Swine Fever - any thoughts?

Adam1 · Post by **Adam1** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:05

WHO have said that this is "serious" and has the potential to become a "global pandemic".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8018356.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ap ... flu-mexico

What, if anything, should we consider doing now, just in case this does become serious?

Any thoughts?

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:07

Lemsip

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:10

ziggy12345 wrote:Lemsip

If we're advising at that level - turn off the tele and radio, stop reading newspapers, and avoid all news on the internet

happychicken · Post by **happychicken** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:28

Children and the elderly tend to do better in a flu pandemic.
We do have antivirals that will treat flu, but the availability of these depends just how bad a pandemic gets.
There is no way you can prepare really. If it's going to happen, it will happen.
Even locking yourself away and avoiding people doesn't necessarily protect you - flu virus transmission is not fully understood, and in previous pandemics e.g. the 1918 pandemic sporadic cases appeared 100s of miles apart with no obvious explanation as to how.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:31

Beg, buy or steal some tamiflu .. it works against this specific bug.

Keep away from people, wear disposable plastic gloves - and maybe wear a filter mask.

Note: Washing hands and using gloves is apparently WAY better at preventing flu infection than those N95 masks!

If you DO become infected, rush to London and kiss every MP you can find. If you have more time rush over to the City and kiss every banker you can find.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:36

Anyway this thing has only a 7% mortality rate.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 25 Apr 2009, 17:54

.. although the world shattering Spanish Flu only had a mortality rate of 2.5% - 5% ....

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 25 Apr 2009, 18:30

Listen to this ... it is NOT the sound track to Survivors or 28 Days Later... it's REAL

http://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/aud ... luenza.mp3

Erik · Post by **Erik** » 25 Apr 2009, 18:32

Vortex wrote:Anyway this thing has only a 7% mortality rate.

More or less in line with oil production decline rates then.

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 25 Apr 2009, 19:08

Found on another forum:

Thieves Vinegar:

Story goes that during one pandemic (forget which now...

) there were these thieves who never got the flu despite stealing from the infected. Once caught they were asked why. This is their recipe:

Vinegar
Rosemary
Lavendar
Sage
Thyme

Steep all together for 6 weeks
Drain
Take a spoonful before heading out to meet people
Also wash hands well and then rinse with the vinegar before eating or after handling money or shaking hands

There now that's that sorted!

I made some this morning because (smugly) I had all the ingredients except thyme growing in the garden. I added garlic instead. (I do have thyme but it'll take another couple of weeks to grow up.)

I used some Kombucha vinegar.... this was a jar of kombucha I let ferment too long and it became undrinkable (because that's what it's like once it becomes vinegar) but I couldn't quite bear to throw it out.

They do say the medicine is best if it tastes horrible. (Seriously the placebo effect seems to be enhanced if the medicine is hard to take!)

I explained all this to my son. He found it all highly entertaining!

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 25 Apr 2009, 19:53

LATOC are having fun with this story!

http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/ ... 751.0.html

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 25 Apr 2009, 20:13

I feel much better about all this kind o'stuff having given up commuting. Seriously I was on 6 different vehicles per working day, all of which had at least one eejit coughing/sneezing away, winter and summer alike. People aren't allowed to take the day off work these days unless they're actually dead.

fifthcolumn · Post by **fifthcolumn** » 25 Apr 2009, 20:32

Any thoughts?

Yes.

This will be a definitive test of whether the doomers are right about the system being brittle.

If 6% of the working population die of this virus and 40% get sick and don't go to work AND the system is as brittle as the doomers think, then we are facing a fast collapse scenario.

Personally I don't think the system is that brittle however.

But we'll see.

chris25 · Post by **chris25** » 25 Apr 2009, 20:33

I'm VERY scared by this.

This makes PO + economic collapse look like a walk in the park.

I think its time to buy a mask, anyone know what types are virus repallant?

fifthcolumn · Post by **fifthcolumn** » 25 Apr 2009, 20:35

chris25 wrote:I'm VERY scared by this.

This makes PO + economic collapse look like a walk in the park.

I think its time to buy a mask, anyone know what types are virus repallant?

Get some selenium and overdose on it to make sure your body has enough, just in case you do get sick.

Selenium kicks the shit out of flu viruses.