Remember a month ago, maybe 2 months ago? H1N1, or Swine Flu as it was called back then was a hot topic on the news. Mexico was ground zero for the swine flu. The USA was not far behind, with plenty of cases of Swine Flu showing up in many US States. There were many deaths in both the USA and Mexico.
It didn’t take long, and “Swine Flu” was out of the headlines. Instead, the H1N1 Virus took over. It was the same thing, but the name was changed, reportedly because Pig Farmers complained and didn’t want their business to suffer because of the name, “Swine Flu.” So, instead, newspapers and TV news reports were reporting about H1N1 Virus, but it was still at the top of the headlines.
These days, though, when I watch foreign news channels like CNN or others, H1N1 is rarely a topic any longer. However, the virus has not gone away. In fact, it seems to be getting even more widespread. I still hear of occasional cases in the USA, as a matter of fact, another death was just reported in Washington State. Other states are reporting additional cases of the virus too. Idaho. Texas. Michigan too.
The thing that is worrisome in terms of life in the Philippines, though, is that the Virus has moved to the East. China has experienced more than 70 cases so far. How about this one… more than 1,000 cases of H1N1 in Australia!
The Philippines was one of the few H1N1 free countries in the early days of the Virus, but these days H1N1 seems to be spreading fast in the Philippines too. As a matter of fact, last week, when a Philippine Senator had a fever, causing her to cancel a hearing, rumors broke out that she had been striken with the dreaded virus.
Now, the Philippine Department of Education is even postponing classes in many Universities as a precaution toward stopping the spread of the H1N1 Virus. Feyma and I have laughed about it a bit, wondering why University classes would be suspended, but kids in Elementary and High School have a full class schedule! Are University aged students more worth of protection from the virus compared to their younger siblings?
Latest statistics show that there have been 33 reported cases of H1N1 in the Philippines to date. So, I am wondering, why has world news coverage of this virus gone way down? It is still affecting the First World, and is now spreading into locations that had no such outbreak before. To me, this would tend to indicate that the virus is spreading much faster than it was a month or so ago. So, why is it being under reported now compared to 4 or 6 weeks ago? Was it just the hot topic of the day when the outbreak first occurred, and now it’s old news? That is my bet. But, if this thing is spreading like wildfire, and still causing deaths, this old news could turn into disaster.
In a place like the Philippines where people live in very close quarters, where animals are cramped in very near to the family, this swin flu could indeed become a disaster.
Precautions are being put into place in the Philippines. A largely Catholic country, some of the measures are somewhat unbelievable to me. At some Churches, hand holding during the ceremony has been banned. The Archbishop of Manila issued an order that Communion is to be given only hand to hand; no hand to mouth contact is now allowed during the Communion sacrament.
The truth is that a lot of people in the Philippines are very scared of this virus, and rightly so. For a long time, way before the virus had been reported in the Philippines, I already saw people wearing masks in public. Remember, the SARS Virus and the Bird Flu were widespread in Asia over the past few years. On both of those viruses, the Philippines was spared. However, on the H1N1, the Philippines is now the hardest hit nation in SE Asia. So, it is right to take precautions at this point.
What can you tell me? If you are in the USA or maybe in Europe, is this virus still in the news where you are? Or, as I have noted, has it kind of died down in the amount of coverage it is getting?
Update June 8, 2009, 10am Philippine Time: Philippine news just reported that six new cases of H1N1 have been confirmed in the Philippines, bringing the total number of cases to 39.
Update 2 June 8, 2009, 8pm Philippine Time: Seven more confirmed cases, 46 confirmed cases as of now.
Hey Bob
I am with Macky….the media once again used the “Swine Flu” to
sell papers and scare the crap out of everyone!!!!!
Here in Canada we had a few cases recorded and a couple of deaths but they were mostly combined with compromised health coditions.
The news makers are only concerned with selling the news even if they have to ramp it up or make it up!!!!!
Hi Bob: News coverage of the H1N1 virus here in US is almost nothing compared to last month. I think people and the TV's, newspaper got tired of the same news.It seems this virus is under control. Moreover, there are other interesting news, such as OBAMA's trip to the Middle East and Egypt, the North Korean nuclear underground tests and of course scandals in the reality shows.
I know in the Philippines, the Hayden Kho video tape scandal dominated the news for at least 4 days. I even wrote a blog about it. I still read a lot of blogs on this scandal. Incidentally, I know personally the parents of Hayden, as the mother( Mrs Irene De La Santa Kho is from Marinduque. I feel sorry for her! Have a good Day!
Hi Bob – Yes, I, too, am surprised by the decreased coverage of the H1N1 virus. In checking the statistics for Chicago, as of Friday, June 5, 2009, there were 453 reported cases. I would have never known this is if it wasn't for the local health department website. My day job does a pretty good job of giving tips on preventing the spread of the virus. I'm worried the media has become relaxed in their reporting efforts. Let's hope the media as well as local authorities get back to providing information on this disease before it's too late.
Hi Bob,
You're right, the media has moved on to the next news story like the Air France flight. The H1N1 virus is still out there. I wonder how effective those infrared cameras are at the airports that detect if you have a fever?
From the CDC. There are precautions that you can take:
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Avoid shaking hands. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
When traveling on an airplane or public transportation wear a mask. (this may seem extreme but when your in a confined space for a prolonged period of time I would err on the side of safety)
Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
Im planning on comming to the RP next month and I plan to wear a mask on the airplane. Im not normally a germaphobe, but I dont want to take any chances with this virus.
Hi Bob – I think the reason that the Type A H1N1 virus isn't in the USA news much is because it was declared not as deadly as first thought. Those who contracted the virus and died in the USA were mostly suffering other health problems (a number of those serious health problems). I remember reading that the virus was considered not as dangerous as first thought, and even not as bad or equal to strains experienced in the past few years.
Given the current high mobility of humans, the speed of news reporting, and a general lack of "real news" available, a lot of speculative news reports and over-reporting occurred – putting fear into populations worldwide.
Besides, my baboys never even had a sniffle! 😉
Hi David – Yes, it seems that other events have overtaken the H1N1. I only hope that the H1N1 does not come back to bite us. The headlines it received a month or two ago could be just tiny if it comes in full force.
Hi Henry – Imagine, 453 cases just in Chicago, and it is still young in it's life! I hope that we don't see a resurgence.
Hi Hudson – Good and very reasonable tips. Like you, I am not a germaphobe, I have never even worn one of those masks before. But, erring on the side of caution is sometimes the best game plan!
Hi Paul – Of course your baboys had no sniffles…. because you butchered them and ate them before the virus got too active! I have you figured out, Paul! 😉
Kamusta ka Bob,
Its old news here, but is still talked about in the community where I live. Like David said, Obama's trips and his responses to the terrorist threats made by Bin Laden lately are big here right now.
I had to take my room mate to emergency room the other day, and one of the questions they ask her is "Have you been exposed to the Swine Flu?". Of course the answer was no, but how are we suppose to know if we were or not unless we contracted it already??
Its sad to say, but I think I know more about what is happening in Maasin City, and in the Philippines, then I do about West Palm Beach, and the United States…lol.
Salamat kaayo,
Danny 🙂
Hi Danny – 😆 I know for sure that I know more what's going on in Davao than the USA… Just kidding….
How do these "experts" all know it,s this disease and not just a flu. New Zealand always has a strong flu season that kills people and already there has been a lot of mis diagnosis on this. Were all those who died healthy before? Media hype has caused more problems than the flu has. I,m still waiting for SARS and the bird flu.
hi bob – i'm in the camp where i am glad media reporting has calmed down.
i feel that there was a lot of fear mongering before the facts & numbers came in just to sell a story. i myself am a sucker for virus outbreak stories.
mainly because the H1N1 virus is nowhere near as fatal as initially advertised as the coverage seems to report initially.
these are CDC stats.
-the regular normal flu related deaths has a U.S. mortality rate of 36,000 death annually. that's in the US alone.
-that's 3,000 influenza related deaths per month in the US. a far cry compared to the total H1N1 death for the whole year.
-global annual influenza epidemic causes an rate of 250,000-500,000 deaths.
-tuberculosis & Malaria is also way up there compared to the H1N1.
-initial studies appear to show that the H1N1 is a weaker strain of the regular flu virus.
-normal everyday cleaning habits such as washing hands cooking food properly works.
if the facts are to be followed, CNN and the rest of cable news should be talking about the global pandemic of the regular flu that has been killing tens of thousands for decades or centuries.
basically, we've lived among more dangerous viruses for generations, and should just use common sense for this new strain.
as you probably know, i live in a country where this virus was a major issue a month back, and we had to take precautions because of the uncertainty of it. but it also helped me do more research & learn more about it for my own sake.
it seems to me the media panicked or was looking at the good headline. i'm not trying to downplay the H1N1.
by all means, take the necessary precautions to stay safe.
the CDC itself claims that quarantines & closing of businesses such as schools (which the philippines is doing) does not work. stopping of pork imports does not make sense at all & just hurts the economy. the virus will spread and thankfully it is nowhere as dangerous as a common virus.
i might be a curmudgeon in all this, my apologies, but i do feel that if something like a dengue outbreak or ebola in pork was making the rounds around the US borders, it would draw more concern that it does now because of the 24 hour US cable news reach.
Hi Bob – No, those were the kaldings (kambings) [goats]! 😆
kamusta bob
i see the latest news here where i live is that iran now has missles to carry nuclear weapons and also northkorea.i would say that would top any news right now.but i agree with you when you say we all should be concerned and make a differance by staying safe from this virus.knowlage is power and ignorance is in this case surley death.
thanks for the interesting article bob
make me think very hard about current situations myself.
i think the goverment plays puppet games with the news media but just my opinion.
salamat bob
Hi macky – to be honest, I didn't realize that "normal" influenza killed so many people, that is kind of troubling. Of course, the H1N1 is a relatively new virus, and we can't say for sure yet what will happen with it. I read that even a small mutation of the virus could kill millions. We'll see what happens… I certainly don't live in fear of it, but am surprised that it is spreading like wildfire in Asia right now.
Hi Paul – Down here in the southland, those are kanding. 😆 Now, if the kanding flu breaks out we could all be in big trouble! 😯
Hi Ron – Ha ha… certainly those nukes and missiles to carry them are a bit of a concern. I can't argue with you there!
Hi Bob,
Media coverage on this virus very quiet here in the UK.
There was a brief mention last week,a couple returning from US had it.
We have had only a few cases here,mostly those returning from Mexico several weeks ago.The majority of effected people here had only mild symptoms.
The numbers are extremely low compared with our seasonal winter flu.However experts predict it could flare up again this coming winter.
This is the first time i have heard of cases in PI.
I agree, close proximity living is a worry.
The Aussie authorities were rather naive,they had no cases until they let some known sufferes ashore from a cruise ship.
regards Chas.
Hi chas- first Philippine cases of H1N1 popped up a few weeks ago with some foreign tourists, from Japan if I remember correctly. It's all downhill since then.
Kamusta ka Bob,
I would imagine people going untreated for "reg" influenza could die from it. Tens of thousands died from it at the end of World War I, a lot of infected "doughboys" coming back from Europe brought it back.
My grandmothers parents died from that in 1918.
Take care,
Danny 🙂
Hi Danny – According to what macky said above, it would seem that influenza is a much bigger killer than I thought.
Bob,
Let us not forget the hantavirus otherwise known as the four corners virus… All of the info I have been able to dig up has not been accurate, for instance, my school lost one teacher and a secretary. According the the data I found there were no deaths in the county. When I know of at least 4.
I was in Michigan when the first cases of Swine Flu were reported. I am now in Texas and it hasn't even been mentioned in the last week or so.
I apologize to the LiP community for not being around lately. I have been so busy lately, I barely even remember my name.
Hi Tyleen – For me.. I think it's still too early to judge this a dud. I hope it is though.
Hi uh… Mike? – It is Mike, right? I forgot your name too for a minute! Just joking…
I have not heard about that virus that you mentioned. Is that in the USA?
The original hantavirus strain started on the Hantann river I believe in South Korea. The strain in the US known as the four corners virus was discovered in 1993 although it is believed to have been around longer then that.
The four corners of course being the 4 corners states. Here is a link from CDC pertaining to most known strains of this deadly virus http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol3no2/schmaljo.ht…
Hi Mike – Ah, OK, I know about that one. I thought you were referring to something new. Thanks for the clarification.
hi bob, i checked in our state and found out that in washington state to date we have only 2 reported deaths and 43 admited to the hospital./ maybe this number is so low because we have access to good or free medical coverage.
Hi Bob,
The swine flu is big news in Australia because the numbers are growing. In South Australia where I live there is voluntary quarantining of the small number of cases we have.
The purpose of the quarantine is to slow the inevitable spread of the virus. Labs in Australia are weeks away from producing a vaccine for swine flu so the idea is to slow the spread until the vaccine is produced.
It is a media beat up in a sense because we have many more deaths each year from other forms of flu – swine flu is relatively benign and mainly seems to produce fatalities where the victim has other serious health issues.
The fear that has been mentioned is that it could as with bird flu mutate to a less benign form in asia and the vaccine would then be ineffective against the mutation.
Hi Chas,
Actually there were other cases who flew in including school kids who returned from Mexico. A couple of them went to a local school here in Adelaide. The cruise ship just made good newspaper copy because there is no compulsory quarantining of cases – some schools have been closed where there are cases and other victims are asked to stay home for seven days.
Hi jerry – I hope that the numbers don't go up from there!
Hi Michael – I had not really heard that a vaccine was in the works, although that makes sense. Swine flu is new, so we can't be sure how many deaths it may cause. Hopefully very few.
Hi Micheal – It really seems like there were so many cases where school kids were in Mexico at the time! 😯
Hi Bob,
Over here in Europe it has been pretty quiet on the reporting front. BBC News has had a few updates, but no scares. Austria just reported its fourth case http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=13762 but all have been quarantined and nothing spreading. Pretty quiet really!
Hi John – Nice to hear from you. Glad that all is quiet on the Austrian front! 😆
Hi Bob,
Have a look here http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/sto…
"Batches of vaccine should start rolling out of CSL's Melbourne drug production facilities from late July, CSL Biotherapies general manager Mary Sontrop said."
"the US government placed a $US180 million ($A232 million) order for a CSL-made swine flu vaccine, and the Federal Government said it would obtain enough doses to provide cover for 10 million Australians."
Thanks for the link, Michael.
hi bob,
I've been expecting the virus will reach philippines sooner or later, why? Imagine this, there are approximately 11 millions OFW around the world, there are 2 millions or more OFW from the states, hundred of thousand OFW's coming-in everyday, the potential virus carrier is so great that the infection is very possible to happen.
hi bob,
I totally agree with macky, the H1N1 virus is new to humans therefore the media coverage is huge, considering that the virus came from animals which mutates into human viral strain, which most of us takes it very seriously when we heard it was a mutated virus. our impression was something like it is a very dangerous virus that can mutates easily and infect people.
but looking at the statistic macky provided, a common flu takes more life every year than the H1N1 virus
Hi dans – I would fully agree with that. Funny thing is that it didn't happen on SARS or Bird Flu, though. Strange, don't you think?
Hi dans – Thing is that the "normal" flu viruses have had years to mutate and be able to become the best it can… swine flu is new and once it has time to go through all of it's mutations, we can then judge it against the others.
hi bob,
I think SARS is totally different from H1N1 in terms of how it can infect people, to my recollection, SARS was "somewhat" airborne, it can infect human but not as easily as the H1N1, the incubation period of SARS virus is longer than the H1N1 so the infection rate of SARS is much lower, I maybe wrong but as far as I can recall, there was no really proof that the SARS is a fully mutated human virus, the virus airborness is "somewhat" limited as the virus can die easily when exposed, plus if you can recall, most infection of the bird flu happens only with the animals. I maybe wrong though.
Hi dans – I don't recall all of this for sure either. I do recall, though, that there were a lot of human deaths from bird flu in Indonesia and Vietnam, though.
I have been following several news websites there in The Philippines about Swine Flu and I anticipated most likely Manila would be the entry point due to so much foriegn travel activity there.
According to some of the Philippine press releasees I have been reading it was decided to postpone the opening of many colleges and Universities to allow foriegn students to go through a kind of self quarantine period before having them in a classroom situation. Elementary and high schools do not experience the amount of foriegn student enrollment as colleges and universities do so for many of them it is " classes as usual ". This sounds like it has been a wise decision on the part of the Dept. of Health . It appears there is also a national holiday during the postponement period which may offset the delayed openings by one day.
I watch the news at noon on New York Channel 7 ( ABC-TV New York ) almost every day and although H1N1 is not headline news ( unless someone else has died from it ) the topic has not totally disapeared from news reports here.
It appears those that have died had other health concerns when they got the Flu, while for the majority of others it seems " similar " to other kinds of flu virus's.
Recent information as shown on ABC-TV New York indicate the following statistices on those who have caught the Flu in New York City :
41% suffer from Asthma
18% are under 2 years old
13% have compromised immune systems
12% have heart disease or, are pregnant.
One item I recently read from a Mindanao news source expressed the opinion that people should be more concerned about Dengue than the N1H1 virus as it is the rainy season now making mosquitoes that carry the Dengue virus more prevalent. That was, as of a few days ago.
I have been following N1H1 in the Philippines closely as it could have an affect on my planning my next visit. It seems the spread of N1H1 centers around international travel, airports and schools.
The last time I arrived at Lumbia Airport in Cagayan De Oro, as I got off the plane there were a bunch of people , similar to picketers in a picket line, holding signs up saying something like " Keep Bird Flue Out of Our Country ". I wonder if something similar to that will now be happening about Swine Flu. Can't blame them really as it appears that N1H1 is something that has to be brought in from somewhere else.
For the immediate future, I don't plan on traveling anywhere if it involves air travel.
Hi Bob,
Well, I have not had a chance to read the rest of the posts, but the reason that the reporting on the spread of the virus wound down was that pandemic was expected very quickly, with thousands of deaths, and that has not yet happened. Most of the healthy people infected suffered relatively mild symptoms, and the world is, apparently, very well prepared, with adequate stocks of the relevant drugs to treat a pandemic. The UK is reportedly the best prepared country in the world, with sufficient drugs to treat at least half the population. Every household in Britain has received a leaflet detailing how to control infection, how to react etc. In fact, the virus is spreading worldwide, following a typical virus seemingly random pattern. Just not as fast as expected. You are right, it is still out there, just not being given top billing by the press. As for Swine Flu, that's very much the phrase being used by the British Media, although there are some instances of it being called H1N1. A quick search of http://www.bbc.co.uk will give you a good idea how it's actually progressing, as the BBC seem to be reporting it quite well, if not giving it huge numbers of hours.
Hi Jim – The key word to your comment is a simple word a the beginning…. YET. We don't yet know what will happen. Original news coverage was blown out of proportion, but the virus is spreading rapidly in this part of the world now, and needs to be watched.
Hi again Bob,
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/Health_topics/novel_infl… has the most up-to-date information on European cases of the H1N1 flu.
I went to Hong Kong just before the end of the SARS epedimic where nearly everybody was wearing face masks. Although I doubt these masks could actually prevent the virus (virus being smaller than the filter on the mask), but it did give people a constant reminder about personel hygiene. The streets were cleaned every hour, the lift in the hotel was almost constantly cleaned. The H1N1 virus should also act as a reminder that personal hygiene should be observed at all times.
In the UK the media has pushed the H1N1 aside to make way for Air France, corrupt politicians being caught with dodgy expense claims, european elections, goverment in crisis etc etc. That said, the number of cases is on the rise, escpecially in Scotland. Recently a sufferer gave birth, not sure about the baby but the mother is still in a critical situation. There has also been recent cases of people-to-people contact in Scotland.
Some people are suggesting the problem will be worse in a few months time when seasonal flu takes hold. The government tells us not to panic and there is enough drugs available to those who need them. However, they have lied & mis-led us before. Time will tell how this works out.
One thing for sure, it's no good each country acting independently and saying they are ok. If this virus is to be defeated we all need to look at the global picture, and improve everybodys hygiene level.
When I returned to Hong Kong a few months after the SARS was gone, I did notice the general areas around the markets were much cleaner. Before there was chicken blood in the gutters and rubbish piled at the side of the road, afterwards it was much cleaner.
I hope to God the H1N1 passes without becomming a more dangerous panedemic, but I know this won't be the last worldwide scare. Maybe one positive about this is that people are more aware of keeping things clean and germ-free wherever possible.
being spread to Malaysia from Melbourne, Australia
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,2519…
Hi Barry – Yeah, when SARS hit Asia, the facemasks were everywhere, no doubt on that. I, like you, hope that this won't be too bad.
Australia really seems to be having the most serious outbreak of anybody!
hi bob – just wanted to share an excellent newsweek cover story on the virus by laurie garrett. she's a pulitzer prize winner & very well-versed in global health & diseases.
it's a few weeks old, but it helped a lot in understand the whole thing.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/195692/page/1
if there is any concern, it should be more focused on the H5N1 virus in Indonesia. That virus has a mortality rate of 63%.
the H1N1 has a mortality rate of 3-4%.
much lower than many viruses we've dealt with all our lives.
the H1N1 is a fairly new strain but not as new as we think (there was a suspected case in rural wisconsin in 2005).
yes, we are lucky there have been no deaths.
if i may add one more thing. a positive sign for the philippines is that mexico, a developing country, has been widely commended for swift action in fighting the spread.
this shows that successfully combatting the virus need not be exclusive to highly developed countries. the philippines with it's many health care providers & smaller size can handle the virus even better than mexico if push comes to shove by implementing common sense every day habits.
no need for dustin hoffman & the capabilities of the US troops to find the host pig, so to speak. just wash your hands folks & cook your food.
those surgical masks you see on tv? they don't work. if you prefer to use one, those masks worn by painters or construction guys are more effective.
by the way, for full disclosure, i live central mexico, 3.5 hours drive from mexico city. zero cases here since the start & the whole state moved fast to react and now quite calm about the whole thing.
Thanks for that tip, macky.
Yep!
Oh my.. even priests are afraid of AH1N1 😆 Where's the faith there?
Hey Bob, Unrelated topic but can you check you email, im not sure if my email went thru.
Dear Bob,
We met & talked over coffee at the Landco Bldg. The N1H1 virus
is no more deadly than the regular flu which kills many every year.
The difference is that this is not flu season and for some unknown
reason the N1H1 has more serious consequences for young people
than for the elderly.
Missing the Philippines,
Dave LaBarr
Hi Philmor – I think that God wants us to use our common sense to avoid danger, don't you? That's not a matter of faith, just intelligence!
Hi Neal – I just replied to your e-mail.
Hi David – Sure, I remember our coffee meeting! Nice to see you again! Stay away from that H1N1!
Thanks again!
I am afraid I have got a little cynical with the '"experts" who are forever forecasting the end of civilisation as we know it.Remember the Millenium Bug – All computers would fail and aircraft would fall from the sky.Sars? we would be knee deep in dead bodies as millions would die.Mad cow disease – we would all die of alzheimers disease cased by holes in our brains.Bird Flu – see SARS. Swine flu ditto.These people help to sell newspapers and fill media time – most of them that are trotted out to give opinions know that the more extreme the pronouncement the more their sevices will be required.
Hi Bryan – Thanks for keeping a positive outlook!
Bob
Sorry i can't remember the source ( probably Manila Times ) but H1N1 cases reported in Philippines now in the 49's range so obviously it's spreading .
Hi Alan – Yep, it sure is. As a matter of fact, when I wrote the article on Sunday it was 33 cases. I updated the article like 10am to 39 cases, and then by last night I updated again to 46. So, just in one day the number of cases went up by like 35% or so. Very fast!
Hi Bob
Yes, Swine Flu has almost wall to wall coverage here in Australia. Aparently the State of Victoria has the most cases per head of population in the world, but none of them fatal – only a moderate illness (Luckily I live 3000 kilometres from there). It seems as if the strain out here isn't that dangerous, and it also appears that many senior citizens aren't being affected, mainly just the young, so it is believed that seeing as the H1N1 virus has been around since 1918 in one form or the other, that older people may have already come into contact with a strain of it years ago, and so have developed some immunity. Frankly, I will be glad when it isn't the only thing you hear on the news here. ia2tpeopl
Hi David – It's lucky that the virus has been only mild to moderate in Australia!
The reality of H1N1 is that, while it is a new strain of flu, it's hardly more contageous or lethal than existing varieties. The news media loves to make mountains out of molehills. Sadly, sooner or later the public becomes fatigued with the same old "the sky is falling" chorus. When the global pandemic they'd been threatening didn't arive, the journaists had to move on.
Whatever happened to responsible journalism? I guess it died when Obama got elected.
Hi David S. – Are you saying that before Obama there was responsible journalism? ha ha… I think it goes back a little further. I'm just trying to decide which Century last saw responsible journalism!
It is odd that the media makes so much of comparatively few fatalities when in the USA in an average year 23000 or more people die of gunshot wounds including 8 children per day – this is truly of epidemic proportions, but it has become "normal" so nobody really cares.I think that this is disgraceful for a so called first world country "leader of the free world" etc
Hi Bryan – Well, this is somewhat outside the discussion, but I suppose you have a point on that.
G'day
To me (as an Aussie) it seems logic that we cop more H1N1 because we travel abroad a lot more then the people of Phils. Although we have less then 1/4 of the population our major holiday destinations are overseas. To get to areas like Europe (where many of us originate from) we need to go through major airports like Hong Kong and Singapore. Many grab the opportunity to spend some time there either on the way to Europe or on the way back. The USA are also a major destination and countries like Indonesia (Bali especially) are popular for short trips. So you see we travel outside Oz a lot and therfore are more open to comming in contact with people that have H1N1.
God bless
Jack (from Perth, Western Australia)
Bob,
So far here in Texas the cases had declined. We did have less than ten confirmed H1N1 cases one was here in San Antonio, and dozens of suspected influenza like illness earlier this year. I bet it has something to do with media and prevention. You can't just be around populated environment coz you'll never know who is sick or not. In the hospital were i work as medical technologist(laboratory)we uplift the emergency panic code for swine flu since the regular influenza infections are slowing down. Although we still get kids from ER that are tested positive for normal flu and specimen must be sent to department of texas for further testing to make sure it's not H1N1 strain.
My mother in Mati was asking information about it. I adviced them to stay away from the crowd and stay away from sick people, and sanitize as much as possible. That's the only prevention out there.
Hi Vanessa – I'm glad that the flu is on the decline there. Here, H1N1 is on the upswing. Hopefully it will subside soon.
Hi Bob,
I plan to travel to Philippines in October and would be interested in having the latest update on the H1N1.
has the situation gotten worse?
are there certain areas to avoid?
Hi Maria – H1N1 seems to have moved to the back burner as far as the news goes. I think it has stabilized a bit for now, although we still hear about some new cases.
Hi All,
In many arrival airports worldwide people are now being screened for swine flu,eg China.
Some airports are now scanning departing passengers for body temperature,if your temp is above normal you will be isolated and checked by a doctor before being allowed to fly.
Today British Airways and Virgin Atlantic announced measures to refuse swine flu suspects permission to fly.I am sure most others will follow suit.
Some Airlines are now offering refunds or change of flight dates free for people unable fly if struck down with swine flu.
regards Chas.
This flu scare already occured before. It was in 1976. The Swine Flu scare is much over bloated. The mainstream media and the government is strengthening its fear mongering campaigns in order for us to be under the mandatory inoculation. They create the panic and fear to make people desperate. When people in times of desperation tend to believe that the threat is true and mindlessly jumping on to the bandwagon. Hey people!!!! I say to you stop awhile, step back a bit, and try to think. Remember in 1976 when the 'flu pandemic' begun, there was a panic just like today, resulted to only a single death! Then there came the force vaccination program. But a shocking 25 deaths followed. The poor fellows died after taking the vaccines and the program was stopped. And they are doing it again? People are no longer stupid and much wiser now. Let us look on the perspective of other diseases that claims hundreds of thousands of deaths per year like TB and ordinary influenza… the wine flu is indeed a no-event. The poeple in the government and the corporates just cant get enough of their money.They want more!! We are not that stupi no more!
with due respect sir, i am deeply disgusted on the way this swine flu story is being taken today. it's all abou the media doing the show.you know what? the news is much bigger than the threat of swine flu has. it all about spreading the panic. the swine flu doesnt worth the much attention than AIDS, TB and the diseases that casue hundreds of thousands of deaths per year. this swine flu is not new. i humbly encourage you to read more because it already occured in 1976 and the government reaction was a sham. i hope i can change your mind and spread the words that swine flu is not that scary. spreading the panic is much worse. thank you
not that that scary. just a media and government fear mongering.
Hello Redd – I have placed your comments on moderation. There is no reason to post 3 comments all saying the same thing. One comment will suffice. If you wish to participate in the discussion here and can be an active participant and not keep saying the same thing over and over again, I will remove you from moderation.