The Swine Flu thing...

[Bandmom]

"Based on travel demand, Air Canada currently plans to maintain flights to Mexico City.

I was wondering the same thing....that makes NO sense at all!

 

[Beyond_Diving]

I am tired of this bullsh?t! yes, there is some new strain of influenza rolling around at least 7 different countries. you want to know why there are so many cases (which I seriously doubt)? Mexico City is home to more than 25 million people. and its is built in a basin. put so many people together, in an area that is not meant for more than 10 million, with an ancient infrastructure and you have yourself a cesspool. now why am i so angry at this situation? because the hysteria and yes, that is what I call it (nether I nor anybody I know in cancun and mexico city know anybody who knows anybody who knows anybody who has been ill or killed by this so called killer flu), has caused so many cancellation that now my job as well as those of several of my coworkers hangs on a very wobbly balance... we have been put on "vacation" for the next month (without pay of course) or until this whole things blows over... am I downplaying it? perhaps, but if you lived in Mexico in 1993-94 when the mexican peso took a dump and went from 3 to over 12 pesos/dollar and then the chupacabras came to be, you know what i mean... now what could this be about? who knows... drug wars in northern mexico, federal elections in july, a plot by the IMF to kickstart the world's economy (yes pharmaceutical companies are making a mint right now), or something else? who knows. maybe we will never know. so my point is, don't stop coming to cancun, cozumel, pdc, tulum, etc because of this. if it is true, it has already spread so you're no safer at home than here (and at least here you can go diving).

 

[CozumelAntonio]

I repeat:

I wish more people would put things in the proper perspective:

History Says Avoid Virus Hysteria - MSN Health & Fitness - Health Topics
History Says Avoid Virus Hysteria
Let the public health experts freak out about swine flu. The rest of us should relax.
By David Whelan, Forbes.com

In April 2003, the world seemed on the brink of a killer pandemic.

After simmering for months in Guangdong, China, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus had exploded in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Canada, the U.S. and 14 other countries. It had a seriously scary fatality rate of 10 percent.

But as quickly as it came, it just as quickly faded away. The virus turned out not to be as contagious as feared. To date, the World Health Organization estimates that 774 people died from SARS. Most of the deaths occurred in Hong Kong and other areas in Southern China--where officials let the outbreak fester too long without taking steps to contain it.

Here in the U.S. there were only eight reported SARS cases, all nonfatal.

SARS was scary, for sure. But it affected only a specific region. And the deaths were mostly to blame on incompetent public health officials.

This history is something to keep in mind in the coming weeks as the swine flu outbreak, which is suspected of causing more than 100 deaths in Mexico, unfolds. While there have been a small number of cases in the United States, almost all of them have been mild, and there have been no deaths. And it is not clear whether there ever will be a significant number of deaths.

Hysteria and exotic-sounding disease outbreaks go hand in hand. Whether it's anthrax, mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu or, going back to the 1990s, ebolaÍÏews of an outbreak generates fear that's disproportionate to the risk of catching the disease. In each of these cases deaths, if they occurred at all, were minimal.

During the SARS episode, the U.S. quickly cranked itself into full freakout mode. Each of the eight U.S. patients who contracted SARS had picked up the disease in Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet travelers donned face masks no matter where they were flying. Pedestrians in U.S. cities followed suit. Families canceled vacations. Shoppers and diners avoided Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants like they were leper colonies. Companies scaled back their business in Asia, and then blamed bad financial results on SARS.

Cable news channels and other media sensationalized the outbreak as if it were a Hollywood movieÍÂ real-life sequel to Dustin Hoffman's 1995 hit Outbreak. A medical historian at the University of Toronto, Edward Shorter, watched what was going on and called the phenomenon "mass psychosis."

Meanwhile, that year--and in every year this decadeÍÃetween 30,000 and 50,000 American deaths were recorded from complications related to the seasonal flu. Another 40,000 people died in automobile accidents. And each year, gunshot wounds account for 30,000 deaths, around 4,000 people drown while swimming or boating and 60 people die from lightning strikes.

"The public is driven by irrational fears. They didn't go to medical school," says Shorter. "They're responding to an abdication of leadership by political leaders."

So far, the U.S. has responded to the swine flu with restraint. President Obama said the problem is a "cause for concern" and "not a cause for alarm." And the declaration of a public health emergency is not quite as scary as it sounds. It is an important precautionary measure, like declaring a state of emergency in Florida because a hurricane may or may not hit. But Russia banned pork imports from Mexico. And Hong Kong has said it won't accept flights from Mexico. "That's irrational, except to whip up public sentiment against the Mexicans," Shorter says.

The American publicÍÂnd the news mediaÍØas captivated for an entire weekend by the prospect of a swine flu crossing our border. Is it the beginning of the next pandemic? Will the U.S. State Department ban travel to Mexico? Will the border be sealed? Will San Diego be next?

Let the public health officials make these decisions, Shorter recommends. No matter how virulent an outbreak seems at the beginning, public health departments will react aggressively. That's their jobÍÃetter safe than sorryÍÂnd that's how epidemics are contained. But everyone else should learn to relax.

 

[okiraku_diver]

Well, it now looks as though 3 cruise lines have cancelled stops in Mexico. They are Carnival, Princess and Holand America. I'm looking for a source to post.

Flight stopped...

Cuba also suspended flights to and from Mexico for 48 hours from Tuesday and a Canadian tour operator, Air Transat, said it was also halting flights to Mexico until 1 June.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Mexico imposes swine flu measures

 

[Bandmom]

I was wondering the same thing....that makes NO sense at all!

I should clarify.....I don't think they should cancel ANY flights but it makes even less sense to cancel them to Cancun and Cozumel but keep flying in to Mexico City.

 

[DandyDon]

I should clarify.....I don't think they should cancel ANY flights but it makes even less sense to cancel them to Cancun and Cozumel but keep flying in to Mexico City.

I can't see it, unless the airlines are getting so many cancellations that they don't want to fly half empty planes? A pure speculation on my part, but why else would they cancel Cancun & Cozumel where no cases have been reported, but still go to Mexico City?

 

[firstdive2005]

I just tried to book a flight to Coz, all the airlines wont fly there until June 1. This is freaking stupid and add on your adjectives.....

 

[Christi]

I just tried to book a flight to Coz, all the airlines wont fly there until June 1. This is freaking stupid and on your adjectives.....

If you can get from Canada to IAH the fares on Continental from IAH to CZM are dirt cheap right now I'm just sayin

 

[Brewski]

What about Continental? I have a flight already booked.
My wife called SCC to see if they had any special consideration due to this outbreak and she was told no. the current 60 day cancellation policy stands. So if Continental cancels, I'm out what I paid SCC it seems.

 

[Christi]

What about Continental? I have a flight already booked.
My wife called SCC to see if they had any special consideration due to this outbreak and she was told no. the current 60 day cancellation policy stands. So if Continental cancels, I'm out what I paid SCC it seems.

It's because there really is no reason to cancel your trip.