Comments on: A Few Uneducated Thoughts on Swine Flu

By: marie

marie — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:21:24 +0000

absolutely!
except "third world country" is kind of an antiquated term. these days, people are saying "developing country"

By: marie

marie — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:21:24 +0000

absolutely!
except "third world country" is kind of an antiquated term. these days, people are saying "developing country"

By: Ben Carlsen

Ben Carlsen — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:58:24 +0000

So… there was bird flu a little while ago, and now there's swine flu… well, in a couple years it will be fish flu, and then frog flu I bet… I agree, sensationalism is never helpful. Just tell me what I, as a real person living in the USA, can do about it. Then we can all move on.

By: jack alexander

jack alexander — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:20:08 +0000

Thanks for the moment of sanity. I hate the fear mongers sooooo much!

By: Daniel Miessler

Daniel Miessler — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:54:33 +0000

My point was that based in the numbers I've seen, i.e. a few infections and ZERO deaths, combined with the sensationalist reporting, it seems more like a chance for the media to scare people for ratings than the next 1918.

I'm pretty up to speed on flu, actually, and had some significant worry about the bird strain in Asia. This feels different. It feels like a Fox News happy day.

People dying of flu in Mexico is not really that scary to me. Healthcare quality matters. So when people start dying en masse here I'll consume some crow. Until then it's a third world problem that will give the sensationalist media a welcomed ratings boost, which sickens me.

By: Daniel Miessler

Daniel Miessler — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:35:48 +0000

The post is admittedly based on a whim, and not on anything solid. That's why I named it what I did. The reason I feel the way I do about it is because of the media reaction to it. It's The same shit we hear anytime anything could possibly go wrong. They love bad news and fear-mongering; it's good for ratings.

If I was truly arguing that this was definTely not a problem I'd have used more numbers. This was more a commentary on the reaction to it than anything. Sheeple.

By: CarlM

CarlM — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:32:22 +0000

For a calm look at the current situation see:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/med_swine_flu

----

If your point was that we shouldn't panic, you're right. If your point was "It's just the flu for crying out loud" then you're uneducated on the flu.

By: CarlM

CarlM — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:25:06 +0000

Daniel,

Please read this brief site before you assert that the flu is no biggie.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epid...

World-wide health organizations are always on the lookout for new particularly deadly strains of the flu and taking whatever precautions are necessary to prevent such a world-wide disaster from occurring again.

Basic facts: 50 million people died world-wide in that 1918 flu epidemic. But that's world-wide ... how serious could it really be? Here's a startling statistic: In one year, the average life expectancy in the United States dropped by 12 years.

Now .. to your list:

1. True
2. I have no way to judge the truth of this (and I'd guess neither do you).
3. I doubt that this is true since the typical number of flu deaths is often announced on the news at the start of flu season (or before flu season when people are being encouraged to get flu shots).
4. This is a VERY valid point. Did YOU ask that question? Did you get an answer? Has it occurred to you that there might be something potentially serious going on?
5. This is an absurd comparison. Barbecue and carpet accidents are not contagious. You weaken your argument when you make foolish comparisons like this one.

I'll restrain myself from commenting on your "short version" (though it's taking nearly all my self control to do so).