Swine Flu

Is it just me or does it seem like this Swine Flu Epidemic is getting really over hyped in the media?

36,000 people die from the regular seasonal flu in the US every year.

250,000 - 500,000 die from it world wide.

So far there have been like 149 confirmed deaths from the swine flu (all in Mexico).

I don't get it.

BTW the wife and I are flying to Cancun for a week next Friday!!! The good news is that I don't think it will be crowded!

Unless I get it, it's overhyped...

way over hyped. maybe it will serve a life lesson for people to wash their hands more often and to cover their mouthes when they sneeze or cough.

I have been visiting Cancun forum on Tripadvisor and you should see how nasty some people are getting towards others that are choosing to not cancel their plans because of the "epidemic"!!! ldman: you would think it is the return of the bubonic plague.

http://cancun-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowF..._Peninsula.html

The LA Time is even reporting that the medical field views this flu variant as milder than the average flu we get every year.

civengPE said:

I have been visiting Cancun forum on Tripadvisor and you should see how nasty some people are getting towards others that are choosing to not cancel their plans because of the "epidemic"!!! ldman: you would think it is the return of the bubonic plague.
http://cancun-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowF..._Peninsula.html

The LA Time is even reporting that the medical field views this flu variant as milder than the average flu we get every year.

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My parents were supposed to leave for Cancun on Sunday. The conference that my dad was attending was cancelled and relocated to some place outside of Atlanta. They were pissed. It's definitely over hyped but the problem is that you can't trust the media as to what may or may not be true. They've sensationalized the whole thing in my opinion. Isn't it sweeps week?

Overhyped, but they have to find something to scare us with. Used to be globala nuclear war, but that died with the Soviet Union. So far, they've tried global warming, holes in the ozone, flesh eating bacteria, killer asteroids, avian flu, and now swine flu.

Chucktown PE said:

My parents were supposed to leave for Cancun on Sunday. The conference that my dad was attending was cancelled and relocated to some place outside of Atlanta. They were pissed. It's definitely over hyped but the problem is that you can't trust the media as to what may or may not be true. They've sensationalized the whole thing in my opinion. Isn't it sweeps week?

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That sucks, especially if people got their passport specifically for the trip.

This type of stuff is why I don't watch the news...I can't stand the "real" reporting that goes on. I'll read the local paper which doesn't do News stories and glance through online new reports so I can pick and choose what news I want to hear.

Not on here.

It's totally overhyped...which means naturally my parents are planning for the apocalypse. It'd be funny if it wasn't so dumb.

With all the crap I have heard, I think they should call it the whine flu! :15:

JR

VTEnviro said:

It's totally overhyped...which means naturally my parents are planning for the apocalypse. It'd be funny if it wasn't so dumb.

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mine too.

Everyone at work keeps asking me if I am still going. I can't believe the crap people buy into now days. what ever happened to critical thinking?

civengPE said:

Everyone at work keeps asking me if I am still going. I can't believe the crap people buy into now days. what ever happened to critical thinking?

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The same thing that happened to common sense. They are both now in the vortex.

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jregieng said:

With all the crap I have heard, I think they should call it the whine flu! :15:
JR

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What, no love for JR???? ^^That's a great one-liner!!

I spoke with a friend in the public health business yesterday, and he thought things were overblown, although he did say that it has the "potential" to be a bigger problem. But for now, the virus in its current form appears to be no more deadly than ordinary influenza.

I'm with civeng. Hundreds of thousands of people die every year from the flu we already knew about. Why does a new strain of flu trigger a "WHO Level 6 Pandemic" (fer seriously...I read that in an article today) when it kills less than 200 people worldwide? They are shutting down high school sports in Alabama, the Texas governor is about to declare a state of emergency, Obama is considering a national state of emergency, and Biden is telling people not to fly or ride the subway. I guess 7 years of "terrist" fearmongering and a year of economy fearmongering has made us hyper-sensitive to the MSM and Fed propaganda machine.

I will be so pissed if the stupid gubment stops travel to Mexico. We have been planning this trip for months.

I swear I have less and less faith in my fellow man every day. Is it just me or are most people really this stupid? :brickwall:

OK.... here's the scoop....

My mom is a immunization specialist for the county of LA (has been for as long as I can remember) she is well respected in her industry, and can be counted on for realistic and sound advice for things like this.

Swine flu responds well to two different anti-viral medications, so it is somewhat treatable.

It seems to be dying off. Since there was not an "explosion" of cases yesterday or today, it is probably not going to go pandemic, and/or is not going to have significant causalities in the US.

CivengPE - as far as going to Cancun... my mom said "are they stupid?" Cancun has been a hot spot for the virus. most attractions in Mexico have been shut down (so there won't be much to do). Travel within this country should be no problem... but don't go there!

I do have some more info... but it is not very interesting, probably what you would guess about the whole situation... it doesn't look like it will be a big deal in this country, but why tempt fate and go to Mexico (esp. Cancun).

Also, Cancun probably won't be much fun, because everything will be shut down....

until Wednesday(5/6)... when it opens up again!!!

Wow, our safety guy just handed out the following to everyone in the office:

-A five page pamphlet on "Facts about Swine Influenza (Swine Flu) in English.

-A five page pamphlet en Espanol.

-A "Facts about Sine Flu" FAQ sheet

-^^^ en Espanol

-A "Hand Washing" users guide, complete with color drawings of how to wash your hands and throw away the paper towel.

-A "Hand Sanitizing" users guide, complete with color drawings of how to rub Purell on your hands.

I'm sure glad they can't afford to fly us to job sites or give us time charge numbers, but they'll dish out cash for this crap no problem.

Scientists have just released their first high resolution electron microscope view of the new flu virus!