Swine flu

yes would also be pleased to hear how exactly the spread of disease works too

Kermack and McKendrick

. . . . would also be pleased to hear how exactly the spread of disease works too

Communicable disease is passed from person to person by contact, a while back we invented trains and then cars, a little later someone knocked up a flying machine, as time progressed access to these became commonplace.

There should be enough clues there for you to work out why we have conformed cases appearing in places around the world today, places further apart than Mexico city and San luis Potosi, even in different countries !

:P

Hilarious - 'Breaking News' on Sky - Live from outside a hospital.....where nothing is happening

'We'll keep you up to date with developments'

Ha ha!

Love this rolling news - on the BBC this morning they were interviewing a guy on the phone as they filmed him through his patio door (some sort of half-arsed quarantine) just after he'd found he didn't have swine flu.

Love this rolling news - on the BBC this morning they were interviewing a guy on the phone as they filmed him through his patio door (some sort of half-arsed quarantine) just after he'd found he didn't have swine flu.

You don't want facts the get in the way of a good story, I would have done the interview in one of those suits Dustin Hoffman wore in 'Outbreak'.

There seems to be two views surfacing here.

1. It's just media hype, ignore it.
   
2. We are all going to die, it's the end of the world.
   
   

I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle. (but I am still going to buy that MadMax leather outfit which ever way it goes)

The last SARS outbreak could have easily become a pandemic, but was contained with fast action, quarantines, closing of schools and all the usual stuff - but it still managed to spread to 35 or so countries, infect 10,000 people and kill around 750 - not sure I would label this 'media generated hype' ?

with greatest respect meant, peanuts on a world wide scale.

the serious point is the mediation of it all, please dont take my word for it read more than these posts, Im just a dickhead that rides bikes,
http://www.dangardner.ca/

You don't want facts the get in the way of a good story, I would have done the interview in one of those suits Dustin Hoffman wore in 'Outbreak'.

I was bit disappointed that the guy didn't have the presence of mind to feign a seizure and start banging on the patio door with one hand whilst clutching his throat with the other as he slid to the floor.

with greatest respect meant, peanuts on a world wide scale.

Absolutely, my point is that is was, according to WHO data, a close call, rather than just media hype (although I don't doubt they squeezed all the usual Doomsday scenarios out it for their sales).

I was bit disappointed that the guy didn't have the presence of mind to feign a seizure and start banging on the patio door with one hand whilst clutching his throat with the other as he slid to the floor.

. . . and then slide down the glass door just managing to leave the words "Help us, for god's sake, help us" - in his own blood.

Sneeze into your elbow and not your hand.....

BBC news now

Pandemic alert up to 4, now.

Only two phases to go until this:

I'm certainly healthy - what do you reckon the 'young/not young' threshold is?

20 years to 50 years = W.H.O definition of 'young adults'.

Below 20 'children'.

Above 50 'older adults'.

20 years to 50 years = W.H.O definition of 'young adults'.

Below 20 'children'.

Above 50 'older adults'.

Wahey!

20 years to 50 years = W.H.O definition of 'young adults'.

Below 20 'children'.

Above 50 'older adults'.

Great, my dying words to the wife are going to be - "see, I told you, I am still young".

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-Genuine-Mexico-City-Swine-Flu-Face-Masks_W0QQitemZ140317094404QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_WeirdStuff_RL?hash=item140317094404&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-Genuine-Mexico-City-Swine-Flu-Face-Masks_W0QQitemZ140317094404QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_WeirdStuff_RL?hash=item140317094404&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Apparently the European outbreak has been traced back to a shipment of white bicycle tyres imported into the UK sometime in 2008.

What say you ?

Apparently the European outbreak has been traced back to a shipment of white bicycle tyres imported into the UK sometime in 2008.

What say you ?
Shit, I almost bought white continentals! ;)

Some people are taking this very seriously though:

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/27/all-schools-closed-in-mexico-2/

Some people are taking this very seriously though:

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/27/all-schools-closed-in-mexico-2/

I know: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ukresilience/pandemicflu/guidance/sector_specific.aspx#education

Pandemic alert up to 4, now.

I just read the definitions of these alerts and Phase 5 says:

"Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short."

There are confirmed cases in the US and Mexico which according to the site are in the same WHO region (the Americas)

So, why is it not phase 5?

NB: Phase 5 is RED! Fucking RED! This is much worse than phase 4 which is only blue.

On another note, LOVE the "Ride of Impending Doom" idea!

Oink.

I haven't read this whole thread but I thought I'd do a bit of research into swine flu last night. Usually it's young children and old people who are at risk from these things so us fixed gear riders (18-40 mostly) just sit back and relax about it but this might not be the case. In young adults hypercytokinemia (or cytokine storm) can be an immune effect triggered by the virus and that kills people dead. It's times like this that you just have to hope that the NHS gets it's treatment plan right early on.

cytokine fucking storms. start boozing now people to beat that damn immune system down.

zombies

pretty freaky.

Pandemic alert up to 4, now.

Only two phases to go until this:

looks like pall mall up to piccadilly? be faster on the bike when everyone else is dead then, just have to stay in for a bit......

Tynan, you're going to looking pretty fruity riding around like this:

I'm disappointed that I missed some quality bad science in this thread that has already been dealt with very deftly.

I have been watching loads of rolling news broadcasts over this (I am a molecular virologist so I find the thought of global pandemics oddly arousing, academically of course.) There have been some classic brass eye esque broadcast outside empty hospitals with nothing going on as well as a great moment on the bbc last night. Their tame GP was sofa jawing with the presenters awaiting the WHO press conference regarding the threat status level thing. She was confidently advising that they wouldn't upgrade the level. 2 minutes later they moved it to level 4 and her face was priceless.

The epidemiologists i know are treating this whole thing like a giant lucid wet dream and scrambling all over each other to get a piece of the WHO data pie.

Does this mean pork will be cheaper?