We're all going to die (AKA Flu thread) MERGED

nerak1984

its spreading faster than sars...since sars began in a developing country chances of them leaving/travelling were slim...this is one of the first pandemics to hit a developed country where people are travelling in and out of in the millions..it wont take long to hit Europe!!!!!!!!

shenanigans1982

Deleted User wrote: »

Spanish flu 1919... killed more than WWI

Obviously the flu only attacks certain type of people then...we have nothing to worry about.

Mr Benevolent

This is a load of bollocks. There's far more diseases out there that can kill us with much greater ease and have done a million times more damage, malaria being just one of them. Malaria has been a world epidemic for 80 years and shows no signs of weakening. It's just that the media loves scare stories. They did the same with H5N1 and SARS.

vibe666

Deleted User wrote: »

where's your god now?!

in mexico slaughtering heathens for their wicked ways.

where's yours? :cool:

Mr Benevolent

I know (or used to know) a very successful and wealthy guy who was all in favour of world population control and eugenics. I suppose this could be one of his experiments.

(Neil, if that's you doing this, remember our agreement!)

Confab

Confab wrote: »

This is a load of bollocks. There's far more diseases out there that can kill us with much greater ease and have done a million times more damage, malaria being just one of them. Malaria has been a world epidemic for 80 years and shows no signs of weakening. It's just that the media loves scare stories. They did the same with H5N1 and SARS.

I'll reserve judgement for a few more weeks, but if I was in government I'd be preparing for the worst!

Quartet

Not to be alarmist but....

"Swine Flu" - H1N1 (Type A) was isolated inside pigs hence the name -Swine flu.

This strain caused the 1918 epidemic which killed more people than all the armies in WW1. The final death total worldwide was estimated at more than 20,000,000 lives and at least 200,000,000 (possibly as high as 500,000,000) persons becaming ill. Mortality rates were highest in young adults.

The most recent Western out break occured in Russia in 1977-1978. It spread from Northeastern China to Russia in the same year. most of the group effected were children in the 10 - 20 years of age (The attack rate of this group was between 25 - 50 %). From Moscow it spread to Europe. In Britain and most of Western Europe, the outbreaks began in January 1978. During the same month outbreaks were reported from Japan, Indochina and Indonesia. Outbreaks were also recorded in the US in January 1978. In February the virus (a substrain of H1N1) was associated with causing influenza outbreaks in the scandinavian countries, southern France, Italy, Greece, Isreal and in more cities in the Us and Canada. In March, influenza broke out in Panama, Denmark and Southeastern Australia and in April in Argentina and the Pacific Islands. Chili and Brazil were infected in May and New Zealand in June 1978. Thus over one year, the epidemic had spread over many continents. (No mortality figures given for this outbreak).

Virologists fear that the H1N1 strain may resurface, perhaps in as a virulant form as in 1918....

Source: Kohn, G. C. Encyclopedia of Plaugue & Pestilence

Unpossible

I know (or used to know) a very successful and wealthy guy who was all in favour of world population control and eugenics. I suppose this could be one of his experiments.

Yeah, those people are usually only in favour of it when its not affecting them or their families.

Thrill

The strain in America is treatable........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8018887.stm

the H1N1 strain at the centre of the American alert was treatable with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza.

While America has plenty of these drugs, Mexico only have enough to treat around 1 million people.

S.I.R

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzBSblaAG34

get yer moneys worth

Chardee MacDennis

Confab wrote: »

This is a load of bollocks. There's far more diseases out there that can kill us with much greater ease and have done a million times more damage, malaria being just one of them. Malaria has been a world epidemic for 80 years and shows no signs of weakening. It's just that the media loves scare stories. They did the same with H5N1 and SARS.

dont be so sure

The Spanish flu pandemic was truly global, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. The unusually severe disease killed between 2 and 20% of those infected, as opposed to the more usual flu epidemic mortality rate of 0.1%. Another unusual feature of this pandemic was that it mostly killed young adults, with 99% of pandemic influenza deaths occurring in people under 65, and more than half in young adults 20 to 40 years old. This is unusual since influenza is normally most deadly to the very young (under age 2) and the very old (over age 70). The total mortality of the 1918–1919 pandemic is not known, but it is estimated that 2.5% to 5% of the world's population was killed. As many as 25 million may have been killed in the first 25 weeks; in contrast, HIV/AIDS has killed 25 million in its first 25 years.

a friend of mine is working on medical procedures for a hospital in case of a pandemic and the figures he talks about are 5-30% of the population dying.

also local reports in Mexico say 200 dead from ~1000 infected (20%), a user report on the BBC says people who were vaccinated a few days ago have died. they seem to be doing a good job controlling it but who knows what could happen...

Quartet

Thrill wrote: »

The strain in America is treatable........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8018887.stm

the H1N1 strain at the centre of the American alert was treatable with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza.

While America has plenty of these drugs, Mexico only have enough to treat around 1 million people.

From
http://www.ndsc.ie/cgi-bin/htsearch
Health Protection Surveillance Centre

What antiviral drugs are available?
There are currently four antiviral drugs that can shorten the course of infection if given early in the disease and provide short-term protection against influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir and oseltamivir. Of these only zanamivir (trade name Relenza) and oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu) are currently licensed in Ireland.

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) reduce replication of influenza A and B viruses by inhibiting viral neuraminidase. They are licensed for the treatment of influenza within 48 hours of the first symptoms. In otherwise healthy individuals they reduce the duration of symptoms by about 1/1.5 days. The effect of oseltamivir or zanamivir on hospitalisation or on mortality is not clear in those at risk of serious complications from influenza.

NICE guidance (oseltamivir, zanamivir, and amantadine for treatment of influenza)
NICE has recommended (February 2003) that antiviral drugs are not a substitute for vaccination, which remains the most effective way of preventing illness from influenza. When influenza A or influenza B is circulating in the community:

• amantadine is not recommended for the treatment of influenza;
• oseltamivir or zanamivir are not recommended for the treatment of otherwise healthy individuals with influenza;
• oseltamivir and zanamivir are recommended (in accordance with product licensing) to treat at-risk adults who can start treatment within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms; oseltamivir is recommended for at-risk children who can start treatment within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms;

http://www.dohc.ie/issues/flu_pandemic/
Dept of Health & Children

An emergency supply of over 45,000 treatment packs of antivirals (Tamiflu®) was purchased in 2004. A further 1 million treatment packs of antivirals (Tamiflu®) have been stockpiled. This quantity is sufficient to treat 25% of the population.

Tamiflu® capsules are not suitable for young children. The health services have, therefore, also stockpiled a supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) which will allow for treatment of almost 110,000 children.

Recommendations for the stockpiling of antivirals are kept under constant review by the Pandemic Influenza Expert Group. The Expert Group advised that a quantity of zanamivir (Relenza®) should be stockpiled in addition to oseltamivir (Tamiflu®). 706,000 courses of Relenza® have now been stockpiled by the HSE.

The quantity of antivirals in stock or on order is enough to treat almost 2 million people. This compares very favourably with other countries across Europe and beyond.

Plans for the distribution of antivirals in the event of a pandemic are being finalised. In a pandemic situation antivirals will primarily be used for treatment of influenza cases:


At the start of a pandemic in Ireland (when isolated cases or small outbreaks are occurring, and when transmission is not occurring efficiently), antivirals will be used for treatment of influenza cases and short-term prophylaxis to prevent infection developing in close contacts including family members and health care workers.
In the event of a full scale pandemic, antivirals will be used for treatment only

StopNotWorking

Can't help but watch the sky news reports about this pig cold going about, seems like a bad one. Better wrap up warm!

Jesus Wept

Stupid pigs, I'm a human so I'll be grand.

StopNotWorking

Vets and GPs will make a killing off this. One person in Britian(a flight attendant) fell sick on the return flight from mexico to Britain. He's in hospital but is said to be taking well to treatment.

Think this is a case of a mild strain not being treated leading to deaths or multiple strains(some more severe then others?). Sorry if that makes no sense to those more in the know, I'm not a doctor:pac:

liah

Symptoms?

Hypochondriacs everywhere are going to be delighted, they always flock to these "fad" illnesses.

Always reminds me of that one episode of Scrubs...

StopNotWorking

"If it's not firing out both ends!.."

Snowie

link or its not true

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055548232

amongst others

Esel

It's the new Blue Flu.... www.agsi.ie/pigcoldday.htm

Steo46

I'm more worried about the Irish outbreak of budget cutbacks. People will starve to death before the swine flu gets them.

Lilyblue

Oink oink

Paddy Samurai

People are being strongly urged to avoid shaking hands, and the US embassy has advised visitors to the country to keep at least six feet (1.8m) from other people.BBC NEWS

Has anyone any ideas how this would work? on a bus?,in a taxi?, restaurant? , hospital?, anywhere?. As a visitor how could you go about your daily life and stay six feet away from all other people?.

Paddy Samurai

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Has anyone any ideas how this would work? on a bus?,in a taxi?, restaurant? , hospital?, anywhere?. As a visitor how could you go about your daily life and stay six feet away from all other people?.

it's just advice..

Paddy Samurai

Deleted User wrote: »

it's just advice..

Yep!.....but its totally useless advice.Its like telling soldiers going into battle to "avoid the bullets!".

Paddy Samurai

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Yep!.....but its totally useless advice.Its like telling soldiers going into battle to "avoid the bullets!".

do you really care so much about the snippet of advice?


if you do, i'll spend my sunday morning having a debate with you, k?

fryup

Its just the media stirring things up........you just watch good ol' Sky News & Fox News milking this for all its worth:cool:

It will all be forgotten about a few months down the line ..
e.g. bird flu -SARS

Caoimhín

Remember the "bird flu" scare a few years back?

The leading photo on the Irish Indo showed some silly bint walking down Grafton street with her over sized sunglasses on her head and wearing a surgical mask.
Nobody else on the street was wearing one and most in the photo were pointing and laughing at this eejit. I think it was more of a fashion accessory that any serious attempt to prevent contraction of the disease.

Saibh

If it was reach these shores, then maybe we can start panicking. But until then, don't see the point in worrying about it.

Hagar

Ryanair to introduce new €5 Pandemic Charge.
The check in staff will hold you balls and ask you to cough.
While they have you by the bollix they will up the charge to €50.