Swine Flu Questions

[jkjsooner]

1. Why is the death rate so much higher in Mexico than the U.S.? I don't think healthcare (or lack of healthcare) explains it. Too many people in the U.S. have recovered without going to the doctor or taking anti-viral drugs.

I also don't buy the "we may have a weaker strain" argument. I suppose it could be true but if so we would most likely end up getting the stronger strain soon enough.

2. Is there a chance that we've been exposed to some other virus that for whatever reason resembles H1N1 enough to provide a little more resistance to this strain? Maybe Mexicans by and large were not exposed to that strain. Just a thought.

3. Recent studies showed that the flu virus survives in cold air (something like 20-50 degrees?) a lot longer than warm air. I believe that is now the most accepted explanation of why our flu outbreaks seem to be seasonal - not anything to do with human behavior. Do they think this is true for H1N1? If so, is the southern hemisphere in for a world of hurt soon? Are we likely in for trouble next winter? Could they have this in the seasonal flu vaccine by next fall?

4. Even though the media forgot about the bird flu, CDC folks are still scared to death of it. Recent talk about how we have some resistence to normal flu strains but not the swine flu as it's very different, reminds me that bird flu is also like something we've never seen and that is one reason it is so potent. If that's the case, why not add the bird flu into our normal flu vaccine? (I know they only put about 3 strains in it.) Sure, it will not be the exact strain that ends up spreading from human to human but if it gives us some protection then wouldn't it be worth it?

Just some thoughts.....

[OU_Sooners75]

Not payin tention are ya?

Americans are just more superior!

[Jello Biafra]

with what 75 just said, why do you think no reported cases in oklahoma?

go ahead take a stab at it..

[olevetonahill]

with what 75 just said, why do you think no reported cases in oklahoma?

go ahead take a stab at it..

Cause our aggies **** sheep and not pigs ?

[GottaHavePride]

1. Why is the death rate so much higher in Mexico than the U.S.? I don't think healthcare (or lack of healthcare) explains it.

Sure it does. Mexico is a poor country. The people dying from this flu were probably already malnourished with compromised immune systems just from general conditions down there.

4. Even though the media forgot about the bird flu, CDC folks are still scared to death of it. Recent talk about how we have some resistence to normal flu strains but not the swine flu as it's very different, reminds me that bird flu is also like something we've never seen and that is one reason it is so potent. If that's the case, why not add the bird flu into our normal flu vaccine? (I know they only put about 3 strains in it.) Sure, it will not be the exact strain that ends up spreading from human to human but if it gives us some protection then wouldn't it be worth it?

Just some thoughts.....

The problem is that in its current form, bird flu only infects birds. It doesn't do anything to people. A vaccine works by giving your immune system weakened targets to practice on (excuse the metaphor) before the real thing comes in. In its current form, human immune systems won't even twitch at bird flu because it isn't a threat.

The CDC is worried because IF bird flu mutates enough to BECOME infectious to humans, it would be a very strong and rapidly-spreading strain of the flu. Until that mutation happens, though, it's also useless in a vaccine.

I think. I could be wrong there - not like I'm reading medical studies on this stuff; that's just my understanding of how it works.

[Dio]

with what 75 just said, why do you think no reported cases in oklahoma?

go ahead take a stab at it..

Randy Terrill?

[mdklatt]

It may not be that the death rate is higher, but that a large number of non-fatal cases aren't getting reported.

[Chuck Bao]

3. Recent studies showed that the flu virus survives in cold air (something like 20-50 degrees?) a lot longer than warm air. I believe that is now the most accepted explanation of why our flu outbreaks seem to be seasonal - not anything to do with human behavior. Do they think this is true for H1N1? If so, is the southern hemisphere in for a world of hurt soon?

I think there is some truth to this.

When I was trying to keep up with bird flu outbreak several years ago, I read somewhere that the flu bug does not like the tropics. That explains why I have not had the flu in 20+ years that I have lived in Thailand. I have no antibodies built up against the flu and I wonder if that is the case in Mexico.

[batonrougesooner]

Partial immunity to H1N1 strains due to regular immunization against the flu in the majority of our population. They don't routinely immunize against the flu in Mexico.

[jkjsooner]

The problem is that in its current form, bird flu only infects birds. It doesn't do anything to people.

That is not true. The bird flu has killed about 70% of the people who have contracted it. I would say that's doing something to people...

The bird flu is not transmissible from human to human but if you get it you better believe it is deadly.

[SoonerRedHead]

Here is a thought. This is a big deal because the media had nothing else to report on. So lets create some news. Forget checking facts. Not that the media bothers doing that lately or for that matter the vp. Of course Biden needs to be locked up in a rubber room anyway.

People need to check on the numbers of diseases transmitted every day and people dying from other strains of the flu. This is just trajic that this is causing more economic hardship on people.

The media has driven most of this economic hardship, now they will have to live with their messes. When the NYTimes folds it will be a better world.

[GrapevineSooner]

Could I catch the Swine Flu I'm two degrees from Kevin Bacon?

[StoopTroup]

Mmmmmmmmmmm.....Bacon

[starclassic tama]

That is not true. The bird flu has killed about 70% of the people who have contracted it. I would say that's doing something to people...

The bird flu is not transmissible from human to human but if you get it you better believe it is deadly.

this is correct. the scary thing about H1N1 is that it infects from human to human.

i just think it's halfway funny/halfway sad that the center for disease control in atlanta georgia gets their funding cut by right wing likely illiterate republicans in that state that "don't believe" in evolution, but the second a new virus threatens the population that is the first place people turn to.

[achiro]

It's all just bull****. As of Wed there were only 8 confirmed deaths in Mexico. Of the first 900 suspected cases only 400 were actually swine flu. That is a WHOLE lot different than a hundred eighty whatever deaths that they were talking about on the news on the same day.

[olevetonahill]

this is correct. the scary thing about H1N1 is that it infects from human to human.

i just think it's halfway funny/halfway sad that the center for disease control in atlanta georgia gets their funding cut by right wing likely illiterate republicans in that state that "don't believe" in evolution, but the second a new virus threatens the population that is the first place people turn to.

Learned that in " PreMed " did ja ?

[Chuck Bao]

What I find really weird is that so many foreign travelers coming back from Mexico are getting sick and being positively tested for H1N1. It has to be much more widespread and much less lethal.

It is still scary. There were lives lost and that is indeed sad, but it my help save lives in the future as sort of a test run on how to deal with a lethal outbreak. And, I have watch the new version of Andromeda Strain three times over the last two days, so no I'm not paranoid.

[Crucifax Autumn]

That new version was pretty damn good!