Swine flu spreads panic in Mexico City ~~Thank heavens we're not in Mexico City right?

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-04-25-mexicocity-flu_N.htm


The Mexican capital was a fearful place on Saturday, as residents donned surgical masks, avoided shaking hands or simply stayed home amid a swine flu outbreak that has killed at least 20 people and perhaps as many as 81 across Mexico.
Mexico City has become the epicenter of the sickness, which is suspected to have infected 1,324 people nationwide by Saturday night. Mexican President Felipe Calderón issued a decree allowing the federal health department to enter homes and forcibly quarantine people, and the authorities ordered all schools closed until May 6 in the capital and neighboring Mexico State.

The capital of 20 million people usually bustles with people on the weekends, but it was strangely quiet on Saturday. Many pedestrians wore surgical masks, as health officials have urged.

"Better to be safe," said Alfredo Mercado, as he tied a blue mask on his 5-year-old daughter Mariana. They had stopped at a pharmacy that was giving out free masks on their way to the playground in España Park.

Mexican officials said Saturday that the first confirmed case of the disease was reported in southern Oaxaca state on April 13, though they added that earlier cases might have gone undetected.

[rucky]

1. If you really want to freak yourself out, read the BBC report...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8018428.stm

[seemslikeadream]

2. Don't you know you can't post anything that will freak someone out here?

;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. If it's true, that note from the doctor is certainly alarming.

[Hanse]

3. Good thing we DUers never panic.

And act irrationally.

[The Straight Story]

4. We only do so on Susan Boyle threads, Al Gore house threads, ...

And a ton of other ones.

When it comes to things like the flu, cdc, who, and things that might really harm us though, we show restraint :)

[Hanse]

6. That's right. You can't beat the level headedness of DU

...when it comes to human health, viruses, vaccinations, drug companies, government organizations, Mexicans, genetics, and so on.

[seemslikeadream]

7. Hey I take full responsiblity for knocking Susan off the front page here

:rofl:

[seemslikeadream]

5. I only panic when The Straight Story asks me out on a date!

:rofl:

[The Straight Story]

8. LOL

Hey, I ask everyone here out on a date :rofl:

[seemslikeadream]

9. ah you scamp

[The Straight Story]

10. yeah but with you I meant it at least

:) But hey, a guy like me, girl like you...You would find better in a ny minute...

I need to go watch some Maude re-runs and good times and yell 'DYNO...MITE'. If you aren't busy, feel free to join me :) (folks not following threads today may not get that joke...)

[Snazzy]

11. what happened to the Texas helicopter pig kill?

They coulda saved us!

Did we derail that with our insanely snarky comments? 'Cause those fat short rich airborne white dudes with high powered rifles must have been on to something. Fuck that (very tasty) bbq!





(Edit, just in case: :sarcasm:

I support the notion of facts.)

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Ah parque Espana, the memories

and the first confirmed was in Oaxaca... is that Patient Zero? And what is the timeline with the early US cases

Yes science nerd here

[Rosa Luxemburg]

13. we had a nasty flu a few weeks ago

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. What I don't get is the part about it being a combination of swine, bird and human flu. How

did that happen? Do different animal virus strains cross over and recombine like that very often? (The article I read that in said that this flu is unique but I wasn't sure if it was talking about those traits or the fact that it seems to kill healthy adults, which it said is unusual with your average flu.)

[elocs]

16. Swine flu aside, there are many reasons why I am thankful not to be in Mexico City.

It just doesn't seem like anywhere I would even ever want to visit.