To think that people really need to get a grip over the whole swine flu business?

[wannaBe]

Let's face it, we are all going to die. Nobody knows how, nobody knows when.

100 people have died of swine flu. 100 people. And yet people are talking of panic buying/keeping children home from school/wanting to know why flights from meccico have not been stopped.

100 people. worldwide.

I wonder how many people were killed on the roads during that time?

If you're going to catch swine flu, you'll catch it whether you panic about it or not. And given only 100 people have died of it so far, currently, the odds are pretty slim. And even if it reaches pandemic level (such as bird flu/sars didn't but the media were desparately hoping they would) there's still not much you can do about it.

100 people.

seriously.

[Gorionine]

YANBU, I was already thinking that with the "bird flue".

[TheCrackFox]

Completely agree. Makes a change from the top story being about the recession.

interesting news just in

[Flightattendant25]

Oh thanks for not namechecking me there wannabe...

[JeffVadar]

The media are just so upset that we didn't all die horribly of bird flu a couple of years ago - they are just trying to get us all panicking about this now.

[BalloonSlayer]

Flu kills vulnerable people every year, Hedgewitch (the already sick, the malnourished, the elderly).

In 1918, just about everyone in Europe was vulnerable.

People so often claim to have flu when they just have a very bad cold that they don't understand how serious flu can be. I read once - if you don't think you might be going to die, then it ain't flu.

This is not meant to be scaremongering, actually the opposite.

I worried quite a bit till I saw that not everyone who had caught it had died. And then relaxed again.

[TheCrackFox]

The mortality rate for the 1918 outbreak was 5%. Even if you did get the flu you will more than likely survive.

Anyway, some brainiac will come up with a cure soon enough.

[Tee2072]

hedge, in 1918? There were no vaccines. Penicillin and other antibiotics had not been discovered. People barely knew how germs were transferred.

You cannot compare a 1918 flu out break with one in 2009.

[Tee2072]

Also? 1918? Spanish Flu.

Not the same flu at all.

[ForeverOptimistic]

People panic because the media stir them up into a frenzy about it. When it is headline news and there are speeches made in the house of commons you can't blame people for feeling nervous.

[OrmIrian]

Agree.

[minesacheeseandpicklesandwich]

I'm sorry, but I can't take anyone seriously who quotes a wiki page as a reference. Have you a proper reference to offer? As I remember hearing about it, it was Spanish Flu, but I'm off to look it up now. On a proper, scientific website.

[ThePhantomPooer]

Spanish flu is the same strain of virus that is going around in Mexico now. Spanish flu is the name given to it after it hit Spain IIRC.

[Bramshott]

Hmm, this is actually quite interesting though as it does seem to be spreading pretty fast, and to be effecting men aged 25-45 just as the Spanish Flu in 1918 did. It will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next week or so.

[Ewe]

Here is a wonderful distraction from worrying about swine flu... Extreme sheeping!

[Uriel]

Oink.

[HecatesTwopenceworth]

I think that some people are anxious about stuff like this - pandemics, y2k bug, apocalipse....

It may not be logical, it doesn't make sense to people who are not troubled by such thoughts, but they are real fears - terrors - to some people.

I had a needle phobia. At one point I felt I would rather die, seriously rather DIE, than have a needle anywhere near me. Logical? No. Sensible? No, but certainly real to me.

My sister had a friend who used to cry through fear of the end of the world. Logical? No. But real to her.

I just think that it is important to remember that these are people who actually feel afraid, even though we know it's not logical. I think that instead of being exasperated and scornful, we should take time to try to understand and talk and maybe explain things and help them to feel less scared.

It's easy to laugh at someone, to dismiss their fears. It's harder to give someone some time and a bit of support with something that makes no sense to you.

[Ewe]

I meant extreme sheep of course...

[HecatesTwopenceworth]

apocalypse. Sorry

[minesacheeseandpicklesandwich]

serious newspaper reference

Yes it is the same strain, but our immune systems are very different now and scientists do talk about 'unknown factors'. I, for one, am not going to get worked up about it. I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow (though I will have clean and matching underwear on ).

[minesacheeseandpicklesandwich]

serious newspaper reference

Yes it is the same strain, but our immune systems are very different now and scientists do talk about 'unknown factors'. I, for one, am not going to get worked up about it. I could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow (though I will have clean and matching underwear on ).