be Bart Simpson.

[colin]

I was discussing this with a bunch of people at the weekend.

Someone mentioned that the "Spanish Flu" pandemic outbreak early last century killed more people than died in World War One.

Most important was the fact that middle aged people tend to be more resistant than young people as we have had longer to build up resistance to various germs and viruses.

The theory is confirmed on the always 100% reliable wikipedia

Don't worry young people. We'll give you a decent send off. Probably land-fill.

Cheers.

Uncle Colin

[ABBEY]

mexico paid for............................bring it on

[Eddie]

I was discussing this with a bunch of people at the weekend.

Someone mentioned that the "Spanish Flu" pandemic outbreak early last century killed more people than died in World War One.

Most important was the fact that middle aged people tend to be more resistant than young people as we have had longer to build up resistance to various germs and viruses.

The theory is confirmed on the always 100% reliable wikipedia

Don't worry young people. We'll give you a decent send off. Probably land-fill.

Cheers.

Uncle Colin

That particularly strain of flu was more deadly to young people, but it isn't true of all strains. That particularly strain caused the body to go into immune system overdrive as it were and it essentially fought itself to death in many cases. Generally a flu strain is more harmful to the elderly and those who are already sick, that will most likely be the case in the next flu pandemic; but it is also true that a flu strain that is more harmful to the fit and young is also far more likely to turn into a pandemic as makes it will be spread far more easily. I just hope people don't end up seeing this as the WHO and governments crying wolf one too many times.

[Paul]

I just hope people don't end up seeing this as the WHO and governments crying wolf one too many times.

I have the feeling the WHO got this totally wrong. Clearly people dieing of any cause is terrible and I'm not attempting to push that away at all. However there have been 787 confirmed cases in 17 countries, now I'm no scientist and I've no doubt the disease type, transmission method and general spread means this qualifies as a pandemic. The problem though is it does not fit the public perception and it would worry me the next time there is a threat, of much graver proportions, anyone who experienced this outbreak will simply shrug their shoulders thinking "so what."

It's very difficult to get the balance right when issuing warnings of this sort. For me the WHO etc got this completely wrong, as do many other organisations when issuing advice. For example the met office and the ridiculous "weather warnings" we get every time it's anything less than 25c and dry - it's been happening since the hurricane of '87. Stupid.

If organisations want people to take note the information should be appropriate to the threat / danger, sensible and level-headed. If it isn't when the situation is truely serious people will not respond appropriately. 0 / 10 for the WHO this time.

[Rover Down Under]

S'nout to worry about

I think they're hamming up the story :D

The press like telling porky pies after all :D:D

OK I'll stop now.

[Eddie]

I have the feeling the WHO got this totally wrong. Clearly people dieing of any cause is terrible and I'm not attempting to push that away at all. However there have been 787 confirmed cases in 17 countries, now I'm no scientist and I've no doubt the disease type, transmission method and general spread means this qualifies as a pandemic. The problem though is it does not fit the public perception and it would worry me the next time there is a threat, of much graver proportions, anyone who experienced this outbreak will simply shrug their shoulders thinking "so what."

It's very difficult to get the balance right when issuing warnings of this sort. For me the WHO etc got this completely wrong, as do many other organisations when issuing advice. For example the met office and the ridiculous "weather warnings" we get every time it's anything less than 25c and dry - it's been happening since the hurricane of '87. Stupid.

If organisations want people to take note the information should be appropriate to the threat / danger, sensible and level-headed. If it isn't when the situation is truely serious people will not respond appropriately. 0 / 10 for the WHO this time.

I've spoken to my dad about this and he has said that, although it obviously looks bad for the WHO right now, things need to be run like this. They set their pandemic levels based on very strict criteria as things can develop quickly. As soon as their was the strain moves between people they have to be follow it very carefully and make sure that governments being to prepare themselves for the worst. The fact is that public perception of all this doesn't really matter too much; what will determine how effectively pandemics are prevented and contained is how well equipped nations are to treat the problem. The WHO will not have been damaged in the eyes of governments and that is all that really matters. The threat of a pandemic is very real and it will happen at some point in the near(ish) future, so it must be treated seriously.

[b12_simon]

I've spoken to my dad about this and he has said that, although it obviously looks bad for the WHO right now, things need to be run like this. They set their pandemic levels based on very strict criteria as things can develop quickly. As soon as their was the strain moves between people they have to be follow it very carefully and make sure that governments being to prepare themselves for the worst. The fact is that public perception of all this doesn't really matter too much; what will determine how effectively pandemics are prevented and contained is how well equipped nations are to treat the problem. The WHO will not have been damaged in the eyes of governments and that is all that really matters. The threat of a pandemic is very real and it will happen at some point in the near(ish) future, so it must be treated seriously.

SARS, bird 'flu and now swine 'flu. If they want to be taken seriously they're crying wolf too often.

[tony gale's mic]

SARS, bird 'flu and now swine 'flu. If they want to be taken seriously they're crying wolf too often.

They're not crying wolf, it's the media that are doing that.

How some folk with zero knowledge of public health can accuse the WHO of crying wolf is absolutely ridiculous. Like I said, blame the media but not the authorities who know far more about this stuff than you do.

[Eddie]

SARS, bird 'flu and now swine 'flu. If they want to be taken seriously they're crying wolf too often.

No, it's just that with viruses of this sort it's a very thin line between relatively harmless and disaster. When a dangerous strain of flu appears, or any other virus for that matter, governing bodies and health systems have to prepare and react quickly in order to prevent a pandemic. They're actually doing a very good job of dealing with all of this. The western world is very well equipped to contain and treat such an outbreak, but such an outbreak is also more likely now than at any other point in human history.

[Billy Castell]

We're all going to die !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot and Idi Amin killed more. This is all media hype, and I can just see the news channels willing more deaths just so they can run around and scream the sky is falling. I'm not worried.

[Eddie]

It's not media hype; it's something that has happened throughout history. Now we aren't all going to die, but a couple million deaths (possibly more) isn't exactly a small matter either.

[Billy Castell]

Show me the corpses Eddie. Where are they? I'll only panic when it starts killing people en masse. SARS was media hype, and Avain flu was media hype. Avian/Swine flu may mutate and kill millions, but then again they might not. So why jump on the band waggon until the crap hits the fan, and be sensible.

160 or so deaths is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Billy, I don't think anyone has said it is a pandemic. They say that, circumstances permitting, it COULD be. And they are right. We are approaching summer now and everybody will become complacent and give a collective sigh of relief, but we could have real problems when next winter rolls around. The reason the WHO are "hyping it up", so to speak, is because it's a brand new virus and there is no telling what it will do next. It could potentially result in those corpses you were talking about. It could do bugger all.

I think the key word is "COULD".

[Billy Castell]

Exactly. I was commenting more on the media acheing to tell us it is all a disaster, and how we're dooooomed!!!!! Honestly, sensible caution and procedures should stop things going wrong.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

There's the rub though. If it does go wrong, we are pretty much powerless to stop it. What can we do? Lock people in their homes? Fine people for sneezing? We are so vulnerable if it does turn malicious. The media are just playing on that with their "The World Ends Tomorrow" headlines, followed by advertisements for tomorrows edition which has a free hardback inside, "Vinjay: Life Story".

But, like you say, it probably won't.