Swine Flu - We're all going to die

Originally Posted by nuttyturnip

-Do you know someone with swine flu?
-We're supposed to call it H1N1 flu now, because it's upsetting the Jews/Muslims/Pigs/Others.
-Have schools/businesses closed in your area?
-Is this a gross overreaction?

-Yes. No one Finnish, though.

-No. It is basically the same virus as 1918 Flu Pandemic, which is better known as Spanish flu, because of the first public appearances were in Spain. Even though it did start in the USA of WWI, and somewhere else too before Spain, the first reported cases were from infected outside the warring nations (Spain was neutral at the time). Thus, Spanish flu. Of course there are other naming conventions of diseases, but with this particular case Mexican flu seems the appropriate choice. The added hilarity due to religious whackjobs nerdraging over the name is just a bonus. This time their logic is right, though.

-There was a Hamina'n (a town in south Finland) school teacher (who a friend of mine knows) returning from holidays in Mexico City just a few days ago. I think her classes have been cancelled until her health status is updated. The labwork is basically a blood test and few seconds of work by detectors, so it should already be known if there was contamination or not. I haven't heard anything about it, so apparently no disease.

-Why whine about overreacting. I haven't heard of anything else than WHO being on their toes as of now. I'd call something that wastes public resources as an overreaction. The flu's spreading rate is now pretty well known, so there is some reason for worry (not panic yet). This is an easily spreading fatal disease, so of course any private person has the right to take whatever personal precautions they want. Generally the "reception" has been pretty calm, even at ground zero.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

A bacterium.

But yeah, the antiviral medicines seem to work fine against the disease, so there should be no worry in countries with at least some developed medicine or healthcare (=America's screwed).

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yes. A real problem would be if it could spread around freely, mutating into tens of different branches in different parts of the world. Then treating it, if it suddenly just burst flaming, would be impossible.

It's better to be systematicly cautious now.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.