My dad recently came in the hospital with bad pink eye(puss pouring out). He later called me and and said that it was horrible. People were all waring masks out to the end of the emergancy room. Some guy was barfing outside on a wall. The nurses were waring masks with sheilds over them. It seems to me that the propaganda is getting way to out of control. Or is it really that bad?

My two youngest kids, ages 5 and 13, have both had it. It wasn't any worse than the regular flu. The media is who is scaring everybody

Did they get tested for swine flu?

The thing is, that H1N1 seems to be following a progression similar to the 1918 "Spanish" flu --

* both were initially a very normal seasonal flu
* both began out of standard flu season
* both attenuated and then reemerged as a more virulent flu
* both involved a mortality primarily rooted in a cytokene storm
* both had genomes of both avian and swine flu

There are other concerning factors. For one thing, in 1918, while airplanes existed, there was no commercial air travel, and for the most part, people lived further apart than they do today. On the other hand, we now have better medicine and health care than in 1918 (or most parts of the world do.)

Still, the parallels between the two are disconcerting. I think that preparing for the worst may cost a bundle of money that can't really be spared in these tough economic times, but in the end, we have to know that we've done the best for our fellow humans, right?

My wife and I have studied H1N1 since its inception, and have come up with our wellness strategy, so we aren't worried -- for us. Our own immune systems, augmented by some natural compounds, will keep us alive or they will not. Nothing else to fret about. No, my concern is for the world processes, lives and infrastructure.

I think there is some media-drived hype to sell vaccinations, but that's not to say that I think there is no danger, that it's ALL hype. Look at the situation now in the Ukraine and neighboring countries. Time will tell how this progresses.

Wow puss pouring outta his eye, I'da liked to see that. I am not scared. 80% media induced by the vaccine makers.

Perhaps it's just my area that isn't too scared I took one of the munchkins to the doctor today since he was sent home from school, the doctor told me that the schools are being ridiculous for sending all these children to the doctors office, for simple illnesses. We got onto the subject of the vaccine, and he straight up said that he was not advocating the vaccine at all (for the many reasons already discussed here and elsewhere) and that the general population was being treated as guinea pigs for God only knows what. My kids school was offering the vaccine as well, and the vast majority of parents said no (it was administered after school, so there were no worries of accidental vaccination, the parent had to accompany the child). The doctor made me laugh though, and it made wonder if he hangs out here . And no we do not have the flu, just a random respiratory infection.

I'm not scared in the slightest of swine flu in it's current form. I do have concerns for what it may mutate into. Especially considering the fact that vaccinations make it much more likely for mutations to take place. The only other concern I have has to do with Baxters contaminated shipment back in February. If they tried it once, what makes people think they won't try it again?!

That's my only real concern at this point. As for all the idiots who buy into the propaganda, well it may be heartless to say, but they get what they deserve. If what I hear is correct, squaline in the vaccine boosts the parts of the immune system which causes the cytokine storm. If there is another more lethal virus released. Seems like eugenics to me. The stupid get a large chunk wiped out. I have no comment.

[edit on 10-11-2009 by unityemissions]

[edit on 10-11-2009 by unityemissions]

Originally posted by argentus


There are other concerning factors. For one thing, in 1918, while airplanes existed, there was no commercial air travel, and for the most part, people lived further apart than they do today. On the other hand, we now have better medicine and health care than in 1918 (or most parts of the world do.)

While this is true, one point that is often ignored regarding the 1918 flu is that it largely mutated and gained ground in the trenches of WWI. No sanitation whatsoever and thousands of people living in extremely close quarters helped the 1918 Spanish flu to mutate much more rapidly and more frequently than it would have otherwise.

Originally posted by argentus
For one thing, in 1918, while airplanes existed, there was no commercial air travel, and for the most part, people lived further apart than they do today.

As I understand it, one of the major reasons for why the 1918 flu was so deadly had to do with the Great War. Envision what hygeine would have been like in Europe in the fall of 1918. Corpses everywhere, food scarcity, total disruption of all civil services.

Now consider the conditions in hospitals, on troop transport ships and trains...wounded and dying men, people with open wounds not getting the care that they need.

To me it sounds like the absolute perfect setting for a flu pandemic to cause maximum damage.

None of those things exist in the developed world today, but we DO have new challenges like travel, pollution-related conditions like asthma, and new illnesses.

That said, seems like the palest of shadows to the carnage in which the 1918 flu came about.

Originally posted by unityemissions
I'm not scared in the slightest of swine flu in it's current form.

You should be. Healthy people are dying and many more are being hospitalized.

Especially considering the fact that vaccinations make it much more likely for mutations to take place.

Fact? Or opinion? Source please.

As for all the idiots who buy into the propaganda, well it may be heartless to say, but they get what they deserve.

Definitely heartless. Cruel and insensitive as well. What happened to you in your youth that you care so little for your common man? Or maybe you've never had to deal with true misery so you don't know what it means to let it happen to others.

The stupid get a large chunk wiped out. I have no comment.

If I were you, I would definitely want to have a comment about stupid people being wiped out. If I were you. Definitely.

the problem with the this bug is that nobody is reporting anything of value to us and everyone is so hung up on either overplaying or downplaying it that we don't get any real answers.

I took my daughter to the doctor today (strep) and I asked the pediatrician about the vaccine and the cases. 19 in the last week. I asked if they were confirmed and her response was exactly what scares me.
"not confirmed. the test is only 50% accurate. they had type A and the symptoms were severe so we are treating those cases as H1N1."

In other words, there could have been 50 cases of the bug but only 19 were severe enough to require tamiflu. Or, there were 19 cases that they misdiagnosed as H1N1.


Then there's the pathetic vaccination program. My daughter's school offered up the shot to all students. Here's how it works. You sign up and your child gets the shots or the mist, depending on availability and the child. Per the documents provided, the shot will come in two installments, the mist in one.

The pediatrician told me it's two rounds of mist as well.

Are the schools under vaccinating? Was the documentation wrong?

All I know is they gave the shot to kids who didn't sign up for it so I told my daughter she is not supposed to get a shot and if they try to give her the mist or the shot, she is to tell them to call her father.

The case counts are wrong. The pediatricians aren't testing for it because it's pointless. They're doling out tamiflu based on severity, not confirmation. This could result in a shortage if the bug gets real bad when the season hits.

The vaccinations and mist supplies are running low. The pediatrician told me my soon to be 7 year old was in the 4th level for the vaccination and they doubt they be able to obtain it for her. My son, at 4.5 is in the 3rd level and the likelihood of him getting one from their office was only slightly better. She said the free vaccines at school is more likely to produce an available dosage for the kids.

Great. What about the overstocked vaccines as a result of only 22% of the kids in NYC public schools signing up for the thing? Where are those going?

Sounds to me like they're trying to create a false sense of demand for something that might work as a means of building your immune system in its fight against a bug that might be severe and is not, exactly, confirmable and, if you do have it, there might be nothing left to treat it unless the company who makes it ratchets up production even further.