US declares public health emergency for swine flu

And in Australia ....

"AUTHORITIES are searching for 22 Australians who were on the same flight as three Auckland students as the number suspected of having the disease in Australia soars to almost 90."

"Thirty-one people are being tested for swine flu in Queensland, 16 in Victoria, 14 in South Australia, 10 in NSW, eight in Western Australia, five in the ACT, three in Tasmania and one in the Northern Territory."

www.news.com.au...

Now none of these people may actually have swine flu, but if even one person does, it goes to show just how quickly a REAL killer virus could engulf the globe in no time.

Here's to hoping none of these folk are infected.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
What I find very concerning is that after so many years of research, study and experiments on viruses, humans cannot even cure the common cold...It just seems staggering that we are so ignorant on how to deal with viruses and, most importantly, finding ways to counter and weaken their behaviour.

Well, it's not due to a lack of trying. I know there are many in the medical field who are not sincere in wanting to cure illness for the sake of profits, but there are also researchers who do honestly try. We can kill any virus we want, but to kill it while it's in a person without damaging the person is the tricky part. There have been advances though. The common cold can be shortened significantly now, like I had mentioned previously. The flu can be shortened as well, the key to it all is catching it at the 1st sign of symptoms, when it hasn't taken hold completely. People really just need to be aware of how each illness starts out, and the initial symptoms.

[edit on 28-4-2009 by 27jd]

reply to post by 27jd


I work for the health department and everytime something like this crops up we roll our eyes and go here we go again.

By people freaking out, they demand the government to do something, and we do. And it ends up costing teh tax payer a whole LOT of money just in case. And it pitters away like everything else.

The biggest joke is WNV, somethign that killed like 15 people, almost all seniors, and can be so mild that people would catch it and not even know it.
Yet, because of all the freaking out and citizens wanting to feel safe, it cost MILLIONS in taxpayer money.
And that is just my state.
because everyone is worried about just in case.

But I wonder how many here screaming that is is gonna be a life threatening pandemic, refused a flu shot because they thing it is big pharma reaping money?



[edit on 28-4-2009 by nixie_nox]

Originally posted by nixie_nox
The biggest joke is WNV, somethign that killed like 15 people, almost all seniors, and can be so mild that people would catch it and not even know it.

Yeah, we had our WNV freak out time here in AZ as well. But like you said people started hyperventilating and demanded government intervention so they were spraying large areas with tankers to kill mosquitos, personally I wasn't too thrilled with that idea, let's spray poison (however mild) into our air on a large scale to prevent somebody from feeling a little under the weather. I say let your immune system do what it's supposed to, stop relying on others to save you from mild illnesses. People want everything done for them I guess.

But I wonder how many here screaming that is is gonna be a life threatening pandemic, refused a flu shot because they thing it is big pharma reaping money?

There's no winning with some people, they just like being scared and bad news travels much faster than good news as we all know. If we were to go back to the bird flu and SARS threads, I'm sure we would see mirror image posts of those who were certain the end was upon us. I get the flu shot yearly, and even though the government probably injected me with a dormant terminator virus that they will activate at will, I haven't gotten the flu since i started getting them, the human flu sucks.

On a side note, last night on the news they mentioned that the swine flu has broken out before, in the late 70's and it fizzled out then as well. This really is about nothing more than news ratings, IMO.

Originally posted by Cloudsinthesky
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

[When I see post like this I go EERRRRR..........Its not about freaking out....Its about preparing.......

Preparing? what are you gonna do exactly?

[
People this flu is spreading like a wildfire and it is mutating.........It will mutate with the HN51 and become very deadly..........

You are just speculating and being an alarmist. And you have no proof. So be responsible and stop scaring people.

[There are several post on how to prepare your medicine cabnet....

I already got theraflu and advil...thanks.

But please do not take the up coming "save you all" flu vaccine Baxter will unvail in about 10 days!!!

So you are trying to frighten people into thinking that the flu is gonna mutate and kill everyone? Then you tell them not to take the vaccine???!?

Not only are you making up alarming stuff, you are giving out dangerous information people should only be receiving from their doctor.

[edit on 28-4-2009 by nixie_nox]

Mod edit: Fixed quote boxes

[edit on 4/28/09 by FredT]

[edit on 4/28/09 by FredT]

Unconfirmed reports of it in Medford Oregon and Fresno, California.

Several possible cases are reported in Santa Clara County (San Jose) and other parts of the SF Bay Area, but nothing offical as of yet.

Originally posted by FredT
Unconfirmed reports of it in Medford Oregon and Fresno, California.

Several possible cases are reported in Santa Clara County (San Jose) and other parts of the SF Bay Area, but nothing offical as of yet.

FredT,

Just wanted to say thank you for keeping us up to date.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
So you are trying to frighten people into thinking that the flu is gonna mutate and kill everyone? Then you tell them not to take the vaccine???!?

I believe what he was talking about is that Baxter's vaccines were tainted with live Avian flu. They were recalled. If taken it would have completed the last few protines in the sequence that were needed in order for H5N1 to pass easily from human to human sending us into a nasty global pandemic.

That is not a scare tactic, that is the honest to goodness truth.

Also wanted to add this from back in December, I dont know if it has been posted anywhere else. A report from back in December stating that tamiflu does not work.

CIDRAP

Dec 19, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – Increased resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the leading influenza drug, has prompted federal health officials to change their advice about flu treatment, saying clinicians for now should consider using zanamivir (Relenza) or a combination of two drugs for patients suspected of having influenza A.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today said 49 of 50 influenza A/H1N1 viruses tested so far this season have shown resistance to oseltamivir. But all the isolates remained sensitive to zanamivir and to the two older flu drugs, amantadine and rimantadine.

[edit on 30-4-2009 by mrsdudara]

We also have some reports of it here in Missouri now.

not confirmed by CDC though.

[edit on 30-4-2009 by mrsdudara]