Swine Flu :: The Hype :: Why ?

Topics

Comrade Ogilvy

We all know the level of media hysteria this virus has recieved.

Well I got a cold or flu (perhaps manflu haha) in the midst of it all, so a little concerned I tried to find a little more out about it..

So, the first question I had in mind was, In which way does Swine Flu affect us differently from human flu ?

Well I had a look at the symptoms online...

quote:
Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions.

Like human flu ?

Well I had to read it again, assuming I'd missed the part were you bleed out and die, or perhaps become one of the undead.

quote:
That means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu. It takes a lab test to tell whether it's swine flu or some other condition.

Well why bother ??, out of academic interest ?

This can't be right surely people die of it right ?

quote:
Who is at highest risk from H1N1 swine flu?
Most U.S. cases of H1N1 swine flu have been in older children and young adults. It's not clear why, and it's not clear whether this will change.

But certain groups are at particularly high risk of severe disease or bad outcomes if they get the flu:

Pregnant women
Young children, especially those under 12 months of age
People with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease
People with HIV infection
People with chronic diseases
People taking immune suppressing drugs, such as cancer chemotherapy or anti-rejection drugs for transplants
People in these groups should seek medical care as soon as they get flu symptoms.

So the same people who are at high risk from commonplace human flu then ?

I actually felt quite angered about being panicked (I admit I was a little initially) I mean this thing has played out on the media as if it were Ebola or the like, the question is...

Why ?

Replies sorted oldest to newest

captain marblesMember

Over a hundred people have died in Mexico over quite a short space of time so it's a bit more than hype.

5/5/0912:47 PM

Former Member

It's already mutated. Wait until the autumn and the second wave of it.

5/5/0912:48 PM

Yellow RoseMember

It should be called Mexican flu as the WHO have said there's no evidence of transmission between pigs and humans. Pity Egypt didn't know that before deciding to cull all the pigs

5/5/0912:51 PM

HeartacheMember

quote:
Originally posted by captain marbles:
Over a hundred people have died in Mexico over quite a short space of time so it's a bit more than hype.

Yes but WHO has died in Mexico, are they the vulnerable who would have died anyway if it had been regular flu. How many people die each year, in mexico from such infections. I'm just wondering how much "bad news" in this country have been buried. Whilst the press is being hysterical about every reported case, of a bit of an infection.

5/5/0912:53 PM

Trix-sterMember

quote:
Originally posted by Heartache:
quote:
Originally posted by captain marbles:
Over a hundred people have died in Mexico over quite a short space of time so it's a bit more than hype.

Yes but WHO has died in Mexico, are they the vulnerable who would have died anyway if it had been regular flu. How many people die each year, in mexico from such infections. I'm just wondering how much "bad news" in this country have been buried. Whilst the press is being hysterical about every reported case, of a bit of an infection.

No its the young and healthy dying.
Something about this flu causes a huge overreaction in your immune system, almost like an allergic response and obviously its well known how serious allergic responses can be

5/5/0912:56 PM

Former Member

quote:
Originally posted by Heartache:
Yes but WHO has died in Mexico, are they the vulnerable who would have died anyway if it had been regular flu.

No, mostly youngish healthy people.

5/5/0912:57 PM

MazzystarMember

A healthy adult should be at no more risk of death than any other type of flu.As the OP said the immunosuppressed,the young,the old,etc.
Its as contagious as 'normal' flu...usual vectors..more likely to be spread in a warm place where many people congregate.Its not a viral haemmorhagic fever.
Also,the deaths in Mexico have been in lower socio economic groups with limited access to clean drinking water,etc.
At the moment,I wont be panicking.With summer coming and more people out of doors,theres less chance for widespread contamination,but as dan says,there is the autumn second wave to consider.

5/5/0912:59 PM

Comrade OgilvyMember

In the UK we have all to get information packs about Swine Flu put through our door, how many confirmed cases in the UK ? how many fatalities ?

And how much will it cost to put those little presents of fear through all UK residents letterboxes ?

5/5/091:00 PM

Former Member

Just treat it as a trial run. A practice for the authorities. It's not such a bad thing for people to get used to thinking about and dealing with a pandemic or epidemic.

5/5/091:02 PM

Trix-sterMember

quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
A healthy adult should be at no more risk of death than any other type of flu.As the OP said the immunosuppressed,the young,the old,etc.
Its as contagious as 'normal' flu...usual vectors..more likely to be spread in a warm place where many people congregate.Its not a viral haemmorhagic fever.
Also,the deaths in Mexico have been in lower socio economic groups with limited access to clean drinking water,etc.
At the moment,I wont be panicking.With summer coming and more people out of doors,theres less chance for widespread contamination,but as dan says,there is the autumn second wave to consider.

Thats not what has been reported so far.

5/5/091:02 PM

kit-catMember

So being not young and not healthy is where it's at!! I tell you, go drink and smoke things and be healthy

5/5/091:04 PM

MazzystarMember

quote:
Originally posted by Trix-ster:
quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
A healthy adult should be at no more risk of death than any other type of flu.As the OP said the immunosuppressed,the young,the old,etc.
Its as contagious as 'normal' flu...usual vectors..more likely to be spread in a warm place where many people congregate.Its not a viral haemmorhagic fever.
Also,the deaths in Mexico have been in lower socio economic groups with limited access to clean drinking water,etc.
At the moment,I wont be panicking.With summer coming and more people out of doors,theres less chance for widespread contamination,but as dan says,there is the autumn second wave to consider.

Thats not what has been reported so far.

Thems the words from the public health folks

5/5/091:08 PM

LiverpoollassMember

Better to be safe than sorry

5/5/091:09 PM

TweetyMember

Cos the media make a hype outta everything!

5/5/091:11 PM

MazzystarMember

Oh it's true Flaps.Danger is that people get complacent when they've had warnings that have come to nothing(though who's to say vigilance didnt prevent things escalating)

Don't worry,when the time comes to panic,you will be second to know after me!

5/5/091:11 PM

Comrade OgilvyMember

quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
quote:
Originally posted by Trix-ster:
quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
A healthy adult should be at no more risk of death than any other type of flu.As the OP said the immunosuppressed,the young,the old,etc.
Its as contagious as 'normal' flu...usual vectors..more likely to be spread in a warm place where many people congregate.Its not a viral haemmorhagic fever.
Also,the deaths in Mexico have been in lower socio economic groups with limited access to clean drinking water,etc.
At the moment,I wont be panicking.With summer coming and more people out of doors,theres less chance for widespread contamination,but as dan says,there is the autumn second wave to consider.

Thats not what has been reported so far.

Thems the words from the public health folks

Hope you don't mind me interjecting ?

But I think you are both right.

Listening to the BBC et al you could be forgiven for thinking that the end is nigh and that we're all doomed.

Looking online (CDC WHO websites etc) it is difficult to think it is the same virus being discussed. Something doesn't quite add up.

5/5/091:15 PM

LiverpoollassMember

quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
Oh it's true Flaps.Danger is that people get complacent when they've had warnings that have come to nothing(though who's to say vigilance didnt prevent things escalating)

Don't worry,when the time comes to panic,you will be second to know after me!

Agree Mazz. I would still rather know everything and be careful, then not know anything.

Don't panic Mr Manwaring

5/5/091:16 PM

Comrade OgilvyMember

quote:
Originally posted by Heartache:

Yes but WHO has died in Mexico, are they the vulnerable who would have died anyway if it had been regular flu. How many people die each year, in mexico from such infections. I'm just wondering how much "bad news" in this country have been buried. Whilst the press is being hysterical about every reported case, of a bit of an infection.

quote:
Originally posted by Beneath the diamond skies:
'If it bleeds it leads' apparently. The media is so bad, so rotten, that I imagine at least a part of it is designed to fill the gap left by the steadying of the economic crisis. Vorderman gave a tiny insight on this in Andrew Marr's prog. on Sunday.

There's definitely some agenda behind the disproportinate fearmongering.

A population living in fear is a population more easily controlled ?

Or an opportunity for politicians to appear strong in the face of 'adversity' ?

5/5/091:44 PM

MazzystarMember

quote:
Originally posted by Comrade Ogilvy:
quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
quote:
Originally posted by Trix-ster:
quote:
Originally posted by Mazzystar:
A healthy adult should be at no more risk of death than any other type of flu.As the OP said the immunosuppressed,the young,the old,etc.
Its as contagious as 'normal' flu...usual vectors..more likely to be spread in a warm place where many people congregate.Its not a viral haemmorhagic fever.
Also,the deaths in Mexico have been in lower socio economic groups with limited access to clean drinking water,etc.
At the moment,I wont be panicking.With summer coming and more people out of doors,theres less chance for widespread contamination,but as dan says,there is the autumn second wave to consider.

Thats not what has been reported so far.

Thems the words from the public health folks

Hope you don't mind me interjecting ?

But I think you are both right.

Listening to the BBC et al you could be forgiven for thinking that the end is nigh and that we're all doomed.

Looking online (CDC WHO websites etc) it is difficult to think it is the same virus being discussed. Something doesn't quite add up.

I agree.I get my info from the OH who gets it straight from CDC.If there was any need for panic he'd have us stockpiling bog rolls.
Annually flu kills 10000s of folk(thats a conservative estimate..)so am unsure why this outbreak is so newsworthy.
The OH is on leave this week,such is the level of panic at the CDC

5/5/091:54 PM

MazzystarMember

Oh noes...I have a sore throat and chest pain

5/5/091:59 PM

captain marblesMember

This guy has a lot of interesting things to say about what we do and dont know about the risks of swine flu and also about the shifting and inconsistent media attitudes to it.
Swine flu risk
It's from the Guardian but dont let that put you off.

5/5/092:16 PM

Former Member

Ben Goldacre is great.

5/5/092:19 PM

captain marblesMember

I've only cottoned on to him recently but he's a real breath of common sense.

5/5/092:25 PM

Ad-Free	Search Site	Start Dialogs
Upload Photos	Upload Videos	Upload Audio
Upload Documents	Use Signature	Block Members
View Member Directory	Mark All Topics As Read	Edit Posts Anytime
Post To Walls

Skip to main content

Topics

Add Reply

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Premium Membership Required

VIP

Please wait...