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.

I don't get how people can panic about dying of this and think nothing of getting in a car.

thing is, isn't there a real risk now that anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms will rush to hospital and that the antiviral drugs will be used up unnecessarily?

No Wannabe, thy were all in Tesco this morning sneezing over me instead FFS (and that is rude anytime)

0oh dear - stil going.

You must all immediately put duct tape round the windows to keep out the germs. Then buy wind-up radios so you know if its ever safe enough to come out and wind up torches as they are safer than candles. Add bottled water, industrial size packs of toilet roll, milton to sterilise water (aren't you glad you have babies now so you already have some). Invest in tins of beans - they keep for ever and the flatulence can power your methane generator. Ooops - that's another thing to buy. Soon be out of the recession with all this buying going on .

And when its all over and very few have died the wind-up things will at least help save the planet.

A friend of mine saw her doctor yesterday and chatted to him about this. He told her that we will know in the next 48 hours how this is going to go. It will either tail off or escalate massively. He said that no-one knows this even the powers that be and are all just getting through the next couple of days in order to see what measures will need to be taken.

Hmm, better get some more wine in......

I'm just glad someone (can't remember who, but thanks) mentioned the zombie plan and added the link to amazon. That makes a fab extra birthday present for DP (turning 40!) who has always believed in having a tin collection - to the point where I no longer mind!!

We've found some interesting tins along the way - did you know you can get cake in a tin? The only thing is, as some have mentioned, having to go through them occasionally to use up the nearly ood ones.

Oh, and I visited the MW this morning and she didn't mention it or ask if I'd been in contact with anyone, etc, etc, so I'm not panicking yet.

Millets and yes they're fine but you need strong wrists (so hand to DH ) though small boys have immense fun recharging themm also

Hand to my Dh

not casting doubts on your DH obv

Riven you can get them on amazon - we have two!! The ones we have also have a little solar panel which works remarkably well when you're outdoors.

expatinscotland - you have given a good example of the difficulty people have with separating 'probability of impact' from the 'severity of impact' of a risk occuring.
People get in cars every day without a thought but people are much more frightened of this flu even though they are far more likely to die in a car crash.

OrmIrian - you explained that nuclear risk issue far better than I did. It must have been very tiresome dealing with all those ridiculous submissions.

Sprigfleurs - it looks to me that the flu started quite a few months ago in Mexico and the number of cases and the numbers who have died is still very low so it seems it is not very virulent. WHO is still at level 4 which is signifying isolated local hotspots involving a few tens of people rather than thousands.

I think we are still pretty safe in the UK.

Today at work we had 52 customers ask for face masks (not the kind you put on your skin, as I found out when I took them to the skincare dept, the ones they appear to be handing out in Mexico). One of the 52 threatend to "go to the papers" because we wouldn't let her have 10 packets of Lemsip Flu PLus. Another tried to buy 26 bottles of Sanex hand gel, and 20 packs of paracetamol and demanded to see the manager when we told her we couldn't sell her that many
"Don't you know there's an epidemic" is what she said.

Do you know, the only reason I might ever be scared to leave my house is the fear of bumping into people that stupid!

Ormirian I suspect one of those people you ahd to deal with was my Uncle who feels he ahs (secret and hidden) iirefutable evidence linking that specific site to leukaemia. Sorry. however in his defence he lost his DD to leaukaemia and grandad worked there (and another cousin almost died) so it's simply that grief drove him too far.

To be fair didnt about 30, 000 people die in the 70's of Flu..(could I be any more vague, but was half listening to the news last night and there was some archive footage)

Im not too worried really but I suppose they may not be telling us everything..(or I am I being too Suvivors/28 days later ish?)

I

Nut jobs!

got interrupted by DD..

All my service users are down with Noro at the moment anyway...I could so without pig flu on top.

That was to Saltires freaky customers, not you lot.

I did buy 2 bottles of hand gel in tesco but in my defence I am jumping on this as a chance to get my DS's to wash for once without a fight!

I did note that theya re sold out of the 59p and 69p (ish) variants but anything over £1 is still fully in stock. So I can only rpesume people are scared... but not above the value of half a kebab?

junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2009/04/flu-fears.html

Excellent reassuring article. Personally I'm looking forward to lots of special offers on pork and stocking the freezer!

I'd rather Survivors than 28 Days Later. God, that film scares the bejesus out of me and the sequel even more so. I've just picked up The Stand on DVD as well - perfect timing, I'm keeping a close watch on my dreams!!!