I think you guys need to listen to the Dr's not WHO. 75 kids came back from Mexico to NY with flu symptoms, how many had it? Well officially by the WHO we confirmed 8. Why is that? Well we only tested 9. Duh, anyone whos been keeping up with this story should understand that they dont test everyone. The WHO doesnt go to Mexico and test every dead body down there. I personally will listen to the person with the PHD who has had two members of his staff die. And the eye witness testimony from people calling in from ground zero.

Originally posted by Memysabu
I think you guys need to listen to the Dr's not WHO. 75 kids came back from Mexico to NY with flu symptoms, how many had it? Well officially by the WHO we confirmed 8. Why is that? Well we only tested 9. Duh, anyone whos been keeping up with this story should understand that they dont test everyone. The WHO doesnt go to Mexico and test every dead body down there. I personally will listen to the person with the PHD who has had two members of his staff die. And the eye witness testimony from people calling in from ground zero.

agreed 100%

Originally posted by bl4ke360
A couple days ago people in Mexico were blogging that over 200 deaths were confirmed from swine flu, and is much worse than what the media has been saying...

1) how do you know they where from mexico who were writing these things

2) When people are panicked you and i know we cannot think straight.

when the media tries to down play something they know is causing mass panic, that means its time to worry.

So im reading these swine flu posts thinking im pretty safe from it here in minnesota, so i go and jokingly ask my wife (who is an RN at the local hospital ) "are we all gonna die from pig flu?" and she says with a semi serious look on her face "we just tested someone for it last night" then she also says "hes here visiting from texas" . This could spread like wildfire

I also read, last night, that they now had a 'stricter' test.
Could that mean there were false positives or there are now false negatives? Or both.

Originally posted by hadriana
I also read, last night, that they now had a 'stricter' test.
Could that mean there were false positives or there are now false negatives? Or both.

I seriously doubt that the stricter tests mean these people didnt die of some flu. I would argue that it could be even worse. Meaning there are multiple strains loose down in Mexico. You have 20 people die of flu symptoms. You test them and say its swine flu, then you retest them and only 7 positive? Are you kidding me? Then why did the other 13 die of flu symptoms? Story stinks to me, sounds like bull.

Memysabu, thanks for posting the article explaining who the 7 are and I am in complete agreement with your reasoning.

I actually think it could be truein some aspects. Governments always overhype things because your fear is their power.

Obama first said don't panic and now he's talking about closing schools.

Like Rahm Emmanuel said, never waste a good crisis.

I think someone asked a good question earlier. How many flu cases happen in Mexico yearly.

Could a few cases of Swine Flu been blown out of proportion because people panicked?

I know how these things can snowball from a little fear and panic.

I just heard they are now getting a vaccine ready.

The news media has been itching to report a swine flu death. Cavuto sounded dissapointed yesterday when the LA Coronor's office said the deaths were not related to swine flu. Now today all of the media is confirming 1 death but they don't tell the person came from Mexico.

Precautions have to be taken but panic and fear is not useful.

I can already see that it's to late.

I think WHO is reporting only 7 because even the 150 deaths made it a high mortality rate.

Many on ATS would say that just proves the media is just trying to scare us but if that were the case then they would let the unofficial stories from doctor's and others come to light. If that many people are really dying that would definitely succeed in scaring the bejesus out of everyone.

But since the media is not publicizing those stories it suggests that even the media is trying to play down the # of deaths. But, like I said, they realized they needed to downplay the #'s in the media even more since that still makes the mortality rate uncomfortably high.

Originally posted by Memysabu

Repeat, this was the original 20 said to have died not the 159. So what they did was take the original 20 samples and retest them. Thats ALL that this WHO statement meant. It did not mean only 7 are dead. People have blown this completely out of context.

There is a lot of testing thats going to need to be done to find out what the OTHER 159 died from. 159 people dont drop dead for nothing. Please deny ignorance.

Before you get all high and mighty and start spouting "Deny Ignorance" catch phrases, perhaps you missed the point of the OP. It's obvious to anyone that the reason the official figure is lower is because there is obviously logistical hurdles in the efforts to test so many people and a lag of weeks might be present.

So why would the WHO go public and actually state that there was only 7? It's because whenever there is a disaster the media overshoots the death toll by multiple factors. I remember the tianmen square massacre in China was 12,000 down to 1,000. I remember seeing 911 stories of 20,000 dead and well new orleans was supposed to be in the 10's of thousands at one point too. Any anecdotal reporting is usualy inaccurate in the larger picture.

So why did the WHO announce it. To try and slow panic or try to mitigate the excesses of media?

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Originally posted by Shere Khaan
So why would the WHO go public and actually state that there was only 7?

It sounds suspiciously like disingenuous semantic manipulation to me. Sure, there are only 7 "confirmed" deaths. What defines "confirmed?" An autopsy with tissue samples sent back to Geneva to be examined under an electron microscope and tested via PCR to determine 100% without-a-doubt that, yes, this is indeed is, genetically, the virus? "Confirm" in this context is quite a squishy word. I'd bet a dime to a dollar that there are 152 (or more) bodies lying in morgues in Mexico who by this criteria will never be "confirmed. "

This feels like an attempt to sow FUD to quell the building panic before it gets out of hand. "Oh, there are only 7 deaths? That's it? And they're all brown people? Honey, turn off CNN. It's time for Desperate Housewives." There wouldn't be all of this action on the part of the US government and UN types if this wasn't some serious $**t. (And that's just what they're letting you see.)

[edit on 29-4-2009 by ljheidel]

[edit on 29-4-2009 by ljheidel]

No, it is not good news at all.

It is the worst possible news if it is true.


If this were true and 7 out of 79 known to have had the virus died, that would put the death rate at almost ten percent. Virtually guaranteeing that the virus was engineered for biowarfare.

In comparison, The Spanish Flue of 1918 which killed millions world wide, only had about a 2% death rate.

However if you take the large number attributed to suspected cases and the large death toll number you get a death rate which matches normal seasonal flu. So those numbers are probably real.

Be careful what you wish for, You might get it!

The truth is that every one is spinning the numbers for their own purposes which makes assessing the real threat level a problem.

I dont know...Maybe its because im in a very rural part of the world but this whole thing just reeks of DUCT TAPE...

Remember "Buy duct tape, buy duct tape...In case of a chemical or biological attack you can seal your windows and doors with the miraculous duct tape"

Its hard for me to rationalize this "pandemic" since they are completely unwilling to close the borders...

Ill break it down so maybe us rural people can understand it...

picture 2 circular cow pens with 10 cows inside....connected by a gate....now lets say the gate is open all the time....but then you decide you dont want cow poop on 1 side...

So what do you do? Well the feds are leaving the gate open and hoping the cows that need to poop dont go to the side they dont want poop on...doesnt make sense

Unless...this is really an isolated incident that is fully under control and the panic that ensues is helping to push some agenda...