Get a grip for gawd's sakes.....

[BooScout]

We all aren't going to die. It's not a plot against humanity. The sky isn't falling and you won't grow a pig's snout.

And so far it's not all that different than any other flu. Here's a clue, when you get the flu, you feel like total shit and yes, you may want to stay in bed for a week. That's what the real flu does to you. And yes sometimes older, younger and immune suppressed succumb to the flu. It's a fact of life. Sometimes life sucks.

But let's not totally lose our entire grip on reality here. Sheesh.

[hobbit709]

1. Don't forget that it makes you grow a curly tail too.

[BooScout]

4. Troublemaker

:evilgrin:

[northzax]

31. Dudley Dursley? Is that you?

How nice of you to join us.

[MercutioATC]

2. Exactly...but it's also unwise to laugh it off.

No need to panic, but I believe the wisest course is to stay informed and prepared.

[lamp_shade]

10. Wise words. Thank you.

[Fumesucker]

3. And then sometimes it is those with healthy immune systems who die..

Kind of a bitch, eh?

[hobbit709]

6. Life's a bitch and then you die-King Incarnadine.

[Buzz Clik]

5. But this time it's different!!!!111

Just like it is every time.

[eShirl]

7. straw man much?

[BlooInBloo]

8. WE'RE GONNA DIIIIEEEE!!!!!

[Uben]

9. Yes, but..........

...the scumpublicans are just praying Obama fucks up like Bush did on Katrina. As evil as it sounds, I truly believe they would love to see Obama appear to have a weak response to a national emergency. But, darn the luck, looks like he is way ahead of them
on every issue, every time!

[Turbineguy]

21. That's why an emergency

must be created. That's why Katrina was not an emergency. You can't fuck up the response to an emergency if there is no emergency.

[Control-Z]

11. I have yet to hear one single

person sound panicked. Not one. There is information being exchanged. And questions being asked and answered. It is the grown up thing to do when you have kids or family or others you care about.

I haven't read a single post from anyone who has lost their grip, entire or otherwise, on reality. Sheesh.

[BooScout]

12. LOL....

You obviously aren't reading this board then.

[Wednesdays]

20. Links?

:shrug:

[Control-Z]

32. Actually, I am.

And I have. I live about an hour and a half from the border. There is an exceptionally high number of immigrants and day workers who live and/or work in my community. There are a lot of Americans who travel to Mexico on the weekends to get away. The drive is short. The beaches are beautiful. Some have beach homes and go almost every weekend. So, the traffic across the border is high, and it is my neighbors, friends, coworkers, and the community's service personnel who are crossing back and forth.

I would say I have a serious and understandable interest in the current situation, and yes, I have read each and every thread about the swine flu.

The only panic I have seen, if any, is from posters like you. The rest of us are trying to become informed, and prepared, for the possibility of a virus that could harm our family and loved ones.

Edit to add: Like Wednesdays requested, I'd like to see links to the panic you claim. On Friday night, when I first heard about it, I'll admit I was a little freaked out. But it has been posting about it, and informing myself that has kept me from panicking.

[DrDan]

17. I agree - there is more "stress" coming from the OP than the general population

[pecwae]

19. OMG, BooScout

is causing 'stress'! Release the hounds!

[DrDan]

38. noooooooo - no one said booscout was "causing" any stress

Seems to me, though, that booscout is more stressed about this than the general pop - at least based on what I have read. I sense no feeling of impending doom, except in the OP.

[BooScout]

41. Oh most certainly......

WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriesly.

[Control-Z]

36. I love DU (for the most part)

Where else can you go and ask questions from people who are equally concerned about any issue, and even get information from people that fall into the expert category of an issue. I'm not sure why some people are stressed over the exchange of information. I, for one, am grateful for it.

[DrDan]

40. I certainly agree with that.

The specialty forums in particular offer advice related to any number of topics - travel, cooking, etc. I have used them multiple times and received very practical advice.

[bluedawg12]

23. I have seen good information being shared and a few screaming "don't panic!"

The don't panic crowd is the one who sounds panicky. :P

[Control-Z]

37. That is the exact dynamic here.

I'm convinced that some DUers just like to be contrary. In this case, though, in a situation of illness and possible death, it may be a matter of facing a fear too big for them to handle. For that reason, I have tried to be tolerant when I am being scolded by them.

[nashville_brook]

45. eggsactly. no one is panicking -- they're just talking about it b/c they're interested

sucks that freaks people want to censor that. maybe they need some time away from the 'puter.

[Patiod]

43. More than one person has posited that it's a plot by the Elites

to destroy a chunk of the population, for some nefarious purpose (I think this is the way to link to a specific post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5537435 ). Notice this is a very low-post-count-poster.

Fortunately, cooler heads explained that even if there WERE a conspiracy, it was unlikely they'd let it loose in Mexico. And the other 99% of posters on this thread had a sane and scientific discussion of influenza and past pandemics.

I have to agree with you though, that almost]/i] all of the discussion has been sane and almost everyone is paying the appropriate degree of attention to it.

There are a few pretty severe whack jobs out there, though.

[Control-Z]

48. None of these types are panicking.

They're whack jobs, like you say, with an "opportunity". They use the subject to construct insane plots. They show zero concern, hyped or healthy.

[angstlessk]

13. I had a horrible flu in the 1970's and was sick..sick..sick.. for almost a week

on at least 3 of those days I couldn't even get out of bed. it turns out that that strain was similar to this one...wonder if it gives me immunity for this one? OH..and BTW I was living in Norfolk VA ... a navy town and my husband was in the navy...it seems the swine flu vaccine was given to the military .. testing .. at the time also?

[southern_dem]

14. I'm calm

The same can not be said for the right wing nuts who are claiming this is a government conspiracy to roll out the "FEMA concentration camps". The sites are out there if you Google it, but I'd rather not give them the traffic.

[zanne]

15. It's excellent medicine for CNN's ratings. That's all. nt

[DrDan]

16. is there a panic? is there rioting in the streets?

just looked outside my window and I saw none of it. hmmmmmm

Seems to me wise to follow some basic practices - wash hands frequently, cover your sneeze, stay away from crowds if possible.

Those sound reasonable and sound like the kind of advice I would like to hear from the "government" - and more importantly for others to hear.

And I would like to hear that the appropriate agencies are trying to get on top of it - like following trends abroad, doing some planning where there may be outbreaks, checking on quantities and locations of vaccine.

To me - that is reality - and not a "sky is falling" activity.

People dying should be taken "seriesly".

[peace frog]

18. Actually, we ARE all going to die

but it won't necessarily be soon or from swine flu or for any other particular cause. Grip on reality holding firm, thank you.

[Catherine Vincent]

22. You get a grip...

[KharmaTrain]

24. Today's Bright Shiny Toy...

Last week it was the old maid on the English TV show, next week it'll be some other "big story".

So, letsee...80 people in a nation of 100 million die of the flu...and the right wing is all aflutter of some massive invasion coming up from Mexico (fits right in with their racist rabble). And then there are now 20 cases reported in the US (out of 300 million) and people are running around in circles just waiting to start coughing up blood and dying. Sheesh.

This is the byproduct of a short attention span media and culture that obsess with an issue or visual or other stimulus for a few moments and then gets distracted by another. This flu story is one the corporate media can really run with as they can bring on their countless experts and have it all paid for by big Pharma...who will assure us that THEY have the cures.

[RufusTFirefly]

39. Gee. Remember long ago when we were all upset because our country uses torture?

Phew! Glad THOSE days are over!
And how about that silly bank bailout thingie? Ancient history!

[leeroysphitz]

25. Why are you trying to cancel The United States Prime Time Victim Show?

[TexasObserver]

26. Yes. Today 300 Americans will die in hospitals from infections they caught in the hospital.

And tomorrow, another 300. And so on ....

But we won't talk about those deaths, which occur because the profit motive in our health care system has brought upon us poor control of infections in hospitals, because the doctors who own the hospitals need to shave their support personnel costs.

[bluedawg12]

49. Yes, today we should be talking about pre-pandemics AND nosocomial infections.

Unlike the repigs who hate science, we will do well to encourage discussions, rather than stifle relevant current information, as if it were either or, a false dichotomy, or we if we should ignore a WHO warning because maybe we should be talking about nosocomial infections, but don't seem to get to that either.

>>http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol4no3/weinstein.htm

Why Are Nosocomial Infections Emerging Now?
Three major forces are involved in nosocomial infections. The first is antimicrobial use in hospitals and long-term care facilities. The increased concern about gram-negative bacilli infections in the 1970s to 1980s led to increased use of cephalosporin antibiotics. As gram-negative bacilli became resistant to earlier generations of cephalosporin antibiotics, newer generations were developed. Widespread use of cephalosporin antibiotics is often cited as a cause of the emergence of enterococci as nosocomial pathogens. About the same time, MRSA, perhaps also in response to extensive use of cephalosporin antibiotics, became a major nosocomial threat. Widespread empiric use of vancomycin, as a response to concerns about MRSA and for treatment of vascular catheterassociated infection by resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci, is the major initial selective pressure for VRE. Use of antimicrobial drugs in long-term care facilities and transfer of patients between these facilities and hospitals have created a large reservoir of resistant strains in nursing homes.

Second, many hospital personnel fail to follow basic infection control, such as hand washing between patient contacts. In ICUs, asepsis is often overlooked in the rush of crisis care (10).

Third, patients in hospitals are increasingly immunocompromised. The shift of surgical care to outpatient centers leaves the sickest patients in hospitals, which are becoming more like large ICUs (11). This shift has led to the greater prevalence of vascular accessassociated bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonias.

Other precipitating factors also can be anticipated in hospitals. Transplantation is a double-edged sword because of the combined effects of immunosuppression of transplant patients and of infectious diseases that come with some transplanted organs. The blood supply will continue to be a source of emerging infectious diseases. Moreover, as hospitals age, infrastructure repairs and renovations will create risks of airborne fungal diseases caused by dust and spores released during demolition and construction. Infections due to other pathogens, such as Legionella, may also result from such disruptions. <<

Gosh two topics at once, so unrightwing of us.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html

Current WHO phase of pandemic alert
Current phase of alert in the WHO global influenza preparedness plan
Pandemic preparedness
In the 2009 revision of the phase descriptions, WHO has retained the use of a six-phased approach for easy incorporation of new recommendations and approaches into existing national preparedness and response plans. The grouping and description of pandemic phases have been revised to make them easier to understand, more precise, and based upon observable phenomena. Phases 1–3 correlate with preparedness, including capacity development and response planning activities, while Phases 4–6 clearly signal the need for response and mitigation efforts. Furthermore, periods after the first pandemic wave are elaborated to facilitate post pandemic recovery activities.

The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is 4.
............

[ananda]

27. Get a grip on the grippe...

lol

[NMDemDist2]

28. .....

:spank:

that made me LOL, truly......

:hi:

[salinen]

29. No! This is a perfect time to panic

I've seen them. They have no souls. They only come out at night walking very slow and have a vacant look. They're clothes are tattered. Also, they are muttering "BRAINS".

You know, republicans

[northzax]

How dare you slander zombies in such a disgraceful manner?

You, sir, are an anti-zombite, and I will not stand for such moral depravity.

[MorningGlow]

30. ITA--Just saw this Q&A on CNN's site, and it made me even more puzzled

Why IS this any different from any other strain of flu?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27/swine.flu.qanda/

Q. Why is this spread troubling?

A. Scientists are concerned whenever a new virus is able to jump from an animal to a person -- and then spread from person to person. When the flu spreads person to person, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off.

But...other strains of flu DO spread rapidly from person to person. And I thought there IS no treatment for the flu, other than fluids and bed rest and over-the-counter medication...?

The World Health Organization has said the current outbreak has "pandemic potential," and has urged governments to take precautions to prevent its spread. If the virus continues to mutate, drug makers won't be able to come up with vaccines fast enough.

But...I thought that vaccines were only effective well before you ever get the flu...?

Q. Can swine flu be fatal?

A. Just like the regular flu, swine flu worsens pre-existing medical conditions in people. So people with already compromised immune systems can die after contracting it.

Q. But doesn't the common flu kill more people?

A. Yes, common seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year. But what worries officials is that a new strain of the flu virus can spread fast because people do not have natural immunity and vaccines can take months to develop.

But my son's pediatrician and my own doctor have said that although the medical community makes every attempt to provide immunizations (in the annual flu shot) to prevent or minimize as many flu strains as they're aware of for the season, they can never cover all of them. (My doctor said this after my family and I were laid low by...the flu! And my son had had a flu shot--it just didn't cover the one we got.)

So, upon reflection, I have decided to continue to be vigilant, but I won't be putting a match to my hair just yet.

[pecwae]

44. !!

"....I won't be putting a match to my hair just yet." :D I have to remember that one.

[nichomachus]

33. How did we children ever manage until real adults like you came along to chastise us?

[Junkdrawer]

34. Sure is more fun for the MSM than talking about torture...n/t

[Wiley50]

35. I expected a pandemic "when pigs fly" and then.....Swine Flu n/t

[Marrah_G]

42. Boo- we are all totally going to die

Someday.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. So the WHO and the CDC are overreacting

phew!

And we have never had this ever happen ever before?

Okie dokie

THose of us who choose to live in reality know that this is something to be CONCERNED about

[TeeYiYi]

50. Yes. Move along . . .

. . . Nothing to see here.

I hardly remember 1981-86 when my friends were dropping like flies all around me from pneumonia "because they were gay"... and nary a peep was uttered by then president Reagan or the mainstream media... in spite of reports by the CDC about a new blood disease that was causing Kaposi's Sarcoma and other previously rare godforsaken fatal maladies...

Yes, move along now... no need to concern yourselves...yet.

Okie dokie indeed. Phew!

TYY

[ronnykmarshall]

47. This thread is A TRAP!!!