Swine flu less lethal than feared
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Submitted by snoboardr on Thu, 10/12/2009 - 4:10pm.
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 Joined: 23-10-2007 |
What a surprise. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8406723.stm The UK death toll from H1N1 now stands at 283; the UK was one of the first places to be hit with 'widespread' infection. In an average year, around 8,000 people die from seasonal flu in the UK. Hang on. 8,000 people die anyway from seasonal flu in the UK and nobody bats an eyelid, yet there are big queues around the world to get vaccinated against swine flu that has killed only 283 in the UK so far despite its panic pandemic status? ... and deaths and infection rates per week are now on the decline in the UK already despite there being no major vaccination requirement amongst the 61,000,000 population? Get the facts before you panic! |
Joined: 30-03-2008
what's your point?
if it was more lethal, you'd be wanking at the gov't for not warning the general population about the wildly lethal nature of H1N1.
it's kind of like wearing a seat belt. every time to drive do you get to your destination, do you say to yourself when you get out, "well sh**, i sure didn't need my seat belt. wonder why i buckled up?"
get a clue. science is a method of tracking possibilities. nothing is for sure. read up a bit on quantum mechanics.
but it you really want to know what they were really worried about, have a bit of an open mind and can take new ideas, read the Hot Zone. can't remember the author's name. not the movie, the book. a NY'er article that was expanded. the Hot Zone will put the fear of pandemics in you, never to leave.
Joined: 25-05-2007
The most likely explanation for the UK situation dates back about 50 years.
In any flu outbreak the death rates are far and away greatest in the over 50 age group. Hardly anyone in that age group has died in the UK hence the low overall death rates.
The reason for this is that in the late '50s and early '60s the Uk was swept with the Asian flu which had a very high infection rate. Not sure how many people die as a result as we didn't seem to keep count in those days. The Asian flue is very similar to swine flu (H1N2 I think ) and all but guarantees immunity.
So the vulnerable section of the population in the UK has built in immunity. Any other country with the same history may expect a similar outcome, any country with a differnt history may not.
Joined: 02-06-2009
Yea, I have been told from what I consider a reliable source that the H1N1 vaccine is more dangerous than the illness. I believe the scare tactics portrayed by the media are being fueled by pharmaceutical companies who benefit from this kind of fear mongering.I for one will not risk getting the vaccine, nor will I risk the health of my children. We use vitamins, minerals, herbs and healthy lifestyle choices to prevent illness.
Joined: 26-11-2008
I agree with Keith. And no one can say that the H1N1 wasn't as "lethal" or as much of a pandemic as originally thought, because nearly half the population recieved the vaccine. Things might have been much worse if everyone thought like roxygirl. I for one recieved the vaccine and don't regret it for a minute. I am wondering if roxygirl vaccinated her children against other illnesses such as chickenpox (varicella), MMR, etc.?
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Joined: 26-10-2006
or polio?
Joined: 26-11-2008
that was included in the 'etc'
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Say NO to Flathead Park!
Joined: 23-10-2007
[quote=keith]what's your point?[/quote]
My point is that it's no surprise that H1N1 is less lethal than the media and pharmaceutical companies are suggesting.
My point is also that the UK handled this in a rational and research-based manner and so did not panic the population with mass-immunisations and propaganda that made everyone fear for their lives.
I'm in the UK right now, my sister - who has just had a baby - is in Nova Scotia. I've had lots of in-depth discussions with her comparing the Canadian response to H1N1 against the UK response.
I think the UK got it right. Canada has succombed to the US hype over H1N1, which kinda surprises me... I would have thought that Canada was more 'mature' about these things and would have been 'better' than the UK at handling something like the H1N1 'scare stories', whereas it seems Canada just followed the US insanity over it all.
For once I'm glad I'm in the UK, and I *rarely* say that!
[quote=keith]read up a bit on quantum mechanics[/quote]
A tad late, my Masters degree was in that. But thanks for your sincere advice. Alas my Bachelors was only Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence.
Joined: 14-12-2009
[quote=keith]if it was more lethal, you'd be wanking at the gov't for not warning the general population about the wildly lethal nature of H1N1.[/quote]
Out of interest, does 'wanking' have a different meaning in BC? It's not an action you'd direct at the government in UK.
Joined: 23-11-2007
in this case he likely means complaining, not the brit version of wanking