Swine Flu. Are we in big trouble with this then?

[Meglet]

This sounds worse than the bird flu that thankfully never really happened.

news.bbc.co.uk/mobile/bbc_news/top_stories/801/80183/story8018356.shtml?

Sky news have a press conference on now about possible cases in new york. When do we start panic buying .

I wish the news would stop calling it a 'killer' or 'deadly' virus. It hasn't killed anyone outside Mexico yet and apparently the rate of infection is levelling off there.

WTF There is was being all sarcastic asusual saying:

Yes this is it, The World will end and some bastard has only gone and brought it brought it to Scotland.

Will I buy a face Mask? I have Halloween one but I think I my look strange in that?

'Now would be a really bad time to be a busking mariachi musician out on the streets with your sombrero.'

That is one of the funniest things I have read on mumsnet.

You may be interested in this item which reports views of scientists. It is Australian/NZ in perspective but just as relevant IMO to the UK. article

Okay, so I need more antibacterial hand gel and good hand washing.

Ah so it is skin to skin? That helps, as long as people are given the hand washing message loud and clear. My mother still doesn't believe in it - and when my kids both had rotavirus recently she caught it while I escaped with very sore hands!!

I do wish bloody nurseries and schools would pursue the handwashing message more clearly. It might stop a lot of the normal pestilence my kids are struck down by every other week.

DH has very kindly "authorised" me to do an online shop to stock up our day after tomorrow zombie general armageddon swine flu cupboard

god i really need to preview

27,000 people took a sickie yesterday with cold/flu symptoms, allegedly (Source: Daily Mail) 10% more than expected and being put down to swine flu.

If that is true... Isn't it crazy? Our economy will collapse if it does spread.

What's the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?

Also, NotmyELFtoday said

"1) the switch of Earth's magnetic poles (overdue by a few thousand years apparently)"

What would that mean? What happens when our magnetic poles switch?

Claire - pandemic BIGGER!

I seem to remember something from many years ago when I studied geology about the magnetic pole thing. It is very, very bad, but I can't remember why! But in the rocks, the magnetism switches direction every so often, it's just one of those things the earth does...

Didn't Bill Bryson (oracle of all) mention something about a HUGE volcanic eruption due in Yellowstone National park, too, while everyone is worrying? Now that would be bad (think massive climate change, crop failure, starvation, on top of the immediate effects of a bloody big volcano going off)

Not sure ... is an epidemic localised but a pandemic global?

Was listening to very sensible lady on radio 4 this morning talking about ventilators. She said in the US there are 340000 mechanical ventilators (or around that many) and they are utilised at a rate of 85%. If vast numbers of people all got sick at the same time, many of whom need ventilation, how would they prioritise who gets the ventilators and what happens to those who are currently on them. She was saying this debate needs to happen now rather than if/when we're in the middle of it. Guess she was meaning do the frail and elderly get booted off in favour of otherwise strong healthy folk.

They were also saying the estimate of economic impact of a pandemic is a drop of 3.5% of GDP I think, which is a bit tough given current conditions.

Lots of things to think about ...

Ahh, I wondered if momentarily gravity would fail and we'd all fall to our doom. Or maybe we'd start talking with Australian accents.

Ooo just to add to CaptainKarvol's list of doom, I also read something in the paper about big rivers drying up (Yangtse, Niger, etc). So let's add 'water running out' to the list.

the magnetic poles switching will mess up the wildlife, birds will migrate to the wrong places and die for e.g. The weather will also get messed up. It is a switch, North becomes South and South becomes North.

I love mumsnet, have been panicking as am off to US on Saturday for a week and have been panicking about bringing bug home to my little 'uns or getting stranded in the US while global travel is stopped and all my loved ones kark it while i watch US news on loop.... have stepped away from my neurotic self and calmed down after reading this. Still off to stock-pile chocolate though, I am loving the idea of using it as currency in the new world order post-Armageddon!!!!

It says on bbc website that the number of new admissions to hospital in Mexico is declining.

If Yellowstone went up we'd be fooked. If we didn't die from the explosion, we'd die in the nuclear winter that would follow.

One foot in the cradle and one foot in the grave and all that.

Isnt the san andreas fault due to go soon taking LA with it? O level geography

off to busk with my sombrero now

Dammit, knew I should have bought more of the 3 for 2 lindt offers in sainsburys... Which variety would be worth more in post-apocolyptic chocolate bargaining do you think? I'm going for orange intense...

Right, I'm off to sainsbos. What do zombies like - is there anything I can get to buy them off with? (don't take the baby, have this yummy discounted easter egg instead...)