Hallelujah, We're All Gonna Die

[THE KEELEDOVER KID]

I'm in the UK so it's kind of hard to gauge just how serious this swine flu thing actually is. I mean, the media is acting like the sky is falling, but that's pretty much how they are about everything, and the press has already cried wolf about anthrax, SARS and bird flu in the past decade so I'll more or less be skeptical until people start keeling over around me. A couple thoughts:

1. From Wikipedia,

On April 27, one person in Haugesund, Norway was being tested for swine flu, after returning from a vacation in Houston, Texas,[127] where there are no suspected cases of swine flu. Two people in their thirties are also tested for flu-like symptoms in Tromso after vacationing in Mexico [128]

The Norwegian government projects that in the worst case, 1.2 million Norwegians may fall ill and 13,000 may die.[129]

What? If there are no confirmed cases in Norway, where is the Norwegian government getting these "worst-case scenario" numbers? The "worst-case scenario" death toll worldwide is 120 million people, according to the papers here. The numbers so far are around 1,200 confirmed infections with 103 confirmed deaths. That's about an eight percent death toll so far, so 120 million deaths would require at least a sixth of the world to be infected based on these numbers. Where are they getting these projections from? Are they actually based on testing and research or is there just some guy in a white lab coat pulling numbers out of his ass somewhere? Maybe they have one of those computer programs like in "The Thing."

2. We really need to be more careful about naming these things. If I died of the bubonic plague, I really don't think I'd mind it all that much. That's a cool word, "bubonic." It sounds ominous, it sounds like something that can kill you. We're all gonna feel really stupid if we get wiped out by something called "swine flu."

 

[snuffbox]

Good post, Poopington.

 

[Czech]

Alarmist media bias.

 

[Jingus]

Swine flu is more virulent than SARS and the other usual 21st century suspects; there's already 150 deaths in Mexico attributed to this fucker. It's got around an 8% mortality rate, and the current outbreak mostly ignores our old vaccines. It was this disease (or a newly evolved strain which is practically identical to it) which caused the 1918 "spanish flu" outbreak. That one killed anywhere from 20 to 50 million people worldwide; in comparison, World War 1 killed about twelve million. This shit ain't no joke. However, you can always count on the usual aforementioned media alarmism to turn it from "something we might want to keep an eye on and not let it spread further" into "BUY YOUR GAS MASKS AND PENICILIN NOW AND YOU'RE STILL GONNA DIE ANYWAY".

 

[bigolsmitty]

Good post, Poopington.

This should be posted every time Poopington posts.

Looks like swine flu is mostly killing healthy young adults. I'm considering taking up smoking, drinking heavily, stopping exercise, and consuming solely read meat.

 

[stillnaive]

this could be the solution to the war on terror

 

[Kinetic]

I'm considering taking up smoking, drinking heavily, stopping exercise, and consuming solely read meat.

Hasn't hurt me any.

 

[Red Baron]

well at least it can curb the earths population.

 

[Precious Roy]

We were overdue for an outbreak. I anxiously await a google map charting the spread

 

[2GOLD]

We were overdue for an outbreak. I anxiously await a google map charting the spread

Call Dustin Hoffman, he'll handle this. And CNN did a map tonight and they really were acting way over the top crazy. I understand it's a dangerous bug but pointing out 1 case in Ohio and going psychotic doesn't help matters.

 

[Vitamin X]

Brandon Roy supposedly came down with flu-like symptoms while down in Houston. If this shit fucks with my favorite basketball team, I'ma fuck something up.

 

[sfaJack]

I think I read that one of the Game 4 referees injected him with a syringe of swine flu moments after they called him for charging Chuck Hayes.

 

[stillnaive]

the USMC released an advisory about the swine flu today.

their main message: it's not that big of a deal. wash your hands, stupid.

 

[Czech]

well at least it can curb the earths population.

Hey, I thought Eric was our Paul Ehrlich!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

We were overdue for an outbreak. I anxiously await a google map charting the spread

You mean like this one?

 

[BX]

Good post, Poopington.

This should be posted every time Poopington posts.

I'd fuck it up and say, "Good poop, Postington."

 

[vivisectvi]

The whole pandemic thing is a summer tradition for the last little while, no? This year businesses stand to profit at home, though. The economy is bad. Canada & the US don't want people travelling and spending their dollars outside of their respective countries. This "terrible swine flu" is the latest "stimulus" to hit the public in order to encourage them to "spend at home."

 

[stillnaive]

from sen claire mccaskill (d-mo)'s twitter:

Sec Napolitano & CDC briefed us at lunch re Swine flu. Amazd to find out we've36,000 deaths &200,000 hospitalzed a year in USA from reg flu.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

The whole pandemic thing is a summer tradition for the last little while, no? This year businesses stand to profit at home, though. The economy is bad. Canada & the US don't want people travelling and spending their dollars outside of their respective countries. This "terrible swine flu" is the latest "stimulus" to hit the public in order to encourage them to "spend at home."

GTA got its first confirmed case today.

 

[King Cucaracha]

We were overdue for an outbreak. I anxiously await a google map charting the spread

Call Dustin Hoffman, he'll handle this. And CNN did a map tonight and they really were acting way over the top crazy. I understand it's a dangerous bug but pointing out 1 case in Ohio and going psychotic doesn't help matters.

I'm sure it helps their ratings. If you're scared, you'll watch.

You've got to love the way the news report stuff like this in a way. Alarmist opening, followed by rational explanation of issue, followed by alarmist follow-up story. Pass on message not to panic issued by experts, then transition seamlessly into a death toll and maybe interview people on the street asking them if they're scared yet. No lie, at the moment the news here is currently at a cemetery where the first person who died in Mexico was buried.

And it's annoying because I've had a cold since Friday and even I found myself questioning for a second whether I'd come into contact with anyone from Mexico. Even though I'm 99% certain I've never met anyone who's ever been to Mexico in my life.

 

[Slayer]

Clearly we need to quarantine VX for his own good

 

[Precious Roy]

The whole pandemic thing is a summer tradition for the last little while, no? This year businesses stand to profit at home, though. The economy is bad. Canada & the US don't want people travelling and spending their dollars outside of their respective countries. This "terrible swine flu" is the latest "stimulus" to hit the public in order to encourage them to "spend at home."

I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter

 

[Precious Roy]

from sen claire mccaskill (d-mo)'s twitter:

Sec Napolitano & CDC briefed us at lunch re Swine flu. Amazd to find out we've36,000 deaths &200,000 hospitalzed a year in USA from reg flu.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

Flu kills a lot of old and/or frail people with weak immune systems. Check the obits, you'll see lots of old people who catch a bad cold and it's considered the cause of death. People with AIDS get destroyed by the flu.

 

[2GOLD]

from sen claire mccaskill (d-mo)'s twitter:

Sec Napolitano & CDC briefed us at lunch re Swine flu. Amazd to find out we've36,000 deaths &200,000 hospitalzed a year in USA from reg flu.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

Flu kills a lot of old and/or frail people with weak immune systems. Check the obits, you'll see lots of old people who catch a bad cold and it's considered the cause of death. People with AIDS get destroyed by the flu.

Don't forget young kids who can be completely destroyed by it as well.

My cousin just went on a cruise to Mexico so I expect myself to be dead in three weeks. BYE EVERYBODY HAVE A GOOD TIME!

 

[vivisectvi]

The whole pandemic thing is a summer tradition for the last little while, no? This year businesses stand to profit at home, though. The economy is bad. Canada & the US don't want people travelling and spending their dollars outside of their respective countries. This "terrible swine flu" is the latest "stimulus" to hit the public in order to encourage them to "spend at home."

GTA got its first confirmed case today.

GTA is up to 4 "mild" cases now where those suffering are "recovering at home" - 3 in York Region and 1 in Durham.

Roy's right about who the flu usually kills, though. It's the same as SARS. Most of the people who died from that were either elderly or had pre-existing conditions and/or compromised immune systems. Of course there's little kids and babies too, but I can't remember if SARS got any of them or not. The regular young and healthy schmo who takes care of themselves has nothing to worry about.

I would be interested in seeing the stats on the 150+ that have died in Mexico. If only because clearly it's an entirely different climate when it comes to healthcare down there.

 

[bigolsmitty]

Roy's right about who the flu usually kills, though. It's the same as SARS. Most of the people who died from that were either elderly or had pre-existing conditions and/or compromised immune systems. Of course there's little kids and babies too, but I can't remember if SARS got any of them or not. The regular young and healthy schmo who takes care of themselves has nothing to worry about.

I would be interested in seeing the stats on the 150+ that have died in Mexico. If only because clearly it's an entirely different climate when it comes to healthcare down there.

Me, earlier in thread.

Looks like swine flu is mostly killing healthy young adults.

You don't have to take my word for it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30426170/

 

[Danville_Wrestling]

I also wonder if the horrible pollution in Mexico City may have already made people's respiratory systems unable to cope with a serious bug like this or if there was another local virus going around along with swine flu that resulted in the deaths.

 

[SFH]

.

 

[THE KEELEDOVER KID]

We've been waiting all this time for the pigs to fly, and finally, the swine have flu....



Thank you, thank you.

I've been trying to come up with a joke about this since Monday morning. Well played.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

We should have listened to Porky the Prophet.