[design219]

This swine flu thing is a bit unnerving. If you know of anyone who catches it, please post.

Or is this just a load of scary b.s.?

[Laminar]

My inclination is that it's more media fear-mongering. I had a coworker visit Houston last weekend, and the plane he was supposed to get on for a connecting flight had just been to Mexico. The flight was delayed by a couple hours so that it could be thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned.

[Dakar V]

I oink when I sneeze. Am I dying?

[Laminar]

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

I oink when I sneeze. Am I dying?

Have you been sleeping with pigs without protection?

[sek929]

Around here these symptoms mean you have Lyme disease.

Media hysteria, personally I miss Bird Flu.

[Chuckit]

Actually, yes. I am a bit feverish, achy and tired. But I'm not particularly worried, because you know what those are symptoms of? A COLD. (Also, NOT SLEEPING.)

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by design219 

This swine flu thing is a bit unnerving. If you know of anyone who catches it, please post.

Seriously? You are unnerved by a disease that has mildly affected 63 people in the U.S.?

How many people DIE from the regular seasonal flu a year? How does something that is affecting so FEW people cause such media hysteria?

[Laminar]

[Chuckit]

That's the thing, though: Swine flu isn't an epidemic in the US. Look at the graph. Is swine flu showing that kind of exponential growth?

[Jawbone54]

[ghporter]

I think that public health officials acting NOW is a good thing. If they waited until people were getting sick everywhere, it would be too late. By raising awareness now, they can help us protect ourselves by doing things like washing our hands more often and avoiding crowds.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Gimme a break. We go back to 1918 EVERY TIME a NEW disease hysteria comes out.

There is NO COMPARISON to how diseases are handled today compared to 1918. None. Every aspect of personal education and hygene, medical technology and management of diseases more exponentially more advanced now compared to then.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

Gimme a break. We go back to 1918 EVERY TIME a NEW disease hysteria comes out.

There is NO COMPARISON to how diseases are handled today compared to 1918. None. Every aspect of personal education and hygene, medical technology and management of diseases more exponentially more advanced now compared to then.

Exactly. Not to mention that in 1918, the Spanish Flu was actually hushed up and kept quiet in the media for a long time, or they attempted to pass it off as something else. It took a long time before it was even admitted that this was indeed a pandemic. And of course, it took a long time before even doctors realised that this was an influenza, because the symptoms were so misleadingly severe.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Actually, yes. I am a bit feverish, achy and tired. But I'm not particularly worried, because you know what those are symptoms of? A COLD. (Also, NOT SLEEPING.)

wrong; fevers are almost never associated with a cold. everyone should have this list memorized:

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/fl...is-it-cold-flu

i have all the symptoms though; fever, aches in my joints, exhausted and splitting headache. it came on in about 2 hours last night shortly after 11pm. i also been sh!ting enough to fill a tanker trunk. so, i'm going with stomach flu.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

wrong; fevers are almost never associated with a cold. everyone should have this list memorized:

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/fl...is-it-cold-flu

Why? Does it really matter to you whether you have a cold or the flu?

I mean, in most cases, the treatment is exactly the same: wait till it passes on its own. And in those cases where it’s serious enough that you need to see a doctor about it, it’s pretty certain it’s a flu, not a cold—and the doctor should be able to diagnose you properly, anyway.

[design219]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

Why? Does it really matter to you whether you have a cold or the flu?

I mean, in most cases, the treatment is exactly the same: wait till it passes on its own.

Never heard of Tamiflu?

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by design219 

Never heard of Tamiflu?

Only in the last few days. My knowledge of medication names stops somewhere around Panodil/Aspirin and Viagra (and I use neither of these, for the record).

Besides, in my 26 years of existence, I’ve never been treated for a flu. I’ve never seen the point. If I get the flu, I get the flu. Tough luck. A few days in bed with fevers, headaches, sore throat, etc., and it goes away. Immune system: 1 – flu: 0. No need to take drugs to get there.

Then again, I’ve never had swine flu. If I had, I’d probably need treatment, since I have a pretty strong immune system (and the swine flu seems to cause the immune system to go into overdrive, making it paradoxically more dangerous to healthy people with strong immune systems). But I haven’t.

[design219]

Enjoy your youth. When you get into your 40s, a few days of the flu is no joy to sweat out. I now get flu shots every year, and have taken Tamiflu in the past. The problem with it is, it is relatively expensive for something that you usually just get over, and is probably a difficult purchase a lot of people, especially in poorer counties like Mexico.

*edit* It may be cheaper now, it's been at least six years since I bought any.

[Andy8]

Abuse of antibiotics is why we are in such a mess now.

Wait until we really have a pandemic to deal with!

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

Why? Does it really matter to you whether you have a cold or the flu?

I mean, in most cases, the treatment is exactly the same: wait till it passes on its own. And in those cases where it’s serious enough that you need to see a doctor about it, it’s pretty certain it’s a flu, not a cold—and the doctor should be able to diagnose you properly, anyway.

actually, in most cases, depending on if is a flu or cold, you can get or have at your home already immediate over the counter med that will help get through the day/night until you can get to a doctor. and for those with children, it is even more important to know so you do the right thing.

that's why.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Abuse of antibiotics is why we are in such a mess now.

Wait until we really have a pandemic to deal with!

exactly. abuse and taking things for symptoms you don't have. over the counter abuse is rampant because people don't take the time to know what they should do/take based on the symptoms they have. they just go buy the "pill with the most/largest number of active ingredient".

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Abuse of antibiotics is why we are in such a mess now.

Wait until we really have a pandemic to deal with!

Tamiflu is not an antibiotic. Flu is transmitted by a virus, so antibiotics don't do crap to it, but you're right that we've had the mindset (for the last 60 years or so) that an antibiotic will fix you up from any bug. It ain't so.

Tamiflu works against some flu strains, not all of them. The flu that went around this past winter wasn't phased by it.

[residentEvil]

right; antibiotics are for infections (sinus infections for example...which i get 2 or 3 times a year) and if not treated, they lead to worse problems.

the flue this past winter mutated; 1st batch of people were able to take tamiflu but later i the season, it became worthless to the strand.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Abuse of antibiotics is why we are in such a mess now.

Wait until we really have a pandemic to deal with!

The confusion between antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines is part of the reason why antibiotics are so abused.

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

The confusion between antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines is part of the reason why antibiotics are so abused.

Exactly.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

Gimme a break. We go back to 1918 EVERY TIME a NEW disease hysteria comes out.

There is NO COMPARISON to how diseases are handled today compared to 1918. None. Every aspect of personal education and hygene, medical technology and management of diseases more exponentially more advanced now compared to then.

Bingo. This is why I'm not the slightest bit worried.

[cwkmacuser]

I'm a bit scared. But, I haven't had any symptoms yet.

[SSharon]

The spouse and child of one of my classmates both have confirmed cases of swine flu. I'm still not really worried though.

Statistically, we are all more likely to die in car accidents than from swine flu, but people still don't wear their seatbelts. The media is just being itself and overhyping this.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

[osiris]

Not worried at all about the flu - but I am worried about people's overreaction to it, be it travel restrictions, shortages of food, shortages of Soylent.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by SSharon 

Statistically, we are all more likely to die in car accidents than from swine flu, but people still don't wear their seatbelts. The media is just being itself and overhyping this.

That's what the flu wants us to think.

[OldManMac]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

Seriously? You are unnerved by a disease that has mildly affected 63 people in the U.S.?

How many people DIE from the regular seasonal flu a year? How does something that is affecting so FEW people cause such media hysteria?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28...flu/index.html

People are so gullible.

[Eug]

It should be noted that much of what people call "flu" is not caused by the influenza virus. I also don't know why some claim you don't get fever with the so-called "common" cold, because you often do. It's just that most of the cold viruses are less severe, so if you do get a fever, it's generally not high.

[design219]

Originally Posted by Eug 

It should be noted that much of what people call "flu" is not caused by the influenza virus.

Really?

[Eug]

Originally Posted by design219 

Really?

Yes really.

The term "flu" in common usage really just means a syndrome with "flu-like" symptoms, but it doesn't actually have to be caused by the influenza virus. It's a common misconception, and can be just a bad cold caused by another virus.

To put it another way, if your employee calls in and says "I'm sick with the flu." you usually don't actually know if that employee really has an influenza infection, or an infection with another bad cold virus. It may not actually matter, but nonetheless the term "flu" in common usage isn't a very specific one.

[RobOnTheCape]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Around here these symptoms mean you have Lyme disease.

Media hysteria, personally I miss Bird Flu.

I'm on the Vineyard and have been feeling achy recently. As soon as I saw your post it hit me. I've had it before, but for some reason it didn't register. Gardening, working outside on projects - bet that's it.

Drag of it is that when you go in to get the test Lyme is so prevalent they just start you immediately on Doxycycline which makes you feel miserable for all 14 days of taking the meds.

Thanks -

Saw an interesting stat the other day. The regular flu has caused 32,000 deaths here in the US alone this past season. Thus the swine flu has a long way to go before it approaches even what we consider a normal rate.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Yes really.

The term "flu" in common usage really just means a syndrome with "flu-like" symptoms, but it doesn't actually have to be caused by the influenza virus. It's a common misconception, and can be just a bad cold caused by another virus.

To put it another way, if your employee calls in and says "I'm sick with the flu." you usually don't actually know if that employee really has an influenza infection, or an infection with another bad cold virus. It may not actually matter, but nonetheless the term "flu" in common usage isn't a very specific one.

A whole lot of people call a number of digestive upsets "stomach flu," when influenza is defined as an upper respiratory infection caused by specific groups of viruses.

Feeling run down and achy can mean that your immune system is working hard against some invader. Or it can mean that you are short on sleep and have overdone your exercise routine. I get a mild feverish feeling when my sinuses react to too many irritants in the air-but that doesn't mean I have a cold or the flu. Blaming all of this sort of stuff on influenza is only a small step above blaming it on evil spirits.

[Doofy]

Run for your lives, it's the aporkalypse!

[sek929]

Originally Posted by RobOnTheCape 

I'm on the Vineyard and have been feeling achy recently. As soon as I saw your post it hit me. I've had it before, but for some reason it didn't register. Gardening, working outside on projects - bet that's it.

Drag of it is that when you go in to get the test Lyme is so prevalent they just start you immediately on Doxycycline which makes you feel miserable for all 14 days of taking the meds.

Thanks -

Glad I reminded you, Lyme disease is nothing to screw around with. A while back doctors mis-diagnosed it all the time, but around here it's not a question of if you get it, but when. Now doctors in this area will immediately recognize symptoms and start proper treatment.

I haven't gotten it yet but I personally know about 2 dozen people who have had it.

[kmkkid]

I'd be worried if I weren't feverish, achy, and tired.

It'd probably mean I was dead.

All these 'symptoms' I have daily, by a thing called work related stress!

[d4nth3m4n]

Originally Posted by design219 

This swine flu thing is a bit unnerving. If you know of anyone who catches it, please post.

Or is this just a load of scary b.s.?

wuss.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by kmkkid 

I'd be worried if I weren't feverish, achy, and tired.

It'd probably mean I was dead.

All these 'symptoms' I have daily, by a thing called work related stress!

I’m not sure that’s something to smile about. Work stress bad enough to give you fevers combined with those three meals eaten right after each other after work every day … you’ll be dead before you hit 35!

[kmkkid]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I’m not sure that’s something to smile about. Work stress bad enough to give you fevers combined with those three meals eaten right after each other after work every day … you’ll be dead before you hit 35!

Yeup.

[Gavin]

What I love is how several countries have banned pork product imports. Watch out for coughing bacon.

Egypt is actively killing all pigs in the country.

I wonder if there is just no decent arabic translation for "the horse is out of the barn", "That ship has sailed". "Cat's out of the bag", or other variations on the theme.

[iM@k]

Normally I wouldn't get nervous about this, because of the reasons already stated (Standard US "Flu" kills far more people - so far. Furthermore, I'm used to the the US media over hyping things for ratings.

But this is a wee bit different for me this time for two reasons:

1. When the WHO raises their level to the second highest, I start to take notice.

2. As of 10 PM EST, there are confirmed cases in ME, MA, NY, and Eastern Canada. I'm in NH, For those of you not good at geography: I'm bloody surrounded!

[cwkmacuser]

CA, too!

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by iM@k 

Normally I wouldn't get nervous about this, because of the reasons already stated (Standard US "Flu" kills far more people - so far. Furthermore, I'm used to the the US media over hyping things for ratings.

But this is a wee bit different for me this time for two reasons:

1. When the WHO raises their level to the second highest, I start to take notice.

2. As of 10 PM EST, there are confirmed cases in ME, MA, NY, and Eastern Canada. I'm in NH, For those of you not good at geography: I'm bloody surrounded!

And still you're fine! I take that as a good sign that it's not the death knell it's made out to be.

[cwkmacuser]

Yeah, all I've noticed is allergies, which I get around this time anyway.

[Oisín]

Good to see the US government is really taking this thing seriously.

Currently, the mistake (one hopes) is still there on the DHS site