Swine Flu

[Ray1936]

I was starting to get a little cranked over all "the sky is falling" reports on TV and other media about the flu outbreak, mainly in Mexico. Jeez, I thought, if I get it, I get it, big deal. I've had it before.

Then I remembered an old family death certificate in my files. Dug it out, and my memory was right. Thomas Downing, great grandpa's brother, was a big, strapping Okie at 50 years of age when the pandemic of 1918 hit him late in the year. The flu developed into pneumonia, and he died in his prime in December, 1918, leaving a wife and a family of eight children.

Maybe I'll be a bit careful and wash my hands every chance I get for a while after all. Y'all out there be careful, too.
Attachment 871

[gazhekwe]

My grandma was a visiting nurse at that time, and she never caught that flu, although she was so busy, she actually fainted from exhaustion on the streetcar, causing a passenger panic.

Scientists today theorize that the Spanish flu caused a heightened immune response which made it more inflammatory. The victims were susceptible to secondary infections which their weakened systems could not fight off. Recent tests on rats showed the virus activated genes that cause cell death. More recently, scientists have pinpointed that this flu particularly settled in the lungs, making it more lethal. In the Spanish flu epidemic, about half a billion people were affected worldwide and 20-30 million died.

http://www.rense.com/genhttp://www.w...al73/dpanb.htm

I was listening to reports today about the swine flu, and we don't have a lot of cases, so it isn't at epidemic levels yet. Keep on using sensible hygiene tactics and everything should be fine. With 45 cases confirmed in the US, so far none are serious. In Mexico, about 150 of the 1600 or so confirmed victims have died. So far, Mexico is the only place with this level of fatality. This article discusses possible reasons:

http://www.slate.com/id/2217019/

Does anyone remember that lung-attacking hanta virus panic of a few years ago?

[Detroitej72]

I herd the name Swine Flu, and thought about the old Swine Flu of the 70's and wondered what, if any connection it had with the flu of the same name today.

Then I herd on NPR today that it really isn't like the 70's version and thus the vacines from then wont help folks. Now I am wondering, who decides the names of all these viruses and why did they reuse the name?

[Mikeg]

My grandfather's second cousin and most of his family were wiped out by the Spanish Influenza in January 1919. They lived in Warren Township, Macomb County and within a one week span, the cousin, his wife and four of their five children all died of the flu. The parents were both 30 years old and their children were 6, 5, 4 and 1 years old when they were struck down. Only their 3 year old daughter survived.

At the time, my grandfather was in the US Army and during the month of September 1918, 60 men in his Regiment of 4,500 died as a result of the flu epidemic.

[Blueidone]

My maternal grandmother died in 1919 when my mother was only 9 months old. They believe she contracted the Spanish flu from my great uncle who had returned from WWI around that time. It is not known by surviving family if he ever got sick, but apparently his sister got it from him. They all lived in the same house in Highland Park.

[Ravine]

And be careful about things like the handles on grocery carts. The damned things are like petri dishes full of nice, juicy agar.
Stay healthy & safe, mes amis.

[gazhekwe]

I got this today from Health Sciences Institute, a health watchdog organization:

Don't Panic: 7 FACTS About 'Swine Flu'
With all the sensationalized news about the so-called swine flu flying around, I figured we'd better set all the facts straight.

2. So far, only 82 cases of so-called swine flu have been definitively identified worldwide, mostly in Mexico [[26 confirmed, 7 deaths) and the U.S.[[with 40 confirmed, no deaths). [[Though about 1600 suspected cases, including 159 deaths, are reported in Mexico.) That does not add up to a pandemic swine flu outbreak.
3. This virus has nothing to do with swine. In fact, it hasn't been seen in a single animal. And you can't possibly get it from eating pork.
4. No existing vaccines can prevent this new flu strain. So no matter what you hear – even if it comes from your doctor – don't get a regular flu shot. They rarely work against seasonal flu…and certainly can't offer protection from a never-before- seen strain.
5. Speaking of this strain, it doesn't seem to have come on naturally. According to the World Health Organization [[WHO), this particular strain has never before been seen in pigs or people. And according to Reuters, the strain is a 'genetic mix' of swine, avian and human flu. Was it created in a lab? We don't know yet.
6. The drug companies are getting excited…and that's never a good thing. According to the Associated Press at least one financial analyst estimates up to $388 million worth of Tamiflu sales in the near future – and that's without a pandemic outbreak.
7. Let's not forget that Tamiflu comes with its own problems, including side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, cough…the very symptoms you're trying to avoid. And let's not forget that Japan banned this drug for children back in 2007, after links to suicidal behavior.
8. Vaccines for this flu strain probably won't have to jump through all those annoying hurdles like clinical trials for safety and effectiveness. That won't, however, stop the government from mandating the vaccine for all of us – a very likely scenario. And if the vaccines are actually harmful…killing people, for example…the vaccine makers will be immune from lawsuits.

[Olddetroiter]

I guess I would rather err on the side of caution [[even if it means I overreact) than end up with a plague because everyone ignored the possible dangers.

[Jimaz]

When pigs fly.

Consider the homonyms.

[Olddetroiter]

When pigs fly.

Does this count?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...g=content;col1

[Jimaz]

Heh. That swine flew up real big!

[reddog289]

I was trying to remember if it was the swine flu that popped up in the 70's. I remember my Dad bitching about having to spend the night waiting in line for the flu shot and me running around the gym at the High School, was not a fun night for a little kid.

[Olddetroiter]

I was trying to remember if it was the swine flu that popped up in the 70's. I remember my Dad bitching about having to spend the night waiting in line for the flu shot and me running around the gym at the High School, was not a fun night for a little kid.

That was the swine flu... although a different strain of it. There was a big push for everyone to get flu shots, and the shots ended up killing more people than the flu. I was working for GM at the time, and the company gave us all free shots. I'm still here, so I guess I wasn't one of those killed by the shots.

[reddog289]

Funny thing about that whole deal back then , I don't remember any one I know getting that flu, and that I don't think I got any shot at all, But hey I was 7 at the time.

[jiminnm]

That was the swine flu... although a different strain of it. There was a big push for everyone to get flu shots, and the shots ended up killing more people than the flu. I was working for GM at the time, and the company gave us all free shots. I'm still here, so I guess I wasn't one of those killed by the shots.

You're right, but some of us were too busy trying to Whip Inflation Now that we couldn't catch the flu.