I saw an article on CNN this morning entitled: “Swine Flu: Your Questions Answered.” I figure, if CNN can do it, I can too. So here it is…I’m going to answer all the pressing questions about swine flu that need answering.
What is swine flu?
Pretty much just like regular flu actually.
How is it transmitted?
Again, pretty much like regular flu. If somebody who has swine flu coughs on you, you’re probably going to get it. However, you often need prolonged contact with a contagious person to contract the virus yourself.
So, if it’s just like regular flu, why is everybody freaking out about it?
Probably because nobody wants to catch something that started in Mexico.
Should I be worried about a pandemic?
The CDC has confirmed 91 cases of swine flu in the US so far*. You do the math. What percentage of the US population currently has swine flu? Hint: the US population is 304, 059, 724. I’ll wait.
Ok. 0.000029928330790696892% of people have been confirmed with swine flu. Clearly, I am no flu expert, but those don’t look like pandemic numbers to me. But if this is a pandemic, think of all the other things that could now qualify as a pandemic as well: people getting their hands stuck in a blender, people slicing their wrists while trying to cut a bagel, people winning the lottery. I can see the headlines now: “95 people have won the lottery so far today – CDC declares lottery winning pandemic.”
How about the Spanish flu – isn’t this kind of like that?
Yes, except for now we have hospitals.
What should I do if I think I have swine flu?
Stay home and don’t breathe on anybody. If it gets really bad call your doctor. Don’t go out because even if it isn’t swine flu, nobody wants to catch it.
If you have further questions about the swine flu that need answers, I email me and I will post answers. I can’t wait to see where this goes…
*http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/health/30flu.html?_r=1&hp
ok, but here's the deal pookie bear:
ReplyDeleteit's a pandemic because of how fast it's spreading. the issue is that it's a newer kind of flu that we don't have an effective vaccine for and it's mutating every time it goes into a different person.
again, the WHO said it's a pandemic threat, not an actual pandemic. it's just spreading really fast and can become a pandemic because of how it's spreading.
also people are dying of this kind of flu who shouldn't be dying of the flu. like young, healthy people.
you're welcome.
yeah...young healthy people are dying in mexico where they have a sub-par health system for the most part. not to generalize or anything...
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm gonna go ahead and say that if Mexico had a better health care system swine flu might not be the epic attack of pigs that it is.
ReplyDeleteThere's been some cases reported in Minneapolis but I'm fighting the man and not walking around in a mask..
masks are for pussies.
ReplyDelete"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that the new flu strain does not appear to be unusually severe."
ReplyDeletesource: LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-me-school-flu6-2009may06,0,3697781.story
QED, Bitches.