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[greekcypriot]

I was reading the Timesonline some minutes ago, and thought of having this article here.
Besides the main Report, the different articles concerning this flue on the page are also worth reading.

I remember having this topic a couple of months on the forums, and I wanted to attach this article there, but it was probably moved.

Everyone worries, and the disease spreads so quickly. How ready are we?
Press open the link below to read the Latest News on this pandemic threat.


Click to read more:

[jeremystravels]

I am not convinced that this "swine" flu is anything to worry about. So far it has not seemed to be any worse than the regular flu, and the recovery time for most people is much quicker anyway. The problem is when it got to countries that don't have a built up immunity to the flu virus, such as those in Mexico.

[aopaq]

I agree that the current status of the swine flu does not appear to warrant extreme concern. However, I have heard stories that the Spanish flu started off in a similar fashion and that when it returned (later in the fall) it was much more deadly and resulted in serious loss of life. Hopefullly, this will not be the same trend for the swine flu and we are more prepared than they were in the 1918.

On a related note, if you were not aware but any international flights into China now require first that medical officials board the plane and take the temperature of everyone using little hand-held "gun" devices. And then when you disembark and are on your way to immigration, you get camera-scanned again. When I was entering Beijing a few days ago a woman behind me was pulled out for further testing after the second scan gave officials concern. This may be extra hassle but no one appears to be complaining at this point.

Does anyone know if similar procedures are happening anywhere else?

[jeremystravels]

I thought I read on the board that one place was taking blood samples, but I could be wrong. If so it is truly disturbing.

[greekcypriot]

If I am not mistaken it was in Bali, but correct me if I am wrong.
And here in Greece when we stepped in the airport of Kos,there were cameras set the moment we were entering the building checking on the temperature. There was no electricity when we arrived, and we had to wait outside for 30 minutes until the cameras could work again.
In Bodrum they had cameras also at the port but just cameras, not blood testing or anything.
They say that it will get worse in autumn, probably because people gather more indoors, while now the majority of people are out in the open?

[canadianlover]

I heard there is supposed to be another "big" wave of it hitting in September?? Maybe it will drive down the prices of winter getaways??

[mila_olive]

I have certainly noticed the effect the flu has affected me when traveling. I experienced the same thing greekcypriot mentioned, when we arrived in Tunisia there were doctors checking our temprature the moment we walked into the airport, and big signes urging us to contact a doctor if we experienced symptoms of the flu!

Also in China we have been asked to stay within the campus boundaries for the first week, and will daily be checked for symptoms! Quite surreal being quarantined like this! I haven't even been in a "high risk area!"

I heard there is supposed to be another "big" wave of it hitting in September??

Hmm it would be logical that there would be an increasing number of cases as the majority are approach winter time, when people are more exposed as it is!

[canadianlover]

i dont know, i just heard on the news they are gearing up for the September onslaught of cases. maybe they figure once kids go back to school from being away all summer, and from going on vacation, it will start getting passed around again. I know the swine flu is a serious thing, but it seems a little over hyped as yes, while people have died from it, they say that in North America alone, over 50000 ppl die from the regular flu each year, but you dont hear about that. Lets hope it doesnt make a come back.

[ScottWoz]

There's a big outbreak here at the moment and it's serious. Many of us have already got flu-like symptoms but the 'real' concern is making sure we don't allow ourselves to come into contact with those with weaker immune systems. Not good..

[canadianlover]

where is here?? if you dont mind me asking??? just curious

[sianeth]

Well I did think it had disappeared but now its all over the news again in the UK - scare stories as usual. They say the government plans to vaccinate everyone in the country, starting in September, but for now people can just text/phone in to request stocks of medication... not that anyone would just text in for the hell of it to get a stock of meds "just in case" of course...

[jrheavymetal]

Well, here is the latest update from the states, and all I can say is liar liar, pants on fire Obama. This guy got elected by promising to be different, to be honest and to be open. well, as soon as this thing got going, he put the word out to put a clamp on it,and all the stories suddenly dried up, no more daily reports, everythings getting fine, right?
Now the government is finally admitting its going to get bad. But the good news, we have an answer to the swine flu, its a nose spray and it works, so the government is saying. And to prove it, tonight on the news, they showed footage of very young children lined up, taking turns spraying god knows what up their noses. How brave our leaders are, they won't spray this stuff up their own noses, and it hasn't even been tested on rats, but they will not hesitate to line up young children for their experiment.
I suppose if none of the young children get violently ill or die in the next couple of months, then maybe members of congress will belly up and try it. I have lost all faith in our elected leaders.

[jrheavymetal]

I just read an update here on it, they (the federal gov.) is now saying that it expects about half the U.S. population to get it this fall. If we take past government estimations into account, that means that 9 out of every 10 people here will come down with it.
My only advice to anyone thinking of taking or that has to take the meds for this thing is to go with the nasel spray over the shot. Since it has not even been tested on rats yet, the thinking is that the spray, which you have to take four or five times over a period of time, is the safer route to go over the one time shot.
For those of us with children, I think they will end up forceing parents to have their children get the shot, I think that is almost a given.

[kitkatgo]

I just heard that in the city I live in, the 3rd person has died from swine flu. However, I'm still not that worried about it. I take the same precautions I do normally. I STILL feel that the media has blown it out of proportion...and because they are reporting every little thing makes it seem bigger than it is (and don't normally report every little thing about other flu strains).

[travelmonster]

Exactly Kit!!

The swine flu numbers here are a complete and utter joke. Seriously, you are not allowed to go to the doctors here if you have swine flu symptoms, so you ring up and get diagnosed over the phone and get sent to specially set up centres to get medication - no tests, no TRUE confirmation - just someone on the phone saying they have swine flu symptoms - I mean, how crazy is that?? So the media escalate the figures every day and a lot of people here have totally lost touch with reality - what ever happened to the common cold? As soon as you sneeze or cough around here people are getting all high and mighty about how if its swine flu and you pass it around and their son/daughter ends up getting it............

A few weeks ago I decided to look up figures for myself, just to see. This was around 3 or 4 weeks ago I guess, so it could be slighly outdated now, but the figures showed that 1000 people WORLDWIDE had died from swine flu - and all of those people had pre existing conditions that weakened them. I am not in any way belittling this - it is an absolute tradegy for the person and their family - BUT around 12,000 peope die of NORMAL flu just in the UK ALONE every year.

Surely this puts it into some perspective?

If the situation changes, then okay, but I really don't understand the panic going on at the moment.