Oft-repeated lies (an H1N1 primer)

i should be in bed by now, but due to the fact that there are roofers making all sorts of ungodly noise 7-9 feet above my head I decided I might better spend my time making this thread. It is in tribute to Hx3 and Ecoparity, the two biggest contributors to the Swine Flu News and Updates thread. Unfortunately, the big contributors of that thread have been run off and we are left with nothing but 'official' updates because of a few untruths perpetuated by the MSM that have gained particular tenacity in our "more skeptical" members.



To address the biggest one:

The seasonal flu DOES NOT KILL 36,000 PEOPLE PER YEAR.

There are not italics slanted enough, bold that is bold enough nor caps capitalized enough to stress this point. The 36k number is a projection that by some twist of syntax happens to include pneumonia, respiratory and other deaths of people that might have had the seasonal flu. This has been thoroughly debunked MANY times throughout the swine flu news thread, unfortunately a few tenacious members have a keen eye for waiting just long enough after the debunking to raise the issue again and in conjunction with the MSM parroting that the 36k number seems to have become "common [lack of] knowledge".


In regards to the almost biggest one:

The fact that those dying are not infants or elderly is VERY SIGNIFICANT

There has been a wealth of information posted on cytokine storms, and they seem to be a defining factor of this flu. Google it, it will provide you with more information than you have time to read. The key points to know are that two particular inflammation causing cytokines (a natural piece of your immune system) are a likely explanation for the unusual age range of cases and fatalities. If this proves true, "immune boosting" supplements may not necessarily benefit you and could in fact jeopardize your health. The treatments you should pursue in such a case would be those that are direct anti-virals and those that reduce the amount of said inflammatory cytokines in your system. Healthy, young (15-50) people don't normally die from the flu.


And a reaction to the still somewhat large 'mild' factor but not quite as infuriating as the other two persistent pieces of disinfo:

Speculation from sources that have proven reliable (I will not provide links. Go read all 450 pages of the swine flu news thread if you doubt) have this virus pegged as one with a long timeline (first US death, 23 month old in TX, was hospitalized 20 days before dieing) that is communicable days before symptoms show that does not necessarily induce fever in those afflicted. This means that not only do many people with the flu believe they have not contracted it because of a lack of fever, but that MANY people could be spreading this thing for days before the first symptoms even appear. This ALONE should be enough to put anybody on edge.




While there is, of course, a lot more conjecture and uncertainty as to the true nature of this virus, the above three issues are repeatedly raised and repeatedly thrashed to the endless frustration and waste effort of those that are doing their damnedest to keep us informed.




I intend this thread to be a quick "don't fall for the disinfo" primer for anyone who is beginning to look for the truth about this H1N1 virus. The three noted issues are repeatedly raised by naysayers, and although continually torn to ribbons in the news and updates thread they still seem to surface every 10-15 pages to cast a shadow of doubt into the minds of those newly discovering that there is more to this than the MSM story.