SFG75
Well-Known Member
This would be a heck of a worldwide problem. Found this on CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/01/21/birdflu.facts/index.html
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are you worried about a pandemic?
- Thread starter Miss Shelf
- Start date
mehastings
Active Member
I'm roughly as concerned about this flu as I was about the West Nile Virus. 
I have pretty severe asthma, but I'm otherwise young and healthy. The people who need to be most concerned about this are the elderly (particularly those in nursing facilities and rest homes), young children, and people living in impoverished conditions. I think the only way this will impact me personally is the possibility that we will be busier at work.
I have pretty severe asthma, but I'm otherwise young and healthy. The people who need to be most concerned about this are the elderly (particularly those in nursing facilities and rest homes), young children, and people living in impoverished conditions. I think the only way this will impact me personally is the possibility that we will be busier at work.
sirmyk
New Member
Media has a reputation of blowing things out of proportion. This summer in California we had some level 1 tornadoes that touched down in the Sacramento area... level 1... which means a funnel of cloud came down from the sky and tore off a few roof shingles from some local bloke. For the next few weeks we had a couple more roof shingle incidents. And for the next few weeks all the local news stations reported daily taglines like "TORNADO WATCH 2005!", "California Tornado Crisis!" or likewise ridiculous headlines for a few funnel clouds. Yeah, it's rare for California... we only get a couple hundred a season, which nobody seems to notice since they happen in Fumbuck, California... but is it important enough to interrupt whatever channel one is watching to show a pretty picture of a cloud on the screen? No. Is this pandemic? No.cajunmama said:
Currently in California we have a potential pandemic involving the West Nile Virus. Thanks to media, everyone is rapidly becoming paranoid each time he or she sees a freakin mosquito (which out-populate residents here about 10,000 to 1).
I'm just tired of things getting blown out of proportion.
The word pandemic makes me cringe the same way the name Paris Hilton makes me cringe.
direstraits
Well-Known Member
I'm actually staying within touching distance of the current rash of bird flu cases, and to top it off, we're currently facing an outbreak of dengue cases. So yeah, I do get a little worried when I see white stripes on a mosquito, and I do my best to keep the area around my house clean.
If a bird flu outbreak occurs, it'll reach us here faster than it would reach you guys over there, probably.
ds
If a bird flu outbreak occurs, it'll reach us here faster than it would reach you guys over there, probably.
ds
StillILearn
New Member
direstraits said:
You're really on the front lines there, ds. But airplanes should level the playing field a bit, don't you think? Take care of yourself!
Kookamoor
New Member
But beware of being too complacent about vaccines. Some people have allergic reactions to it. A few years back my work offered the flu shot to all employees for free while they were on the job (the reasoning being that they would take fewer sick days, I think). A woman in my office had the shot, and came very close to a coma because of a reaction to it. It was egg-based and she had an allergy to it. This combined with her asthma triggered a violent reaction which greatly inhibited her breathing.ruby said:
I'm not trying to be alarmist, but if you *do* decide to get a flu shot, make sure you know what you're getting it for, how it protects you, and what it's made from. I think many people these days blindly take antibiotics and get shots when they are not necessary. Of course some are, particularly immunisation of children (I agree with you wholeheartedly, Geenh). But people need to take an interest in the chemicals they are putting into their bodies.
As regards the avian flu... I'm not particularly concerned about it. They've been warning about this for a few years now, and if it happens then worrying isn't really going to do an awful lot. The best thing that we can do for ourselves is to keep our immune systems high by eating well and getting sufficient sleep. We should also be more dilligent in staying home when we are ill (and keeping kids home from school when they are ill). I think some people are a little too complacent about spreading their illnesses around and affecting everyone else's immune system.
abecedarian
Well-Known Member
Kookamoor said:
This is a very good point about allergic reactions to immunizationsa. Back when I was in the third grade in 1970, the health dept. was going to all the schools to give rubella shots. I had to get mine from my doctor because I had an allergy to eggs, and the immunizations that the health dept. used were egg based, and the doctors could get a different formula. I remember I still broke out in a rash, but never developed the full-blown measles.
direstraits
Well-Known Member
Thanks Still.StillILearn said:
The planes do take these diseases elsewhere, but the risk is still inherently more prominent here simply because of regional travel. Businesses usually travel between neighbouring countries more than they do with Western ones, and while that does not mean the risk of the flu travelling to the West is less, it will most likely bring it here first. Irk.
When SARS broke out, we were, well, scared. Singapore was one of the worst hit countries in the world, next to Hongkong and Canada, and since there is a sizeable Malaysian contingent in the Singaporean workforce, and the daily transits between the two countries, it's only logical that the disease would come over - it's simply a matter of time. Thankfully the number of cases here were kept low - either because of effective governmental measures, or uhm, clever statistical manouevring (haha!), so we were largely out of it.
One thing that we here seldom do is take flu shots. We have them, but it's not a common thing to do here. We normally don't have those seasonal flu thingees that can kill people, like those affecting places like China.
ds
StillILearn
New Member
direstraits said:
Does the news media play the risk up, or do they play it down over there? When I called my doctor about having some Tamilfu on hand she said, "Don't bother."
SFG75
Well-Known Member
StillILearn
New Member
If I get this flu, I am going to go sneeze on my doctor.
SFG75 said:
Not in the least. It's all media bollocks.
Ell
Well-Known Member
The danger of a pandemic occuring has always been around. It's a natural cyclical occurence due to the nature of viruses to mutate. It's something that people in public health and epidemiology have known for a long time - one of the reasons that stats and infectious diseases are tracked worldwide. The last major pandemic was in 1918 and the death toll estimates range from 20 to 100 million. Scientists have been on the lookout for the next pandemic ever since. So it is not just about media hype.
The reason this particular avian flu is causing such concern is that it is very deadly and spreading rapidly despite efforts to control it. So far, the only humans who've developed it have been those in close contact with infected birds or droppings - ie. people get it from infected birds.
However, this is not the only or even major concern in view of pandemic fears. The major concern is if/when the avian virus comes in contact with a human host who also has a human form of influenza. In such a case, there is a high probability that the virus will mutate - its what viruses do - using parts of the human strain with its own and develop into a totally new strain that can then be transmitted human to human. This is the real fear - a new strain of influenza virus that has mutated from the current avian flu to one that is human-borne. Scientists estimate that it might take up to six months to develop an effective vaccine once a new strain is identified. I don't know how accurate this time frame is - maybe butt-covering as stated by someone before - but a lot of people could die in the interim.
As far as getting flu shots, it will not protect you from the avian flu. People at highest risk - the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and the immunity-compromised should still get regular flu shots for the same reasons as any other year. I suppose if there is a high level of immunity to influenza in the human population it should cut down the probability of the avian strain mutating to humans, but it is by no means a certainty. Viruses are tricky and sneaky. They have a way of assuring their own survival.
So who knows if this is going to cause the next major pandemic. But it is important to be aware and understand what's at work. There's a balance between panicking and totally disregarding potential dangers.
ell
former PHN
The reason this particular avian flu is causing such concern is that it is very deadly and spreading rapidly despite efforts to control it. So far, the only humans who've developed it have been those in close contact with infected birds or droppings - ie. people get it from infected birds.
However, this is not the only or even major concern in view of pandemic fears. The major concern is if/when the avian virus comes in contact with a human host who also has a human form of influenza. In such a case, there is a high probability that the virus will mutate - its what viruses do - using parts of the human strain with its own and develop into a totally new strain that can then be transmitted human to human. This is the real fear - a new strain of influenza virus that has mutated from the current avian flu to one that is human-borne. Scientists estimate that it might take up to six months to develop an effective vaccine once a new strain is identified. I don't know how accurate this time frame is - maybe butt-covering as stated by someone before - but a lot of people could die in the interim.
As far as getting flu shots, it will not protect you from the avian flu. People at highest risk - the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and the immunity-compromised should still get regular flu shots for the same reasons as any other year. I suppose if there is a high level of immunity to influenza in the human population it should cut down the probability of the avian strain mutating to humans, but it is by no means a certainty. Viruses are tricky and sneaky. They have a way of assuring their own survival.
So who knows if this is going to cause the next major pandemic. But it is important to be aware and understand what's at work. There's a balance between panicking and totally disregarding potential dangers.
ell
former PHN
MonkeyCatcher
New Member
I can't say that I'm very worried about the bird flu, but I am quite cut off from the rest of the world here in lil ol' NZ. There is always the chance of it being carried on a plane, of course, but we have always been quite catious of things like that seeing as how the only thing holding our economy up is agriculture.
Miss Shelf
New Member
CDA said:
Frankly I'm disillusioned with KFC. It just doesn't taste as good as it used to, for some reason. And I can never forget what I saw while waiting for carry-out, I was appalled and wrote the company-they sent me a $10 certificate which I didn't use. (I saw workers being less than sanitary, such as putting back about 50 popcorn chicken containers that had dropped on the floor and an arriving worker high-fiving a worker with plastic gloves, who went on with his business; and a worker using a gray rag to wipe off a counter then not changing plastic gloves before perparing tacos on said counter.) I lost my appetite right there. I'm starting to get paranoid about eating out altogether.