To not really care about swine flu?

[Kayzr]

I am so bored of swine flu now. The news are making it out to be the end of the world. 168 people have died in Mexico but only 8 have been confirmed of having swine flu. So they might have died of something else, 1 person has died outside of Mexico and he had recently been to Mexico and apparently ill anyway.

Everyone apart from 1 person round the world that has swine flu has recently been to Mexico.

So IABU for really not caring?

I think if one Mexican dc died of it, it is sad so I wouldn't say I don't care about it. I am not totally freaked out (yet) however I watched Dr. Chan from WHO speaking in Geneva on TV last night and although she was in no way trying to make people panic, I was actually more worried about it AFTER seeing that

It is very sad that people have died but I think the news are just trying to panic us for no reason.

Not unreasonable I suppose but a bit uncaring considering some have died and it is coming our way.

I suppose things people might panic about count as "good news" inthe media industry. NO one rushes to buy a paper or switch on the news to hear School A has started a campaign to clean up its grounds or something tame.

You may be right. I don't know what to think but I was starting to worry about dh a bit who has to travel a great deal for work at the moment and I think hanging around airports is not best atm. But what can you do?

I wonder how many people usually die of flu in Mexico at this time of year. It sounds like a pretty low mortality rate for the people who have it who are treated outside Mexico.

So not unreasonable. I guess the news-moungers think its a good way to stop people talking about the budget!

YANBU - swine flu is bound to cause some deaths in the UK - some folk are estimating up to 50,000. Having said that about 12,000 folk die each year in UK from ordinary flu.

But worrying about it won't stop you from getting it if you're going to get it.

Here If you read the last page of this thread then it gives you quite a good idea of what's going on from someone actually in the country. IMO once the virus has started to spread there's very little people can do about it so I can see why people don't get worked up about it. It is sad that people have died from it but I wonder how many people died in car accidents yesterday compared to how many died because of swine flu.

The media are going to cause a crisis if they do not tone down the coverage. I caught the tail end of BBC Breakfast this morning and they were talking about it being a threat to the continued existence of humanity! If people start rioting in the streets and panic buying everything off the shelves you won't be able to blame them when the BBC are telling us we are all doomed!

this is quite interesting

Well Jade Goody is dead so the media have to find something to carry on the morbid, death themed headlines. It's interesting that anyone I know who followed the Jade grief bandwagon is now proclaiming that the end is nigh for all of us. YANBU.

YANBU.

Lal, that is how I am thinking. If we are going to catch what good will panicing do?

That link is very interesting.

YANBU about the hysteria the media are trying to create!

BUT I am a little worried as I do with everything though seriously, I am going to grab some bottled water and long life foods mainly because you just never know and I have no type of plan if the worst were to happen!

As I say though I am a worrier

And the person that died in America was a 23 month old little boy from Mexico he had travelled to the US for medical attention

I can see your point but how can you 'not care' about something that has the potential to kill so many people and can't really be stopped?

I worry but only because I have my DS if I did'nt I probably would'nt care.

I don't care because I don't see the point in worrying about something we can't stop.

'I can see your point but how can you 'not care' about something that has the potential to kill so many people and can't really be stopped?'

Because, as it's something that can't really be stopped, it seems a pointless waste of energy when we can be doing something to help those who will be most affected, the world's poor and disaffected in developing nations, who are most at risk - not having clean water, healthcare, access to vaccines, mosquito nets so they've not got malaria if and when this mutates or becomes more lethal, AIDS prevention, etc.

But no, there's no worrying or hand-wringing over these people in the media. No calls for 'please donate to charities to get more mosquitos nets out there, clean water, Doctors without Borders or the like.'

It's all flap around over something we can't do much about.

What good is some bottled water and long life foods going to do? Seriously? If a real epidemic rages it is likely to go on for months, maybe even several years in succession; you couldn't really just sit in your house with your doors and windows shut for that length of time, could you? It's not like a hurricane that will blow itself out in a matter of days.

25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.
I think that's a trifle more than all the flu scares put together??
I'm with you.

i'm not really worried about the idea of catching it, obviously i would prefer not to, but there's not too much i can do about that. i'm more worried about people's over reaction, i can imagine lots of panic buying is going to start soon and i am a little concerned that in london we coudn't even cope with a few inches of snow, so god knows what will happen if this turns in to a massive epidemic!
At the moment i do think the news reporting of this is iresponsible, if you turn on any of the rolling news channels now you could be forgiven for thinking the world was going to end tomorrow.

YANBU. I don't know why the media and govt have got in such a flap about this. Of course any loss of life is sad but as several have said flu kills thousands every year anyway.

I'm afraid this is yet another example of rolling news having bugger all else to report therefore going completely OTT and scaring the shit out of vulnerable people.

"And this is Bob Reporter standing, outside a hospital in Cancun looking very serious and having NOTHING to report."

Not caring or not worrying?

YANBU to not worry but IMO YABU to not care.

I pressume that by not caring you won't be following the guidelines on using tissues, washing hands etc. I think we have a collective responsibility to try and reduce the risk of spreading it as much as possible. So, I'm not going to get my knickers in a twist and start writing my last will and testament but I will be washing mine and my children's hands more and making sure we're all well equipped with tissues.

I think anyone with good hygiene uses tissues and washes their hands without needing the tv to tell you that!! So I do follow those guidelines anyway.

I think you presume too much, Pennies. Personally, I use tissues and wash my hands anyway, because my mother told me that was good manners.

WHO has to panic, because if they don't, and it turns out that millions die, they will be blamed for not panicking.

I personally refuse to panic. There is nothing I can do to prevent it, other than my usual germ precautions, i.e. hand washing, don't sneeze on people, etc.

I have no storage room for canned food or bottled water.

yabu to not care-a baby died,people are ill.

but if you mean are you being unreasonable not to run round flapping like half of mn and half of world then no.

I'm not overly worried yet, but will be if more people get it in this country. I have to get the tube every day, so that'll be me then! The coverage in certain newspapers is pathetic, they are deliberately trying to upset people, talking about the end of humanity is ridiculous!!