AGS Steam Games

Forums → WEPR → Influenza A (a.k.a. H1N1 virus, "swine flu")

187 38806
Ikillpeople13
offline
Ikillpeople13
34 posts
Nomad

so i hear about this "swineflu"spreading around jusy curious how many of you have that are in the Arizona zone?

  • 187 Replies
Carlie
offline
Carlie
6,823 posts
Blacksmith

It apparently has an extremely strong propensity to do so being that it contains swine, human, and bird DNA.

All viruses, including orthomyxoviruses (influenza) have a high mutation rate. They do not have the same proof-reading mechanisms as say, human DNA, and so mutations and errors are not corrected. This is why every year they have to have a new flu shot prepared. The shot does not protect from all flu types because they do not necessarily know which flu will be the big one when flu season hits. They predict which one it will be by tracking the frequency of mutations in different strains, and take the most probable ones to develop a flu shot for. That is why the current flu shot is likely ineffective to the H1N1 virus. They were definitely not expecting this one when they made this years shot.

But basically, it is not the fact that it is a mix of viruses that is causing it to mutate. All of them are always mutating. This time, it has just happened to mutate into a novel virus.

The flu that killed millions in 1918 swept through as something minor at first, but then it came back killing tons of people.

That flu virus actually re-emerged over a series of a couple years. I don't think it was ever minor though. Each time it surfaced there were mortalities, but there were differences in the age groups that it affected. For example, one year it killed mostly the young and the old. But the next year, it wiped out the very young, the old, and those within a median age as well, resulting in a W-shaped distribution of mortalities.

That's why saying "100 cases isn't much" is misleading.

Yep. I think that people tend to think of it linearly, when it should really be thought of logarithmically. So when you consider how many people 100 infected individuals can spread the virus to, we are looking at a much larger threat.
Veobahamut
offline
Veobahamut
887 posts
Nomad

To prevent it just take the steps you would take to stop your self getting normal flu e.g. dont stand next to a guy when hes coughing and his head off. Thats just an example by the way.

pickleshack
offline
pickleshack
356 posts
Nomad

@carlie thanks for the corrections!

Jefferysinspiration
offline
Jefferysinspiration
3,139 posts
Farmer

we had 22 suspected cases of it in northern ireland, but i think only two are being held for further examinations. i dont know much about it but the prospects of a full blown epidemic are scary

Gametesta
offline
Gametesta
1,707 posts
Nomad

http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv318/Gametestar/?action=view&current=Swineflu.jpg


Seriously its starting to get serious people! People have died! And a lot of them, Europe is warning poeple not no to make trips to the united states! Over 1000 poeple have died in Mexico! This is an epidemic no matter what the media says!

http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/vv318/Gametestar/?action=view&current=Swineflu.jpg

Look at the image above! honestly (i made this) as of May 2 160 people have the swine flu and there is more to come. More and more people are going to get sick!

Green12324
offline
Green12324
4,097 posts
Peasant

@Gametesta

You're not doing something right with those images...when I click on it I just get taken to the Photobucket home page.

People have died! And a lot of them,


A lot of people have died from pneumonia. Really, the number of people that have died is tiny compared to the number of people in the world. In addition, the only person that has died in the US was only 2 years old. A healthy middle aged person has nothing to worry about.

Over 1000 people have died in Mexico!


Mexico is very much behind the rest of the world in terms of medical care.

This is an epidemic no matter what the media says!


I think that the media actually is saying that it's an epidemic.
Carlie
offline
Carlie
6,823 posts
Blacksmith

Over 1000 people have died in Mexico!

No... they really haven't. A few thousand have been infected, but less than 200 have actually died from it. I wouldn't use numbers unless you have more correct ones.

This is an epidemic no matter what the media says!

It actually isn't. And the media isn't calling it that either. This is considered a pandemic. You should check out Strop's post on the previous page, where he defines the different terms:
Pandemic- an outbreak that occurs in multiple regions or an extensive epidemic.
hellbrokenloos
offline
hellbrokenloos
142 posts
Nomad

first was mad Cow, than the avient influenza(bbird flu) and now these sh*t. i mean if theworld is going to end give back some greater desease and not ones that we can cure like i don't know cianide in the water suply

magma_claw
offline
magma_claw
51 posts
Nomad

hellbrokenloos has got a point i mean u cant eat cow cause of mad cow disease and you cant eat chicken cause of avain flu and now you cant eat pigs(i mean people are scared to eat them) what next?A vegetable virus ?lol

WackWeeper
offline
WackWeeper
198 posts
Nomad

well, atleast the H1N1 virus isnt deadly. it can be compared with an ordinary flu except a bit stronger. it can be treated without need of hospitalization... unlike SARS, boy, now that's a scary epidemic (or pandemic, i really forgot the difference...

Strop
offline
Strop
10,816 posts
Bard

The next misconception to address is: "if the pathology isn't severe, it's okay."

It does not ever pay to be complacent about infectious diseases. It is true that the H1N1 virus is very treatable provided the proper infrastructure allowing prompt referral to adequate healthcare, but that is not the point of our concern.

Here's a simple sum:

All viruses, including orthomyxoviruses (influenza) have a high mutation rate.


+

it only takes a small number of people to spread the virus a long long way


=

Risk of already novel virus changing its antigenic presentation to something that we are wholly unequipped to deal with. And that's a problem we'd all rather not see.
Flipski
offline
Flipski
623 posts
Nomad

Look up the numbers of people that die yearly from regular influenza, and those that die from other viruses. There's a huge number compared to H1N1.

At this point, just looking at the # of deaths, it's not that alarming. The thing that is scary, is that it is a very quickly mutating virus that could very easily become more dangerous, and much more contagious. It spreads very easily and very quickly.

There is a confirmed case of swine flu in my county today ! Ahhhhhh! lol

My brother just bought a gas mask and a anti-contamination suit.... the kid was always looking for a reason to buy one.


Also, how may of you are secretly hoping people turn into swine zombies? ( Darn You left for dead!!! Making the apocalypse look sooooo fun!)

FireflyIV
offline
FireflyIV
3,224 posts
Nomad

It does not ever pay to be complacent about infectious diseases. It is true that the H1N1 virus is very treatable provided the proper infrastructure allowing prompt referral to adequate healthcare, but that is not the point of our concern.


Indeed. Some people I know have been claiming the media is just over-hyping it, but as someone who was hospitalised from catching flu in South America a while back, I find it alarming how people are so blasé about it. It should be dealt with seriously to minimise potential damage.
nonconformist
offline
nonconformist
1,101 posts
Nomad

Well the fact is about 30 000 people in n america die from the regular flu every year.. So the flu is pretty deadly... The reason swine flu is so deadly is that it immediately starts to attack the lungs by producing fluid in them... Most flu's do this but not so quickly, and severely. The swine flu isn't airbourne... Its just if u touch something someone with this flu touches, and then u put ur finger in your mouth or eye, u get this desease

pokippokip
offline
pokippokip
1 posts
Nomad

I think the media blew this whole thing up a lil too much but hey i mean its the media

Showing 106-120 of 187