I ahve been reading ALL of the threads on this important issue and what I see is discussion and information sharing not blind panic and ignorance.

This flu has at least a 7% mortality rate in Mexico. That's not good.

And frankly, I think we are getting old information and only information
that the gov't wants you to know about.

This flu takes 5 days to show signs that you have it.
And more days until you are so sick that it is reported.
And more days until those reports make it to the news.
(IF they make it to the news).

They should have closed the borders days ago.

Now schools are closing across this country.

It's going to be bad - IMHO

Oh please, this place lives for blind panic.

But that said, I think this is more serious than your average flu. For one, it targets the exact opposite crowd of your normal flu. Kind of scary that the healthier you are, the harder you are hit.

I think it's more news because of what it could become, rather than what it is now. I don't think groups like WHO, nor the President, nor FEMA, nor anyone else, would get nearly as serious about this issue as they are, if serious consequences were not possible. They certainly don't consider raising the pandemic scale for regular flu.

I do think many are overreacting (just because someone has the flu doesn't mean that they have THIS flu). But it does not hurt to be prepared.

Most don't die of ONE flu. This an average over the accumulation of all flus in a given time period.

Generally, it doesn't kill in the working age force so the impact economically is limited.



[edit on 2009/4/27 by Aeons]

It allways makes me suspicious that something else is happening behind the scenes without no-one noticing while the media turns public interest into something like this,

I for sure will pay more attention on things happening around the world while this flu hype is being bomberded thru every media possible...

The histeria is too much, i agree. But still - if it indeed develops into world wide epidemics (and it probably would) death toll world wide would be noticable. So of course no need to run to the hills, it is not doomsday thing.
Also , deaths from "ordinary" flu types usually target people with weak immune system which cannot fight the virus (which is recognised by immune system) and mainly its complications efficiently.
This version is pretty new combination, so it does not matter if person is healthy as an ox or weak, immune system is not that familiar with this strain so all population are at risk.
The good thing is that the possible damage this virus can do due to its structure is much less then flu outbreak in 1918. The bad thing is that the world is one big global village so a lot more people would be influenced. So my conclusion - no reason for panic. Plenty of reasons to be cautious though.

This could turn out to be another 1918 - but as yet we cannot know.

But I do think many people are unaware that 'flu is a killer virus every year.

Yes, this one affects healthier adults. But there is so far no indication that anyone who has the virus outside of Mexico is any iller than they would be with 'normal' 'flu

Bearing in mind the usual means of determing whether you have 'flu or a cold is that if you have 'flu you wouldn't get out of bed to pick up a $100 bill lying on the grass outside. 'Normal' 'flu puts healthy adults in bed for several days.


But we'll see how this one pans out. I'm certainly not worrying yet any more than I worry every winter .....

The reason for the lack of death among people infected in the US is due to many factors, I personally don't know all of them.

But I know that some of the many factors are that As more people gets infected mortality rates will become an issue and now is not too many to even been considered.

Also the strength of the swain flu in the US may be a weaker one as the main strain started in Mexico, just like the flu, the first people to get it are the ones with most of the symptoms as they pass the virus to others the virus loses some of its symptoms and strength.

But is to early to tell.

Why would this warrant an entire new thread? Wouldn't this info. be more helpful on the flu threads that already exist?

Like we needed another flu thread.