Swine Flu

[Aristes]

Yeah, here too.

[LadyCrimson]

I've heard that gel hand sanitizer helps but never tried it myself so dunno. I usually just avoid shaking hands altogether.

 

Around here, at least, most people still put out a hand upon meeting you. It's habit. I was sick once and when an agent held out his hand, I backed off/shook my head and said "have a cold." He looked at me oddly, smiled, then said "Thank you."

 

I've always been picky about such stuff because I'm contact-allergic to a lot of things that people might get on their hands/clothes and think are nothing (pets, lotions, etc).

[ouiouiwewe]

I am not sure if hand-sanitizers actually help against viruses...

[LadyCrimson]

Many articles say it does against at least some viruses. How true this is, I haven't researched enough to know. (edit: ie, there's also random articles that claim they wouldn't, so pick who you want to believe)

 

The reason cited is because they're alcohol based... and the ones you supposedly want are 60% or more alcohol, so read the labels. This also means they can dry out your skin.

 

And they aren't for when your hands are actually grimy/dirt covered. Just for the when you sneeze into your hand/touch someone's keyboard kind of use.

Edited April 29, 2009 by LadyCrimson

[Wrath of Dagon]

I heard hand sanitizer is really toxic.

[Humodour]

I heard hand sanitizer is really toxic.

 

Oh you heard, did you?

 

Well, if you think ethanol is toxic, sure.

[Walsingham]

It probably is toxic, if you eat it. I'd prefer to take my chances with hand cleanser than swine flu.

 

BTW, I suggest that if things do go loopy we post a harrowing and theatrically helpful account of the slide on the fora so later generations can turn it into a memorial. A memorial where we're all sneezing on Sand.

[Hurlshort]

Hand sanitizer should be used in moderation, because your immune system needs to be introduced to some bacteria in order to get stronger.

 

 

A school very close to my school just closed for a week due to swine flu. I'm really contemplating wearing a mask. I'm not worried about myself, but I don't want to bring something dangerous home to my daughter.

[Walsingham]

I don't think there's anything immoderate about wearing a mask. I won't be. But then I don't go out much, since I don't work in an office most of the time.

[Wrath of Dagon]

All the infections still seem to be coming from Mexico, except for the New York outbreak. Seems it was a big mistake not to close the border right away.

[Humodour]

Hand sanitizer should be used in moderation, because your immune system needs to be introduced to some bacteria in order to get stronger.

 

 

A school very close to my school just closed for a week due to swine flu. I'm really contemplating wearing a mask. I'm not worried about myself, but I don't want to bring something dangerous home to my daughter.

 

You need to replace a mask every 20 minutes (certainly every hour) because once it gets damp/moist, it actually becomes a transmission vector for bacteria and viruses.

[Humodour]

All the infections still seem to be coming from Mexico, except for the New York outbreak. Seems it was a big mistake not to close the border right away.

 

Indeed. Both Mexico and America reacted far too sluggishly to this threat. The WHO moved it to Phase 4, which is effectively an admission that border control is now useless and impossible.

[Hurlshort]

Are you guys serious? Do you even know what goes on at the border, how big it is, how many millions of dollars in trade that would cost?

 

There is a lot of fear mongering going on with this thing right now. It's important to be aware of it, to handle it with caution, but so far you have one death in the US. People die of the regular flu every year, so there is plenty of over-reaction going on.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Do you know how many tens of billions of dollars it'll cost if schools have to be closed? Do you know that with 1% mortality rate we could lose millions of lives?

[Bloodsail Admiral Orodoth]

Not sure who has and hasn't been watching the news, but the first swine flu death in america has recently occured. Was a todler. Im getting a jumbled mess of info form the news websites, but supposedly the child was of mexican nationality and had travled across the border with family to Texas. Not sure of any of the other whos whats wheres and whys. But, there you have it. Its begun..... we are doomed. Break out the gas masks and stock piles of ammunition. Swine flu will most undoubtedly cause zombies to rise from the grave.

 

 

On a lighter note, the website www.fmylife.com had a funny post - "Today, I was pulled over by a police officer for speeding. After writing the ticket, he asked me why I was wearing a surgical mask. I told him that swine flu was found in our area and I was scared. He thought that I was insulting him and wrote me another ticket."

[Aristes]

hahahaha I don't know if that's true, you pirate, but that was funny.

[Morgoth]

I see it coming. 28 days later, the whole world is infected with swine zombies, oinking and snorting like therer's no tomorrow.

[Kelverin]

Nothing more interesting in the news eh? This page is 7 pages long

[Humodour]

Are you guys serious? Do you even know what goes on at the border, how big it is, how many millions of dollars in trade that would cost?

 

The US has already admitted it acted too slowly to the outbreak, and the WHO has voiced similar concerns.

[Hurlshort]

Yes, but closing the borders wasn't necessarily an option.

 

38,000 people die every year from the standard flu, so I'm just saying I'm not ready to fly off the handle and call this a full scale pandemic. I think drug resistant TB is more concerning then this.

[Reinoc]

Are you guys serious? Do you even know what goes on at the border, how big it is, how many millions of dollars in trade that would cost?

 

The US has already admitted it acted too slowly to the outbreak, and the WHO has voiced similar concerns.

 

Yes, but the WHO won't get fooled again.

[Humodour]

Are you guys serious? Do you even know what goes on at the border, how big it is, how many millions of dollars in trade that would cost?

 

The US has already admitted it acted too slowly to the outbreak, and the WHO has voiced similar concerns.

 

Yes, but the WHO won't get fooled again.

 

Hahahaha,

[Trenitay]

Why is this getting so much publicity? It hasn't killed that many people yet.

[Hurlshort]

Crud...I might have a kid out with the Swine flu...will update later.

[LadyCrimson]

Yeah, there's a SJ school that's apparently closed for a while w/1 confirmed case and some unconfirmed sniffle cases.

 

Why is this getting so much publicity? It hasn't killed that many people yet.

Because it's rational to at least tell folks what's going on (so cities etc. can take some precautions)...and then people become afraid of being the next one on the list, so to speak and get paranoid. Isn't that always the reason?

Edited April 29, 2009 by LadyCrimson