Swine Flu Tracking Map

[IRescue452]

Keep in mind people that this is a flu, not the plague. Thousands of people die each year from the flu and while it is very sad, its no reason to panic. Four schools were closed today in WI because of the panic and the school I clean is talking about closing for a full disinfection (pointless as it is to do a top to bottom disinfection for a virus).

[Nomilynn]

I heard a stat on the news tonight that really put it into perspective. There are anywhere from 4-8 serious strains of flu that circulate every year. In Canada, up to 8000 or more people die every year from flu related complications, 800 of which in BC (my province). There are what, 200 or so world wide of the A1H1 or whatever it's now called? I think we are all doing a great job of containing and preventing further spread. Also, just because someone gets this virus, it doesn't mean they will die.. it just means they will get the flu! I really think that the media is spreading panic.. we just have to be careful, as we would in any flu season..

[Hellow]

The media enjoys blowing things like this out of proportion. The regular flu infects 40,000+ people a year, while this has only infected 2,000. So far, no one outside Mexico has died from it (excluding the baby in TX). Oh, and fyi, its name is H1N1 XD.

[Alysser]

The media enjoys blowing things like this out of proportion. The regular flu infects 40,000+ people a year, while this has only infected 2,000. So far, no one outside Mexico has died from it (excluding the baby in TX). Oh, and fyi, its name is H1N1 XD.

This isn't "blowing something out of proportion". The Swine Flu is something new that is not known about, how do they know it cannot evolve into something far worse? People die from the the regular influenza because it turns to pnemonia. There is nothing wrong with saying something about it on the news. This could be more dangerous then the flu, by far. Those 40,000 people do not need to die a year and the Swine Flu may have the same effects. There is nothing wrong with trying to educate the public on a disease and contain it from spreading further if it has the same effects. If it saves 1 more person from dying that's great.

[finn's mom]

I don't think the media is really blowing anything out of proportion. It's a new strain that they're learning about as the situation progresses. Yeah, people die from the flu, but now it's just another strain that could (and has) added to the death toll.

As for the little boy in TX, I read that he was actually from Mexico, and was visiting relatives in Brownsville. He had already been showing symptoms of the flu. He just happened to die in a hospital in Houston, hence the whole "first death in the US." Sad either way.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

one of the world's top flu experts works at my hospital. When I see him wearing a surgical mask and running around in a sweaty panic, then I'll worry. Until then it's just another flu to me.