Swine Flu - Pandemic?

[skatingbc]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzz357patY4-QaJFvo9O95zMM_EQD97PLN881

I first heard about this on the news earlier tonight. In another article, the flu has spread to Kansas and possibly New York. The speed at which it's spreading is slightly terrifying. Should we be worried?

 

[Tonichelle]

I'm not worried... I'm thinking it's more mass [media] hysteria than anything else.

not saying the flu is serious and these people aren't really suffering... just don't see the whole planet getting wiped out (after all of the other flus that didn't do as much damage as predicted it's hard to take the latest issue to be as big a deal as the media wants to sell it as)

 

[skatingbc]

I'm not worried... I'm thinking it's more mass [media] hysteria than anything else.

not saying the flu is serious and these people aren't really suffering... just don't see the whole planet getting wiped out (after all of the other flus that didn't do as much damage as predicted it's hard to take the latest issue to be as big a deal as the media wants to sell it as)

I agree with you about the mass hysteria coming from the media. I don't believe that the human race is going to be wiped out. 81 people have already died and 1300 others have been infected. Those statistics make me a bit nervous. Throw in the speed at which it seems to be spreading...

 

[Tonichelle]

the avian flu from a few years ago did that as well in Asia then it got over here and infected a few people... the deaths are occurring more in Mexico than anywhere else. While the US Health Care system is not financially all that great we're better off than many of the countries out there. Canada, too, is better prepared to fight off these things..

 

[LeCygne]

Now about 20 people in NYC have tested positive for the virus. I live just an hour and a half away and my dad works in a NYC hospital, so yeah I'm getting kind of worried.

 

[skatingbc]

Now about 20 people in NYC have tested positive for the virus. I live just an hour and a half away and my dad works in a NYC hospital, so yeah I'm getting kind of worried.

I'm worried because Mexico is such a popular tourist destination, especially this time of year as university students are finished/finishing exams. I can't count how many of my friends go somewhere hot for some fun in the sun before starting their summer jobs. Since swine flu seems to be extremely contagious, I'm sure it will continue to spread. Also, the majority of fatalities have been people between 20-40 which is apparently a feature of a pandemic. On the other hand, now people are more aware of the risk and more likely to be tested for swine flu if they are having flu-like symptoms. I think in more developed countries, there might not be as many fatalities because there are more resources available. I guess only time will tell.

 

[LeCygne]

I'm worried because Mexico is such a popular tourist destination, especially this time of year as university students are finished/finishing exams. I can't count how many of my friends go somewhere hot for some fun in the sun before starting their summer jobs.

I heard on the news that some countries in Asia have already set up precautionary measures in airports and stuff, but the country of Mexico has yet to close off its borders or limit its traffic..

 

[Jhar55]

Not worried as of yet. Is there a common factor in this meaning that those in the US who has come down with the flu? Did they travel to Mexcio or been in close contact with someone who has? Remember to wash your hands often and cover you mouth when coughing if your not feeling well stay home from work if you can and see you doctor..

 

[Tonichelle]

as someone else mentioned on facebook - how many people die of the flu each year? and there's just a small number, so far, compared to that statistic who have died from this strain of the flu... it's more media hysteria than a pandemic...

 

[sunrock]

as someone else mentioned on facebook - how many people die of the flu each year? and there's just a small number, so far, compared to that statistic who have died from this strain of the flu... it's more media hysteria than a pandemic...

But attention from the media is necessary for future prevention.
Public health and the media are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
If the issue is ignored, a global epidemic could break out. Public health and the media would be considered failures.
If the issue is scrutinized, a global epidemic could have been stopped before it happened. However, public health and the media would be blamed for creating hysteria over nothing.

 

[Particle Man]

That's facetious. The media only cares about profit. They push a crisis and blow it out of proportion because it sells. They aren't humanitarians and they don't care about your health and safety. If they did they would be harping about a lot of other things which they never do, such as hydrogenated oils...

Personally I haven't turned the TV on in a week, I know enough about it just from the hysterical people I have to interact with on a daily basis.

 

[sunrock]

Facetious? Or precautionary?
Yellow journalism? Or spreading awareness?
Chicken Little? Or Chicken Run?
Or how about it's a little bit of everything?
Hyesteria, awareness, exaggerations, fact telling, hype, truth, and in the end you decide for youself whether you're safe or not.

 

[Tonichelle]

They could report it without the sensationalism. But sensationalism does not sell papers and get the ratings... people, apparently, want to be told what to think and feel. Sorry, as a journalism major I know darn well the media is full of it more times than not.

 

[Johar]

as someone else mentioned on facebook - how many people die of the flu each year? and there's just a small number, so far, compared to that statistic who have died from this strain of the flu... it's more media hysteria than a pandemic...

36,000 die of the common flu every year. Unless people start dropping like in Stephen King's The Stand, there's no need to panic.

 

[Tonichelle]

exactly...

blindly allowing the media to do your thinking or allow them to warp your emotions isn't a smart idea... granted, the media's always done it, but that doesn't make it right or something you should just let happen.

 

[Ptichka]

I get my news from NPR, and I haven't noticed any hysteria there...

 

[heyang]

One of my co-workers said she had a restless night because she was watching so much coverage of the swine flu.

I don't mind the media reminding people of the preventative measures, especially the one about staying home if you're feeling flu like symptoms. However, I'm also of the opinion that you're either going to get it or not and if you do, you should make sure you seek treatment. No point in worrying about it and barricading yourself at home to avoid it.

 

[Tonichelle]

NPR, I think, is the closest to REPORTING that we've had in a long while. The news, like all other types of media, is completely marketted these days. This is why you have FoxNews with the right wing slant and MSNBC with a more left wing (they've really swung that way in the last year, which bummed me out as I preferred them to CNN or Fox). All sides say they're unbiased, but the be all end all are ratings and lets face it people want news reported so that they will rarely disagree (and while I might vote more like FoxNews, I certainly don't always agree with them, hence my not watching. Those people are over the top and annoying) the dollar rules all - don't let any "journalist" fool ya.

 

[Ladskater]

Well I don't think it is going to have the impact that the Influenza of 1918 had after World War 1 - some 40 million people died. It is good to warn us and let us take precautions. One thing we have in our favour now is the media - people are more informed and educated about what precautions to take.

More info on the Influenza of 1918:


http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/

 

[Ptichka]

NPR, I think, is the closest to REPORTING that we've had in a long while.

OMG! Toni! You're actually supporting the admittedly very liberal NPR?! What's this world coming to!

Seriously, I'd have liked NPR to be a bit less liberal, or to have another news source that would be as good at reporting news but with a slight conservative slant. Can't have everything though...