Off Topic · swine flu virus (page 2)

Posted by sidsanders:

wasnt the point of the link to show that maaaaany folks die from the "normal" flu in huge numbers and that doesnt seem to phase the "media"...

Yes, I think that was the point, however I don't know how valid that point is. This is something that has not only caused media attention but also attention from the CDC and WHO. There is a vaccine for the "normal" flu virus, and none for this one yet. Also, 9 in 10 deaths attributed to the "normal" flu virus happen in the 65 and over age range....not the case so far with the swine flu.

Nothing so far is cause for panic, but to not be concerned about the issue would be short sighted IMO.

what can you do that most folks arent though? this seems like bird flu v2.

hilarious advice i just got in an email on how to prevent contracting the virus:

Most of the flu deaths in Mexico are those in the 20's, 30's and 40's. It appears that a strong immune system causes a strong auto-immune response, which is killing those in their prime. Until an effective vaccine is developed, there seems to be only one sure method to survive this potentially deadly illness; keep you immune system suppressed to avoid an over response. My personal plan is to stay up late, get very little sleep and drink a lot. Its back to the 1960's: sex, drugs and rock and roll, plus plenty of wine, well maybe just the wine and rock and roll anyway. Its up to you to find your own methods.

Good luck.

[Edited by - PresIke on 04-29-2009 4:18 PM]

Posted by orangeblobman:

Posted by BRIGGS:

I went and bought enough food water etc.. for a month+ today. Just in case they start shutting places to clean up sanitize or whatever--I thought it would be wise to have a good supply of extra necessities. If I hear anything more serious I wont hesitate pulling my kids out of school for a week. Id rather be safe and prepared than sorry.

Way to over-react

If you are a parent, I doubt you make that statement.

Its not about being a parent or not, its about being a weak individual. I actually AM a parent, and I say BRIGGS way overreacted like a pussy.

Posted by orangeblobman:

Its not about being a parent or not, its about being a weak individual. I actually AM a parent, and I say BRIGGS way overreacted like a pussy.

I over reacted by stocking up on extra food and water? OK

Posted by orangeblobman:

Its not about being a parent or not, its about being a weak individual. I actually AM a parent, and I say BRIGGS way overreacted like a pussy.

orangeblobman...think you can cut out the personal insults?

What if this will be Lion flu or Tiger flu?
It will be no problem then.
People will still die... but this will not be so embarrassing.

Posted by Andrew:

Posted by orangeblobman:

Its not about being a parent or not, its about being a weak individual. I actually AM a parent, and I say BRIGGS way overreacted like a pussy.

orangeblobman...think you can cut out the personal insults?

sorry, Andrew. It wasn't meant to be a personal insult. I appologize BRIGGS. I just really think that for the benefit of your family and our society, we mustn't overreact to swine influenzas.

Again, I am sorry for crossing the line. It was not my intent. Best wishes, orangeblobman.

Posted by arkrud:

What if this will be Lion flu or Tiger flu?
It will be no problem then.
People will still die... but this will not be so embarrassing.

lol

it turns out that this swine flu is more dangerous than i had understood. there are 51 cases in new york! and there is no cure! is there acure??

the basics:

What is H1N1 swine flu? (updated 4/29/09)

H1N1 Swine Influenza (H1N1 swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs.

People do not normally get H1N1 swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. H1N1 swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited.


How serious is H1N1 swine flu infection? (updated 4/29/09)

Like seasonal flu, H1N1 swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe.

From 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of H1N1 swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. A H1N1 swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 causing more than 200 cases with serious illness and resulting in one fatality.

Recent history and unfolding current events clearly show that H1N1 swine flu infection can be serious.


Is this virus contagious? (updated 4/29/09)

CDC and WHO have determined that this virus is contagious and it is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, the incubation period has not been determined.


How does H1N1 swine flu spread? (updated 4/29/09)

According to the WHO and CDC, the spread of this virus appears to be happening in the same way traditional, seasonal flu viruses are spread.

Influenza viruses are spread mainly from coughing and/or sneezing, where germs are spread from person to person. Sometimes people may become infected because they've touched something with the H1N1 swine flu virus on it and then touched their mouth or nose.


What are the signs and symptoms of the virus? (updated 4/29/09)

The symptoms of H1N1 swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu. (Keep in mind that we are still in the current flu season.)

These symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Additionally, diarrhea and vomiting have also been associated with reported H1N1 swine flu cases. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with H1N1 swine flu infection in people.


Are there medicines to treat influenza viruses, including H1N1 swine flu? (updated 4/29/09)

Yes. CDC is recommending the use of prescription antivirals for the treatment influenza viruses, including H1N1 swine flu.

Always follow the advice of your healthcare provider regarding the best course of treatment for your personal situation.


Is there an incubation period or a period of time when someone with the H1N1 swine flu can infect others? (updated 4/29/09)

A person with the H1N1 swine flu may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after they become sick.

That means that you may be able to pass on the H1N1 swine flu to someone else before you know you are ill, as well as while you are ill. That's one of the reasons the WHO and CDC have recommended that people who are sick stay home from work or school.


How long can an infected person spread H1N1 swine flu to others? (updated 4/29/09)

Per the WHO and CDC, people with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possibly for up to 7 days following the onset of their illness. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.


How long can viruses live outside the body? (updated 4/29/09)

We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent hand washing helps to reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.


Where can I find information about H1N1 Swine Flu? (updated 4/28/09)

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control are excellent sources for information on this evolving health concern. Information available on their Web sites includes status reports, frequently asked questions, definitions, symptoms of the illness, and where to turn for help and information:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/index.html

Just a little background info from the micribiology class. Viruses do not belong to any Kingdom. They are not considered "alive" nor "nonliving"(like a chemical or an element).They are made up of the same basic molecules that are shared by all living things on this planet. But they do lack certain abilities that any living organism has. The reason why they are not considered alive is because they don't eat, drink, breathe, excrete or any other activity that falls under even basic metabolism. Only things they have is 1 or 2 outer shells, DNA-like material inside and hook-and-inject mechanism. Once inside a living organism, they attach to a living cell(sometimes a certain type only, like noze/throat or liver), and inject their DNA-like material inside. That is the only activity they perform of any kind, ever. Thats their "life" cycle. The reason why they are not considered"non-living" is because once the DNA is inside a living cell, the cell recognizes it as its own and adapts its life cycle to what the virus DNA tells it to do. It tells the cell to make more viruses. Certain strains can also cause the cell to become cancerous. So to continue, the cell creates many pieces of viral DNA-like stuff, viral outer shells, and the "hook+inject" mechanisms then assembles them together until the point that there is no more space inside. Cell bursts open, and new generation of viruses is released into the host. After bursting open the cell dies. This is the reason why medication cannot kill them directly- because the only time they are "alive" is when they take over our own cells. And we can't kill our own cells. The few medications that we have developed for certain viruses are either vaccines which you have to get b4 infection for them to be useful, or medications that prevent the viruses from attaching and injecting. Problem with those is that they are only effective in the very beginning of an infection and once the virus had a chance to multiply in the body they lose their effectiveness. Good news is that our bodies have been fighting viruses forever. So we got d-fence. And it takes us a while (at least a few days for most viruses)to catch up and eventually produce enough "defenders" for the viruses to get outnumbered and kicked out of the body. Problem is, there are some viruses that are smart. Once injected into the cell their DNA tells the cell nothing at first. So the infected cells keep dividing and doing their normal functions like nothing happened. This can last years and depending on the virus sometimes nothing will happen at all. Usually not tho, because they do need to infect new hosts, so the DNA will at some point activate and tell the cell to stop everything and start producing only virus spare parts to assemble and release.

Now , something like AIDS does all of the above and more. Its smart, where it wount activate right away and the type of cells it attaches to are our "defender" cells. So not only the body can't fight the AIdS off but it also becomes at some point unable to defend itself against most other diseases.Alrite, back to swine flu. So you can't get swine flu from eating meat because its only travels by air. So lets eat more meat and feel like it has nothing to do with it and you are not at a greater rick, right? Well wrong , because you and every1 else that eats meat or pork are putting the whole humanity at risk because huge farms is where this stuff comes from, along with other neat diseases that you can get from eating meat. So eat less meat.

i found another funny picture, look at it, here, look:


hey, i will NEVER stop eating meat. its my nature as a carnivorous mammal-- to eat only celery is deathly wrong, imho.

but your schtick on viruses has made me curious. are viruses, in effect, a null-state within the universe?

Actually why "Swine Flu" not "Pig flu"?
In Russian Pig sounds "Svinja"... Is this why?



[Edited by - arkrud on 04-30-2009 8:31 PM]

Posted by arkrud:

Actually why "Swine Flu" not "Pig flu"?
In Russian Pig sounds "Svinja"... Is this why?



[Edited by - arkrud on 04-30-2009 8:31 PM]

I think you're onto something...

Posted by orangeblobman:

i found another funny picture, look at it, here, look:


hey, i will NEVER stop eating meat. its my nature as a carnivorous mammal-- to eat only celery is deathly wrong, imho.

but your schtick on viruses has made me curious. are viruses, in effect, a null-state within the universe?

People who get sick with swine flu reincarnate into pigs in their next live...
Eddy Cury however can get sick only with elephant flu; he is to big for the pig.

Posted by arkrud:

Posted by orangeblobman:

i found another funny picture, look at it, here, look:


hey, i will NEVER stop eating meat. its my nature as a carnivorous mammal-- to eat only celery is deathly wrong, imho.

but your schtick on viruses has made me curious. are viruses, in effect, a null-state within the universe?

People who get sick with swine flu reincarnate into pigs in their next live...
Eddy Cury however can get sick only with elephant flu; he is to big for the pig.

LOL!

Posted by orangeblobman:

i found another funny picture, look at it, here, look:


hey, i will NEVER stop eating meat. its my nature as a carnivorous mammal-- to eat only celery is deathly wrong, imho.

but your schtick on viruses has made me curious. are viruses, in effect, a null-state within the universe?

not sure what you mean by null-state, but some of them can survive for very long times and without oxygen, like in outer space. The only catch is that they need a host to multiply.

Posted by arkrud:

Posted by orangeblobman:

i found another funny picture, look at it, here, look:


hey, i will NEVER stop eating meat. its my nature as a carnivorous mammal-- to eat only celery is deathly wrong, imho.

but your schtick on viruses has made me curious. are viruses, in effect, a null-state within the universe?

People who get sick with swine flu reincarnate into pigs in their next live...
Eddy Cury however can get sick only with elephant flu; he is to big for the pig.

Posted by orangeblobman:

Posted by arkrud:

Posted by orangeblobman:

i found another funny picture, look at it, here, look:


hey, i will NEVER stop eating meat. its my nature as a carnivorous mammal-- to eat only celery is deathly wrong, imho.

but your schtick on viruses has made me curious. are viruses, in effect, a null-state within the universe?

People who get sick with swine flu reincarnate into pigs in their next live...
Eddy Cury however can get sick only with elephant flu; he is to big for the pig.

LOOOOOOOOOLLL
Be aware of Animal Protection Organization - you can be easily labeled like animal hater after this.