Swine flu raises fear of pandemic - Adults and Children

Nurses COVID

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
Millions of people across the United Stated today have become infected with hysteria. Hysteria is very highly contagious, and is caused by the hype virus. The hype virus is spread by the media. To avoid becoming infected, don't even believe anything that comes out of those talking heads on the television. Turn that mess off, and go out for some air. (Don't forget your mask.)

Well said. :up: I totally and absolutely agree. The mass media makes money by whipping the public up into a panic. Every year has a new menace to humanity.

Whatever happened to Ebola, SARS, Avian bird flu, West Nile Virus, Small Pox, Anthrax, depleted ozone leading to millions of white people dying of melanoma, California falling into the ocean, alien abductions, the invasion of the body snatchers. :smokin:

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Stupid gits. Why would you send your kid to school if they had flu-like symptoms?

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
I have been watching this breaking news with much interest. Unfortunately, I can only come up with one conclusion. The zombies are coming, the zombies are coming to eat our flesh. We had best be ready...

They're coming to get you Barbara.

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Zombies!!!!!

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Specializes in School Nursing.
of course, the meat industry is still going to continue to use factory farming...where millions of animals are confined in unsanitary conditions and given CONSTANT doses of antibiotics, just to ensure that superbugs, immune to standard treatment, are definitely going to develop.

70% of all US produced antibiotics are given directly to factory farmed meat animals to promote growth.*

Measles, TB, Smallpox, Influenza, and Pertussis all mutated from domesticated animals before becoming human diseases. (this is why hunter-gathered populations tend to be the ones wiped out by pandemic disease from groups of people who keep domesticated animals.) the idea of giving factory farm animals antibiotics in every meal is absolutely horrifying, and contributes hugely to the risk of a drug-resistant pandemic. buy free range and organic meat if you really care about preventing pandemics...or better yet, go vegetarian.

*source: Mellon M, Benbrook C, Benbrook KL. Hogging It: Estimates of Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock. Cambridge, MA:Union of Concerned Scientists, 2001.

Since this is a viral illness, I fail to see how antibiotic use in meat animals is connected. Don't get me wrong, I do not support current farm practices, but I think your statements are inflammatory and statements like that are a big part of the reason that people dog on vegetarians (which I am one).

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Whatever happened to Ebola, SARS, Avian bird flu, West Nile Virus, Small Pox, Anthrax, depleted ozone leading to millions of white people dying of melanoma, California falling into the ocean, alien abductions, the invasion of the body snatchers. :smokin:
The difference being that we're actually seeing an outbreak here. Whether or not it turns out to be a pandemic remains to be seen. While I agree that the commercial media hypes everything it can, it would be foolish not to inform people that we might be at the beginning of something big.
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Atomicwoman etc. - viruses can also mutate at an alarming rate resulting in antiviral resistance (check out HIV).

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Specializes in student; help!.

I think it's worth keeping in mind that more than 30,000 people in the US died of flu-related complications in 2003 (CDC numbers), so seeing something like 100 die from swine flu isn't exactly earth-shattering. Flu is epidemic, that's nothing new. People die of it every year, so let's not make this into a pandemic just yet. Not knowing the transmission rates, or, more importantly, infection rates, makes it hard to figure mortality rates. It may be that this is no more deadly than your average flu virus and people are just latching onto the "swine" part becaues of its historical connotations.

In the meantime, wash your hands. If you have a fever, STAY HOME. Cover your cough. WASH YOUR HANDS.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
The difference being that we're actually seeing an outbreak here. Whether or not it turns out to be a pandemic remains to be seen. While I agree that the commercial media hypes everything it can it would be foolish not to inform people that we might be at the beginning of something big.[/quote']

Have you ever read the story 'The Boy Who Cried Wold'? It's from Aesops Fables. The media reminds me of that boy. When a real threat does come along, no one will pay attention because they've sounded a false alarm so many times just to get attention.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I plan to wear a hazmat suit whenever leaving the house. It's the only way to ensure my personal safety in the face of this menace. ;)

hazmat_suit.jpg

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
I'm readying my Hazmat suit as I type this. For those with no Hazmat suit, I suggest garbage bags and rubber bands.

I see a brilliant colleague has already suggested this idea. :up: Perhaps we can organize a group discount.

http://www.disposable-garments.com/biohazard_suits.html?_vsrefdom=ppc&kw=hazmat%20suits&gclid=CL6h8KytkZoCFQ9JagodLz7_LQ

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There is some indication that the World Health Organization (WHO) will raise the Pandemic Threat Level today. I would urge everyone to consider whether or not you will work during a pandemic.

See this thread: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/will-you-work-258506.html

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