The Swine Flu thing...

[Bandmom]

OK.....I am SO confused. Granted, I tend to try not to respond to ANY information from the media that is not confirmed but I am honestly lost. All stats outside of Mexico indicate that this flu is spreading but with no deaths (other than the poor little toodler who came to visit family from Mexico). The WHO's update for today @ 5:00 PM states:

"The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 97 confirmed human cases of infection, including seven deaths."

"The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (19), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8)."

Notice that the numbers from Mexico don't indicate that they are "lab confirmed" so what does that mean??

The WHO site also still indicates the following:

"WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities."

So is it just me or does this information not seem to match the panic that is going on? Am I missing something?
I promise I'm not being sarcastic; I'm honestly confused.....

 

[geokr]

The Mexican cases would have been confirmed in a lab as all the others were - an editorial omission I'm sure. Regarding the panic, the media does whip these things up to sell newspapers. I think reasonable sanitary precautions are advisable just as you would normally do and, most importantly, don't freak out about this like Vice President Biden did in public this morning.

 

[1KWIK_69]

The Mexican cases would have been confirmed in a lab as all the others were - an editorial omission I'm sure. Regarding the panic, the media does whip these things up to sell newspapers. I think reasonable sanitary precautions are advisable just as you would normally do and, most importantly, don't freak out about this like Vice President Biden did in public this morning.

Not to worry. Biden will stop freaking out because I heard Algore has started inventing a cure now that he figured out that the flu was caused by global warming.
:lol:

 

[geokr]

Not to worry. Biden will stop freaking out because I heard Algore has started inventing a cure now that he figured out that the flu was caused by global warming.
:lol:

And then get another Nobel Prize for his book "An Inconvenient Infection"

 

[Martha]

I actually am thinking of taking a trip to CZM in July - rates will be good now and the virus should burn out by then anyway - the normal influenza infectious pattern.

Hey Jay, we'll be in Cozumel July 2-9. Come join us!!!

 

[Christi]

Where is this news that Mexico only has 7 confirmed deaths coming from? I can't find it from any US news sources on google, and most every news case is still talking about >150 deaths.

My information is not from the MX government...it's from WHO, CDC, and local doctors who have no political or financial agendas.

Again...as MORE FACTS come out about this today, this flu strain is no more dangerous than the common flu as we know - it's just NEW. Yes, the travel itself is going to provide a higher risk of exposure than actually being on the island or anywhere in general. Following that logic, changing travel plans from Cozumel to Cayman for example doesn't make sense...you still have to get there by going through airports and on planes.

With all of that said, is everyone going to stop traveling because they are afraid of getting the flu?

 

[1KWIK_69]

My information is not from the MX government...it's from WHO, CDC, and local doctors who have no political or financial agendas.

Again...as MORE FACTS come out about this today, this flu strain is no more dangerous than the common flu as we know - it's just NEW. Yes, the travel itself is going to provide a higher risk of exposure than actually being on the island or anywhere in general. Following that logic, changing travel plans from Cozumel to Cayman for example doesn't make sense...you still have to get there by going through airports and on planes.

With all of that said, is everyone going to stop traveling because they are afraid of getting the flu?

Sounds like Biden will. Oh wait a minute, he has a private jet. Lol

Christi, we're with ya. If I'm worried about the plane ride, I'll wear a protective mask and use purell. This may turn into a bigger issue, but I'm starting to get the feeling this one is going to go the same way as SARS, Monkey Pox, and the Bird Flu. The media wants fear and panack so people will stay tuned in. This isn't to say people shouldn't use normal common sense that says wash your hands and cover your mouth while you sneeze or cough, but staying away from a place that has no confirmed cases is just stupid.

 

[mikerault]

It seems that several of the cases outside of Mexico originated from flights (if I read the reports correct) at the Cancun airport, if that is the case how can there be no cases in Cancun or Cozumel?

 

[lamont]

My information is not from the MX government...it's from WHO, CDC, and local doctors who have no political or financial agendas.

Again...as MORE FACTS come out about this today, this flu strain is no more dangerous than the common flu as we know - it's just NEW.

What FACTS do you have that this is no more dangerous than the common flu?

Antigenic shifts in flu like this tend to produce more dangerous flus. That is why the WHO has escalated the pandemic alert to 5. Clearly the authorities don't agree with you that this is ignorable and is just the same as the common flu.

 

[MMM]

On the mask thing, as I understand it, the run of the mill kind are more for the purposes of you infecting someone instead of protecting you. As per acouple of interviews I heard today from physicians.

And yes, info today is that there is no possibility to prevent spread, it's a mild type, and we need to get used to it as yet another flu type. And health authorities will continue to monitor. Although I don't have confirmation, I think we can expect "stand downs" to start appearing in next few days.