Swine Flu

[jakncoke]

MEXICO CITY – A unique strain of swine flu is the suspected killer of dozens of people in Mexico, where authorities closed schools, museums, libraries and theaters in the capital on Friday to try to contain an outbreak that has spurred concerns of a global flu epidemic.

The worrisome new virus — which combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have not seen before — also sickened at least eight people in Texas and California, though there have been no deaths in the U.S.

"We are very, very concerned," World Health Organization spokesman Thomas Abraham said. "We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human ... It's all hands on deck at the moment."

The outbreak caused alarm in Mexico, where more than 1,000 people have been sickened. Residents of the capital donned surgical masks and authorities ordered the most sweeping shutdown of public gathering places in a quarter century. President Felipe Calderon met with his Cabinet Friday to coordinate Mexico's response.

The WHO was convening an expert panel to consider whether to raise the pandemic alert level or issue travel advisories.

There is no vaccine that specifically protects against swine flu, and it was unclear how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer. A "seed stock" genetically matched to the new swine flu virus has been created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, said Dr. Richard Besser, the agency's acting director. If the government decides vaccine production is necessary, manufacturers would need that stock to get started.

Authorities in Mexico urged people to avoid hospitals unless they had a medical emergency, since hospitals are centers of infection. They also said Mexicans should refrain from customary greetings such as shaking hands or kissing cheeks. At Mexico City's international airport, passengers were questioned to try to prevent anyone with flu symptoms from boarding airplanes and spreading the disease.

Epidemiologists are particularly concerned because the only fatalities so far were in young people and adults. It's possible that more vulnerable populations — infants and the aged — had been vaccinated against other strains, providing some protection.

The eight U.S. victims recovered from symptoms that were like those of the regular flu, mostly fever, cough and sore throat, though some also experienced vomiting and diarrhea.

U.S. health officials announced an outbreak notice to travelers, urging caution and frequent handwashing, but stopping short of telling Americans to avoid Mexico.

Mexico's Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordoba said 68 people have died of flu and the new swine flu strain had been confirmed in 20 of those deaths. At least 1,004 people nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, he said.

Scientists have long been concerned that a new flu virus could launch a worldwide pandemic of a killer disease. A new virus could evolve when different flu viruses infect a pig, a person or a bird, mingling their genetic material. The resulting hybrid could spread quickly because people would have no natural defenses against it.

Still, flu experts were concerned but not alarmed about the latest outbreak.

"We've seen swine influenza in humans over the past several years, and in most cases, it's come from direct pig contact. This seems to be different," said Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert with the University of Michigan.

"I think we need to be careful and not apprehensive, but certainly paying attention to new developments as they proceed."

The CDC says two flu drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, seem effective against the new strain. Roche, the maker of Tamiflu, said the company is prepared to immediately deploy a stockpile of the drug if requested.

Both drugs must be taken early, within a few days of the onset of symptoms, to be most effective.

Cordoba said Mexico has enough Tamiflu to treat 1 million people, but the medicine will be strictly controlled and handed out only by doctors.

Mexico's government had maintained until late Thursday that there was nothing unusual about the flu cases, although this year's flu season had been worse and longer than past years.

The sudden turnaround by public health officials angered many Mexicans.

"They could have stopped it in time," said Araceli Cruz, 24, a university student who emerged from the subway wearing a surgical mask. "Now they've let it spread to other people."

The city was handing out free surgical masks to passengers on buses and the subway system, which carries 5 million people each day. Government workers were ordered to wear the masks, and authorities urged residents to stay home from work if they felt ill.

Closing schools across Mexico's capital of 20 million kept 6.1 million students home, as well as thousands of university students. All state and city-run cultural activities were suspended, including libraries, state-run theaters, and at least 14 museums. Private athletic clubs closed down and soccer leagues were considering canceling weekend games.

The closures were the first citywide shutdown of public gathering places since millions died in the devastating 1985 earthquake.

Mexico's response brought to mind other major outbreaks, such as when SARS hit Asia. At its peak in 2003, Beijing shuttered schools, cinemas and restaurants, and thousands of people were quarantined at home.

In March 2008, Hong Kong ordered more than a half-million students to stay home for two weeks because of a flu outbreak. It was the first such closure in Hong Kong since the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.

"It's great they are taking precautions," said Lillian Molina, a teacher at the Montessori's World preschool in Mexico City, who scrubbed down empty classrooms with Clorox, soap and Lysol between fielding calls from worried parents.

U.S. health officials said the outbreak is not yet a reason for alarm in the United States. The five people sickened in California and three in Texas have all recovered.

It's unclear how the eight, who became ill between late March and mid-April, contracted the virus because none were in contact with pigs, which is how people usually catch swine flu. And only a few were in contact with each other.

CDC officials described the virus as having a unique combination of gene segments not seen before in people or pigs. The bug contains human virus, avian virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Scientists keep a close eye on flu viruses that emerge from pigs. The animals are considered particularly susceptible to both avian and human viruses and a likely place where the kind of genetic reassortment can take place that might lead to a new form of pandemic flu, said Dr. John Treanor, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The virus may be something completely new, or it may have been around for a while but was only detected now because of improved lab testing and disease surveillance, CDC officials said.

The most notorious flu pandemic is thought to have killed at least 40 million people worldwide in 1918-19. Two other, less deadly flu pandemics struck in 1957 and 1968.



Hopefully they tackle before it get to big :/

[LiNuX]

swine flu, killed dozens of people? wow...

so many potential epidemics and pandemics on our hands...could do without this one too.

[Juicyz]

could do without this one too.


Heeh, couldnt everyone.
sounds pretty bad, im learning about it in school right now in Ap Bio. we are studing Bacteria and Virus's. Ebole too

[Exodyus]

Even scarier is the thought that pig organs can be used for surgical procedures on humans because of the cellular and proximal make-up between the two species. Ironic, really...

But the fact that it can be passed human to human makes it all the deadlier. One person slips up and falls through the isolation cracks, it's onto another 20 people who could spread it to another 20. That's easily 400 people...

Just imagine an untouched week.

[Choke On Candy]

Even scarier is the thought that pig organs can be used for surgical procedures on humans because of the cellular and proximal make-up between the two species. Ironic, really...

But the fact that it can be passed human to human makes it all the deadlier. One person slips up and falls through the isolation cracks, it's onto another 20 people who could spread it to another 20. That's easily 400 people...

Just imagine an untouched week.It's amazing that viruses can just spring up out of nowhere. The real question is whether or not if its natural selection or some crazy scientist somewhere??

[Kitey]

It's amazing that viruses can just spring up out of nowhere. The real question is whether or not if its natural selection or some crazy scientist somewhere??
A mixture of both in some cases. Basically, some of it is a kind of unnatural selection.

About 10 years ago, we went nuts for antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizers, all of that. Those of you who are under 20 know exactly what I mean--the stuff was everywhere, your moms were buying it, using it, packing it with you. Everything in your homes was antibacterial. The killing off of weaker bacteria leaves the stronger strains to survive. Do a quick search in Youtube for MRSAs and Abscesses, and you will find shockingly graphic results that can show you how horrible and painful these infections can be when they attack your skin. I'm not posting links here because these infections really are difficult to look at if you have a weak stomach.

We tattoo. We pierce. We hang out in icky places doing dirty things. Staph is one of the germs that hangs out on your skin. When it infiltrates a wound and is of just the right strain, the results are nasty.

Staph infections in hospitals kill people. A lot of people. Every year. Those infections are getting harder and harder to stop. Some medical professionals fear it's only a matter of time before we get to a point where we can't do anything but watch as an entire hospital and perhaps even its staff, are eaten alive by an airborne contagion that doesn't respond to any medications.

An example of manmade meddling: smallpox. The WHO got rid of smallpox through a concerted, worldwide vaccination effort a long time ago. The disease has been completely eradicated. We don't have smallpox vaccines widely available any longer, and the last people to probable get vaccinated were probably our parents (for you older people) and our grandparents. If a smallpox epidemic broke out, there would be a panic.

SARs was a big problem because people were spreading an airborne disease on international flights. A guy with TB on a plane caused a nation-wide spurt of fear because he was spreading another airborne illness on a plane. Think about it: you share recycled air with 300 people. Then you land and come into indirect contact with hundreds more. Then you go through your daily life coming into indirect/direct contact with hundreds more. Meanwhile, everyone you touch/breathe on/cough on/sneeze on is doing the exact same thing.

It isn't just the power of these new germs. Its the fact that a person from Tokyo can take an 18-hour flight to New York; an person from Columbia can fly for 6 hours to DC; a person from Haiti can take a much shorter flight to Miami. Their sickness may not be discovered until several days later when people begin to fall ill and start popping up in hospitals around the nation. Forget spraying with smallpox; get your sleeper to be a carrier and book him on a cross-country trip under a fake name.

[Jjjet1]

That's why I like living in a small town. Not many people to transmit germs and such. I don't really remember the last time I was sick.

[Choke On Candy]

That's why I like living in a small town. Not many people to transmit germs and such. I don't really remember the last time I was sick.

You are lucky then. How you getting internet out there in hilly billy town?:laugh:

[LordLameeks]

That's why I like living in a small town. Not many people to transmit germs and such. I don't really remember the last time I was sick.

No offence but thats a bad thing living in a little town when it comes to germs... b/c your immune system is very low b/c you arent exposed to different bacteria jus sayin....... this sounds like the bird flu in china

[Flab-Ender]

I was listing to a news cast about this. It said it made it to New York city. But then they just started to try and scare people. It shouldn't get too bad, hopefully.

[jakncoke]

YouTube - Swine Flu May Have Spread to NYC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=537jAeFcwd0)

jesus tap dancing christ this sucks

[LiNuX]

YouTube - Swine Flu May Have Spread to NYC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=537jAeFcwd0)

jesus tap dancing christ this sucks

uh....thats where linux is...

hope it doesn't get too serious.

[Flab-Ender]

Ya cause if it does, you might Die! But don't worry, i'm sure nothing is gonna happen, I mean your Linux.

[LiNuX]

Ya cause if it does, you might Die! But don't worry, i'm sure nothing is gonna happen, I mean your Linux.

yeah, linux doesn't get viruses, most of the world's viruses are out for windows

but still swine flu...

[Flab-Ender]

yeah, linux doesn't get viruses, most of the world's viruses are out for windows

but still swine flu...

Swine flu is a pig virus, bird virus, and human virus. So it's like a super virus.

[Choke On Candy]

Swine flu is a pig virus, bird virus, and human virus. So it's like a super virus.
I'm sure it will be on the news for quite awhile. Something new and dramatic to report about.

[jakncoke]

at least it'll take a couple seconds away from the usual hollywood news trash

[jakncoke]

hate to dp but is pretty important
YouTube - 20 Confirmed Swine Flu Cases in U.S. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yBBjBIU-J8)

:(

[LiNuX]

hate to dp but is pretty important
YouTube - 20 Confirmed Swine Flu Cases in U.S. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yBBjBIU-J8)

:(

i saw that earlier - moved up to canada too

spreading faster than I'd thought

[LordLameeks]

Damm they are closing down everything in mexico city... i got family there i hope they are ok... this virus is getting worse and worse i hope it does come to where i live im not that far from the border out here in houston...

[omgodzilla10]

i saw that earlier - moved up to canada too

spreading faster than I'd thought

Moved up to Canada? Oh crap. What part of Canada? Eastern or western?

[LiNuX]

Moved up to Canada? Oh crap. What part of Canada? Eastern or western?

I'm not sure - heard it on the news - they just said something about 4-5 cases in Canada where the ones affected showed signs of the swine flu symptoms

[Exodyus]

Swine Flu: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Outbreak


By BRYAN WALSH Bryan Walsh – 1 hr 35 mins ago

Concern that the world could be on the brink of the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years escalated Sunday as France, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Spain reported potential new cases in which people had been infected with swine flu and Canada confirmed several new cases. In the U.S., where 20 such infections have been confirmed, federal health officials declared a public-health emergency and are preparing to distribute to state and local agencies a quarter of the country's 50 million-dose stockpile of antiviral drugs. Meanwhile, in hard-hit Mexico, where more than 80 people have died from what is believed to be swine flu, the government closed all public schools and canceled hundreds of public events in Mexico City.


Though the World Health Organization (WHO) is referring to the situation as a "public-health emergency of international concern," the apparent emergence in several countries of an entirely new strain of H1N1 flu virus has led some scientists to believe that it is only a matter of time before the WHO declares pandemic status, a move that could prompt travel bans to infected countries. "We are clearly seeing wide spread," says Michael Osterholm, a pandemic risk expert who runs the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. "There is no question." (Read about the vaccine being prepared in case of a pandemic.)


Health officials in Washington were quick to point out Sunday that none of the 20 cases identified in the U.S. so far has been fatal; all but one of the victims has recovered without needing to be hospitalized. Officials also noted that only one American has been infected so far who had not recently traveled to Mexico - a woman in Kansas got sick after her husband returned from a business trip in that country, where he became ill - but that could change as more intensive disease surveillance begins. "As we continue to look for more cases, I expect we're going to find them," said acting Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director Richard Besser.


In the U.S., where cases have also been found in California, Texas, and New York City, the declaration of a public-health emergency is part of what federal officials termed an "aggressive response" to the outbreaks. In addition to releasing from the national stockpile some 12.5 million doses of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza - which scientists say has so far been effective against the H1N1 swine flu virus - the Department of Homeland Security will begin "passive surveillance" to screen people entering the U.S. Any traveler coming from a country with a confirmed human swine flu infection will be questioned, checked for symptoms and potentially isolated if they are found ill. Though the CDC has issued public warnings about the more serious outbreak in Mexico, there are no recommendations from Washington against traveling to the neighboring country.


That is in contrast to the more extreme actions of some other governments, including Hong Kong, where officials on Sunday urged residents to avoid going to Mexico. Hong Kong officials also ordered the immediate detention in a hospital of anyone who arrives with a fever above 100.4 F, respiratory symptoms and a history of traveling over the past seven days to a city with a confirmed case of swine flu infection.


But Washington officials Sunday did their best not to overstate the situation and emphasized that their response wasn't out of the ordinary. "I wish we could call it declaration of emergency preparedness, because that's really what it is in this context," said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. "We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."




Right now health officials around the world are trying to take precautions without inciting panic. Here are just a few of the questions facing them - and ultimately, us as well:


1. Is this a flu pandemic?


The influenza virus is constantly mutating. That's why we can't get full immunity to the flu, the way we can to diseases like chicken pox, because there are multiple strains of the flu virus and they change from year to year. However, even though the virus makes us sick, our immune systems can usually muster enough of a response so that the flu is rarely fatal for healthy people.


But every once in awhile, the virus shifts its genetic structure so much that our immune systems offer no protection whatsoever. (This usually happens when a flu virus found in animals - like the avian flu still circulating in Asia - swaps genes with other viruses in a process called reassortment, and jumps to human beings.) A flu pandemic occurs when a new flu virus emerges for which humans have little or no immunity and then spreads easily from person to person around the world. In the 20th century we had two mild flu pandemics, in 1968 and 1957, and the severe "Spanish flu" pandemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 40 to 50 million people worldwide.


The WHO has the responsibility of declaring when a new flu pandemic is underway, and to simplify the process, the U.N. body has established six pandemic phases. Thanks to H5N1 avian flu, which has killed 257 people since 2003 but doesn't spread very well from one human to another, we're currently at phase 3. If the WHO upgraded that status to phase 4, which is marked by a new virus that begins to pass easily enough from person to person that we can detect community-sized outbreaks, such a move would effectively mean that we've got a pandemic on our hands.


The H1N1 swine flu virus has already been identified as a new virus, with genes from human and avian flus as well as the swine variety. And since it is apparently causing large-scale outbreaks in Mexico, along with separate confirmed cases in the U.S. and Canada and suspected cases in other countries, it would seem that we've already met the criteria for phase 4. But though an emergency committee met on April 25 to evaluate the situation, the WHO hasn't made the pandemic declaration yet. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's interim assistant director-general for health, security and environment, said on Sunday that its experts "would like a little bit more information and a little bit more time to consider this." The committee is set to meet again by April 28 at the latest.


As health officials have repeatedly emphasized, with good reason, the swine flu situation is evolving rapidly, and more lab tests are needed to ascertain exactly what is going on in Mexico and elsewhere. "We want to make sure we're on solid ground," said Fukuda, a highly respected former CDC official and flu expert.


2. What will happen if this outbreak gets classified as a pandemic?


Moving the world to pandemic phase 4 would be the signal for serious containment actions to be taken on the national and international level. Given that these actions would have major implications for the global economy, not to mention the effects of the public fear that would ensue, there is concern that the WHO may be considering politics along with science. "What the WHO did makes no sense," says Osterholm. "In a potential pandemic, you need to have the WHO be beyond question, and (April 25) was not a good day for them."


Of course, declaring a pandemic isn't a decision that should be taken lightly. For the WHO, phase 4 might trigger an attempt to keep the virus from spreading by instituting strict quarantines and blanketing infected areas with antivirals. But we appear to have missed the opportunity to contain the disease at its source since the virus is already crossing borders with ease. "We cannot stop this at the border," said Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim director for science and public health. "We don't think that we can quench this in Mexico if it's in many communities now."



That would leave the WHO and individual countries to fall back on damage control, using antivirals and old-fashioned infection control - like closing schools, limiting public gatherings and even restricting travel - to slow the spread of the virus. But such efforts would likely inflict serious damage on an already faltering global economy - and the truth is, we don't know how well those methods will work.

3. Why have the U.S. cases been so much milder than the ones in Mexico?

This is the question that has health officials from Geneva to Washington puzzled. In Mexico, swine flu has caused severe respiratory disease in a number of patients - and even more worryingly, has killed the sort of young and healthy people who can normally shrug off the flu. (Fueling such concerns is the fact that similar age groups died in unusually high numbers during the 1918 pandemic.) Yet the cases in the U.S. have all been mild and likely wouldn't have even garnered much attention if doctors hadn't begun actively looking for swine flu in recent days. "What we're seeing in this country so far is not anywhere near the severity of what we're hearing about in Mexico," said the CDC's Besser. "We need to understand that."

Some of the difference may be due to the fact that Mexico has apparently been grappling with swine flu for weeks longer than the U.S. As doctors across the U.S. begin checking patients with respiratory symptoms for swine flu, CDC officials expect to see more severe cases in the U.S. as well - and as better epidemiological work is done in Mexico, we'll probably hear about more mild cases there too. Right now, however, the true severity of the H1N1 swine flu virus is still an open question, whose answer could change over time. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic began with a fairly mild wave of infections in the spring, but the virus returned a few months later in a far more virulent form. That could happen with the current swine flu as well. "It's quite possible for this virus to evolve," said Fukuda. "When viruses evolve, clearly they can become more dangerous to people."

4. How ready is the U.S. - and the world - to respond to a flu pandemic?

In some ways, the world is better prepared for a flu pandemic today than it has ever been. Thanks to concerns over H5N1 avian flu, the WHO, the U.S. and countries around the world have stockpiled millions of doses of antivirals that can help fight swine flu as well as other strains of influenza. The U.S. has a detailed pandemic preparation plan that was drafted under former President George W. Bush. Many other countries have similar plans. SARS and bird flu have given international health officials useful practice runs for dealing with a real pandemic. We can identify new viruses faster than ever before, and we have life-saving technologies - like artificial respirators and antivirals - that weren't available back in 1918. "I believe that the world is much, much better prepared than we have ever been for dealing with this kind of situation," said Fukuda.

At the same time, the very nature of globalization puts us at greater risk. International air travel means that infections can spread very quickly. And while the WHO can prepare a new swine flu vaccine strain in fairly short order, we still use a laborious, decades-old process to manufacture vaccines, meaning it would take months before the pharmaceutical industry could produce its full capacity of doses - and even then, there wouldn't be enough for everyone on the planet. The U.S. could be particularly vulnerable; only one plant, in Stillwater, Penn., makes flu vaccine in America. In a pandemic, that could produce some ugly political debates. "Do you really think the E.U. is going to release pandemic vaccine to the U.S. when its own people need it?" asks Osterholm.


Indeed, the greatest risk from a pandemic might not turn out to be from the swine flu virus itself - especially if it ends up being relatively mild - but what Osterholm calls "collateral damage" if governments respond to the emergency by instituting border controls and disrupting world trade. Not only would the global recession worsen - a 2008 World Bank report estimated that a severe pandemic could reduce the world's GDP by 4.8% - but we depend on international trade now for countless necessities, from generic medicines to surgical gloves. The just-in-time production systems embraced by companies like Wal-Mart - where inventories are kept as low as possible to cut waste and boost profit - mean that we don't have stockpiles of most things. Supply chains for food, medicines and even the coal that generates half our electricity are easily disruptable, with potentially catastrophic results. Though we'll likely hear calls to close the border with Mexico, Osterholm points out that a key component used in artificial respirators comes from Mexico. "We are more vulnerable to a pandemic now than at any other time over the past 100 years," he says. "We can't depend on ourselves."

5. So how scared should we be?

That depends on whom you ask. Officials at the CDC and the WHO have emphasized that while the swine flu situation is serious, they're responding with an abundance of precautions. Even Osterholm, who has been highly critical of the U.S. government's long-term failures to better prepare for a pandemic, gives the CDC a 9 out of 10 for its response so far. Outside of Mexico, the swine flu hasn't looked too serious yet - unlike during the SARS outbreaks of 2003, when an entirely new virus with no obvious treatment took the world by surprise. In the U.S., the normal flu season is winding down, which should make it easier for public-health officials to pick out swine flu cases from run-of-the-mill respiratory disease. And there are simple things that people can do to protect themselves, like practicing better hygiene (wash hands frequently and cover mouth and nose when sneezing) and staying away from public places or traveling if they feel sick. "There's a role for everyone to play when an outbreak is ongoing," said Besser.

But the truth is that every outbreak is unpredictable, and there's a lot we don't know yet about the new swine flu. There hasn't been a flu pandemic for more than a generation, and there hasn't been a truly virulent pandemic since long before the arrival of mass air transit. We're in terra incognito here. Panic would be counterproductive - especially if it results in knee-jerk reactions like closing international borders, which would only complicate the public-health response. But neither should we downplay our very real vulnerabilities. As Napolitano put it: "This will be a marathon, not a sprint." Be prepared.

[Jjjet1]

The whole thing took about ten minutes to read... Good thing I'm in school! But my Immune system is very good because my girlfriend seems to be sick like every week, but I never get sick from her at all. It could also be that she loves to complain... and complain...... and complain................

[Exodyus]

The whole thing took about ten minutes to read... Good thing I'm in school! But my Immune system is very good because my girlfriend seems to be sick like every week, but I never get sick from her at all. It could also be that she loves to complain... and complain...... and complain................

Lol.

Do you bite your nails?

[jakncoke]

YouTube - Global Swine Flu Cases Close to Pandemic Levels (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea36hYuTrGA&feature=featured)

swine flu in Spain now

[iShikamaru]

Lol.

Do you bite your nails?

? What's biting his nails have to do with anything?
Unless you're referring to skin under the nails/wounds near the nails that could help transmit whatever disease to him?

[jakncoke]

YouTube - Swine Flu Cases Close Schools in Texas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9eVtN_DgSc)
YouTube - Mayor: 28 Swine Flu Cases From 1 NYC School (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzi3i49COU0)

[jiron]

Stuff is starting to spread more...

[KittyCat72]

I've heard a lot about this... my dad said it reminded him of some other epidemic or something from a while back. Apparently, the healthy people were the ones to die because their immune system attacked their lung and throat tissues. :-P Hope this isn't anything like that. It seems like it could get pretty bad, but hopefully it will blow over quickly.

[omgodzilla10]

Gah, the amount have people in Canada with the Swine Flu just went from 6 to 14 in about 2 days.

[Exodyus]

Yeap. That's what happens. It's exponential man, simple math.

You take 1 person who has it.
Imagine, like in New York - that person is a kid; a High schooler.

He sees 7 hours of people. 30 / class - maybe 8 periods - 240 people.
He passes around another 100 in the halls. Coughs a few times.

Say he infects 10 people.

1 - 10
Those people infect 10 each.
1 - 10 - 100
Those people say - infect 20, for a weekend at the mall.
1 - 10 - 100 - 2000

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4.

Exponential Growth is insane. That's why this is a Pandemic, Class 4 - currently. Because of the rate it's spreading.

They are saying that Mexico closed shops, restaurants, and companies down because of this and they're looking 110 million dollars a day in revenue because of it.

[Kitey]

Also, those silly little masks that we are advised to wear really don't do very much.

Wash your hands, cough into your sleeves, and stay home if you feel ill. That's really about it as far as remedies go.

[Choke On Candy]

Our local paper said it's in my area ;(

[Trunks]

The highest number I have heard so far is 64 Human cases in USA. ( With 1 case in ohio o.o ) But out of the 64 cases, there has been no deaths from it. Which could mean either the virus is less powerful in America than mexico. Or more likely, we have better health and medicines in the US.

My mom wants to stalk up on canned foods so we could last a long time without going out of the house. Luckily if we need something, we still have gas mask from the Y2K thing. My parents went a little over board on that...

[LemonRising]

I think there are 3 cases in my general area.

I'm already sick (got it from my boyfriend) so I've been inside. My brother is sick though, so I'm staying away from him just in case.

Germs and stuff freak me out, so I'm a little disturbed.
I need to go to the doctor's as well, but I'd rather not because other people who are sick go there B |

[jakncoke]

The highest number I have heard so far is 64 Human cases in USA. ( With 1 case in ohio o.o ) But out of the 64 cases, there has been no deaths from it. Which could mean either the virus is less powerful in America than mexico. Or more likely, we have better health and medicines in the US.

My mom wants to stalk up on canned foods so we could last a long time without going out of the house. Luckily if we need something, we still have gas mask from the Y2K thing. My parents went a little over board on that...

a 2 yo died in Texas today

[Exodyus]

a 2 yo died in Texas today

Verah sad. Condolences go out to the family. Much love for them.

That was the first fatal case in the US. ;/

[Trunks]

a 2 yo died in Texas today

From what I heard was that the 2 year old was a citizen in mexico that was already suffering from other illnesses. So if we were being literal, it wasn't an American death. He was born in mexico and was brought recent to America. I'm pretty sure he died on Monday as well. Plus, his immune system was already weakened from whatever else was wrong with him. Still though, very sad.

[jakncoke]

I see, I was watching Headline News and they just stated first death in america

[Trunks]

HOUSTON (AP) - Texas' health officials say a Mexican toddler who is the first confirmed U.S. death from swine flu arrived in Texas from Mexico on April 4 and developed flu symptoms four days later.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Wednesday the Mexico City boy had underlying health problems when he traveled to Brownsville Texas to visit relatives. He was admitted to a Houston hospital a few days after developing a fever and other flu symptoms and died on Monday night.

The boy was about 2 years old. Houston officials said he was 23 months old, but state officials said he was 22 months old and could not immediately explain the discrepancy.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the death earlier Wednesday.

Texas Swine Flu Fatality Had Symptoms 3 Weeks Ago - KIFI - Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Jackson WY - Weather News Sports- (http://www.localnews8.com/global/story.asp?s=10269540)

[Id.E.M]

Yes, well.
Apparently, it's now class 5......
What fun o.O

[LiNuX]

St. Francis Prep is closed until this coming monday at least. They had the largest outbreak in NY. I used to pass by that school when going to one of my classes a few years ago.

Now my sister's school has some kids with the flu - not confirmed if it's swine flu or not

And one guy from my Campus is said to have the Swine Flu. We were all notified earlier by Email about it. I only have one full day of class left and I get this news..That's always fun.

flucinex ad....

[Trunks]

St. Francis Prep is closed until this coming monday at least. They had the largest outbreak in NY. I used to pass by that school when going to one of my classes a few years ago.

Now my sister's school has some kids with the flu - not confirmed if it's swine flu or not

And one guy from my Campus is said to have the Swine Flu. We were all notified earlier by Email about it. I only have one full day of class left and I get this news..That's always fun.

flucinex ad....

That's scary, your right in the middle of it all.



29 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 18:00 GMT, 29 April 2009, nine countries have officially reported 148 cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 91 laboratory confirmed human cases, with one death. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (13), Germany (3), Israel (2), New Zealand (3), Spain (4) and the United Kingdom (5).

Does anyone else find it weird why it's spreading much faster in the US than other countries?

[LiNuX]

it's faster here due to the amount of travelers that go back and forth to Mexico. Since we have a trade thing going on, and the St. Francis kids went to Mexico for Spring Break...

[Jjjet1]

Lol.

Do you bite your nails?

I do bite my nails... Why?

[jakncoke]

over 100 cases in USA now.

[Trunks]

We are also in a stage 5 for a pandemic. There are 6 stages total, so we are one step away from being in a total pandemic.

[Id.E.M]

We are also in a stage 5 for a pandemic. There are 6 stages total, so we are one step away from being in a total pandemic.

Did I not just say that, like, 5 posts ago?

[Trunks]

Did I not just say that, like, 5 posts ago?

I didn't look that closely, I started to scroll up and decided I didn't feel like it. I'm a lazy person, my bad. I gave extra information about it though, so my post didn't go in vain!!

[omgodzilla10]

OH NOEZ someone in my very small town got the swine flu!

[LiNuX]

they found another kid at my school with the swine flu today lol

and it was my last day - hoping I came back fine - well i still have finals but my next final is on Wednesday..hopefully things calm down a bit more.

[jakncoke]

I wonder what's the closest location to me that got swine flu, I'm usually far apart from these things. Only thing that I remember that close was a case of west nile a couple miles from my home.

[Id.E.M]

Aw LiNuX, that sucks. Good luck on your finals

There seems to be someone at my school with Swine Flue. All the symptoms line up, and he has a legitimate connection to someone that has already contracted it. Hopefully, they'll shut down school =D

[Trunks]

I heard from someone today that a kid has the swine flu at the elementary school. I'm not sure if it's a rumor or not, hopefully it is. I rather stay away as far as possible from it.

[Exodyus]

they found another kid at my school with the swine flu today lol

and it was my last day - hoping I came back fine - well i still have finals but my next final is on Wednesday..hopefully things calm down a bit more.

Wearing the Surgical masks - make sure that it's sealed tightly to your face. It's 4x less likely that you'll receive airborne infections or viruses, if the mask is securely fastened.

So wear 2? Lol.

Also - remember when you remove it, to talk it off by the straps and dispose of it. Using your hands could cause the spread of the infection. Then generously wash your hands afterward.

Love you, Linux. <3

[jakncoke]

http://i40.tinypic.com/2zptuf9.png

No PA so far

[Jjjet1]

They SHOULD NOT count that death as a US death. The kid was from Mexico! I personally think that the Media is over exagerating everything. They just need something to report on and nothing else is better to report on.

[Samus-Fan]

Ohz gawdz.
There is one case in Ohio.
Better break out the gas mask.

And yea, this is mostly media propaganda about the "OMG WE ALL GONNA DIEEEEEEEEE" because 90% of the people dying from it are OLD (Seniors), BABIES, AND Low-Immune-system People.
Anyone getting something?

[RoboticWerewolf]

Everyone at my school it freaking out about Swine Flu, but just think about how many people die from the regular flu every year. I am not worried about it. There are only 7 confirmed cases in my state and the hospitals have stuff to treat it with. Really, only people with low immune systems like babies and the elderly are in danger.

[Logical]

This link will help determine if you have the Swine Flu.

Do I Have The Swine Flu? (http://doihavetheswineflu.com/)

[LemonRising]

This link will help determine if you have the Swine Flu.

Do I Have The Swine Flu? (http://doihavetheswineflu.com/)

I applaud you for this.

It basically sums up my feelings on the swine flu.

[jakncoke]

first PA case was confirmed yesterday. NY still leads with 73, 279 total USA, only death was from the 2 yo that came across the border

[LiNuX]

they've said that this was actually a weaker form of the Flu virus and that it won't get as big or as widespread as previously thought - thats why you don't see as many deaths as other strains of the flu.

[jakncoke]

This link will help determine if you have the Swine Flu.

Do I Have The Swine Flu? (http://doihavetheswineflu.com/)

:laugh:

Is that your site or did you just find it?

[Trunks]

they've said that this was actually a weaker form of the Flu virus and that it won't get as big or as widespread as previously thought - thats why you don't see as many deaths as other strains of the flu.

Yep, everything seems to be back to normal where I live. Now everyone is just talking about how it is going to be worse next winter when the virus mutates and becomes worse.

[Choke On Candy]

My brother is flying in to visit me on wednesday. I'm scared for him to go to airport and be around all those people. Can you say germs??

[hidekipooj]

I personally think the media has blown all of this way out of proportion. They just need something to report on for ratings. Sure, people have died from it. But more people die from cigarettes, alchohol, heart attacks, etc. per day than the victims of the swine flu already. I'm not worried...and neither should you.

[jakncoke]

Is the report I heard off sxephil true? on one of his things he says 25 people died from getting the vaccine, compared to 1 killed by the real things. If so that's friggin hilarious that the vaccine has cause so much more death than the real thing

[EpsilonX]

edit: nevermind

[LemonRising]

the reason we're surviving is cuz we're proud americans. Not those lazy mexicans. The Swine Flu is a good thing, it gets rid of all of those freakin border-hoppers.

Way to be racist.

[EpsilonX]

Way to be racist.
lol im just kiddin man.


now on a more serious note, i heard that this swine flu thing isn't really that big of a deal? on facebook there are all these bumper stickers and groups and stuff making fun of it.

[Jjjet1]

If you want to be racist I could go say go back on your boat and go back to your own country. So don't even frickin start with that crap. You're an immagrant too.

[hidekipooj]

If you want to be racist I could go say go back on your boat and go back to your own country. So don't even frickin start with that crap. You're an immagrant too.

What if he's native american? lol

[LemonRising]

Swine flu is a laugh, but i still don't want it.
I'm going to the doctors today and I'm gonna be so paranoid.
NO SICK ****ERS BETTER TOUCH ME

[EpsilonX]

If you want to be racist I could go say go back on your boat and go back to your own country. So don't even frickin start with that crap. You're an immagrant too.

dude calm down.

[Jjjet1]

Well you don't have to an ignorant racist ***k. look back at history and see where 'your' country came from. Seriously.

[LemonRising]

Well you don't have to an ignorant racist ***k. look back at history and see where 'your' country came from. Seriously.

He was jokin man.

[jakncoke]

everyone needs to take a chill pill, he was disciplined the issue is now behind us. get on topic.

[Jjjet1]

Good. Now there has been the first real US death a teacher with a new born child.

[KittyCat72]

Our teachers got emails saying it is no big deal and it can all be avoid by washing your hands and stuff. I'd love to believe that, and maybe it will be true. But you never know if it is some kind of big conspiracy. :-P

[Exodyus]

lol im just kiddin man.


now on a more serious note, i heard that this swine flu thing isn't really that big of a deal? on facebook there are all these bumper stickers and groups and stuff making fun of it.

Emo's don't have boats.

They don't even have friends. Lol.

Ship them to Mexico, since they think it's funny to be racist. Hopefully, H1N1 will take their lives so we don't have to listen to the annoying life-less complaining anymore.

[Iceskater101]

yeah the swine flu isnt as bad as the regular flu so I think its ok.
We have had actually had cases here closer to where I live but i haven't gotten it yet so its all good.

[EpsilonX]

Apparantly, swine flu wasn't the cause of death of that one girl. yes she had it, but died of something else.

i think

exo -> what makes me emo? i make fun of emos