The Shock Doctrine

A confirmed case was just reported across the street from my office. yay.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov A confirmed case was just reported across the street from my office. yay.

the media reported a confirmed case in my building (but internally they are denying it is swine flu):

http://www.reuters.com/article/dome...E53R44M20090428

Holy crap, I don't watch cable news (or listen to talk radio), so I hadn't realized how bad it's getting:

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holy shit dude! that's insane.

quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov Holy crap, I don't watch cable news (or listen to talk radio), so I hadn't realized how bad it's getting:

WOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!


The was the biggest load of crap i've ever had the misfortune of listening to. Assuming those right wing nutjobs had a point (which I would never do in this case), if it was biological terrorism, spreading a strain of the flu that has yet to kill an american is a pretty ineffective method of terrorism. I can't believe dumb shits listen to those people. Unfortunately, 75% of the south probably now believe this is terrorism coming from mexico.

My favorite was when the radio guy goes "if you're a terrorist organization, it would be a great idea to infect a bunch of mexicans and then tell them there's a construction job in the United States."

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quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov Holy crap, I don't watch cable news (or listen to talk radio), so I hadn't realized how bad it's getting:

This is exactly why I posted "The Shock Doctrine" video a few posts up. This is fear mongering at it's finest and the ignorance displayed by these irresponsible reporters is absolutely astounding.

H1N1 has caused 9 confirmed deaths in Mexico, a country with a population just short of 110 million people. I just got off the phone with a doctor in Mexico just a few short hours ago and below is a quick summary of his own words and reality of the situation.

So far the ones who have died were already sick and had weak immune systems begin with (the 9 confirmed cases). Many of those who had the virus (over 1000 people) have already been released from the hospital and responded very well to normal antivirals (Tamiflu). The virus is spreading but normal precautions like washing your hands and avoiding touching your eyes/mouth is working very well, just proper hygiene. The paper masks everyone is wearing do nothing to stop the spreading, the masks which work have the proper filtering on the them.

The media has taken this into full swing and have turned it into a complete joke. More people practically die from crossing the street every day, I really do wonder if they are going to blame the "terrorists" or "Mexicans" for this also in the near future....

Last edited by culorut on May-01-2009 at 15:25

quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov My favorite was when the radio guy goes "if you're a terrorist organization, it would be a great idea to infect a bunch of mexicans and then tell them there's a construction job in the United States."

the irony is, the construction job would be building the house of the guy who said it, or a road on which he would drive.


what a bunch of douche bags!

how many people get "normal" flu and how much unfortunately die from it? i don't know, but i guess at least 100 times more than from this swine flu. it all looks like a big joke (with all the respect to the few who suffer from it). what are they trying to achieve and why does the media and the international health organization think we are all stupid?

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8030365.stm

Flu death toll 'less than feared'

quote:

Mexico has revised down the suspected death toll from swine flu from 176 to 101, indicating that the outbreak may not be as bad as was initially feared. Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told the BBC that, based on samples tested, the mortality rate was comparable with that of seasonal flu. The news came as Mexico continues a five-day shutdown in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. Italy reported its first case, bringing the number of countries affected to 17. In Egypt, authorities have begun in earnest the slaughter of more than 300,000 pigs, in what was originally described as a precaution against swine flu. Officials now say the move is a general health measure aimed at restoring order to Egypt's pig-rearing industry. Egyptian vets take mucus samples from pigs in a Cairo slaughterhouse, 20 April International experts say there is no scientific rationale for Egypt's pig cull Five countries outside Mexico have confirmed person-to-person transmission. China is trying to stop the spread of the virus, after getting its first case on Friday. It says it will quarantine all those who travelled on a flight from Mexico with a man suffering from swine flu. Flights from Mexico have been suspended, and fellow guests and staff at the Hong Kong hotel where he was staying have been quarantined. South Korea has also now confirmed a case of the virus. Risk remains In cases outside Mexico, the effects do not appear to be severe. Dr Anne Schuchat, acting deputy director of America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that although experts were concerned about the possibility of severe cases, the majority so far had been "mild, self-limited illness". The new virus lacked the traits that made the 1918 flu pandemic so deadly, another CDC official said. Mr Cordova appeared to agree, saying that the Mexican authorities may, on reflection, have overestimated the danger. He said 43.7% of samples from suspected cases so far tested had come back positive, a total of 397. Sixteen in this group had died. "All the samples that were taken give us an idea of the percentage of the ones testing positive," he said. "That means that apparently, the rate of attack is not as wide as was thought." But he stressed that the risk of a rise in infection remains and some elements of the five-day shutdown might be extended. Restaurants, public buildings and businesses have been closed as Mexico tries to bring the virus under control, and people are being urged to stay at home. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said the emergency measures were bringing results, with the numbers "getting better every day". There is growing concern about the effect the virus could have on Mexico's economy. Several US air carriers say they will cut flights to Mexico as demand falls amid concerns over the crisis. Tourism has plummeted since the outbreak was declared a week ago.

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What Scientists Know About Swine Flu

Friday, 1 May 2009 14:17 UK


Preliminary analysis of the swine flu virus suggests it is a fairly mild strain, scientists say.

It is believed that a further mutation would be needed in order for the H1N1 virus to cause the mass deaths that have been estimated by some.

But at this point, it is impossible to predict with any accuracy how the virus will continue to evolve.

UK experts at the National Institute for Medical Research outlined on Friday the work they are due to start on samples of the virus sent from the US.

The research, being done at the World Influenza Centre in Mill Hill, will be vital for working out the structure of the virus, where it came from, how quickly it is capable of spreading and its potential to cause illness.

Structure

Analysis done so far suggests what they are dealing with is a mild virus and nowhere near as dangerous as the H5N1 avian flu strain that has caused scientists so much concern over the past decade.

Influenza A viruses are classified according to two proteins on the outer surface of the virus - hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N).

The swine flu strain is a H1N1 virus, the same type as seasonal flu which circulates throughout the world every year, and kills roughly 0.1% of those infected or higher in an epidemic year.

Professor Wendy Barclay, chair in influenza virology at Imperial College London says initial indications suggest there is nothing about the genetic make-up of the new virus which is a cause for particular concern.

The key to its potential lies largely in the H1 protein.

"There are two aspects - one is which receptors the virus tends to bind to and what we see is that it is binding to the upper respiratory tract rather than deep in the lungs."

When a flu virus binds to the upper respiratory tract, it tends to cause mild illness but can be easily spread as people cough and sneeze, Professor Barclay explains.

If a virus binds further down in the lungs, it tends to cause much more severe illness, as in the case of the H5N1 avian flu virus which has caused concern in recent years.

"With the H1 gene we also look at the cleavage site," she adds.

"The virus has to be cut into two pieces to be active and it uses an enzyme in the host to do that.

"Most influenza viruses are restricted to the respiratory tract because they use enzymes in the lungs.

"But some, like H5 viruses can evolve to cut into two pieces outside the lungs, so they can replicate outside the respiratory tract."

Analysis

These initial indications are largely guesswork from looking at the genetic sequence of the virus and comparing that to what is known from work on other influenza viruses.

It will take weeks and months of biological analysis to properly get a handle on the potential of the H1N1 virus.

The team at Mill Hill, one of four World Health Organisation's centres for influenza research will be working in close collaboration with the Health Protection Agency who are carrying out testing in the UK, and their findings will also feed into the development of a potential vaccine.

Soon, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge will begin the genetic sequencing of the virus and will also be monitoring any mutations or changes in how virulent it is.

However, there is one other reassuring aspect about what is known so far.

That is there seems to be nothing unusual as yet in another protein in the centre of the virus, called NS1, which is linked to the strength of the immune response the virus produces.

In some more pathogenic viruses, it is this NS1 protein which initiates a "cytokine storm", a particularly severe immune reaction that can be fatal in even healthy young people.

Predictions

Scientists have also played down concerns that the milder H1N1 virus, could combine with the more dangerous H5N1 avian flu virus, causing a super virus that has the ability to both spread easily between humans and cause severe illness.

This is unlikely - or at least just as unlikely as it ever was and the H5N1 virus has been around for a decade without combining with normal seasonal flu.

Professor Jonathan Ball, an expert in molecular virology at the University of Nottingham said: "The chance of swine H1N1 combining with H5N1 is as likely as any other strain recombining.

"What this outbreak does highlight is how difficult it is to predict new pandemic strains.

"Many people suspected that H5N1 was the most likely candidate for the next pandemic strain, but now it appears that this was a mistake - but that's not to say H5N1 or another reassortment containing parts of H5N1 may not happen in the future.

"That's the trouble - you can't predict."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8028371.stm