Panic in the Streets!

[andrewducker]

I have two entries near the top of my friends list.
The first is news of a case of possible Swine Flu in Manchester.
The other is a friend of mine complaining that they feel ill and have gone to bed with the flu.

This is not making me feel relaxed.

Comments

[meihua.livejournal.com]

Insert obligatory xkcd reference here.

[joexnz.livejournal.com]

103 people in mexico, and mild doses of flu in america and no deaths. When it hits about 1000 in all of north america, i'll worry

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

Actually I think it's worse than that. Those are the confirmed deaths, but it's recently looking like Patient Zero was back in March sometime--there are a lot of suspicious deaths that can't be confirmed because they've been dead too long.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

ICON WIN!

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

Thank you; I'm in it for the puns, not the chemistry.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

There's nothing wrong with that.

Ay carumba

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

Manchester's like 150 miles from me, I'd be seriously suprised if I had Mexican flu. I was more concerned about Mumps - a colleague was in our office two weeks ago, and has since come down with that.

Re: Ay carumba

[andrewducker]

I'm sorry, you've been found guilty of having a slight cough during a time of plague panic, and will thus be bricked into your home. As a courtesy we will leave your internet running :->

Re: Ay carumba

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

Sounds idyllic - if you want, you can brick me up on a small island off the coast of western scotland please?

Re: Ay carumba

[alpha-c3ntaur.livejournal.com]

Be careful what you wish for...

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Anyone who gets any sort of flu symptoms, and has recently travelled from that part of the world, will be instantly classified as a "suspected case".

There have been outbreaks of swine flu on and off for over 60 years. Until we get a substancial number of confirmed cases in the UK, I'm not going to be worried. I will also take my information from the CDC or the NHS rather than the Daily Mirror.

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

My brain totally connects the wrong words with the acronym "CDC". Stupid b3ta...

[andrewducker]

How about the BBC?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8021813.stm

(I'm not actually panicking, or indeed that worried. I'm edging into "concerned" though)

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Calm, calm. The latest statement as of the BBC news is that the comparison is likely to be with the so-called 'Russian flu' epidemic in 1979, not the 1918 pandemic.
On a side note, the film whose title you have borrowed is well worth watching.

[cheekbones3.livejournal.com]

My dad was just on holiday in Mexico. He's visiting this weekend. I'll introduce you!

[awdrey-gore.livejournal.com]

Geographically speaking, when someone sneezes in Mexico City, I should say, "Bless you." Cases have been confirmed in Texas and I woke up feeling fluey and with a sore throat.

But it's allergies from the mold because of all the recent rain, and if the news wasn't trying to scare me with the idea of a pandemic, I wouldn't have thought twice when I couldn't get my ears to pop. And if I get swine flu, I have access to first world health care, even if it costs me an arm and a leg, since I am, you know, an American (USA!USA!).

I'm not worrying. I don't think you should be, either. In Texas, when the weather gets the least bit wintery, the weathermen are all, "OMG WINTER STORM 2009 ARMAGEDDON IS AT HAND!" This is the CDC equivalent of that.

Also, since I never eat pig, I suspect I have some good will built up in this.