Do you think you will avoid infection?
Asked by
Master (
1358
)
April 29th, 2009
Have you assessed your chances of becoming infested with H1N1 influenza?
How?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
53 Answers
Proper hygiene is very effective in preventing the virus.
If one lives in an area where cases are I would not attend large public gatherings while the virus was active without a proper mask but that would be a dramatic out break.
As with everything knowledge is power. Read about the virus and learn how it is prevented. Take the precautions suggested and there is no reason to panic.
Even in worst case if one was infected there are treatments available and most cases are mild.
The one thing that I do know is that the News networks are making a shitload of money off of this coverage. It’s crazy..
oh well, even if i’d get caught i’d be back on my feet within a few days, and so will most of you for that matter….
It doesn’t feel likely. But I don’t think I would be worried even if I was infected. Just nauseous.
@jmah I agree about the media. They cling to anything, pump it up and play every worst case scenario they can think of.
Honestly, I don’t give a damn. This whole thing is being blown out of proportion by the media and causing a massive panic over nothing. This is not a world killing virus. In the end of it all, maybe 20 people or less will die depending on where in the world they live. We lose thousands of lives every year to the normal flu. This anything serious by any normal means and people need to calm the fuck down.
since my kids have grown I don’t get as sick as I used to and my grand kids aren’t in pre-school yet. I am going to Disneyland tomorrow, but I’m taking lots of hand sanitizer with me.
I’m currently watching my neighbor’s nine year old who’s school (St. Mel’s in the Sacramneto area) has been closed since three seventh grade students have tested positive for swine flu. He’s long past the 48–72 hour incubation period so I’m not worried in the slightest. My daughter has been playing with him days before we knew he might have been exposed to the virus and she is healthy as well.
Now excuse me. I think I have to go throw up. I’m not feeling too well.
I will avoid catching the flu, because of these economically troubled times. Either that or because the world changed on 9/11. Run OJ, run!
@EnzoX24 i agree that this has been blown way out of proportion.. but just one thing… the dath toll in mexico alone is over 157 (i’m a doctor in mexico that works for the state health department).... so 20 deaths seems like a pipe dream to me.
@Dr_C So these deaths are confirmed? I go by what WHO says, and the reports I have seen say 7 confirmed. But you live there and is a doctor so I guess your info is first hand.
@Dr_C Ah you see that was the number of total infected in Mexico as I was told. Like I said, the media is a collective of idiots.
Yes I have no doubt in my mind. Why? Hmmm. Not sure, but I have no fear of it. lol.
It’s just the flu…
I’ve never had the flu, and I’m not worried about getting it now.
I’m flying with my family to Hawaii fir a little over three weeks next week. I think we will be just fine, unless we catch it in the DFW airport. I agree the media is making this into a huge deal and scaring lots of folks .
@Dr_C From what I can see in these comments, now I worry that people will undermine the severity of this, specially if as @oratio they do so because they go by the “official” count by WHO, but that 7 will suddenly jump to the 100’s as the test results come back to confirm that those mysterious death were indeed because of H1N1.
I’m afraid people are playing it “too cool” for now. Better to be ridiculed for being too cautious than—dead.
I am located in NYC so I do have proximity to people exposed in Queens but I also work for the NYC Department of Health and we get accurate internal updates and suffice it to say, I am not yet worried
I’m certainly not going to poison myself with Tamiflu.
@Master You are looking way too far into this. Remember SARS? Bird flu? There have been small cases of weird diseases popping up for years. Nothing comes of it. The media is the only thing to gain becuae every time something like this pops up their ratings sky rocket due to people tuning in every half hour to see how they will die.
That’s why I think it’s the perfect time to go to Disneyland!
Best time to get it is now while there is plenty of antibiotics and ventilators to spare.
The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Oh, by the way, stress and panic will reduce your immune system’s effectiveness against infections.
All you can do is take the precautions that you normally take to stay clean and healthy.
Or you can decide to live in a bubble.
I’ll choose the prior and not live my life in fear.
My care factor about this issue is at about a negative 10. That said, if I get it, I’m dead, but still… don’t care.
I’ll probably avoid the infection. I live in a bubble.
Impressive. Very valiant people here. I hope the immune system is as strong as your courage.
Level 5.
@Master My immune system isn’t strong, which is exactly my point. I’m dead if I get it, so why bother with worrying? It is what it is…
Hi @3or4monsters, (It’s Mr. Q :)
No, I don’t mean it like that. It is not that I’m being sensationalist, but I am able to see that it’s in fact a serious matter which is progressing rapidly. I am all for mistrust of the media and all, but this has nothing to do with that and more with if people are taking this matter seriously (which will help prevent spread of the disease). If everyone has a “whatever” attitude, it is precisely what will cause them and in turn others to be infested because they did not take the warnings seriously.
But fine. Play the Jaw’s theme. I’m the prophet of disaster.
10–4.
my daughter thinks it is just a test to see how we would react to a biological terrorist attack
@Judi I think the anthrax letters was enough to know
@oratio ; We have a whole new administration now. I wouldn’t trust to many conclusions from the past one.
Just heard that in Egypt they’re planning on slaughtering 300,000 pigs. Wtf? People are freaking out..
I think the freakout is a result of looking back to the Spanish Influenza etc, people seem to forget that we have a lot more doctors, hospitals, medication, information, and advanced warning. I’m not walking around thinking “oooh I hope I get swine flu”, but i’m not panicking either. Like @essieness my immune system is shit, so if people don’t stop panicking/becoming convinced we’re all going to die i’m just going to host an “end of the world” themed party and enjoy the hysteria I guess. well, and wash my hands a lot, just because I don’t think i’m going to get it doesn’t mean hygiene is out of the question!
If you die of swine flu, you’re number was up. You could’ve been just as likely hit by a bus.
Panic doesn’t solve anything. It causes additional problems.
We live in an uncertain world.
Understand that one day you WILL die. Just deal with it.
@jmah Yeah, I read it just now. That’s just insane.
Don’t get bit!
@boots Influenza has killed tens of millions of people in the last century. We have better medicine now that should take care of it, but don’t underestimate.
@benjaminlevi Oh, I know. But it hasn’t killed me. I’ve never had the flu. That’s why I’m not worried about this.
I’m not saying that I can’t catch it, but my record has been good thus far.
Today daughter number 2 told me my grandsons stayed home from school today because they are sick and are displying flu-like symptoms. I know it’s silly but right away I started thinking swine flu. She’s taking them to the doctor’s tomorrow where I’m sure the doc will say it’s nothing.
Im hoping this is the start of the zombie infection.
@jmah – I’m afraid I can’t agree with your assessment of the media, at least in general (there are always a few trumpets, a few exceptions, sure). Why?
It’s the year 2009 and not 1918. Our media are a blessing. They raise awareness and offer information endorsed by credible scientists and doctors. The virus is potentially very dangerous, but there’s no need to panic. In 1918 dozens of millions of people were killed because of the lack of media and of course modern medicine. Base pairs of the N1H1 virus? What are base pairs? What is DNA? Well, it’s a blessing we know today.
@Triiiple Then it would be gas masks 24/7 otherwise someone who was infected but not undead yet could give you the disease.
@mattbrowne ; But they have also become sensationalist entertainers, chasing the ratings. I know it’s great to get information fast, but when every day there is “BREAKING NEWS!” you tend to either get de-sensitized or paranoid.
@Judi – It’s breaking news everyday, and it should be, that’s not the problem. But you’re right, certain sensationalist entertainers can be a problem.
But look at how well the world handled SARS. So let’s ignore sensationalism and apply critical thinking. My critical thinking tells me: this should be on the news every day. We should listen to reputable people and take their advice seriously.
I would call the current swine flu ‘Mexican influenza’ by the way. Flu is actually misleading. It can mean several things:
1) Common cold (relatively harmless)
2) Seasonal influenza (serious)
3) Pandemic influenza (potentially extremely serious)
What we’re seeing is number 3. Still, the outcome could be that it kills far less people than number 2 does every year. Let’s hope this N1H1 beast remains relatively docile and does not mutate in the wrong direction. If it does, the global awareness is there. And the policies are in place and only need to be executed, which basically means shutting down all public life. Most people would simply stay at home for many days.
Very likely it will never come to that. No need to panic, but knowledge about the true potential is good. Same with hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes and so forth. Mother Nature can be very powerful.
@mattbrowne ; I agree; for the most part, I just think that the news media have made it hard to decipher what really IS important. When they all Arlen Spector’s defection to the Democratic Party “Earth Shattering,” it is hard to come up with words we will take seriously when something really IS a big deal. I guess we should go online and watch European news to find out :-)
@mattbrowne I’d say 90% of what CNN put out last few days was about the “swine flu”. CNN is making mint off of it.
Making a mint with accurate and honest information using reputable scientists is fine with me. It’s part of a free market society. Still, we need critical thinking to filter out the sensationalism part. And critical thinking requires good parenting and good education.
@Zen – Good article, my friend!
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
