Trapped inside by the flu :(

Update: Yay, things seem to be calming down, finally. I'm sick of this whole thing.

Edit: Um, yeah, I should probably mention from the beginning that I'm in Mexico City.

Ugh. It's all going crazy. The numbers are getting scary and all the people I know who work in Health Stuff have sent e-mails or called warning that it's more serious that the government is letting on (I mean, not that anyone trusts the government anyways, but yeah). Then again, the media always makes everything as dramatic as they can, so maybe it's all exaggerated. Since all levels of school are cancelled and my Dad works at the University and my Mom works at home, we've decided to go into total lock-down. This morning we did our last bulk shopping trip at Costco and we're holing up for at least the 10 or so days there's no school. Or mass or concerts or museums or anything. Or gym.

Also, I am not enjoying being stuck here with my family. It's like Big Brother or something. I mean yeah, love the family and all, but we don't usually spend that much time squashed together. My older sister is going completely bonkers and paranoic and getting my Dad (they are one of a kind) all riled up. I'm not even going to go into all the hypocresy and drama she stirred up, single-handed, when I had to leave the house this afternoon.

Ah, well. I'm very thankful we're safe and can stay at home and aren't sick, and as far as I know my friends and family are all good, too. But with one thing and another I am slowly going crazy. Why did it have to be here in Mexico City? Right here? I'm worried and scared and bored. I'm torn between relief that my Electromagnetism exam is postponed and fear because the numbers just went up again and are we really even safe here, maybe I should wipe the door handles with alcohol again?

I dunno, I just kind of wanted to vent and see what's going on in the rest of the world. Are they talking about the flu on the international news a lot?

ROFL I will try not to

hmmm...how does you know if you have the regular flu in comparison to the swine flu?  From what I've been reading, the symptoms sound exactly the same or is it more like a stronger strain of the flu virus and you wouldn't know until you're tested?

Darn it, I only get paranoid about stomach viruses--not the common cold or the flu, so now I'm going to be jumpy every time a coworker sneezes or coughs!

People are over-reacting. Seriously. Unless you're in Mexico there's really nothing to worry about. The only people who've died are in Mexico and scientist think it's because the virus has been going around there for a while. They even said the strains found outside of Mexico weren't even the same. 

This is like when people started freaking out over SARS. 

Actually, a two-year old child died in Texas from this swine flu strain. It is quite serious.

However, I don't believe it's any more "serious" than the "usual" influenza, which causes thousands of deaths every year and for that reason is taken seriously...

OK. One two year old... 

I don't understand how this is "quite serious". More people die from the regular flu every year. People are paying attention to the media hype way too much. Follow the regular precautions for the flu...

Look at the numbers. www.cnn.com

Uh, that is my point, did you not read what I said? The regular influenza viruses ARE serious, in my opinion 36,000 deaths a year is serious. So yes, I consider this swine flu to be serious as well. As I said already - it's not any more serious than the usual flu but yes - it's "serious."

I read what you said. We just don't agree. I think this swine flu thing is ridiculous. 

Phase 5. One more to go.

Mexico City update. By now almost everyone I've talked to knows someone who got it and/or died. A classmate of my sister's apparently got sick, but he's ok now. From the description I heard, it seems pretty nasty. In the press conferences they keep changing the numbers, the updates they're supposedly giving us are becoming more and more confusing and pointless. 

I think ridiculous is a bit harsh, but of course none of us are probably informed enough to say. True, the media are going all crazy and stuff as usual, but I think there's some severity to the issue. They don't cancel school and close restaurants and concerts and mass and restaurants for the normal flu season.

At any rate, my family has decided to err on the side of precaution.

Original Post by r_newt:

Phase 5. One more to go.

I think ridiculous is a bit harsh, but of course none of us are probably informed enough to say. True, the media are going all crazy and stuff as usual, but I think there's some severity to the issue. They don't cancel school and close restaurants and concerts and mass and restaurants for the normal flu season.

At any rate, my family has decided to err on the side of precaution.

The media here hasn't went wild,imho. It's been downplayed considerably. A lot of jokes have been made about the whole thing. It actually seems like a non-issue to most people. However: Authorities are scrambling to contain a swine flu outbreak. They didn't just shut everything down for fun. That's serious. Stay informed. Stay home.. and Stay Safe!

 ( btw: Check out some of the funny stuff on the Colbert Report.  Serious can be made funny. )

It's as serious as the common which can be deadly too.

 It's disturbing that people make it out to be a complete joke. It's not completely hysterical. I assure you that it's serious for those that die from it. Some people have to be personally affected by something for it to be significant. That's silly, imho.

Fact: It's a real/serious concern for people on the death toll and their families.

Seriously, enchanted? The Daily Show showed clips from all the major news networks. The way they were making out this swine flu was that it was the end of the world. I think the only people who need to be worried, to be honest, are people who are in Mexico or who have travelled to Mexico. And the baby in the US that died was visiting from Mexico. 

It seems that the swine flu is becoming much more "serious" as time goes on. With the CDC raising the pandemic level to a 5 today, the incidence of this flu will likely grow rapidly very soon. The CDC has also said that after observing the recent infections, the infection emerging in the states may be associated with a more severe illness than that experienced in mexico.

An H1N1 type flu may not be a problem for many people, but this isn't the typical H1N1 flu either. The fact that this flu originated in swine means that it has undergone an antigenic shift, leaving just about everyone susceptible regardless of previous vaccination. Another factor to consider is the fact that this virus triggers a cytokine storm, pushing your immune system into overdrive and putting you at serious risk. With this type of virus, its usually the people with a healthy immune system that die.

This is the same scenario as the spanish flu back in 1918. Antigenic shift of an H1N1 flu virus caused a jump into humans and killed many through the release of a cytokine storm. That pandemic made 36,000 deaths per year look like a walk in the park. Total deaths from the spanish flu may have been as high as 200 million worldwide. That's not what were looking at right now, but certainly the swine flu has the potential to become much worse.

It's only 36,000 deaths in the US per year. Worldwide the numbers go as high as 500,000 per year.

Sim--I see your point and I agree that this issue shouldn't be handled lightly...but I think we should also acknowledge the fact that our medical advancements have come a long way since the 1918 outbreak.

I doubt there would have been nearly as many deaths during the spanish flu if they had the same technology as we have now...

Original Post by amy_blue:

Uh, that is my point, did you not read what I said? The regular influenza viruses ARE serious, in my opinion 36,000 deaths a year is serious. So yes, I consider this swine flu to be serious as well. As I said already - it's not any more serious than the usual flu but yes - it's "serious."

^ Exactly.

alibsam, Adding " Only " to the fact doesn't make it seem less significant to anyone. Seriously? Seriously!

Original Post by alibsam:

It's only 36,000 deaths in the US per year.

  Yeah. That's nothing. Phft.

Original Post by simwaves1:

It seems that the swine flu is becoming much more "serious" as time goes on. With the CDC raising the pandemic level to a 5 today, the incidence of this flu will likely grow rapidly very soon. The CDC has also said that after observing the recent infections, the infection emerging in the states may be associated with a more severe illness than that experienced in mexico.

An H1N1 type flu may not be a problem for many people, but this isn't the typical H1N1 flu either. The fact that this flu originated in swine means that it has undergone an antigenic shift, leaving just about everyone susceptible regardless of previous vaccination. Another factor to consider is the fact that this virus triggers a cytokine storm, pushing your immune system into overdrive and putting you at serious risk. With this type of virus, its usually the people with a healthy immune system that die.

This is the same scenario as the spanish flu back in 1918. Antigenic shift of an H1N1 flu virus caused a jump into humans and killed many through the release of a cytokine storm. That pandemic made 36,000 deaths per year look like a walk in the park. Total deaths from the spanish flu may have been as high as 200 million worldwide. That's not what were looking at right now, but certainly the swine flu has the potential to become much worse.

 Exactly.  It isn't 1918 anymore so Medical advancements of been made to our technology. That's a given but still yet: The regular flu takes a respectable toll each year. Therefore, this is still a serious and very real concern. Anyone that thinks 36,000 isn't serious is ridiculous, imho. That's with our wonderful medical advancements.

"We're so very high tech it ONLY kills 36,000 of us a year." 

Original Post by enchantingimage:

Original Post by amy_blue:

Uh, that is my point, did you not read what I said? The regular influenza viruses ARE serious, in my opinion 36,000 deaths a year is serious. So yes, I consider this swine flu to be serious as well. As I said already - it's not any more serious than the usual flu but yes - it's "serious."

^ Exactly.

 

alibsam, Adding " Only " to the fact doesn't make it seem less significant to anyone. Seriously? Seriously!

 

I'm glad you know how to read. Now learn how to understand. There have been under 50 confirmed deaths from this swine flu. People are freaking out and acting like it's the end of days. I was pointing out the fact that up to 500,000 people worldwide die from the regular flu each year and no one gets up in arms about that. 

When you study reading comprehension get back to me. 

Original Post by alibsam:

Original Post by enchantingimage:

Original Post by amy_blue:

Uh, that is my point, did you not read what I said? The regular influenza viruses ARE serious, in my opinion 36,000 deaths a year is serious. So yes, I consider this swine flu to be serious as well. As I said already - it's not any more serious than the usual flu but yes - it's "serious."

^ Exactly.

 

alibsam, Adding " Only " to the fact doesn't make it seem less significant to anyone. Seriously? Seriously!

 

I'm glad you know how to read. Now learn how to understand. There have been under 50 confirmed deaths from this swine flu. People are freaking out and acting like it's the end of days. I was pointing out the fact that up to 500,000 people worldwide die from the regular flu each year and no one gets up in arms about that. 

When you study reading comprehension get back to me. 

 Correction: You aren't all up in arms about that fact. Some people take safety precautions each year. It's a very real concern for them every single year. You can disagree with everyone,but numbers aren't helping. It's still high enough to amount to a serious concern. People stay informed in order to take necessary action. Nobody is under the impression it's complete doom and gloom. Everyone is just saying that it isn't a complete joke. It's not a completely ridiculous issue void of careful consideration. I disagree with your point. That's all.

" I read what you said. We just don't agree." <- That concept only applies to you?... because it held significance to you personally. Huh.. Grow up.

No, I'm not all up in arms. You're right about that. I never said I was. I said everyone else is. The media is portraying this as the end of days. I didn't say there shouldn't be concern.... I said it's unnecessary to freak out. I'm grown up enough, thanks. I just don't have the patience for people being ridiculous. Worry about yourself instead of my opinion on this "pandemic". 

Original Post by alibsam:

No, I'm not all up in arms. You're right about that. I never said I was. I said everyone else is. The media is portraying this as the end of days. I didn't say there shouldn't be concern.... I said it's unnecessary to freak out. I'm grown up enough, thanks. I just don't have the patience for people being ridiculous. Worry about yourself instead of my opinion on this "pandemic". 

 Ahem.

"I was pointing out the fact that up to 500,000 people worldwide die from the regular flu each year and no one gets up in arms about that." The correction is that you can only speak for yourself. 

 The correct way to phrase that would be: " I was pointing out the fact that up to 500,000 people worldwide die from the regular flu each year and I don't get up in arms about that."

Comprehension: Some people take safety precautions each year. It's a very real concern for them every single year. Some people are quite concerned without being "ridiculous." They stay informed so they can take whatever safety precautions necessary. It's not ridiculous to be concerned over something serious.