Swine flu epidemic - TTLG Forums

Fringe on 29/4/2009 at 02:31

Thrill as gengaming tears itself apart over just what genre Portal fits into anyway

june gloom on 29/4/2009 at 03:13

As much as GenGaming likes to poke fun at ThiefGen (and as much as ThiefGen deserves it), Fringe is spot the fuck on.

Muzman on 29/4/2009 at 05:33

Where are the wingnut doomsayers? They must be out there by now.
We've had War, (credit) Famine and now here comes Pestilence.

Wouldn't it be funny if the rapture came and we didn't notice since nobody made the cut?

PigLick on 29/4/2009 at 06:01

pigs might fly, but this swine flu

Scots Taffer on 29/4/2009 at 06:22

(http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html) Sober reporting?

Vasquez on 29/4/2009 at 07:08

Quote Posted by Scots Taffer

(http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html) Sober reporting?

Well, 250 000 is still quite a bit less than 50 000 000, if swine flu turns out to be as eager to kill as the Spanish flu. (Doesn't seem so atm fortunately, except in Mexico, and all of those cases are probably not confirmed yet.)

Neb on 29/4/2009 at 07:13

Short article published on April 7, 2008:

Quote:

The current H1N1 appears to be rapidly replicating simultaneously in the U.S. and Austria. It may succeed H5N1 as the leading candidate for the next expected overdue pandemic. However, the same virus replikin structures detected by FluForecast(R) software in all three previous pandemics, namely 1918 H1N1, 1957 H2N2, and 1968 H3N2, as well as in H5N1, have not yet been detected in the currently evolving H1N1.

(http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-technology-1/H1N1-Influenza-Virus-With-Highest-Replikin-Count-28TM-29-Since-the-1918-Pandemic-Identified-in-the-U-S--and-Austria-4432-1/) http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-technology-1/H1N1-Influenza-Virus-With-Highest-Replikin-Count-28TM-29-Since-the-1918-Pandemic-Identified-in-the-U-S--and-Austria-4432-1/

SubJeff on 29/4/2009 at 18:20

Quote Posted by Scots Taffer

(http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html) Sober reporting?

Whilst the stats there make it look like things are getting overblown lets not forget that "regular" flu tends to kill specific groups of people (in countries with decent healthcare) - namely the elderly and the immunocompromised.

I can't find any details on the people that have died in Mexico. If its a couple of residential (old age) homes that have been wiped out then it's fair to say meh. But the only ages I've read are the first death, in a 30 odd year old, and in a 23month old child. I recognise that I don't have all the facts but these are odd ages to be killed by flu. Just saying.

On another note - at my hospital we have been given guidance re: treatment of swine flu victims, and in my specific arena of work - intensive care medicine - we've already been issued with special facemasks that are uberfitting/moulding with one way valves, visors and extra guidance. And one of the medical wards is now officially the (potential) swine flu ward. This is all just in case, of course. Just waiting for my personal supply of antivirals now.

Its not that flu is "deadly" but if you get it you should have treatment and the worry is that if human to human transmission is easy then healthcare systems may get overwhelmed. Even increasing the load on the medical wards a little can cause issues and I already have 3 patients at the moment who don't need to be in ITU (anymore) but who cannot be discharged because there are no beds on regular wards. This is not uncommon.

Scots Taffer on 29/4/2009 at 23:23

Obviously it's too soon to make a call but I'm far more inclined to believe WHO's estimate of 7 or so confirmed cases versus the newspapers talking about hundreds.

Also, and I hate to be the only one to think this, but who's to say Swine Flu wasn't already out there and airborne and people had it before this got noticed? Maybe it hasn't spread in the space of a few days but in fact has been spreading discreetly for weeks, months or even years lost amongst generic flu cases?

The Eye on 30/4/2009 at 00:52

Now isn't this ironic... for about two months I've been thinking about reading "The Stand" by Stephen King... and guess what happens... :cheeky: Well, better get to it before it's time to pray...