Are you concerned?

[OldsRecording]

The other day I IM'ed with a Mexican, now I have the sniffles. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I start oinking, developing an irrational fear of bacon and suddenly being able to locate truffles with uncanny accuracy. Just to make sure, check here: http://www.doihaveswineflu.org/" target="_blank" target="_blank

[tubashaman2]

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[The Jackson]

After hearing about some 250k students getting the boot from schools today, back-up plans for AP tests are being made and were told to us today. Oh boy.

Should you believe you have swine flu, though, just follow this simple cure from the one-off cartoon short, Kenny and the Chimp.

[tubashaman2]

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[Rochester2013]

Not to be a political post:

But my environmental science professor made a joke this morning: The whole swine flu thing is to divert America's attention away from the current economic crisis.

Apparently it isn't deadly at all......just for those who are unhealthy, the flu kills hundreds of thousands a year, people die from complications of the virus.

In other words, go out, buy orange juice, vitamin C pills, drink lots of water and fluids, and sleep alot.

It has killed, so it is deadly. Maybe not in the respect of killing millions or thousands, but it certainly has the opportunity to kill.

[TubaRay]

But my environmental science professor made a joke this morning: The whole swine flu thing is to divert America's attention away from the current economic crisis.

It has killed, so it is deadly. Maybe not in the respect of killing millions or thousands, but it certainly has the opportunity to kill.

Both of these seem to be very obvious. So, what's new?

[Wyvern]

Apparently it isn't deadly at all......just for those who are unhealthy, the flu kills hundreds of thousands a year, people die from complications of the virus.

From a medical professional friend I hear they are relieved it is swine flu and not bird flu as the former is not so deadly, but there is still a REAL RISK that it could mutate into something a lot more deadly.

But hopefully the world will escaped the worst scenario this time!

[tubashaman2]

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[Rochester2013]

Viruses are non-living organisms.

Seems like an oxymoron to me

[TMurphy]

Viruses don't kill really----like AIDS, AIDS (HIV Virus) does not kill. Viruses are non-living organisms.

It is the complications that kill.....i.e. AIDS depletes the immune system, so a simple cold can kill the person from no immune system.

Except that, the common cold is a virus. Viruses can't kill??? While what you are saying might be true for the HIV virus (and it is, *most* people with AIDS die from other diseases they contract), that's not the case for all viruses.

[TubaRay]

- The purpose of government needlessly alarming its constituents (whether it be squandering trillions of dollars on things such as testing grandmothers' shoes prior to boarding airline flights, or using a red herring flu "pandemic" to push completion of socialized medicine in the U.S.) is to trick the masses into enthusiastically surrendering more of their God-given rights via the government continually failing to express the sovereignty of the nation (through the control of its borders).

I would very much like to argue with you about this, however, I cannot. I'm afraid you are exactly right. This concerns me greatly.

[Kevin Hendrick]

Viruses are non-living organisms.

Seems like an oxymoron to me

Viruses are "oxymoronic" little objects:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus

[Todd S. Malicoate]

"Believe what you want but it is Rumsfeld, follow the money he was Secretary of Defense and stands to make a fortune on Tamiflu. Rumsfeld is now the Chairman and owner of Gilead Sciences owner of Tamiflu.

Absolutely untrue. Rumsfeld owns stock in Gilead, but is not (nor was he ever) the "owner." He was chairman of the board of directors of Gilead from 1997 until he joined the Bush administration in 2001. During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld recused himself from participating in any matter that would have affected his financial standing in Gilead. He is no longer on the board of directors, and has absolutely no say in what Gilead does.

[averagejoe]

I worry more about what might happen on the road than getting swine flu. Lots of old people in my area...

[Rochester2013]

I am just wondering, what if all this attention went to a disease like AIDS or something.

[TubaRay]

I am just wondering, what if all this attention went to a disease like AIDS or something.

Wondering is a symptom of thinking. This is not a very desirable thing to do, these days. It will make you question a lot of things that are going on. This will likely lead to your frustration. You'll probably be happier if you just nod your head and say, "The government will take care of it."

[Rochester2013]

I am just wondering, what if all this attention went to a disease like AIDS or something.

Wondering is a symptom of thinking. This is not a very desirable thing to do, these days. It will make you question a lot of things that are going on. This will likely lead to your frustration. You'll probably be happier if you just nod your head and say, "The government will take care of it."

In 1982 and 1983 all that attention DID go to AIDS, which did not even have a name at that time. It was the MAJOR stuff, and held our attention for years. Then we figured out how difficult it is to catch and that you really had to do some stupid stuff to get it and then that sort of behavior sort of stopped being sort of mainstream; sort of. Now it is nearly a joke to many kids, which is a real shame. It is an awful way to die. A former girlfriend of mine, living in London, died from AIDS-related complications. Though I had not really engaged in any of the risky behaviors needed to make you into a serious candidate to contract the HIV, I still got my blood tested every year for a decade after I heard about her passing, as is the recommendation. HIV can "hide" in your system, dormant, for up to about ten years. You can have it for a decade before knowing at all. Very scary stuff. The 70s and 80s were very "liverated" times - people have been forever changed by AIDS.

The attention being given Swine Flu is minimal compared to the long-term fear of AIDS that existed in the 1980s.

I remember watching a documentary about this in health. I remember seeing riots though because they were trying to come up with a vaccine instead of trying to cure the disease for those who already had it.

I am just working from my limited experience on this one (as I am a kid of the 90's), but any of you who lived through the 80's, is that true?

[THE TUBA]

I just got a mass email from our chancellor saying that a student has been hospitalized with what might be H1N1. I am not concerned.