WHO raises pandemic alert to second-highest level

[Ultra Peanut]

The response is pretty hyperbolic, but it's still something that a lot of incredibly proficient people are rightly putting a lot of work into containing. Every single one of these things is an unknown quantity, at least until well after the fact, and prevention is a top priority for any of them.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

What's sad is going to be when this thing is contained and people start whining about all of the fuss about it. The media is hyperbolic and irresponsible, shocker, but that doesn't mean a lot of people aren't working very hard on dealing with this.

I think the reason WHO and co. are going bonkers over this is because, like it's been said, the virus is brand new and we have 0 resistance to it compounded by the fact there is no vaccine designed for it. Well, it's not like the current vaccines for the known forms of influenza are 100% effective. I don't know the exact numbers, but every year a huge percentage of vaccinated people still get the flu.

I, myself, have never gotten the vaccine and I do usually get the flu every 2-3 years. Yeah, it's a miserable 3 days, but I see it as something out of our immediate control and just a reality we have to face. I'm sure hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will end up going through this in the US alone and I think the death rate will be comparable to what we experience every year.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Metrolike

I think the reason WHO and co. are going bonkers over this is because, like it's been said, the virus is brand new and we have 0 resistance to it compounded by the fact there is no vaccine designed for it. Well, it's not like the current vaccines for the known forms of influenza are 100% effective. I don't know the exact numbers, but every year a huge percentage of vaccinated people still get the flu.

I, myself, have never gotten the vaccine and I do usually get the flu every 2-3 years. Yeah, it's a miserable 3 days, but I see it as something out of our immediate control and just a reality we have to face. I'm sure hundreds of thousands, if not millions, will end up going through this in the US alone and I think the death rate will be comparable to what we experience every year.

The reason the WHO is going bonkers is because 75% of the world's population lives in conditions that could actually make the flu DEADLY. I don't have a problem with the WHO.

I have a problem with the US media and our government acting like this is going to be a huge problem here.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Ultra Peanut

The response is pretty hyperbolic, but it's still something that a lot of incredibly proficient people are rightly putting a lot of work into containing. Every single one of these things is an unknown quantity, at least until well after the fact, and prevention is a top priority for any of them.

Another, different lot of incredibly proficient people are putting a lot of work into scaring the bejesus out of the common person.