TheMadCap Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 It doesn't help that the media tries to scare people with thier grandstanding and sensationalism. They have an "end of the world" movie coming out next week on ABC. Fuggin asswipes. The fact is, when bird flu finally evolves to person to person communication, people are going to freak out. People who aren't sick will over tax the system because they are frightened of becoming sick. If you think people freak out over weather and clean out walmart, think how bad this will be. Not that I am worried at all. I am immunocompromised, and as I will likely perish first, I'll hold the door for the rest of you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 What most people don't understand too is that it doesn't take much to bring a modern city to its knees. In 1918, Philly suffered about a 60% illness rate and 1% mortality rate...and municipal services very nearly broke down. That was a century ago, when people were substantially more independent of public services than they are now. Nowadays, cities are more fragile. I doubt a modern American city could withstand the mortality rate of the 1918 flu without a New-Orleans-like collapse of services. 684359[/snapback] Almost a century... Hope you aren't using VA's standard for computing centuries... I don't know, the Blizzard of 1888 in NYC, cities seemed very fragile... For the most part we don't live as day-day as we did??? Most things can run remotely... Now if something (natural disaster) happened along with pandemic... Things would get interesting. I am more optimistic... I would go over to Stuck's in Cincy (only if he would take us in of course... ) and dip some chocolate ants while he churned them into butter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 One of the biggest problem scenarios we worked on in regards to responding to a "biological incident" was the "Healthy Fearful" . Much of the burden on the health system will come from people who are not symptomatic of anything, but scared that they might be. 684372[/snapback] Repulicans and their incest half-sister, love child: Republitarians? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Except that this time...well, it's the flu. A proven illness-causing virus with a history of severe pandemics. People assume it's something new and special because it's the "bird flu". All flus are bird flus. It's where they come from. The flu's natural resivoir is in birds. Occasionally, flu viruses mutate and recombine (or "are intelligently redesigned", if you're a religious simpleton), and become new flu viruses. Sometimes they jump to pigs and recombine again into even newer flu viruses that can infect humans. Then you get pandemics. Sometimes the pandemics are deadly. And the current "avian flu" virus has shown an alarming propensity for killing people...but none for transmission from person-to-person. Eventually, it'll recombine into a form that does transmit person-to-person. Then we'll have a pandemic. And given how deadly it is already, it's not unreasonable to believe the pandemic will kill lots of people worldwide, just like the last time it happened. That ain't hype, that's science. People who know the science are concerned - which is substantially different from "panicking". (The media's panicking...but panic sells. The media's full of sh--, again, but they're making money at it, so what do they care.) People who know the science won't panic until they actually see a case of airborne transmission and retransmission between humans. The rest of you, though...you can panic. It's what the media wants you idiots to do... 684379[/snapback] People are more concerned over these diseases that haven't affected many people yet, and aren't concerned at all about the diseases that they are most likely to get because of their lifestyle. Question, will this bird flu or any other sort of flu have a lesser effect on someone who is healthy (cardiovascular) or does it affect everyone the same way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 People are more concerned over these diseases that haven't affected many people yet, and aren't concerned at all about the diseases that they are most likely to get because of their lifestyle. Question, will this bird flu or any other sort of flu have a lesser effect on someone who is healthy (cardiovascular) or does it affect everyone the same way? 684856[/snapback] Typically different flu viruses still cause largely the same disease: two weeks of misery if you're healthy, a not unreasonable risk of death if you're very young (i.e. an infant) or very old. Typically. Not always. The 1918 flu was so devastating because, for whatever reason, it caused rapidly developing and often fatal pneumonia in 20-40 year old adults, which is very unusual. That's not to say that the current "avian flu" would do so, just to point out that just because most flus act in largely the same manner, it doesn't mean the odd virus can't crop up that causes a very different and potentially far more dangerous kind of influenza. And given that this virus has already demonstrated itself a killer...well, medical professionals have reason to be concerned. It's got a real possibility for causing a killer pandemic. And I know epidemiologists and microbiologists who are reasonably concerned over it. But me personally...I'm not worried, not because I don't see the threat, but because it's not an imminent threat until, as I think I wrote earlier, it passes from person to person to person through the air. And it will likely do that eventually - it's just the nature of flu viruses to develop that ability. But until then, it's basically an exclusively zoonotic infection, and little more than something to keep a wary eye on for most non-medical people. I'm personally more concerned about the current mumps and measles epidemics in the US midwest... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Typically different flu viruses still cause largely the same disease: two weeks of misery if you're healthy, a not unreasonable risk of death if you're very young (i.e. an infant) or very old. Typically. Not always. The 1918 flu was so devastating because, for whatever reason, it caused rapidly developing and often fatal pneumonia in 20-40 year old adults, which is very unusual. That's not to say that the current "avian flu" would do so, just to point out that just because most flus act in largely the same manner, it doesn't mean the odd virus can't crop up that causes a very different and potentially far more dangerous kind of influenza. And given that this virus has already demonstrated itself a killer...well, medical professionals have reason to be concerned. It's got a real possibility for causing a killer pandemic. And I know epidemiologists and microbiologists who are reasonably concerned over it. But me personally...I'm not worried, not because I don't see the threat, but because it's not an imminent threat until, as I think I wrote earlier, it passes from person to person to person through the air. And it will likely do that eventually - it's just the nature of flu viruses to develop that ability. But until then, it's basically an exclusively zoonotic infection, and little more than something to keep a wary eye on for most non-medical people. I'm personally more concerned about the current mumps and measles epidemics in the US midwest... 684890[/snapback] Thanks. I agree that medical experts do have cause to be concerned because the public has entrusted them with coming up with vaccinations or cures for these kinds of illnesses. On the other hand, regular people who can't do anything about this shouldn't even worry since there is nothing they can do about it. It shows how people worry about things they can't fix yet do nothing about things they could fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of BiB Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Thanks. I agree that medical experts do have cause to be concerned because the public has entrusted them with coming up with vaccinations or cures for these kinds of illnesses. On the other hand, regular people who can't do anything about this shouldn't even worry since there is nothing they can do about it. It shows how people worry about things they can't fix yet do nothing about things they could fix. 684903[/snapback] Because it's easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Because it's easier. 684932[/snapback] Definately. Ok I gotta go worry about the SARS epidemic as i scarf down 2 big macs and finish off this pack of smokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Definately. Ok I gotta go worry about the SARS epidemic as i scarf down 2 big macs and finish off this pack of smokes. 684933[/snapback] Funniest thing you've ever intentionally said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Funniest thing you've ever intentionally said... 684961[/snapback] Should i do like George and leave on a high note? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Wow, you two are actually playing nice together? Must be that terrific Sabers win baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Monkey Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Wow, you two are actually playing nice together? Must be that terrific Sabers win baby! 685058[/snapback] Well...he hasn't said anything grotesquely stupid in the past half hour. Plus...that avatar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 Well...he hasn't said anything grotesquely stupid in the past half hour. Plus...that avatar... 685083[/snapback] Hehe. Yeah, Meazza who is that? And please provide a link to a larger image so we can review her hotness... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 Hehe. Yeah, Meazza who is that? And please provide a link to a larger image so we can review her hotness... 685842[/snapback] i honestly have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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