I'm not saying that this particular virus is a pandemic event, far from it, but I believe you're severely overestimating governments' capabilities to react to such viruses. If another influenza like the 1918 one came along, other than opening up the Tamiflu vault, the CDC wouldn't be able to do much for weeks, maybe months afterward. It spreads too quickly. Already, cases of this flu are showing up in places as far flung as San Diego, Texas, Kansas, NYC (Thanks, drunken spring-breakers and cheap flights to Mexico). NY Times: Students Fall Ill in New York, and Swine Flu Is Likely Cause: By the time enough people are infected to warrant government response, it's usually too late for curfews/border closings to make much of a difference. Crap: fever-induced delirium. That's one of the first symptoms. It's spreading.
That's not good news, rimrocker. I really wish I'd believed in UN black helicopters or hurricane preparedness before reading this and embarking upon my own panicky isolation/fallout shelter in the backyard. Currently, my provisions consist of a giant can of reduced sodium chicken w/ noodle Campbells, three Coke Zero twenty-ouncers, and two (rapidly thawing) DiGiorno supremes. Surely this will last me through the ensuing months of civilization-ending bedlam. I'm using the pizza slicer as my main digging implement. The groundbreaking went well, but so far not much headway has been made to match my sketches for a combined underground lair/ Howard Hughes germaphobe-hazmat panic room. I was thinking of going to the Home Depot parking lot tomorrow morning to hire more-experienced construction foremen to oversee my labor, but, alas, we are all doomed.
Think you're in the wrong thread. My coworker was sick on Friday. Remind me to stay away from her on Monday.
11 California cases now, up from 8. So glad its "only" 2 hours away from me. Good writeup on it here. Not that reading about this is any fun... http://www.upmc-cbn.org/report_archive/2009/04_April_2009/cbnreport_04242009.html So basically cuz current vaccines wont work, just gotta hope u dont get it. Not like there isnt too much to worry about in the world already,... Wash those hands and get a gas mask!
Simple stuff really... stock up on food and water, masks and gloves... and be prepared to wait it out at home. Might not hurt to plan to gather the family in one place... for instance, if an uncle has an isolated farm or something. Really, just be as preventive as you can and communicate with those that are important to you.
Generalized question for any doctors/nurses out there: I remember during the SARS outbreak reporting on the ridiculousness of people wearing cloth masks around, as the SARS virus could pass easily through the pores of such masks (eg Slate's Explainer). They were largely placebo, like breathing in flower petals during the Black Death. It's been quite awhile since I've taken microbiology. (My google search turned up this on the CDC; the abstract seems to indicate they're better than nothing.) Am I correct in assuming the relative merits of masks such as these to prevent influenza (soon to be the hottest fashion trend on the streets of Houston, I presume) are similarly for naught? Also, nothing says, "Uh oh. Better stop joking; this might be serious," quite like nuns dressed up in their death habits.
It's spread to New Zealand, of all places. "Minister: 10 NZ students 'likely' have swine flu". From Mexico City to Auckland. Speaking of frequent flier points, what a world. Elsewhere, in the same Washington Post section, and seemingly given the same importance, "New Delhi Suffering From Major Case of Puppy Love." So, if H1N1 flu doesn't get you, Bo the Dog will.
So, any conspiracy theorists in here think that this is a weaponized strain or whatever? Alex Jones (Yeah, I know) is all over this and doing emergency broadcasts saying this is all planned out.
My wife is a nurse and she said they might have a case at their hospital. Not confirmed yet but still very scary.
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This is the scary part. This is the first potential pandemic type thing we've had (as far as I know) since there has been real commercial air travel. So while our techonologies to fight something like the Spanish Flu are much greater, the ability to quarantine it is virtually gone.
I don't believe the CDC and WHO are going to be able to stop a full blown pandemic but I don't think they are just sitting by twiddling their thumbs either. Unreasonable panic though especially painting doomsday scenarios where we as individuals have to run to the hills, or worse, start hoarding medical supplies like Tamiflu aren't going to help combat a pandemic. I think swine flu is something to be worried about but on the scale of worry Brandon Roy going for another 42 points tonight is a bigger worry.
Well, good... because I don't see there being a reason to panic about either just yet. That said, I'm supposed to be going to Cancun in late june
i have family in mexico city which seems to be the main one hit. its kind of eerie how in that city they're playing soccer games with no fans because they dont want it to spread.
