At least one group of researchers says the current swine flu strain isn’t particularly deadly – so far.
Addendum: The researchers may be confident, but Biden wants you to run for the hills!
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April 30, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Moonshadow
Whatever the scientists and researchers say, the simple fact of the matter is that our media and bloggers (sorry Eric) have blown this all out of proportion. For one thing, even if it is a deadlier strain of flu than the usual seasonal variety a few simple steps can go a long way toward minimizing it. One: simple frequent soap and water hand washing. Two: cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. Three: keeping your distance (~ 6ft ) from those likely to be contagious. Four: not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially after touching a potentially contaminated surface including other people.
April 30, 2009 at 4:46 pm
olmanriver
As the person whose comments are most likelygetting Eric blamed for blowing things out of proportion…I totally agree with you. My point in posting so many alternative media perspectives was not to fan the flames of fear so much as to present the alternative views on the subject, and suggest that vigilant observing is called for.
What I watch is how this event is another practice round for the mass event responders, the media hypers, and dull humanity to get led around.
Thanks moonshadow for a little common sense.
April 30, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Eric Kirk
I’m not blowing anything out of proportion. Joe Biden told me to stay off the trains and “confined spaces.” We’re all going to die, that’s all.
April 30, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Moonshadow
Okay Eric . . . then this site is right up your alley . . .
http://doihaveswineflu.org/
April 30, 2009 at 5:39 pm
olmanriver
“A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.
Vivienne Allan, from WHO’s patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths – all in Mexico – and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.”
Huh?
April 30, 2009 at 5:50 pm
olmanriver
Isn’t it the mutations that we need to be scared about?
April 30, 2009 at 5:55 pm
olmanriver
And does anyone even remember last week’s torture trail memo release and what was said? Whew, glad the mainstream press didn’t have to cover that one for long!
May 1, 2009 at 7:44 am
olmanriver
Aporkalype Now is officially over…it is now the Mexican flu.
May 1, 2009 at 7:48 am
Moonshadow
Actually the CDC started calling it H1N1 flu with swine in parenthesis a day or more ago.
May 1, 2009 at 7:49 am
Moonshadow
and WHO is calling it “influenza A(H1N1)”
May 1, 2009 at 8:12 am
Moonshadow
I got this in one of my ag newsletters today . . .
New flu strain not found in U.S. swine herds
May 1, 2009 at 8:45 am
Moonshadow
Hmmmmm . . . here’s an interesting result of the flu outbreak . . .
Flu outbreak diverts Mexico’s cruises to S.F.
May 1, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Eric Kirk
To further drive the point about panic and misinformation, it now appears that WHO can confirm only 15 deaths actually caused by the virus in question, or at least at last count. It appears most of the reported deaths were from other causes, possibly more run-of-the-mill flu strains.
May 1, 2009 at 1:08 pm
olmanriver
Thanks Eric, it was getting hard to breathe with three masks on, and bank tellers were looking nervous when I would ask for a withdrawal.
May 1, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Sally
Speaking of blowing things out of proportion:
From Slate:
“What better way to sneak a virus into this country than to give it to Mexicans?…Get it going real good and hot south of the border, then just spread a rumor that there’s construction jobs available.”
– radio host Neal Boortz
“Make no mistake about it. Illegal aliens are carriers of the new strain of human swine avian flu from Mexico… Could this be a terrorist attack…?”
– radio host Michael Savage
May 1, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Moonshadow
Yep . . . lots of media hysteria . . . tho’ the LA Times published an article today that directly addresses that very phenomenon . . .
Hyping swine flu isn’t really healthy
And therein lies the rub . . . media today seems to simply be unable to accurately convey important information.
May 1, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Eric Kirk
Well, those numbers were reported by Mexican medical officials, and were only lowered by the WHO. I don’t know that the media could have done any better than it did. Nevertheless, it appears that the strain is nowhere near as dangerous as reported. Not presently anyway.
May 1, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Moonshadow
Eric . . . I don’t know that it is as much about the numbers as the way in which the information has been reported. As the LA Times article pointed out some questions were simply asked in what can only be characterized as an overly sensational manner. Add to that the right-wing bloggers and news types who are using this outbreak and story for their own xenophobic aims and we have a ready made stew of misinformation and demagoguery . . .
I think this article on AlterNet makes the point very well . . .
Michelle Malkin and Michael Savage Use Swine Flu Crisis to Peddle Their Xenophobia
In the midst of that article this passage caught my eye . . .
May 1, 2009 at 2:51 pm
olmanriver
Amen moonshadow!
May 1, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Moonshadow
Now here’s a useful bit of information . . . the podcast even has closed captions if you need/want them.
Clean Hands Help Prevent the Flu
This is far better than the hysteria we’ve been seeing from many “so-called” news outlets.
May 2, 2009 at 12:35 pm
olmanriver
But who will save the pigs from us?
May 2, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Moonshadow
*sigh* . . . no idea . . .
the Egyptian government went off the deep end and ordered ALL pigs in their country slaughtered as a precaution! That when there is no evidence that the present outbreak originated among *any* pigs. What an unfortunate outcome because the virus was previously named for the host in which it was first encountered. *sigh*
Quite often I hate my own species!
May 3, 2009 at 6:33 am
Moonshadow
In my CNN newsletter this morning there was an article about how the “Walking well” are flooding the emergency rooms.
This hysteria is all a product of our media mismanaging the dissemination of the important information about the flu outbreak.
Had they not opted for the sensational fear based 30 second snippets and instead provided rational and sensibly framed information we might have seen a different situation than we are.
Geeez . . . don’t people know how to do basic self-care anymore?? I wouldn’t want any of these people living out on my ranch or with me on a trip in Central America . . . they’d be panic stricken all the time.
May 3, 2009 at 6:57 am
Moonshadow
Well according to an AP blurb in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo) this morning it has now happened . . .
August 25, 2009 at 8:27 am
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