Swine-Flu outbreak 2009 - [AFLB] Pandemic or Annual event?

April'ish, 2009

Swine-Flu outbreak 2009 Pandemic or Annual event?

OK, I've been sitting back, watching the news, online links, reading the papers and listening/reading conversations online and at the cafe about the current 2009 Swine Flu "Pandemic".

Get Real!

In Canada alone last year, 4,000 people died from the Flu.

Just in Canada!
No one has died from this years Swine Flu - yet.

World-Wide, 2.2 Billion people catch the Flu annually. Over 100,000 die from it.

The only difference between the Annual Flu "epidemic" and this so-called "Pandemic" is the media and Political scuffling going on. 

Yes, this strain seems more virulent, and yes, it is wise to take measures to contain it, but, as I said, we must keep it all in context. 

• The first death in the US was a Mexican Baby that was too young to have a well developed immune system. 
• The first "patient-zero" was also a 5 year old child.

So, while concern should be expressed about this "outbreak", throwing words like "Pandemic" and "Epidemic", sowing the fear of "thousands of deaths" (which happens annually anyways...) or the Biblical "End of the World" on the front page of every newspaper does nothing to calm public fears - in fact, it only serves to inflame it, sell more newspapers and make politicians look good that they are "concerned" and "actively doing something about it".

* An alert should go out - Yes.
* People should be warned about the contagion - Yes.
* People should be washing their hands more often - Yes.
* People should reconsider visiting Mexico due to the "outbreak" of this strain of the Flu - Yes.
* People should be made to panic so as to enlarge profits of newspapers, political careers and cause emergency rooms to become flooded with hyper-aware and hyper-sensitive, overly-emotional "flu-infectees" - NO!

Now some facts about this Swine Flu:

• This year's flavour is a combination between FOUR different Viruses.
• This year's flavour has a mutation that allows person-to-person transmission. This is THE reason the WHO raised the Pandemic level to 4.
• The Swine (pigs) in this case, are considered "Mixing Vessels" for these four different strains to develop. It took one person to be the "superinfection" that started it all.
• Today (April 29), the WHO stated that a majority of people infected with this strain of Flu will make a full recovery without need of medical attention or antiviral drugs.
• Today, Spain confirmed a case in a person who had not travelled to Mexico - one they consider a "separate" but "similar strain".
• In March, in the small town of La Gloria, Veracruz, 60% of the population came down with the flu that became a serious respiratory illness, but no one died. In April, the 5 year old child became Patient Zero - from this very same town. No one else in this town has caught this Swine Flu...Hmmmmm.
• The first adult to die was a diabetic woman who died of respiratory complications.

Personally, I think that there is a lot of bull being slung around, confusing the facts and making the REAL people responsible for helping others work just that much harder.

I'm not saying this is a "non-event" - far from it, but we need to approach this outbreak with a better level of management and maturity. 

I, for one, will be washing my hands more often than I already do. I will try to avoid shaking hands if at all possible. Same with kissing strangers. (That's gonna put a cramp in my lifestyle!!!)

It's NOT the end of the world. But it is a serious problem and should be handled with a modicum of sanity.

And I will personally kick in the nuts anyone who tries to make hay out of this event.

That's just the way I see it...

May 3rd, 2022

WOW!  How prophetic can it get.  13 years before Covid-19 and all it's strains, and we should have known enough because common sense back then proved those measures work.

But enough folks believe the fringe extremists or publicity seekers who continually lie on all forms of media that common sense no longer applies.  That cures now include Veteranary supplies, bleach and some even worse suggested cures.

I just don't know what to say anymore.  I've tried for 13 years, and folks just would not listen.

Now look at the mess THEY got us into!

As always,

Peace!

Alter Funker.