Do you NOT CARE about the whole Swine Flu issue?

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You're right, In fact, viruses sometimes get stronger because people DON'T take precautions and use things that science provides! The ******SWINE****** flu, AVIAN flue, etc.... are PERFECT examples! They are NOT caused by the use of medicines, etc.... but the close UNPROTECTED work in unhygenic conditions between animals and humans. The avian flu affects BIRDS, the swine affects HUMANS! So WHY do they NOW affect humans? They swapped some parts with HUMAN viri.

It is like scrapie. HUMANS can't catch it, and science has LONG declared(almost 300 YEARS ago! It was first discovered and described in 1732!) it DANGEROUS, and a HEALTH HAZARD! People USED to kill whole herds of sheep with it. NOW, they ignore science! So what happens? Well, HUMANS apparently can't catch it, but cows CAN! So a cow caught it, and it is now known as BSE(or mad cow disease). Sometimes, the supposedly smartest can be utterly MORONIC!

I agree, with the OP. Whether or not I care, has no affect on the news. I have a chronic illness that I have to manage every day. That takes all my caring points. I fail to see how placing an emotional connotation on something, is of any use to anyone. Also, I am probably burned out from the years that I used to work in health care.

Antibiotics cannot kill the virus BUT they kill the bacteria that can sometimes thrive inside lungs filled with the gunk the virus creates, phlegm, mucus, whatever. This bacteria is what causes the pneumonias and whatnot. People die from the pneumonias and not the actual virus. Antibiotics can be helpful in treating those infected with flu virii because of this.

Surviving epidemics topic

My father was less than a year old during the 1918 flu epidemic, and it was an issue in Toronto. I am glad he survived.

I was ill with swine flu (another variant) in 1976. Other flus I have survived include 1968, 1989 and 1993. For the last sixteen years I have had the flu shot, and no problems. I have never had the other diseases mentioned in Clever Kitten's or Zeldapsychology's posts.

Wash your hands, use sanitizer, wear a mask when appropriate and stay away from known sick people. See a primary health practicioner if symptoms arise.

On the virus and bacteria stuff...

I think the only way we have found to kill viruses is with bleach and other disinfectants. Either way, we still don't know too much about viruses because I've read a lot that says they aren't alive and that's why we can't find a way to kill them, and some things I've read says that it is alive with DNA, and that when viruses meet other viruses, they swap DNA and mutate into a new virus. I'm not sure how it all works, but whatever science can't figure out, God is still a step ahead because our immune systems seem to do more against viruses than any medication.

Also, with viruses, at the beginning, you really don't want to treat your symptoms unless you have to (like treat high fevers which is usually more a sign of bacteria than virus, but there's always exceptions) so that way you can kinda see what you are dealing with. Of course you have to make judgement calls. High fevers can hurt your body more than the virus or bacteria, so you treat that before it's hazardous to your health. But if you pop that Tylenol (which I do this for myself a lot because I'm a wuss) when you have a very low grade fever, you won't know what your fever really is because you treated it. Also, sometimes the fever reducer is also the pain killer and may mask other symptoms. So, then you are telling your doctor, if you go to see one, that it's nothing when really it's something and you just don't know it because you are already treating those symptoms. This is especially important with kids too young to talk and tell you their symptoms.

For instance, my one year old had a low grade fever for a good day. I didn't treat it. The next day, her fever hiked up a bit, so I started treating it with Tylenol drops. But I noticed before I started treating with Tylenol that she had no interest in her sippy cup or food which didn't go on the day before. I at first assumed the fever was due to her teething, but when I realized she didn't want her cup, I figured a sore throat might be an issue. So I took her to a doctor only because she wasn't drinking anything. If I had started Tylenol the day her fever was low grade, I wouldn't have known about the sore throat and waited longer to take her to the doctor. It's probably viral, so no big deal. But if it were strep throat, that would have been a big deal.

You also don't want to always jump to antibiotics (depending on the case, but especially with viral infections). It's always best to give your own immune system a shot at dealing with bacteria if it forms, and best to wait till it forms. Better practice is to pay more attention to your body during a viral spell than to go ahead and treat for something you aren't sure is even there. Plus, look at it like this, your immune system is an army designed to fight the bad guy (viruses and bad bacteria, and sometimes, their intelligence is off and allergens become a bad guy). You strenghten your army with Vit C and Zinc and so forth (I'm sure protein is especially important too). Now, if the immune army starts losing a battle, you call for reinforcements such as antibiotics. Well, if you constantly have antibiotics fight for the immune army, what kind of army do you think you are going to end up with? One that becomes dependent on help to win.

I'm also sure some of the bacteria is mutating not because of the over use of antibiotics as much as the improper use of them. When you take an antibiotic and stop before finishing the recommended dose (or drink alcohol while taking them sometimes), the bacteria learns the code of the antibiotic which is why restarting the same antibiotic will never finish the job. You then are forced to switch antibiotics to kill that bacteria. But I'm sure, in my logic which may not agree with the medical field on this one, at some point, let's say you have Bacteria A where you took Antibiotic A for it. You stop Antibiotic A because you thought it was over with, but your body still had a lot of Bacteria going on, so Bacteria A now knows the code for Antibiotic A and it (only your bacteria) has mutated to withstand Antibiotic A. So, you start taking Antibiotic B and kill the bacteria, feel better, etc. Well, before Antibiotic B started working (or you started taking it), you had a good couple of days where you were spreading the germs already immune to Antibiotic A. I think that's how they keep mutating. But, you have to consider it wouldn't work as fast as every case because once you start antibiotics, at some point, you are no longer contagious. So I'm assuming this is for the cases where people start an antibiotic and stop while they are still contagious (like taking only one or two doses before losing the rx bottle). That's my theory on it. I'm sure there's more to it though if it really is the case.

I at times feel a little worried because they found a case in the state that I live in(even though it's about an hour away from my town). Still, I figure as long as I don't get into contact with people, I'll be alright. I always wash my hands and am always careful so hopefully that's good enough.

I'm pretty sure what they have is RNA. The virus invades a cell and sometimes it will swipe it's RNA with the cell's DNA and take the cell over. The Cell becomes more viral like than Cell like.

Given AFAIK the Chicago Metro Area was not hit, not very currently. Earlier I felt scared, but over time I went to 'eh' when looking over 'regular' flu deaths, etc.

Sometimes I think that when the media finds a new 'urgent" topic like this, it's to make us forget and feel better about all the comparitively MUCH WORSE and CONSTANT causes of human suffering all over the world, since if swine flu (or north American Influenza) is the greatest worldwide problem currently occupying our minds, then the rest of the world must be marginally close to perfect.

I agree with that but if people are dying from it I still feel sad about it, even if I don't know them. That's why I was a little annoyed at the start of this thread. My little pet peeve is people only caring if it affects them.

Well, they've just confirmed a case in my area and there may be more, so I'm starting to take precautions.

I have to ride the city bus every day to and from work, so I'm wearing disposable gloves on the bus and washing my hands frequently. I'll also wear gloves in the grocery store and not go anywhere unless I really need to.

I already barely go anywhere; I mean, I'm going to work tomorrow, and to see my girlfriend on Friday; and hopefully getting a dental appointment next week. Otherwise, I really don't go out much. I run a home business, so I don't really have much need to go out. To top that off, I'm Autistic; what need do I really have to interact with others?

And before Greentea jumps down my throat erroneously again, you can always communicate with people via phone, letter, or email as well!

Whats sad is in my state they've had a few cases (Washington State) and my mom is currently sick. Now I admit that I'm a little worried, when before I wasn't. Its the end of the world as we know it!!

There are some really adventurous kids in my city who just had to go to Mexico last week, so there are some cases here. I am a little worried. I went on the train today and everytime someone coughed I felt paranoid. Still, winter is starting in a few weeks so normally people would be beginning to get coughs around now. In a few weeks there will be even more people coughing in public places and I will have no idea whether they have the swine flu or the normal flu. Disturbing. But also kind of surreal and bizarre.

Are you from New Zealand? My friend said some her her uni classmates had to be quarantined when they got back from Mexico.
I was reading an article from early march that said the next pandemic would hit in the next decade, only it won't be bird flu but bird flu would be present in it. Well I guess whoever said that was right.

Yep I am from New Zealand. Those students live at the other end of the city to me. A lot of people have been quarantined who have been coming from flghts from North America, so it seems pretty well contained, anyway.

What is a little unnerving is that I have a sore throat. I think I am getting a winter cold already.