Bird Flu: Are you worried?

Crazy Chocobo · 02-23-2006, 12:45 AM

They had an episode of Oprah on today about Bird Flu and they were talking about how the world isn't taking this whole thing seriously enough. If the world doesn't start beginning to work around this, it will turn into a pandemic. We don't want that. People are very worried about this but then again some aren't. The flu hasn't mutated into human form yet, there is a possibility it will. Are you worried about the bird flu? They said that people from the ages of 20-40 are most likely to get it. Will this turn into a pandemic or do you think the bird flu has been blown way out of proportion?

I think it's possible that it will become a pandemic. If it doesn't, of course that's a relief to us. Australia isn't prepared at all. They hardly ever go on about it. They treat the matter as if it isn't important. We used to hear it on the news everyday but now we hardly hear about it. We have no idea what's going on and where it is spreading to. The Government said if it did turn into a Pandemic, they will try and support the citizens in everyway possible. I don't know if they will considering there are problems with the health system but let's not go there. We would like them to start working on an injection! That could save some lives!

On Oprah they said if this thing turns into a pandemic, nearly everything will be effected. The doctor on the show was saying that people should buy food that would last them up to five weeks and everyone should stay inside...what kind of life is that?

What are your thoughts on the bird flu? Are you worried? Do you think it will mutate into human form? What are you going to do if it does turn into a world wide pandemic?

*Maridia* · 02-23-2006, 12:56 AM

Well that's a good question. Personally I want to say that it is a possible threat, but I can't say it's totally worrying me. It's very possible that it could mutate, but things tend to be projected as bigger than they are. I do think it's a serious matter to keep at mind, but I'm just not sure how to percieve it. It's possible that it could mutate into human form but by then somehting may be made for it, like vaccine. I honestly don't know if it will mutate, but my gut feeling says to keep it in mind but not get to worried about it, because there's a good chance it won't...but of course that argument could be used for the other side as well. Anyways I think it's a scary thought but I believe that things will settle down by the time something could happen. A cure or solution will most likely be found so I think it's okay. I'm not certain, but that's what I think.

relm · 02-23-2006, 01:15 AM

This is a scary reality. It actually would'nt take much
to start the pandemic since the whole world is connected
through a series of airplane routes.The whole world
can get it in less than 24 hours and we can all be doomed.

I saw a little bit of the bird flu warnings on the news just a
few hours ago and how they are stressing the importance
of watching out for mosquitos and immediately notifying the
correct authorities if you see a dead bird lying around...

>_> I hope I don't get paranoid about the whole thing!
I saw a dead hawk on the road on my way to school a couple days
ago. Crap...

hellbred · 02-23-2006, 01:24 AM

I personally am not too worried about it. I hope and pray nothing pandemic wise occurs, but it hasn't effected North America as much as it has the eastern hemisphere apparently, not to say it couldn't. I think as long as the CDC and corresponding medical facilities work intelligently to work on some kind of vaccine or means of protection it could be stopped fairly quickly. Some news station said the first case was documented back in 1878... you would think over the course of a hundred and some odd years it would mutate into a human form if it were going to, but i guess anything is possible depending on the environment or changes it encounters especially if we try to vaccinate it. I guess only time will tell, but until a human case is recorded I'm not going to lose any sleep!

Sasquatch · 02-23-2006, 03:23 PM

I'm not worried at all about it. I think it's all been blown way out of proportion. Just like SARS was, or even like AIDS was, or Ebola. Frankly, I would be much more concerned about the Ebola virus mutating to become airborne than I would be about the Avian Flu mutating to become transmissable to humans. When people hear about something that could be dangerous, it peaks their interest -- which is when they start following media outlets that cover the supposed danger and start asking the government to spend more and more of our money finding solutions for the supposed danger. Which, by the way, can't be done in advance in this case -- we can't really make vaccines until it mutates.

02-23-2006, 03:52 PM

Nah.......

Not really....Big bird is the last person i want to be scared of.
And if sh*t happens, then it happens, WE can't do anything about it.

(Not saying I want to die, Just not worried.)

relm · 02-23-2006, 06:24 PM

So the bird flu currently is non-transmissable
to humans? Well, that's a relief. But if it ever did, and
it was able to be transmitted through aerosol (airborne)
then we'd have a lot more cause for concern.
Same with ebola as Sasquatch said earlier.
omg, that'd be the death of us all if ebola was transmissable
through the air.

hellbred · 02-23-2006, 06:51 PM

Yeah bird flu is only transfered through various bird species, mostly chickens. Some farm in Nigeria had 40,000 chickens die in one day. They actually have called it the "Bird Ebola" because it can reach a 100% fatality rate in 48 hours or less, and birds internal organs have been shown to be liquified much like the effects of Ebola on humans. So, frankly I fear if it did turn into a human transmissable flu virus, it would be much deadlier than the average influenza strain we see in North America which is deadly to usually only infants and elderly, but a mutated strain could actually be a Ebola-type flu.... which would be bad!

Storm · 02-24-2006, 04:03 AM

Apparently Bird Flu has now spread to France so theres been a HUGE controversy about it in the UK. Esecially for us southerners living a) near France and b) surrounded by lots of countryside. Im not too worried about it though. It just reminds me of the BSE threat (mad cow disease) and the Foot in Mouth inccident a few years ago. Yeah it may reach the shores, but it isnt one of those things where everyone catches it. Only a handful of people have caught it, and since i have small hands its a tiny amount of people. Hey, it may even get rid of a few of the pigeons we have so many of. Thats an upside to the story!

Crazy Chocobo · 02-24-2006, 08:07 PM

I remember the Doctor that was on Oprah saying, they have the right technology to create a vaccine but the Government aren't funding enough towards it. I thought he said they should have received seven billion but instead they only got three billion. I know they can't create the right vaccine unless the flu mutated into human form but I think the government should take all necessary precautions so that this doesn't turn into a pandemic. They say they'll do whatever they can but will they keep their word? So far they haven't. The Australian Government have said the same thing to us and I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Like the Doctor said on Oprah, this flu may not turn into a pandemic. There is a possibility it won't but there will be one in the future so we should be prepared for when that time comes. Would you want to live in a country that isn't prepared for a pandemic? I know I wouldn't. I would like to live in a country that provides the right kind of protection against these viruses.

I have heard many people say 'Oh, this isn't going to turn into a pandemic, it's nothing...the media have blown it out of proportion'...yeah, maybe they're right but then again, maybe they're wrong. If this thing mutates, it might kill half of the population! It's possible you know. Unless the government acts now, it might be too late to save ourselves. We can only cross our fingers and hope that bird flu doesn't mutate.

Sars never turned into a pandemic. There was a possibility that it would. We were lucky enough for it not to turn into the worst. That may have been the case but bird flu might be the one to do it. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Nobody can tell what it can do, not even the professionals.

Edit: lol umm...I have no idea why that smiley face is up the top of my post, I must have accidentally added it. Sorry.

Advent Children · 02-24-2006, 08:27 PM

no im not that worried unless it comes too north

america

Sasquatch · 02-24-2006, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Crazy Chocobo~

I have heard many people say 'Oh, this isn't going to turn into a pandemic, it's nothing...the media have blown it out of proportion'...yeah, maybe they're right but then again, maybe they're wrong. If this thing mutates, it might kill half of the population! It's possible you know. Unless the government acts now, it might be too late to save ourselves. We can only cross our fingers and hope that bird flu doesn't mutate.

So what do you want us to do, spend hundreds of billions of dollars protecting ourselves against absolutely nothing? If this thing mutates, yes, and spreads, yes, and is bad, yes, then it might become an epidemic. But what are we supposed to do until then? Run our economics into the ground protecting against some hobgoblin of danger? If and when it will become a hazard, we'll deal with it accordingly. Until then, frankly, we have better things to worry about.

The Avian Flu will come and go, just like SARS, just like AIDS, just like EBOLA, etc. etc. etc. None of these are "epidemics", nor have they ever been. If they mutate so that anybody and everybody can catch them? Yes, we'd be screwed. Will they? No.

Crazy Chocobo · 02-24-2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

So what do you want us to do, spend hundreds of billions of dollars protecting ourselves against absolutely nothing? If this thing mutates, yes, and spreads, yes, and is bad, yes, then it might become an epidemic. But what are we supposed to do until then? Run our economics into the ground protecting against some hobgoblin of danger? If and when it will become a hazard, we'll deal with it accordingly. Until then, frankly, we have better things to worry about.

The Avian Flu will come and go, just like SARS, just like AIDS, just like EBOLA, etc. etc. etc. None of these are "epidemics", nor have they ever been. If they mutate so that anybody and everybody can catch them? Yes, we'd be screwed. Will they? No.

Oh my God, must you quote me on EVERYTHING?
Haven't I got a right as a citizen to be worried about dying from this thing? It is better to be prepared now then later on. I know we have other things to worry about, but a lot of people are worried about this. As in prepared, I mean like with the hospitals, making room for all the sick people. If they want to fit people into hospitals, they better start doing something soon otherwise it'll be too late and they won't allow people into hospital because there won't be any room for them. It is better to be safe than sorry.