SHUT. DOWN. EVERYTHING.

[talkingsoup]

Somebody somewhere is playing Pandemic II :|

Swine Flu has a really terrible ring to it. "Pig flu" would almost be better; the word swine just has so many negative connotations. Which, I guess, makes it a little appropriate, but still. Swine. Swine. I dunno.

So I heard about this on Thursday or Friday, I think, back when it was like "oh dear, a handful of people have died of this super-crazy ninja virus", back when it was still in Mexico, but now I guess it's in America (NYC, specifically) and New Zealand.

Clearly we didn't close our ports in time.

And of course, at this point the question on everyone's mind is--how bad is it gonna be? Mine and the recent generations have had a lot of scares. So is this gonna be SARS bad, with the CDC preaching fire and brimstone (they already are, in this case) but with the death toll actually very low? West Nile Virus bad, where it's everywhere and anyone can get it, but good luck actually dying? Anthrax-in-the-mail bad? Or is it gonna be AIDS/tuberculosis/Black Death bad?

Only one thing is certain in these uncertain times--that we can rest assured that, no matter how bad it gets, Madagascar at least will be just fine. Paranoid fuckers.

Comments

[notlynn.livejournal.com]

"West Nile Virus bad, where it's everywhere and anyone can get it, but good luck actually dying" seems to be the consensus, except that "everywhere" is actually accurate and not an exaggeration for mister swine flu. According to the newspaper today, health folks in my province (ontario) think about 35% of people will get it (this is totally assuming it actually becomes a pandemic) but the mortality rate is actually pretty small*. I dunno the number, but it's less than 10% for sure - there's been like 85 deaths in Mexico out of ~1800 cases or something? But you also have to account for the poverty and healthcare (or lack thereof), and the fact that, as it goes, they'll be developing more drugs and, after a few months, a vaccine against it.

*Er, small when put alongside the moderate to absolutely-horrible pandemics. With so many people getting sick, the number of deaths would be high anyway. |D;

[talkingsoup]

"Breaking news--vaccine in development."

Yeah, I've heard pretty mundane reports so far. But yeah, poverty is definitely going to be a factor, probably why more people have died in Mexico while most other people in other countries have recovered. I think mostly everyone's freaking out because this one mutated in ways they've never seen before. Also, a flu pandemic happened around this time a hundred years ago, one that really did kill a lot of people.

[fairyfey.livejournal.com]

sdfdfg the eye at the end of that pic

Anyway, idk. I hadn't even heard about it until I got online today. /prepares clean room

[talkingsoup]

I love that pic, oh man.

I've basically been a hypochondriac all my life, and now I'm just tired of it. I'm resolved not to freak out about anything this week that doesn't have to do with school.

[fairyfey.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good plan. I figure my usual precautions will be more than enough to kick swine flu's ass should it rear its ugly head in these parts. :|

[talkingsoup]

Hell yeah. Zinc, Vitamin C and Advil~

[malloryjean.livejournal.com]

you are hilarious - maybe this wasnt meant to be funny, but i found it extremely so - in a dark way of course :) you should do ic stand up comedy!

[malloryjean.livejournal.com]

better yet - any stand up comedy not just ic specifically :)

[talkingsoup]

Haha yeah, it was meant to be funny, mostly because I'm just not taking it seriously yet. And lol I'd do stand up if I didn't get stage fright.

ಠ3ಠ

[mechaphilia.livejournal.com]

I just realized I don't have you added.

/rectifies this???

Re: ಠ3ಠ

[talkingsoup]

YAY!!