Swine Flu

[crewsunite]

SWINE FLU
Swine flu is a respiratory disease found in pigs
Human cases usually occur in those who have contact with pigs
Human-to-human transmission is rare and such cases are closely monitored

Q&A: Swine flu (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8017585.stm)

Watch out - Don't make any contracts with Swire's ( Sorry Swine's) !

Full details avail on BBC!

We would all be-able to help if Swire's were not Pigs & were able to talk like human's!
And not force chances to our life's work for the sake of third party neg.

Guys all I ask is do not get infected with Swine Flu! Wear a mask & do not bow down to there sub-level. Stand up for yourselfs in a respectable way!

And another thing. Prepare for all those whom get infect with Swine flu to be against you. Thus we also need to find a cure for those poor soles prior to 10May.

We are all in this together whether you like it or not!
Get your lateral thinking caps on and write to AoA with solid practical well though out solutions or sub ideas.

:oh:

[goathead]

Unfortunately , this flu is looking worse an worse by the minute
Swine flu , just might come along and totally throw the cat amongst the pidgeons on this one ......, as someone said 100 bucks it will be the next company memo , lets hope not
this is looking like a sars NAM style ...wait and see how this one turns out , fingers crossed
:\

[pill]

The aussie media is all over it this morning. Standby for the feeding frenzy. It will make hungry sharks look quite docile.

[Dan Winterland]

It's worse than we thought!

DON'T PANIC BUT YOU ARE GOING TO DIE - The Daily Mash (http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/health/don%27t-panic-but-you-are-going-to-die-200904271727/)

[EXEZY]

Dont make me laugh, this is just another attempt my the medical authorities to drive up shares in pharmacutical companies, preying on peoples deep routed fears in viruses and the like. So 20 people die in Mexico City, probably one of the poorer cities in the world, dont you think people die there all the time and not due to some manufactured "flu" virus!
I would expect nothing less than Australian immigration control to be all over this one, a bigger bunch of baffoons I have never had the pleasure in meeting.
The whole thing is a farce, convince the world there is pandemic and lo and behold you have one, such is people's susceptibility to messages blasted out from the worldwide media. We live in a day and age where the vast majority have lost their critical thinking abilities and as a result are victims slain on the altar of corporate agendas. We are convinced by media assaults on our senses and fear that we which we do not understand. Driven by fear, im sure there are some parrallels with COS08, SLS, there somewhere....

[Flying Bagel]

It's ironic, but you sound more paranoid than the people who you think are paranoid...

[EXEZY]

Ok well do a check on the previous swine flu "epidemic" from 1976 and you will see what a load of hogwash, excuse the pun, the whole thing was. In that instance one US army soldier became ill and the whole camp was vaccinated with a flue vaccination in the end leading to widespread health problems not from a virus but the vaccination itself. In the end the population at large became vaccinated leading to all sorts of health issues non related to a flu virus and the US government was forced to pay millions in compensation, with the NIH finally admitting that the whole thing was a medical blunder. Seems like people have short memories. Do some reasearch yourself before labelling others.

[elpilotofrances]

How many are we on the earth ???
call an epidemic a desease with have kill around 100 people ............
same as the sars 2 year ago .....

[hongkongfooey]

I'm with EXEZY 100% on this.
There are around 36,000 flu related deaths IN THE U.S ALONE each year.
If we just slaughtered all the press instead of the birds and pigs, we would be a hell of a lot better off :mad:
:mad:ing press can take a bow for causing far more panic than is necessary with the financial crisis too..........:mad:s

[404 Titan]

This whole Swine flu thing has the hall marks of the SARS debacle all over again. A complete world wide hysteria driven by a media frenzy that was out of control.

Living with Sars

By Tom Mitchell
South China Morning Post
Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Like many mothers whose children work as journalists in China, mine has an exaggerated fear of the Chinese government and all its agents.

My more worldly dad, on the other hand, understands that it is often the littler and far less dramatic things that one should worry more about. "I am much more worried about the Chinese mosquitoes than I am about their politicians and police," he once, wrote me before I ventured off for a backpacking trip through south and southwest China.

"You are too smart to run afoul of the law, but dumb enough not to take that medication. Malaria and hepatitis are no fun - so be careful and swallow the pills."

The tiny coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), therefore, has both of my parents plenty worried so much so that I was somewhat surprised by the urgency of their tone over the phone during the past few weeks.

My mother being a mother is particularly upset, and it does not help that many of her friends and acquaintances frequently ask her about the health of her far flung son and are generous in their suggestions of many a homespun remedy. Had I, for example, considered walking around with a dab Bacitracin ointment under each of my nostrils? Well no, I had not.

It did not take me long to figure out that my own profession bears much blame for the overblown fears of my parents and many others. Consider this recent gem from the pages of the Economist, which is one of my father's favourite windows onto, the outside world: "Streets in [Hong Kong's] business district normally bustling, are eerily quiet. Rush hour is gone, as people try to take public transport at unusual hours. Everybody who has a face mask wears it."

Everybody? Really? The South China Morning Post was so concerned about the health of its employees that it sold us all masks a set of two or three for HK$12, if I remember right. I'm not sure because I never wore them and now I cannot even remember where I put them. Most of my friends and colleagues have not worn theirs either.

One friend a long time Hong Kong resident – was travelling in China when the outbreak here first hit the international headlines.

"My brain says we're seeing something of an over reaction and when a 14 year old's fake Web site can empty shelves in Wellcome I know we're not dealing with a rational fear,” he e mailed me as he was making his way overland back to Hong. “But all the same – should I be wearing that mask?”

I told him I did not think it was as bad as all that, and I thought his reaction after arriving back in Hong Kong summed it all up rather well: "The situation looks a lot more manageable from inside Hong Kong than it does from outside.”

Another friend in Tokyo, who works for a major multinational company, e-mailed me about a recent episode at the office. “It is nice to confirm that you are alive,” my friend wrote. “We had a visitor from Hong Kong last week. Some people in my office got pretty nervous getting close to this person. Though he didn't realise that he was not welcome, I still felt sorry for him."

I have even gotten a taste of this myself. Tonight I am supposed to fly to England for a wedding. Or at least I think I am. My invitation is now conditional upon a poll of the guests, who will be asked if they are comfortable if someone from Hong Kong is milling about in their midst.

'It is an irrational fear, but also an understandable one. And, perhaps it is easy to be too blasé about such things.

So at least my parents are not the only ones worried beyond distraction about Sars. Besides nervous wedding guests and Tokyo office workers, they also have as company some of the world’s leading health professionals. Consider, as an example, this little anecdote I heard about during a brief visit to Guangzhou last week.

A friend had attended a recent press conference given by officials from the World Health Organisation and Guangdong Health Bureau in Guangzhou. After the officials had taken their last questions and the two teams said goodbye to each other, my friend noticed one WHO delegate heading to the bathroom.

Perhaps thinking he could get in a question or two at the urinals, my friend followed the WHO official. But as it turned out, the WHO expert did not have to use the bathroom. Instead, my friend found him standing at the sink. Having just shaken hands with his Guangdong counterparts, the WHO official was scrubbing his own, furiously, with liquid soap and warm water.

Tom Mitchell is an Associate Editor in the Post's Business Department

[Flying Bagel]

I must say, EXEZY, that I agree with the fact that the media is already in panic mode, much like they are with everything else. Would you expect anything less from those poor souls?

However, to say that this is being blown out of proportion so that the pharmas can make dough is a bit...well...blown out of proportion. Using 1976 as an example is hardly an argument breaker, because, if you have done your research, there have been other 'pandemics' which have existed.

To say whether or not this one matches the other ones in terms of lethality or seriousness is very hard to ascertain at this stage. Look at it objectively, there is nothing to panic about at this point. They're still having trouble trying to figure out who has died from this thing.

You know, SARS had a mortality rate of 9.6% across all age ranges. if it wasn't contained like it was back in '03, who knows what might have happened. In this case, I applaud the measures taken by the Mexican government, but I'm not about to go stock up on Tamiflu because of this.

[Dragon69]

Remember the hysteria over Bird Flu and the apparent lack of Tamiflu, well guess who was a huge share holder in the Californian biotech company that owns the rights to Tamiflu...you're right Donald Rumsfeld!!!!

[EXEZY]

Tamiflu is one of the most toxic medicines you can take. It kills an enzyme in your body which results in the thickening of the blood, thus it is harder for the body to transport O2 this in turn leads to suffocation in some cases, especially in young children. Suprise, suprise guess who they are aiming the Tamiflu at, thats right kids. When you have mass death from Tamiflu, they will attribute this to "Pig flu" and there is your pandemic. No im not a conspiray theorist but you wont find me touching tamiflu or any f:mad:ing vaccine!

[Phlap1]

I always believed a Virus could not be treated as per
the AIDS problem, how come the FLU antivirals work?
Or. as the previous post implies- maybe they don't.

but what would I know, I'm a simpleton pilot.

[trevfly]

The more the word pandemic is mentioned, the more global stocks rally...time to buy or sell? Like post SARS, once this swine thing is over, stocks will have a sustained rally. My bet is that not all SLS will ever be taken, and those not taking it will be on substantial overtime.

As I always mention, Tung Chung apartments are my barometer, already up 25% this year.

[junior_man]

It doesn't kill pigs....
So eat more pork to be safe

[Frogman1484]

Hi Trefly...you should sell now on the rally...the flu in the USA will lead to a drop in consumer spending which is 75% of the US economy. So be prepared the next quarter results will reflect this. Once the flu thing is over , you will see a big rally just like HKG in 2003.
:ok:

[Free Flight]

Swine flu is a completely different animal from SARS.

The H1N1 virus type is well known.

There is a trwatment known and proven for this virus.

In 2-3 months, there will be a vaccine for this virus.

Although a pandemic may occur in a short time, the long term effects are going to be minor.

Healthy and well medicated societies are not in serious danger.

Check out the modelling at the Centre for Disease Control.

Whatever you do, don't allow this "blip" to influence decisions that will control your long term future.

Stock up on Tamiflu or equivalent!

Buy pharmaceutical shares - oops, too late!

[alvega]

I'm with EXEZI 100%. Well done. finally some people are begining to see behind the curtain.

I think the question we all should be asking ourselves nowadays is Qui Bono, who gains with all this story. To me it is very simple, the pharma industry. Look at the chronology, first the financial crash, now the flu scare blamed on the poor pigs and whatever else is coming next. Do your own research and don't always believe what you read or see on the news or what you are told by the politicians, they are in it for the money, all of them. One example, Tamiflu, the "wonder drug" (that can kill you) developed by Gilead Sciences and approved in 1999 while a criminal named Donald Rumsfeld who has been in the revolving door for more than 30 years (yes, the very same that managed to push Aspartame through approval by the FDA in 1981, the very same that delivered the weapons of mass destruction to Iraq in 1983 and later lied about it, the very same that sold the nuclear technology to North Korea in 2000, the list goes on) and was its CEO and is still pocketing on the commercial rights of this drug. Going to the chronology again, why did the outbreak scare started on the very day B. Obama left Mexico after a brief visit there (probably to warn the mexican government that they should leave the cocaine cartels alone because they were ruining the business that provides the biggest source of income to the U.S.).
Do your own research and stay out of the mainstream media, they are not telling the truth. Time to wake up.

[alvega]

… and if you still think we can trust politicians, have a look at the latest in the UK. The "Manure Parliament”, as the population is beginning to call their government. Just read their pathetic excuses now that the s..t has hit the fan. And it’s the same everywhere. The New World Order is coming fast. Buckle up boys, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

[routetuner]

What exactly are you saying? Are you under the influence of something?

[EXEZY]

I thought it was fairly obvious what I was saying and most seem to agree apart from you. I suppose you are one of the lambs to the slaughter, believing all you read and watch. Look up the New world order and all will be revealed.

[canonball1]

EXEZY! I hope you don't fly planes. You are a F$%#ING Nutter!!! I suppose 'God' will save you?

[canonball1]

Oh yeah EXEZY... I am a member of the secretive group of globalists conspiring to eventually rule the world through an autonomous world government!

[EXEZY]

I take it then that you believe the hype surrounding H1N1 influenza. I think that makes you more of a NUTTER than me! Think about it, 36000 people a year DIE from the flu in the U.S every year and now all of a sudden we have a near pandemic because a very small group of people have mysteriously passed away from a common virus. This common virus, up until recently accepted by the world as a minor ailment that most people expeirenced once a year, and now suddenly a deadly killer that threatens all of humanity. Do you honestly not smell a rat? Do you not think that if such a pandemic killer virus was possible that we would have expeirenced this phenomenen before? As I have stated do some research on the 1976 swine flu virus that wasn't and enlighten yourself.
How on earth can a pig flu virus, mix with a bird virus and end up in humans, it is the stuff of comic books. That, however, is exactly what the press and the WHO want, a simple, readily digestible bit of crap that the majority of people can absorb and then switch on to panic mode. It may be news to you but it takes months to manufacture a screening test that can detect a particular virus and at present that doesn't exist. Take a look on that bit of paper you hand in to immigration every time you fly, you know the one with the list of symptoms, well that is how people with "H1N1" are diagnosed, not on an actual test that detects live virus but on symptoms. Do you not think that now, with this method, people with an every day cold, flu etc are going to fall foul of this latest pandemic scam, from being in the wrong place at the wrong time? If such a test existed that did detect a virus, then surely the vaccine would be around the corner, where is the vaccine?
I surely hope that you are not flying aircraft my freind because I fear for your lack of critical thinking abilities. I'll know who you are at work no doubt, you'll be the tw@t wearing the mask with the cabin crew. :ok:

[alvega]

Yes ROUTETUNER, we’ve all been under the influence of a lot of stuff for too long. The truth hurts sometimes. Did you know that the US Navy warned its pilots not to drink anything containing Aspartame prior to flight?

Conditioned brains affected from generation to generation by the misinformation produced by the education system and the controlled mainstream media have created a population of robots unable to think for themselves, having to rely in the precooked, easy to swallow garbage thrown in every hour of the day on a massive scale with the help of Aspartame, Sodium Fluoride, Chlorine, vaccines, GMO’s and all the chemical rubbish in the food supply. It is time to restart our brains and open our eyes to what is going on around us.

"If I were reincarnated I would wish to be returned to earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels" - Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh.

Kissinger, Eugenics And Depopulation (http://www.rense.com/general59/kissingereugenics.htm)

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” – Joseph Goebells

“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” – Joseph Goebells

Do your own research, the clock is ticking.

[canonball1]

EXEXYEXEZXYEXEZY!! Blah Blah Blah... so boring. Get a life and keep the post smaller. I know I am a hypocrite for responding... hook, line and sinker!

[fire wall]

frtdog, google search has the flu contributing to the deaths of 20000 + people in the N. America every year.
It was round 2 of the spanish flu that took everyone out.
It is round 2 of swine flu that has them scared, should it mutate.

[jonathon68]

Normal flu mortality rates are about 0.1% and are generally of young (under 2) or elderly (aged over 70) people, and occur mainly during the winter.

The last major H1N1 pandemic (1918-1919) had a mortality rate of 10-20%, mainly among healthy young adults, and occurred throughout the year. 30-40% of the worlds population may have been infected.

Records show that there were 3 waves, approximately 4-6 months apart. There were relatively few casualties among the first wave in March. However, the virus mutated to a much more deadly form for the second wave in August, with 5x more casualties. The virus mutated again to a more mild form for the final wave in the following February, although it still had 2x the casualties than the first wave.

Populations with a high level of mobility were among the first and hardest hit, so the measures being taken by Governments and the WHO would seem to be sensible.

[Teal]

Note that a vaccine to this flu is expected to be available in about 6 weeks time - CSL Limited (link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSL_Limited)) has been tasked with developing a vaccine for the Australasian region and I believe that the vaccine culture is undergoing testing at present. My employer has already made arrangements to make it available at no cost to our 30,000+ workforce. Although the virus will likely mutate next time round, the vaccine will provide a degree of protection until the next round of vaccinations.

[kluge]

"Aiyeaa - What's that you say – ‘Won Hung Low’ - shut down all the schools so that they all hang out at the filthy capitalist clubs - Chee-sing ! Ah I see now - a concentration policy then.

..And provide subsidies to encourage the creation of petting zoos - introduce piglets as well you say and encourage bird feeding ?

.And make uncovered sneezing, hacking up and spitting an accepted part of our ancient culture......excellent.....

Yes, yes, yes, - a sure way to get rid of the gweilo."

________________________________________

Subject: Special measures in your club

Dear Members,

Following the Hong Kong Government mandate to close all primary schools, it is clear that we will have many more members and their families in our Club. Therefore, for your ongoing safety and comfort we will introduce further draconian hygiene measures such that they are at the level at and beyond those experienced during SARS.

All playground equipment will be disinfected every one hour with new equipment which sprays a fine mist of concentrated bleach. The Govt advises that the half life of this chemical is entirely safe and acceptable given the risks of H1N1 and the desire to remain Asia's WC. Please help us during this disinfection process by keeping your children in the playground for 5 minutes when you see our staff starting to clean it. Don't be alarmed that they will be wearing breathing apparatus and NBC suits. This is entirely normal and reflects our recent decision to upgrade the uniforms of our staff. We hope that you like the new style.

All door knobs and railings will be disinfected every hour and special attention will be paid to the toilet areas. For your comfort there is no need to change how you currently use these facilities in any way.

All our staff members have been reminded to observe personal hygiene behaviour as in the SARS period for the coming weeks. Please ignore any symptoms of running noses, red eyes, sneezing into your meal and finger nail dirt. In some dishes that slight nutty flavour is our signature speciality caused by the chef not washing his hands after using the toilet.

May I request all our members to be vigilant to ensure a safe and happy early start of the holiday period.

Thank you for your patronage.

General Manager
Filthy Capitalist Private Members Club

[Lowkoon]

Maybe they are just trying to avoid a repeat of the Hong Kong flu of 69 that killed over a million people? Influenza A virus subtype H3N2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H3N2#Hong_Kong_Flu_.281968.E2.80.9 31969.29)

I might be missing something, but isn't it a good thing that governments have been seen to over react, and it hasnt turned out to be so severe as first thought? :ugh: If anything, it shows a more mature approach than SARS, where the head in the sand technique was unillaterally adopted?

Now all we need to see is the Chinese and HKG governments not pick and choose WHO reccomendations that suit them politically and financially, and also implement other WHO recommendations like Air quality. I'm not holding my breath, but wish I could.

[superfrozo]

And I quoth from the above story link:

"...The patient had underlying health conditions..."

Ergo, a sick person caught the flu and this contributed to their passing. That over 30,000 people A YEAR die of flu-related illness in the U.S. alone (CDC figures) should illustrate how common this occurence is.

I hate to break it to all the Henny Pennys, but life on this planet has been mutating/changing/evolving for, well, forever (okay, approx 2 billion years give or take a few). The difference now is we can can genetically map virus strains with increasing accuracy. So, whereas 40 years ago someone in hospital "got an infection and died", now we can say they suffered from complications of contracting "Staphylococcus aureus Strain UT0002-19 as defined by the chromosonal linkage groups thy-1-lys-5-trp-3-thr-4-ala-8".

In the end, this identification process doesn't mean (unless you're a journalist with a "PANDEMIC MEGA-DEATH PLAGUE" headline you're dying to print) that we are on the verge of an "I Am Legend" scenario. If you want to be truely scared check out the mortality rate for a rabies infection versus H1N1 swine flu infection.

Meanwhile, sit back, relax and maybe pick up a real estate bargain or two in Melbourne where apparently the "GLOBAL-MEGA-PANDEMIC-DESTRUCTO-HYPER-DEATH" plague is destroying all life as we know it!!:ok:

[alvega]

The WHO has declared swine flu (N1H1) pandemic. This will probably imply governmental demands for universal mass vaccinations under penalty for not complying. Flu vaccine contains squalene oil as an adjuvant.

Micropaleontologist Dr. Viera Scheibner conducted research into the adverse effects of adjuvants in vaccines and wrote: Squalene “contributed to the cascade of reactions called “ Gulf War syndrome. GIs developed arthritis, fibromyalgia, lymphadenopathy, rashes, photosensitive rashes, malar rashes, chronic fatigue, chronic headaches, abnormal body hair loss, non-healing skin lesions, aphthous ulcers, dizziness, weakness, memory loss, seizures, mood changes, neuropsychiatric problems, anti-thyroid effects, anaemia, elevated ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, deadly Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon with paroxysms of lack of blood in fingers and toes in fingers and toes, Sjorgren’s syndrome with blurred vision, chronic diarrhea, night sweats and low-grade fever.”
A study linking squalene, as experimental vaccine adjuvant, to individuals with the clinical signs of Gulf War syndrome was published in 2002. A U.S. Federal Judge ruled that there was good cause to believe aqualene to be harmful, and he ordered the Pentagon to stop administering it in October 2004.

For all those who still think a vaccine will solve all the H1N1 problems, there is news for you. You can read it all here:
Swine Flu Vaccination Poses Serious Threat to Your Health Euro-med (http://euro-med.dk/?p=9152)

Choose to stay dormant at your own peril. Sweet dreams with flying pigs.

[404 Titan]

I’ve had the flu vaccine every year for the last twenty years. It’s never hurt me. Mind you it hasn’t always prevented me from getting the flu either. I still remember the first shot to this day. I came down with a really bad dose of the flu that lasted over a month.:yuk:

[alvega]

I’ve had the flu vaccine every year for the last twenty years. It’s never hurt me.

Mind you it hasn’t always prevented me from getting the flu either

I still remember the first shot to this day. I came down with a really bad dose of the flu that lasted over a month.

Exactly my point. You couldn't have made it clearer.

Thanks, 404 Titan

[404 Titan]

alvega

I think you may have missed my point. I was trying to say that I haven’t suffered from any of the supposed side effects mentioned by Dr Viera Scheibner. I do agree though that a flu vaccine isn’t a cure for all strains of the flu. The average flu shot will only protect you from about five strains. They are usually the most prevalent that season. Some people may be lucky and never get the flu, but it is a rarity. A large proportion that think they have never had the flu probably have but thought it was a cold, even though there are some obvious differences in the symptoms.

[FlexibleResponse]

My more worldly dad, on the other hand, understands that it is often the littler and far less dramatic things that one should worry more about. "I am much more worried about the Chinese mosquitoes than I am about their politicians and police," he once, wrote me before I ventured off for a backpacking trip through south and southwest China.

"You are too smart to run afoul of the law, but dumb enough not to take that medication. Malaria and hepatitis are no fun - so be careful and swallow the pills."

I rather enjoyed 404 Titan's quoted quote from Tom Mitchell, South China Morning Post, Tuesday, April 22, 2003!

You can tell people, but they won't listen to what they don't want to hear.

[kluge]

superfrozo #35 post - Most sensible advice to date IMO.

Hope some journos are reading. Publish this you berks.:ugh:

[Toe Knee Tiler]

Swyre Flu. A new strain on a plane.

Symptoms:

Feeling lethargic after flying duty periods of 13 1/4 to 18 hours.
Not able to have adequate sleep when your time zone changes by 6 hours or more.
Tossing and turning in crew rest area during flight.
Feeling as though you want breakfast when dinner is being served.
Finding crew meals unappetizing.
Not feeling ready for work after minimum rest period.
Not capable of high performance after "split duty".
Not understanding new contracts and their implications in full.
Tossing and turning in your home bed at the completion of a duty period.
Reluctance to extend a duty period.
Self doubt as to whether you are paid enough.
Not making your pay go as far as it used to.
Not spending enough quality time with loved ones.

If you are suffering a combination of any ten of the above please consult your manager who will guide you accordingly as may be amended from time to time at his sole discretion.

This list is not exhaustive so be alert of subtle changes in your life.