Pandemic Potential in North America

**** im starting to feel like i got the flu hope it's not the **** there talking aboout in there i read somewher that there was a possible case of this in newyork. **** where diid this come from. is this only in the americas or wworldwide

 

Any chance of zombies?

 

To mainland US-ers: Stay the **** out of Hawaii. We're shutting EVERYTHING DOWN.

 

Lol, like Madagascar:

 

I saw this on the News this morning. It's a good thing I live up in the Great White North
and everyone knows Canadian Igloos are impenetrable to all animals, terrorists and biohazards.

 

Dozens. Out of millions.

People just take some precautions if you are worried.
Don't hang around sick people. If your friend is sick, let him hang around his house for a few days while they recovers. And do the same if you are sick.
Wash your hands.

This can be said for tons of diseases, I know, but just do this ok.

 

See, last year when i tried home school, i never got sick, but now that im in school agian, i get sick every few months or so. Now all this flu has to do is hit 1 school. And were ****ed, it will spread like ****ing zombies on 28 days.

Infact they are zombies. Get your shotguns.

 

In all seriousness if it ever became a serious pandemic I truly belive that those who contract the disease should be killed.
About 1000 people have the disease, those who are not recovering, kill them and do not let it spread.
if there is one thing history has taught us it is that. Look what happened to Europe beacause of the Black Death and the Spanich flu in 1918. We dont need that **** these day. Please world leaders.... please kill the mexicans who are carriers. PLEASE!

 

There is so much wrong with what you've just said there.
I'm sure they'll be a way to cure this, or lessen the effect or this flu soon enough as it seems a bigger issue now. On the news this morning, there's a case where someone in Spain has reportedly caught the flu. It must be very contageous and quick spreading to be in Europe already - but there's not a great deal we can do at the moment.

 

It's a case of Swine flu, a flu contracted from working with sick pigs. People who may have it in Europe could have gotten it from pigs and it has nothing to do with the flu over here.
Also, only 20 people in America had it yesterday, and all of them had mild cases of which they were recovering from. 20 people out of millions. So far, no noted serious cases, and no deaths in North America. Is that really an issue here? Because it seems like a little flu that people are taking a little seriously. Now you might say "but 86 people in Mexico could have died from this so far!" But you have to take a look at Mexico. They have very poor living conditions, horribly medical, amongst other things. North America does not have that. Then you might want to bring up the epidemics in China, where millions of people are crammed into towns. Again, America doesn't suffer from that.

So do not freak out is what I am saying. It's a flu like any other flu and can be prevented by not sharing drinking sources, avoid physical/sexual contact with other people. If you're sick, don't go out and get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. If you go to public school, don't drink from the fountains, bring your own water...
Basic health protocol people.

 

Yeah, that's totally what I was thinking Sweeny, nice write-up. (minus the spreading too Spain part). I do find it intruiging that it's been reported over here just now though. Lets not speculate too much but the reporting over in Europe could be due to it spreading or it could have already manifested here and just be to fuel publicity of said flu.

The media always tends to over-dramatise stories like this for more of an effect.
Like you said, in MEDCs (more economically developed countries), it won't be too much of a problem.

 

hazza i see what u mean mate.
but if it got bad im saying its the lesser of 2 evils. Kill 1000 to save a million, u see.
and well if u ever want to lead a nation, then those decisions must be made.
though im not saying u should lead a country.....

 

I don't think it'll spread to Seattle, its a bit too north. But, whaddya know, it might, and i'll be locked up in my house.

 

No, it is an unnecessary evil.
Completely...
Like your birth.
Sorry that was mean and an insult to your father's intelligence.
Some men have to sacrifice a sandwich or two, because let's face it, white or wheat gets kinda old.
Sometimes men require sweets...
Like strawberry shortcakes.
... just saying.

That aside, you clearly don't understand much about medical science do you? Well let me just say that killing people out right will not contain a disease. Actually, it could very well make it worse. Because if you have an epidemic, and you just kill all these people, what are you going to do with the bodies? How about we take a page out of history during the bubonic plague? Let's bury them in pits, there is an idea, and throw down one large stone for the lot of them. That would work... actually no it won't because it didn't. There was just no way for the people of those days to keep up with the body count, so they resorted to burning the bodies. But why did this make it worse? Because now you have every-day people, handling the decaying forms of the dead. Diseases don't die because the body does, it only makes it worse because it worsens living conditions.

But scientific fact aside, let's get down to what is really disturbing here. This sudden cough you've developed. I'm sorry Hedge, but I don't like the sound of that one. Sounds like Swine Flu to me, so if you don't mind can you just stand in this ditch here? Yes, like that. Now hold still, the metal might be cold at first but soon your brain won't even be functioning so don't worry about it. Say hello to mum and pop for me!

My point is, you're perfectly fine with this method of containment until it affects you. Why? Because like every other living thing your survival comes first. You don't have the disease, you don't want it, and you are willing to go to any extent to prevent that from happening, even genocide as it appears so. This is America, the land of the "free". But what happens to the human right to life if we just kill people because they have a cough? What you propose is a... well I am not sure. I'd have to say a communist ideal, but even I don't know if communists would stoop that low. Just know your opinion is ****, both morally and scientifically. Now go kiss a pig, for the epic lulz.

Fear-mongering. That map has it written all over it. You said that there are only confirmed cases in 5 states, only 40 people have it, but all of North America is doused in red? Am I the only one whose bullshit detector just went off. The news is making a bigger deal out of this than it actually is, and therefore idiots have begun to spread mis-information, something that is notably 10 times more contagious than this flu.
Deaths from Flu - WrongDiagnosis.com

This, taken from a notable medical website, shows that the common flu kills more people than this swine flu has in the same, given amount of time. And this is deaths alone, not diagnosed cases. Illness and flu is around us everyday, but slap a unique name on it and it becomes a serious issue.
"Hey Jill! Where have you been the past few days?"
"Oh, I had the flu"
"Aw, that's too bad! Well, here's the figures of the week, I expect to have them done and on my desk by 2."
See, not much of an event. However:
"Hey Jill! Where have you been the past few days?"
"Oh, I had a case of the Swine Flu."
"Are you sure you should be at work? I mean, I heard of this "Swine Flu" on the news!"
"No, I'm perfectly fine"
"Jill, leave now, please. You're a medical disaster waiting to happen. Oh, and work on these figures while you're sick in the hospital."
"Hospital?"
"Or mortuary, doesn't matter. You're sure to visit both within the next couple of days! The news said so."

Now, if my medically backed statistics haven't shown you otherwise, or my over-exaggerated dialogue, here is a personal account. My brother had a friend who got a bad case of the flu. The next day my brother got it. Then my dad and my youngest brother. Then myself. Then my brother's charter school (75% of it's students got sick) and then 4 of my best friends. A week or two late, and everyone was comparing how bad their symptoms were as if it were some kind of competition. You didn't hear about this flu on the news, nor did you see people create threads about it on forums. In the course of the week, the majority of people I knew had caught this virus, and sooner or later everyone had it (except from some). Now, seeing as that is within my social circle, imagine how many more cases there must have been in my state alone (note that my friend's brother got it from a different state). But never did people panic, because to everyone it was just known as "the flu".

But take this Swine flu, and it is an issue. 44 diagnosed cases in America, and a couple hundred dead in Mexico, a country known for its dirty living conditions in many towns and suburbs. This is nothing out of the ordinary for any normal type of flu, but this isn't "the flu", this is the "Swine flu". Remember the Bird Flu?
CDC - Avian Influenza (Flu) | Key Facts About Avian Influenza
Wasn't it a couple years ago that everyone was talking about the Bird flu as the next plague that could exterminate humanity? I remember it as such, especially on the news. But, look at us now, we have moved past it. This only further backs my point that this is a "pandemic" because of it's name. People recognize things with a name, and things like "Swine" and "Bird" are two names that sound harmless, but when added to "flu" provides the illusion of death and despair in disguise, a Trojan horse if you will.

You know, I think I should go out with a camera, and film myself fake coughing in public, and when people ask if I am alright I'll respond occasionally by saying "I've got a case of the flu." Other times I will say, "I've got a case of the Swine Flu." My cough and my mannerisms will be the exact same, but the people's reaction I guarantee will be far different between the two responses. Any guesses as to which one will merit the most concern?

So you might be asking yourselves "But Sweeny, why are you so upset? I mean, you're breaking out the attacks now!" To which I have a very simple answer. Nothing pisses me off more than people standing around, saying how we are defenseless from something. It only deepens my rage when people start referring to fear-mongering news reports in attempts to negate logic and reason, basically common sense. This is a flu. The only thing that makes it special is it's origin and name. This flu can be treated like any other flu, with rest and plenty of water. It can be prevented by not sharing bottles and spit, gum and *** (I am such a rhymester). The fact of the matter remains, there is plenty we can do to keep from getting this flu, but so far the general mentality that I have seen displayed here, and other places, is that "it's the coming of the next plague! Kill your sons and rape your daughters, spare them the torture that this flu will bring!" It's Bullshit. Stop freaking, stop cowering, and just do what you can to prevent this illness. You're not helping, you are not curing the disease, by speaking about it this way. You're only further spreading the fear-mongering that the news and other internet forms of communication have created. The real infection here is idiocy. Wait, that sound far to common to be of concern. Swine Idiocy. Now I'm quaking, I think it's time I go tweet this new illness to my friends.

 

You know it's curable right?

It's all been blown out of proportion.

 

I sure hope it won't. Quick to the top of the Space Needle! Barricade the elevator!