Mexico swine flu deaths spur global epidemic fears

  • Thread starter Delirious
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WINNAR. I may have SWINE FLUUUUU.

I've been hit with a pretty hard case of the Flu (and I never get the Flu), which I seem to have caught off my girlfriend's Uncle who also had it when I went to visit him one night for dinner. His house literally backs onto a primary school (Clifton Hill) which is closed because of all the kids that have been infected with Swine Flu from there.

When are you getting tested Casio?? I'm going later this afternoon myself (thank god my medical centre is less than 100m away! :D) to get a confirmation.

My son has gotten worse though now and I reckon he's feeling worse than I do right now, he feels that bad that the little tyke has taken himself off for a nap. :( I normally have to force him down onto his bed to get him asleep! :lol:

*added bit* I just came back from the doctor's then. She ruled out swine flu as everyone that was tested at Westmead (where I was) has come back negative. Phew. My boy has a skin rash, temperature and normal flu however so it's doses of anti-biotics for him.
 
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Our school will close for a week if someone has Swine who goes to our school. This allows for the symptoms to show.
 
Oh joy, there's been a death in the UK.

Reports have now changed from "woman dies from swine flu" to "woman dies while suffering from swine flu".

She was already seriously ill in hospital having given birth three months prematurely and had other underlying health issues.


Exactly the kind of death that normal 'flu would rack up.
 
Reports have now changed from "woman dies from swine flu" to "woman dies while suffering from swine flu".

She was already seriously ill in hospital having given birth three months prematurely and had other underlying health issues.


Exactly the kind of death that normal 'flu would rack up.

SuperFamine!

Special abilities include deconstructing ******** to post the 'don't panic, it's the media talking out of their backsides again' truth.
 
Actually, Famine seems to be suggesting that the media might actually be getting the message and putting things in perspective, by rewording their headlines to be more accurate. Famine is right to allude to the fact that this death is perhaps only noteworthy simply because this person had swine flu as opposed to 'ordinary' flu, but that the end effect probably would have been the same either way...

The fact that it is being reported at all is what is more interesting. From a 'human interest' perspective, it could be construed as quite misleading, depending on how the reports are worded (see above). But reporting of this case is not without merit completely - at this stage, no-one really knows how much worse (if at all) this strain of the flu might be than existing seasonal flu strains, who it might affect the most, and what should be done to minimise its effect on the population. So it is important to know as much about it as possible, and hence why this case has become newsworthy (i.e. the first confirmed death outside the Americas). It is very useful to know that this death was almost certainly not a direct result of the swine flu alone - but whether that point is taken up by the public remains to be seen - ironically, from a 'public interest' perspective, this could actually be interpreted as relatively good news (and I mean that with all due respect for the deceased). Either way, I can't see how reporting this death can be construed as "the media talking out of their backsides again" when infact they seem to have it bang on.
 
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There was an article in my paper the other day...it said:
Regular flu deaths per year: up tp 500,000
Swine flu deaths counted so far: 144

I'm not worried.

FYI Mexico has most deaths, I'll look for the paper later
 
My sister gets 3 weeks holidays instead of 2 because her school has gone to lock down for a week, one week before the holidays. Meanwhile the cruel world makes me go for another week. *Sigh*.
 
I read in the news that other day that UK citizens are going to be offered swine flu vaccinations. I also saw an article in the times that said the swine flu vaccination has been "rushed through safety checks". Is anyone else a little hesitant to have this vaccination? Link
 
I read in the news that other day that UK citizens are going to be offered swine flu vaccinations. I also saw an article in the times that said the swine flu vaccination has been "rushed through safety checks". Is anyone else a little hesitant to have this vaccination? Link
When are they giving you this opportunity, because the earliet I had heard of it being ready (meaning WHO certified) is late fall.

Considering what happened last time a swine flu vaccine was rushed I would wait.
 
When are they giving you this opportunity, because the earliet I had heard of it being ready (meaning WHO certified) is late fall.

Considering what happened last time a swine flu vaccine was rushed I would wait.

There talking about September, which seems pretty quick considering the amount of testing that other drugs go through.
 
Apparently there's now a confirmed case at my school (or rather ex-school, as I've technically finished there now). They don't appear to have shut down in a mad panic, despite being only 4 days away from the summer holidays. Maybe the excitement's finally winding down.
 
Alright they are talking about this on the news currently and it makes it seem worse than what it is. They stated the number of overall flu cases not just H1N1 so it was obviously higher. They also showed how if a child gets so much as a sneeze they get taken out of school by the parent.

Sorry, but overreaction isn't necessary.
 
Well, its a legitimate concern. We already know that the flu is getting around, and that it can have serious consequences... Particularly with the elderly and young children. Across campus here at Aquinas College we have posters up from the CDC telling us to stay home even if we feel the slightest bit sick. As far as I know, we haven't had a case pop up yet, but I think its only a matter of time before the local, larger colleges (Grand Valley, Calvin, etc) have a case or two pop up.
 
I know it's legitimate to be concerned, but the news was just being paranoid about it. That is only going to cause panic which is never good.
 
Locally there are people freaking out. Seasonal flu has started early this year, likely due to a very mild and wet summer, but in their paranoia officials are assuming all cases are swine flu until fully tested. Of course, by the time that happens most people are healthy and back at work and no one finds out it wasn't.

Two people in my wife's office fell into this category and only one has gotten test results back so far (seasonal flu). So, my wife's obstetrician has put her on Tamiflu because they don't want to take any risks with her being pregnant.

I still have yet to hear of a confirmed case locally.
 
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