Swine flu outbreak in Mexico

[Horza]

There are no more masks available in my city. Then I read this article about if the mask stops the flu.

On the lighter side, it is the season to play this pandemic game.

God that game is hard - I can never manage to infect Madagascar :(

[Perin Stone]

There are no more masks available in my city.

I have a big box of masks left over from when I remodeled my house. I should go out and sell them to stupid people and make some $. :wideeyed:

[CiaranAnnrach]

It's a work in progress. Maybe a picture of Jesus holding a piglet and giving the thumbs up will change your mind.

Two words: Buddy Christ

[Angalin]

There are no more masks available in my city. Then I read this article about if the mask stops the flu.

On the lighter side, it is the season to play this pandemic game.

:lol: I have become addicted to that, thanks to Eloisa! But I can never manage to get more than eleven hospitals closed.

SARS was brutal for the Toronto economy, but they did learn a few things about disease management. One of them was that the face masks don't work, partly because they're not properly fitted.

God that game is hard - I can never manage to infect Madagascar :(

One of mine started in Madagascar, which was helpful of it - but I still didn't win. :/

[Meili]

I just went grocery shopping and the guy three people ahead of me bought all the hand sanitizer in the entire Albertson's market. Around 200 dollars worth including the clorox wipes and gloves. Insanity spreads quicker than viruses it seems

[CiaranAnnrach]

I just went grocery shopping and the guy three people ahead of me bought all the hand sanitizer in the entire Albertson's market. Around 200 dollars worth including the clorox wipes and gloves. Insanity spreads quicker than viruses it seems

Perhaps he plans on opening up a road-side hand-sanitizer stand and selling the stuff to other people.

Wait, that's actually a decent idea, given how many stupid people are panicking over the swine flu.

[Maltaran]

It's the APORKALYPSE!!!

Or possibly Armagammon.

[Lord of Oop North]

SARS was brutal for the Toronto economy, but they did learn a few things about disease management. One of them was that the face masks don't work, partly because they're not properly fitted.

That, and the fact that people tend to buy dust masks, which surprisingly don't stop airborne bacteria.

[potsherds]

[Eagerly awaits news of the South Carolina outbreak]

Yeah, if this turns out to be a super deadly pandemic, then we totally have to rename it. Having millions of people killed by 'Swine Flu' just sounds totally lame. Talk about a huge lack of foresight on the media's part. Idiots.

Um, if I'm wrong, someone please correct me, but my understanding (from a PhD student studying the history of medicine of all things) is that influenza in general, or else the large amount of variety in the viruses, is due in large part to humans being omnivores and keeping both pigs and birds in close proximity to humans and to each other as a ready source of food. I find the idea of being killed off by our own eating habits rather amusing, personally. :dunno:

[TerraPrime]

Um, if I'm wrong, someone please correct me, but my understanding (from a PhD student studying the history of medicine of all things) is that influenza in general, or else the large amount of variety in the viruses, is due in large part to humans being omnivores and keeping both pigs and birds in close proximity to humans and to each other as a ready source of food. I find the idea of being killed off by our own eating habits rather amusing, personally. :dunno:

I think many zoonotic pathogens (virus or otherwise) certainly exploited the human-animal proximity to become human pathogens. For instance, many of the enteric pathogens gain entry to the human body by the consumption of under-cooked animal flesh as well as proximity of humans to animals.

However, I wouldn't say that influenza or other pathogens are due to human practices of domesticating animals. I think our domestication provides another route for these pathogens to reach potential hosts, but I think they exist regardless of our domestication practices. Typically, viruses have a limited host range, and the jumping of species barriers is what makes some of these cases (H5N1 and this one) alarming. In general, I expect viruses that target swines to stay in swines, and not to start infecting humans.

Perhaps a point can be made that by mingling different species in close proximity, we increase the chance that recombinant variants of viruses to appear. I think that's not an unreasonable hypothesis. However, it really depends on the baseline mutation rate and also on the frequency of recombinant viruses appearing among non-domesticated animals. I'm not sure that there are data on this issue, but then, I don't follow animal virology articles.

[Waldo Frey]

Perhaps a point can be made that by mingling different species in close proximity, we increase the chance that recombinant variants of viruses to appear.

The Patient Zero has been identified!!

[Trebla]

The have closed 2 schools in my daughter's school district (Batavia IL) because of the swine flu. The word is that two kids at the high school have it.

Can I now jump out the window screaming "THE PTA HAS DISBANDED!!!" :ack:

[Pebble thats Stubby]

I have a cold yes a bad cold.

My Docotor took one look at me and has taken samples and I was sent home. (I went to the Docotor on the way home from work to pick up some more Lemsip, the surgery part was not open when I walked in but the Docotor decieded I looked ill)

a couple of hours latter I was visited by a masked health worker.

I am now not allowed to leave the house until test results come back and I have been given Tamiflu. My Husband who is well is also not allowed to leave the house until my results come back.

Its Only a COLD.

[delete this account pls]

Advantage Islam. Well played Muhammad. Well played.

[Meili]

I am now not allowed to leave the house until test results come back and I have been given Tamiflu. My Husband who is well is also not allowed to leave the house until my results come back.

That's crazy. Did they just tell you verbally to stay or is there any enforcement making you stay?

I swear, if they close my college after the grades I have been posting and the graduate timeline I have planned gets moved back I will be screwed.

[tzanth]

I have a cold yes a bad cold.

My Docotor took one look at me and has taken samples and I was sent home. (I went to the Docotor on the way home from work to pick up some more Lemsip, the surgery part was not open when I walked in but the Docotor decieded I looked ill)

a couple of hours latter I was visited by a masked health worker.

I am now not allowed to leave the house until test results come back and I have been given Tamiflu. My Husband who is well is also not allowed to leave the house until my results come back.

Its Only a COLD.

Are you now one of the "suspected" cases on the map for the UK?

[Aemon Stark]

I think many zoonotic pathogens (virus or otherwise) certainly exploited the human-animal proximity to become human pathogens. For instance, many of the enteric pathogens gain entry to the human body by the consumption of under-cooked animal flesh as well as proximity of humans to animals.

That's a bit different. Influenza's ability to jump species is directly related to antigenic shifts/drifts that are selected for by proximity between humans and domesticated fowl and pigs. That's why cases of H5N1 have so far been confined largely to people with close contact to chickens and other domesticated birds, while human-to-human transmission has so far not occurred with any degree of efficiency.

However, I wouldn't say that influenza or other pathogens are due to human practices of domesticating animals. I think our domestication provides another route for these pathogens to reach potential hosts, but I think they exist regardless of our domestication practices. Typically, viruses have a limited host range, and the jumping of species barriers is what makes some of these cases (H5N1 and this one) alarming. In general, I expect viruses that target swines to stay in swines, and not to start infecting humans.

Except when they undergo antigenic shift and start passing from person to person.

Perhaps a point can be made that by mingling different species in close proximity, we increase the chance that recombinant variants of viruses to appear. I think that's not an unreasonable hypothesis. However, it really depends on the baseline mutation rate and also on the frequency of recombinant viruses appearing among non-domesticated animals. I'm not sure that there are data on this issue, but then, I don't follow animal virology articles.

Influenza tends to mutate a lot - my understanding is that swine serve as a "mixing vessel" for human and bird strains.

[Pebble thats Stubby]

That's crazy. Did they just tell you verbally to stay or is there any enforcement making you stay?

I swear, if they close my college after the grades I have been posting and the graduate timeline I have planned gets moved back I will be screwed.

There is no-one outside my house making sure I don't leave and no-one has yet painted a big red cross on my door. I was given a bit of paper with some basic information on Like wash your hands and sneeze into tissues ect. and that says I should remain in house. But I have nothing with my name on it saying I must stay indoors. I would assume legally there is nothing stopping me from leaving.

The only offical bit of paper is my doctors sick note signing me off work until the 9th

Are you now one of the "suspected" cases on the map for the UK?

I haven't checked but I would assume so. Unless there is a "possible but unlikey" category.

[The_BlauerDragon]

That sucks Pebble. I'd have nothing left to eat if I were confined to my house for more than 24 hours. What I don't get is why everyone is flipping out over something that so far does not appear to be anything more significant than the ordinary flu.

I mean, yeah it sucks that it has killed people. Being fair though, it has killed a few people in Mexico, a country with rampant poverty, little in the way of sanitation, and very poor health care for 90% of the populace.

Until it has actually taken out a few hundred people in genuine first world countries I would just as soon that they not even mention that it exists. It's a non-event.

I think that the suggestion upthread for the name Flying Pig Flu is very fitting. It will become a genuine threat when Pigs Fly!

[Lord O' Bones]

The WHO says it's a threat. It's credible and needs to be dealt with.

The media says it's OMFG we're all gonna die! That's not credible and needs to be flogged.

As usual, people on the extreme in either direction are misguided, at best.