Swine Flu outbreak

[Pardalis]

Any cases in Germany?

 

[WildCat]

And those reports say that this is nothing more than media hype?

The numbers don't lie.

Hysterical interpretations of those numbers, however...

 

[Pardalis]

They need to fill those hours at those round-the-clock news channels.

Pardalis may remember that, at least in Québec a few years back, it was Meningitis, and then Flesh-Eating Bacteria.

Yes, and my mother told me in the late seventies there was also a swine flu scare.

 

[Robster FCD]

All an epidemic is a statistically relevant number of cases above the baseline. It isn't a meaningless term, just not the meaning that you want.

This is a new strain, so any regional cases at all qualify as an epidemic.

A dozen cases of rabies in human in my state would be an epidemic, and would suggest that there was a new phenomenon.

 

[MattusMaximus]

The numbers don't lie.

Hysterical interpretations of those numbers, however...

Okay, so who exactly is being hysterical here? Certainly not me.

 

[Furcifer]

There are. It's been all over the news for the last couple of days.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...429/travel_ban_090429/20090429?hub=TopStories

Between the local news covering the Chrysler merger and the Star Trek marathon on Space I don't see much "new news".

 

[Belz...]

A Star Trek marathon... that sounds like a good idea...

And since I own every movie and series on DVD (except stupid Voyager), I actually CAN.

 

[Furcifer]

And since I own every movie and series on DVD (except stupid Voyager), I actually CAN.

Do you have the pilot episode of NG? DeForest Kelley did a cameo and I've never seen it aired again. I'm starting to think it was an illusion (brought on by H1N1).

 

[WildCat]

Okay, so who exactly is being hysterical here? Certainly not me.

Who said anything about anyone here?

How about Joe Biden this morning?

"I would tell members of my family -- and I have -- I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not that it's going to Mexico in a confined aircraft where one person sneezes, that goes all the way through the aircraft," Biden said on NBC's "Today" show.

"That's me," he said.

"I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway," he said. "From my perspective, this relates to mitigation. If you're out in the middle of the field and someone sneezes, that's one thing. If you're in a closed aircraft, a closed container, a closed car, a closed classroom, that's another thing."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7470281&page=1

 

[WildCat]

More hysterical overreaction: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-29-insufficient_N.htm

 

[Father Dagon]

Any cases in Germany?

I've read that there's one case in Finland. Close enough?

More hysterical overreaction: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-29-insufficient_N.htm

"Homeland Security Department"

 

[dudalb]

Is there cause for concern? Yes.
It is being overhyped by News Networks who have to find something to cover 24/7?
Yes.
Seems to me there is a middle ground between runnning around like Stephan King's "The Stand" is happening for real, and dismissing everything as Media Hype.

 

[dudalb]

More hysterical overreaction: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-29-insufficient_N.htm

Yes, there is hystrical overreaction. but I don't share your attiude that there is no need for concern.

 

[dudalb]

And Joe Biden shows he has a virus problem of his own: A Bad Case Of Foot In Mouth Disease.

 

[Furcifer]

More hysterical overreaction: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-29-insufficient_N.htm

Is it even realistic to think it could be contained? I thought a virus was most contagious before you exhibit symptoms.

 

[WildCat]

Reuters jumps in with the fear-mongering headline: Will pandemic be mild, or kill millions?

 

[Dymanic]

And Joe Biden shows he has a virus problem of his own: A Bad Case Of Foot In Mouth Disease.

Nope. Biden's recommendation was spot on: avoid crowded and enclosed spaces. We can't allow public health policy to be dictated by the pork industry, or the travel industry, or whatever other industry next finds itself inconvenienced by this event.

 

[Pardalis]

Reuters jumps in with the fear-mongering headline: Will pandemic be mild, or kill millions?

Subtlety is Reuters' motto.

 

[WildCat]

Nope. Biden's recommendation was spot on: avoid crowded and enclosed spaces. We can't allow public health policy to be dictated by the pork industry, or the travel industry, or whatever other industry next finds itself inconvenienced by this event.

So let's shut down the country?

 

[Dymanic]

So let's shut down the country?

Is that what he recommended?