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Swine Influenza: Disaster or Media Panic?

Panic or Pandemic?

  • It will be a huge epidemic/pandemic

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It'll be a problem, but no disaster

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Just another flu. Out of the picture by next week

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *coughcoughcoughIvegotitcoughcough*

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
This topic was bound to be made sooner or later, so I thought I'd seize the occassion.

We've all heard about that thing in Mexico. H1N1, a new flu that may eradicate mankind, poison the oceans, kill the livestock, worsen the economy and re-elect Labour, if we are to believe The Sun. Governments worldwide mess their pants after reading the morning paper, taking actions to prevent a spread of the potentially dangerous virus.

But there is always another side of things. The Media is after all always looking for a story, they make a living from distasters after all. We all knew bird flu, SARS, Sellafield, that stuff, they were huge in the media some time ago, but the global pandemic never came. This may be because of the government's actions, but never mind that.

But now, in Mexico, about 80 people are dead, and 2000 or so are ill. The virus has spread to several American countries, and a few outside America too. Is this yet another minor outbreak, or is it as bad as they make it out to be? Scare-tactic or modern-day Black death? Or something in between?

Have your say here.

Personally, I believe that it's another media hype. We're armed to tackle a flu today, there are thousands of people working to make the worst viruses possible, in order to find a cure for them. Malaria, AIDS and Cholera kill more people daily than this thing has done in two months, and even though these are different, we don't have a global pandemic yet. I may be wrong, however.

What about you?
 

nealbie

CF Legend
Based on past records then yes it is probably just some more media mumbo jumbo ( :lol: ), but I do think that it could is become serious.

You never know, but I'll panic when we get to that stage :wink:
 

Ben

CF Legend
I don't think viruses are interesting until they end up with zombies.


Oh yeah, and what was SARs...? Wasn't that going to be the end of the World too :wink:
 

Slash

Giga Poster
I think it has the potential but is being hyped a little too much.

Hey Kim, you reckon Madagascar has shut down everything yet?
 

kimahri

CF Legend
Slash said:
Hey Kim, you reckon Madagascar has shut down everything yet?


Are you referring to that flash game Pandemic?

In which as soon as the simplest thing happens that country closes down and you lose?
 

marc

CF Legend
Ben said:
I don't think viruses are interesting until they end up with zombies.


Oh yeah, and what was SARs...? Wasn't that going to be the end of the World too :wink:

I was thinking the same thing lol.

And the bombs in drink and liquid on planes.
 
The thought of viruses that could kill mass amounts of people scare me. Like, the idea of Bird Flu scared me, but that never really came to be, so as of right now, this Swine Influenza thing is just something that's kind of there, and I won't scare myself over it until it starts to spread, which hopefully it never does.

Oh yeah, and what was SARs...? Wasn't that going to be the end of the World too

SARs was only big in like, Asia and like, Toronto, wasn't it?
 

kimahri

CF Legend
LiveForTheLaunch said:
SARs was only big in like, Asia and like, Toronto, wasn't it?

There was a huge out break in China and according to Wikipedia and the source the info was taken from there were a few cases in the US and Europe.

It only killed about 775 people.

Which is pretty ****ty compared to other outbreaks.
 

Slash

Giga Poster
kimahri said:
Slash said:
Hey Kim, you reckon Madagascar has shut down everything yet?


Are you referring to that flash game Pandemic?

In which as soon as the simplest thing happens that country closes down and you lose?

Indeed I am Kim...


1216437884096.jpg


If it hits England I'm gonna be worried, until that day I'm staying positive. The thought is horrible though.

EDIT: Just beat the game actually, without starting in Madagascar! WOO!
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
It's going to wipe out millions of people, just like bird flu did.

Oh, wait....
 

ciallkennett

Strata Poster
Long post, but this clears up some questions so please read:

I saw this in the news Thursday night, I think, but it was like one of the last things they said and was no big deal. By Friday it was a few notches up on the news slot and then by Saturday up until today, it has been top news story.

Let's clear things up: A global pandemic is inevitable of some sort of flu virus. There is always one every 100 years or so, and we are currently well overdue for a world-wide pandemic.

For this reason, scientists and others have been worried about anything that could cause any outbreak across the world. Bird Flu was one example, it may have only killed 10ish people yet scientists and governments all around the world anticipated it had the power to be the overdue virus.

So this pops along, much worse than Bird Flu already, therefore there is mass hysteria that this could be the overdue pandemic.

I'm personally not worried, as this specific virus came around during the 1918ish and most people were fine and most of us have some protection as it has been carried down. This seems to be the reason why some people who apparently have this flu suffer mild symptoms of coughs etc (The ones in USA etc) while others in Mexico do not have any carried "protection" and therefore feel the worst of the flu, the worst case scenario being death.

I'm personally not worried as:

a) I've never been out of the UK and don't plan to in the near future. Even if I were to travel, I would not want to go to Mexico for any reason.

b) 7 million of us in the UK have sufficient carried 'protection'

c) Those who do not have this 'protection' can be given already made and stored drugs by the Government which offer good protection against this.

d) Mexico, though not usually though of as, is statistically known as borderline Third World Country and has very bad medical and hygiene records. The UK is much above what is required.

e) The UK and France as known by the WHO to be most equipped for such a pandemic in the whole world.

and finally f) Should there be any danger of contraction in the UK, places such as schools and some work places will close (Though I only have a week of school left, I doubt such a decision will come in such a short space of time and I hope it holds out 'till September :lol:)

[/Informative, Long post]
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
gavin said:
It's going to wipe out millions of people, just like bird flu did.

Oh, wait....
That's exactly what I'd have said!

I think Sam has really managed to capture the general feeling amongst us and, as Sam is always able to do, has phrased exceeding eloquently.

Sam said:
Bleh, sounds like a big pile of toss chicken.
Thanks Sam.
 

Ben

CF Legend
ciallkennett said:
a) I've never been out of the UK and don't plan to in the near future. Even if I were to travel, I would not want to go to Mexico for any reason.

ciallkennett's age thing said:

:shock:

Get horizon-expanding already!
 

Dave

CF Legend
I saw a news headline on the 307 bus back from uni, and the headline was "The End is Nigh!?", which is a little OTT if you ask me. Lets contain it America and hopefully it'll do some cleansing.
 
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