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[Daft]

In order for humanity to survive, we must fool the swine flu into ignoring us, by disguising ourselves as the swine flu.

[Heron TSG]

This was raised to Pandemic level (5) by the WHO today.

[DeadlyLintRoller]

You can't reproduce if you are dead.

But not being dead does not necessarily rely on having a good deal of strength or speed.  Take the cuttle(sp?) fish for example.  It is more likely for a small, devious male to be chosen by the female than for the two strong ones duking it out while the small male sneaks by to the female disguised as a female itself.

I am familiar with this concept. Evolution is the synergy of several factors that allow an organism to survive long enough to reproduce. Your VERY specific example fails to be on topic in this discussion pertaining to a dangerous virus spreading to pandemic levels. The virus is dangerous because people have not developed immunities (natural or vaccination). Entire populations of Native Americans have been eradicated by the diseases brought to the new world by Europeans, because they lacked the immunities to survive, so there is a very real, on topic example of rapid evolution via survival of the "fittest."


And getting even more back on topic, I won't hear results on whether my wife officially has the swine flu until Friday. But, her congestion has move to her chest, which most illnesses do for her anyway. I am concerned because they are saying that the killer with this bug is the pneumonia. I will be keeping tabs on her while I am at work tomorrow, in case I need to come home to take her to the emergency room.

[Ampersand]

What I find most disturbing is that the only people who have died are in Mexico. We don't have any detailed background information on the people who died, but I suspect there is something they share in common, as outside of Mexico there have been absolutely no deaths except a patient brought from mexico pre-infected. Either the virus is changing and becoming weaker as it leaves it's origin, or the victims have something in common.

[Sir_Geo]

A toddler died from it in the U.S:
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/316882.asp
Also:
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/04/27/daily49.html
Fuck. That's five minutes away from me and I actually go to that hospital when I'm fucked up. :/ at least I haven't had to go to the hospital in the past few weeks.

[Ampersand]

Guess that makes two.

[Akigagak]

Well, it's in (old) Jersey now.

Yeah. Fuck.

[Lear]

What I find most disturbing is that the only people who have died are in Mexico. We don't have any detailed background information on the people who died, but I suspect there is something they share in common, as outside of Mexico there have been absolutely no deaths except a patient brought from mexico pre-infected. Either the virus is changing and becoming weaker as it leaves it's origin, or the victims have something in common.

I still say its the health care/the fact that it could just be mistaken as something else.

In other news quit freaking out about it. Wash your hands and be smart.

[Ampersand]

At least twenty people who died in Mexico were confirmed to have that Flu.

[Lear]

At least twenty people who died in Mexico were confirmed to have that Flu.

And how many die from other forms of flu every year?

[Jetman123]

This particular strain of flu isn't really "swine flu" at all. There are no known reported cases in pigs. It has swine flu genes, but it also has bird and regular flu genes.

The main risk is to people with compromised immune systems, children, and the elderly. Even then, the flu itself is rarely fatal - the main cause of death is pneumonia as a secondary infection, just like a regular flu.

The WHO has said that most adults who are infected recover without need for antiviral drugs or medical attention. It's really been blown far, far out of proportion. It's main threat is in how fast and readily it spreads.

[Pnx]

You guys wanna hear a secret? I've got swine flu right now, but trust me the whole thing is rather overblown, I'm fine, in fact I'm already feeling better.

[Zai]

A couple of people probably have swine flu in my area (northern Alabama). Apparently mainly (just?) elementary school kids, though. Because of this, all of the local schools shut down for today and tomorrow, and one of the schools (the elementary school which two kids who probably have it attend) is closed for most of next week.

The main TV channels keep coming up with a "Swine Flu Update" or some such during pretty much every commercial break, which gets pretty annoying.

[Cthulhu]

I've been looking around, and apparently this isn't the first outbreak of a Swine Flu-like virus, and the last one only killed one person.

THat was in America, of course.

[Gunner-Chan]

Even though that kid died really close to here, I doubt there will be much more losses. This DOES seem like it's just a slightly more potent flu.