Swine flu

[cjsmith]

My information about the swine flu situation comes from two sources:

1) the WHO web site and the people who link to it

2) LJ and Facebook people going AAAAAAH NOBODY PANIC! STOP PANICKING! SERIOUSLY, CUT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!

Has anybody seen anybody panicking? The news may be full of stories describing panic; note the total lack of traditional news media in my info list above. Has anyone here seen or talked to someone who was off their nut about it?

Comments

[visgoth.livejournal.com]

Well, in the U.S., people have ready access to fever reducers and that sort of thing. The OTC drugs we take for granted are just not available to many people in the world, so fairly simple steps that we would take, they can't, and that can make the difference. Plus, in the US people are more likely to get medical attention, so they know what they should be taking and doing to get better. And despite the "obesity epidemic" we tend to be in better general health than a lot of people in poorer countries. Upshot of it is the benefits of living in a first-world nation makes a potentially deadly disease into an annoyance for most of us. People with compromised or undeveloped immune systems would still be at a high risk, but again, medical intervention could save many of them if they were to contract it.

At work we're already 24/7 so we haven't had to expand hours. For the most part our regular operations involve a lot of "make work" since we're there in case something important happens. So during a situation like this, we drop that stuff and focus on what is going on. Turnover is taking longer, so since I'm a shift lead I've ended up staying a half hour or so late, but that's no big deal.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ah, fatal for people with fewer medical resources? That is a picture that makes sense to me. Other less-"scary" flus can and do kill, too.

I'm glad you're not having to stay too late at work.

[gekko.livejournal.com]

The bigger fear seems to be that it is mild now, but won't be mild when it comes back this fall (as in the 1918 Spanish flu that keeps being thrown at us by the media). However, a) scientists don't think this strain has that kind of potential (but the media is quick to point out that it could! and they don't know! and panic anyways!) and b) that if it does turn into an even nastier version this fall, those that caught it this spring will be thanking their lucky stars they did, as this should mean they will have an immunity to it.