Swine flu

[Haney]

Swine flu is getting pretty big on the news, and I'm wondering- what do people think about it? There's been a few slightly conflicting representations depending on where I get the info - i.e. how treatable it is, if it'll become a world epidemic...etc. What do you think about it?

Edited May 13, 2009 by Haney

[herong2x]

Im actually so scared about this i mean people have died abroad and ive just recently found out that it is already in hongkong

so its just a matter of time that it comes here (maybe it is here)

my friends say that Filipinos are immune to this but im not a Filipino myself so i have no idea

the news said that two koreans are suspected of having it (im not being racist im a Korean) and i just hope for the best of them

i just dont wanna die

[MarianaHP]

They have all ready proved that it is not deadly if you treat it on time.

Honestly i think people are making way too much about it.. i live in mexico and i go around without any protection and in the streets as usual and im still alive and healthy.

Also all the information given is wierd cuz they say so many people have it or have died, but no one seems to know any one who has or has had swine flu and they dont even say the names of the people that have died, and no family member has been interviewed or anything which is really wierd, but who knows i think it not something people should become paranoid about....

[Tilia]

It scares me. Even though Sweden has good health care and I don't think it's that deadly, the risk of it becoming pandemic is horrible. Now the number of newly reported cases seem to have decreased, so I'm a bit calmer at least. Maybe the media ahs just exaggerated it as well.

[gill.navi.singh]

To me it means

The Other White Meat has joined the Dark Side.

*Looks at plate of ham*

It's all yours kid.

[Tilia]

To me it means

The Other White Meat has joined the Dark Side.

*Looks at plate of ham*

It's all yours kid.

Am I completely stupid not quite understanding what you mean?

[bohemian03]

To be honest, I think everyone is making a huge deal because I mean in the past there have been issues with Bird flu, SARS etc. but none of my friends have gotten it and none of the people around me. Besides, swine flu is just like the flu but a little more extreme. A lot of people do survive from swine flu. Also, even from normal flu people can die so I don't see what the HUGE problem is.... Just try to stay clean and keep washing your hands

[Vvi]

6 people in Israel have it, several of them are in hospital in Jerusalem where I live, and I'm sitting back relaxing at home. I would rather watch some interetsing news than hear about Egypt wanting to kill all the pigs in the country or people in New Zealand stocking up on food supplies in case they get it (what are they going to do, hole themselves up at home and never leave?)

I honestly think that the amount of fuss being made over it is ridiculous. People whined and freaked out over bird flu and SARS. Those never spread. A bigger pandemic that is actually real and one that people should be worring about is HIV/AIDS, seeing as that has killed over 33 million people to date. No one seems to think that's important anymore though, do they? Every year, lots of people die just from the flu. The normal flu, not swine flu or bird flu.

Tamiflu works to cure bird flu if taken within 2 days of contracting it. So if you honestly think you're ill with bird flu, call your doctor, go get tested and take it. But don't sit at home, shaking with fear and wondering if you can go out. People die from so many things every day (car accidents, bombs, falling down the stairs) and if bird flu doens't kill you, something else will.

[meh]

I really don't think it's a huge deal....it's just been way oversensationalized in the media. So many more people die in the world each year from the normal flu, and this really isn't any worse.

[moneyfaery]

Am I completely stupid not quite understanding what you mean?

I interpreted that on two levels... literally and racially.

And neither made sense.

[Vvi]

To me it means

The Other White Meat has joined the Dark Side.

*Looks at plate of ham*

It's all yours kid.

Pork and chicken are both white meat. Chickens has bird flu before, so they joined the foods that shouldn't be eaten (i.e. The Dark Side). Now pigs have swine flu, so pork/ham have joined the list of food not to eat. The person is looking at their plate of ham, and saying someone else can have it, because he'd rather not get swine flu.

And obviously the person is joking, seeing as you can't get swine flu or bird flu from eating the meat of those animals.

[bohemian03]

And obviously the person is joking, seeing as you can't get swine flu or bird flu from eating the meat of those animals.

but what makes swine flu special is the fact that it can spread between humans really quickly. I'm doing a TOK presentation on swine flu

[Haney]

Why do you think that you are going to die?

Sorry, I don't recognise your flag- are you in Mexico?

I've been going through the facts about the swine flu, and most countries have reported that early detection and treatment have led to people being cured.

Its really interesting that your friends said that- why do they think that they are immune?

as of yet there is no vaccine available at the moment... if you can, would you please explain?

I'm putting this website down for you- it seems reasonably reliable, and offers straight-forward facts which may help calm your fears.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

Just take some necessary precautions- but personally, I don't think it helps to be to terrified. Perhaps you should get a mask?

Im actually so scared about this i mean people have died abroad and ive just recently found out that it is already in hongkong

so its just a matter of time that it comes here (maybe it is here)

my friends say that Filipinos are immune to this but im not a Filipino myself so i have no idea

the news said that two koreans are suspected of having it (im not being racist im a Korean) and i just hope for the best of them

i just dont wanna die

[Haney]

That's a new perspective which I haven't heard! (really, no sarcasm involved).

You say you think it is really weird that no ones been interviewed and no names have been given.

Are there any visuals of people who are infected?

Do you think that the lack of names and decline of interviews is because they fear having the virus passed to them, or perhaps for privacy reasons? Or do you think that there is propaganda?

All the visuals seen in Australia are more focused on the actions of those who already don't have it- although it was unexpected of you to say you don't wear protection- the news showed a street full of people with them on.

People who were suspected of having the swine flu in australia have had their names revealed- at least those from the airports- is it customary not to reveal names in Mexico?

What is your country doing to stop the virus?

They have all ready proved that it is not deadly if you treat it on time.

Honestly i think people are making way too much about it.. i live in mexico and i go around without any protection and in the streets as usual and im still alive and healthy.

Also all the information given is wierd cuz they say so many people have it or have died, but no one seems to know any one who has or has had swine flu and they dont even say the names of the people that have died, and no family member has been interviewed or anything which is really wierd, but who knows i think it not something people should become paranoid about....

[Haney]

But why would the media exaggerate it? (although I agree with you on the fact that it doesn't seem so deadly)

also- what did you health pm say about the virus- at the beginning and now, when, as you say, it's begun to calm down alittle?

It scares me. Even though Sweden has good health care and I don't think it's that deadly, the risk of it becoming pandemic is horrible. Now the number of newly reported cases seem to have decreased, so I'm a bit calmer at least. Maybe the media ahs just exaggerated it as well.

[Haney]

And obviously the person is joking, seeing as you can't get swine flu or bird flu from eating the meat of those animals.

but what makes swine flu special is the fact that it can spread between humans really quickly. I'm doing a TOK presentation on swine flu

Edited May 21, 2009 by Haney

[Haney]

LOL!

agree it doesn't make sense, but still pretty funny

To me it means

The Other White Meat has joined the Dark Side.

*Looks at plate of ham*

It's all yours kid.

[Haney]

OK, so I get that people are getting sick of talking about it, and yes I have another post up about the same thing.

But I'm going to keep ploughing anyway, so bear with me.

SO. many people from the previous post have told me that they don't find the swine flu a threat anymore, and feel tha the media has blown it out of proportion. Only a few have said they have genuine fears about it.

So I want to know specifically now-

1) What information have you received about it (i.e what do you know about it)?

- how did it start? How many people have been affected? What is your government doing? Can it be cured?What is happening in your country?

2) What sources did you receive it from?

3) Do you trust these sources

- (as an example- hope you don't mind) someone said their filipino friends told them that filopinos are immune to the swine flu...

4) why do your trust them/not trust them?

- continuing with the previous case it would be because I have more reliable data telling me that there is no vaccine at the current moment.

The thing that really interested me was the opposing 'facts' of our society- or what I could glean from the replies I recieved.

Contrary to the fact that many people have descried our society and our generation especially as media based- supported in that we all actually know something about the swine flu, even outside mexico- results have shown that more people take a less serious outlook on the virus. interesting isn't it that the media controlled society is rejecting what the media says?

As always, thanks for all the replies

[TidusBlade]

Well, I wasn't part of the previous thread, but I don't find it as big a threat as the media puts it out to be.

As for what I know about it, I know that flu kills thousands every year, usually around flu season and till now, or until 2 weeks ago or so, only 21 have been confirmed dead due to swine flu, others could have possibly died cause of it, but it hasn't been confirmed so I'm guessing the media is spreading around the upper limit or something. Other than that, I know that it's not as contagious as it sounds since it doesn't survive beyond a 3^rd generation and not much else. As for what's happening here, I'm living in Dubai and not much has been happening except the government is thermal scanning at the airport to try and catch it out but I think the media is blowing it out of proportion really

If you ask me, there hasn't been much to report these past few months, it's pretty much all been Obama and the recession so something new like this is surely to receive huge amounts of attention.

I remember when I first read about it, I wasn't too worried since there weren't too many figures but I was listening to "This Week In Science", it's a science podcast btw, and seems there wasn't too much to worry about, not yet anyways. And if I trust the source, I sure do. Been listening to it for some time now and it sounds trustworthy enough.

I'm not really tracking it's progress since I'm not big on the media and I doubt it will affect me too much since it's not yet here and I don't plan on travelling anywhere soon.

[ell]

Unless you are vulnerable because you are really old or really young or really sick, or your country has bad healthcare, you are not going to die!!

I live in Victoria in Australia where there is the highest concentration of swine flu in the world. Literally half my friends have it. But the thing is it's not worse than the normal flu, people are over it within a week and life moves on. More peope are dying from the normal flu or meningococcle. So there is really NO need for alarm and the media and everybody have just absolutely overreacted, at least in Australia.

I guess I can understand about the fears in Mexico and America and stuff because people are actually dying there.

But the hype will get you worse than swine flu ever will. Aaaaaah hype