So, the swine flu is now officially a pandemic

[Skuffyshootster]

Link: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20090611/UN.UN.Swine.Flu/

The World Health Organization has declared the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. Apparently it wasn't a false alarm. Go figure.

Now look up the definition of a pandemic.

From Wikipedia:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met:[1]
-Emergence of a disease new to a population.
-Agents infect humans, causing serious illness.
-Agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.
A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic, because the disease is not infectious or contagious.

It's a big scary word that's incorrectly used in horror movies. It's not about the number of people infected, or the severity of the infection, just the fact that it spreads easily and it's new.

Hey, I'm just relaying the news. Also, why are you using wikipedia?

 

[Cowabungaa]

Only kills normal, healthy people in countries with shitty health care.
Should there be panic? Hell no. It really isn't that bad. We shouldn't be complacent either. There is are treatments you can get now so we (the lucky countries) should be providing those treatments as aid to countries without it.

First, I won't call US's healthcare shitty. It can obviously be improved, but I doubt it's really shitty. Second, not panicking is not the same as ignoring it. Ofcourse we shouldn't panick, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. Ofcourse it shouldn't, especially for high populated area's and countries with worse healthcare than 'us'.

 

[MarxistMan]

*yawn*

 

[Hazy]

I love how nobody talks about it anymore. Stupid news media..

 

[GodsOneMistake]

Run to the hills! We're all going to die!!!!!11

Seriously though, the normal Flu kills what, 36,000 people in the US alone?

63,729 well thats the number i found on google

 

[Simalacrum]

pleh, it came into the bloody COUNTY I live in a while ago, let alone the country, and I still don't care.

 

[NeedAUserName]

When does a disease officially become a pandemic? Is there some sort of kill counter, or just gauged on the publics general fear of it?

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Hey, I'm just relaying the news. Also, why are you using wikipedia?

Was it incorrect? No? Then why not? You can criticize my use of crowdsourcing if the information's wrong, otherwise your comment is irrelevant. I used Wikipedia to show how easy it'd be to get said information.

For things like dry definitions or facts, I'm not so worried about bias or vandalism. Wikipedia can be useful as an abstract of sorts. As this is not a term paper, and my professor isn't expecting me to research original documents, Wikipedia's fine.

 

[MelziGurl]

Doctors are already telling patients that it's an over reaction. Me personally, I believe the doctors.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Oh good. My world domination plan is succeeding. I lure you all into a false sense of security and then...BOOM!! I release THE deadly strain of the virus. All will bow before me! MUH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

[t_rexaur]

You're only really in trouble if you have underlying health problems. Although I would assume normal flu would be just as bad if you had underlying health problems.

 

[esperandote]

this is how it started

 

[kaziard]

You do realize these labels speak to the spread and not to the lethality of a virus right? ugh who am i kidding there are always those who think the world is after them. So yes...um oh no...here comes another black plague...

well last time swine flu broke out it killed hundreds of millions, so this ringing in the back of peoples minds does not spread tranquility and calmness.

 

[Senial]

I hear that the disease is evolving and will eventually be transmittable through the internet

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I thought the W.H.O did that to try and get more attention than the C.D.C which seems to be taken more seriously, and less jumpy.

My thoughts exactly, though still this isn't something to be sniffed at. Yes we shouldn't bare down to our underclothes and take to the streets, but still we can't just be sitting there saying 'who cares?' many people care, and many more people will care if this spreads far enough and kills enough people. For now we will just have to wait and see.

 

[Senor Smoke21]

I'd completely forgotten about Swine Flu until I read about this on BBC. My reaction: "meh"
It's basically just regular flu with a good PR guy.
=]

 

[IxionIndustries]

Oh, really? I had forgotten about the swine flu... Until now!

Thanks, now I need to go buy some hand sanitizer, and one of those Hazmat suits.

 

[Wazaki]

FEAR THE BACONOCALYPSE!
Seriously, why haven't they gotten something new to whine about, like more anthrax mailings or increased risk of plane-bombings?