Swine 'flu - What economic impact?

dandy-candy

Another death just reported

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Swine-Flu-London-Patient-Becomes-16th-Person-To-Die-Of-Swine-Flu-In-Britain/Article/200907215336764?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15336764_Swine_Flu%3A_London_Patient_Becomes_16th_Person_To_Die_Of_Swine_Flu_In_Britain

no mention if they had underlying health conditions. Over the last 3 weeks there have been cases in both my kids schools, actually in their class. I have kept sending them in but if this is another "healthy" case I might let them bunk the last week of school. I wonder how many other parents will do the same?

inspector_monkfish

dandy-candy wrote: »

Another death just reported

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Swine-Flu-London-Patient-Becomes-16th-Person-To-Die-Of-Swine-Flu-In-Britain/Article/200907215336764?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15336764_Swine_Flu%3A_London_Patient_Becomes_16th_Person_To_Die_Of_Swine_Flu_In_Britain

no mention if they had underlying health conditions. Over the last 3 weeks there have been cases in both my kids schools, actually in their class. I have kept sending them in but if this is another "healthy" case I might let them bunk the last week of school. I wonder how many other parents will do the same?

bly me, they're dropping like flies...

michaels

And now we have a GP. Look on the bright side, still the official line is 'don't panic' - the new don't worry line (after (1) we will contain it, (2) we have antivirals, (3) it is very mild and (4) the victim was suffering from underlying health problems) is that a vaccine is just around the corner...

The other strange thing was that swine flu was the top news story when no one had it outside Mexico but now it is widespread and killing people it is much less newsworthy?


Pop quiz: If you were prime minister and you knew that something very bad was going to happen to the population that could not be averted would you tell everyone and add panic and misery to whatever fate it was that was due to happen or would you suppress the news and let people have a few more 'normal' days?

dandy-candy

Apparently now they think swine flu is more dangerous than seasonal flu -

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6701505.ece

The story just keeps changing. That poor little girl died on thursday and the GP on Sat, both within 24 hours of feeling really ill. I wonder how many others have died in the last few days that we are yet to be told about?

themanbearpig

michaels wrote: »

Pop quiz: If you were prime minister and you knew that something very bad was going to happen to the population that could not be averted would you tell everyone and add panic and misery to whatever fate it was that was due to happen or would you suppress the news and let people have a few more 'normal' days?

Most would pick the later. The fact they are rushing through a vaccine just shows that it isn't quite as harmless they want the masses to believe.

If people start dieing everyday, people will stop going to work or leaving their houses, just like in Mexico, and the economy will grind to a halt.

tomterm8

michaels wrote: »

Pop quiz: If you were prime minister and you knew that something very bad was going to happen to the population that could not be averted would you tell everyone and add panic and misery to whatever fate it was that was due to happen or would you suppress the news and let people have a few more 'normal' days?

I would pick the former, but I would hire the best spin doctors, and tell people the truth in the most positive way I could. The bottom line is if you don't tell people the truth, they will find out, and they won't trust you again.

Misskool, do you think the computer models have a reasonable chance of being correct? As someone whose done some work in computer modelling in other fields, I'm very skeptical of the ability to model emerging phenomina like viruses.

Cleaver

michaels wrote: »

Pop quiz: If you were prime minister and you knew that something very bad was going to happen to the population that could not be averted would you tell everyone and add panic and misery to whatever fate it was that was due to happen or would you suppress the news and let people have a few more 'normal' days?

I'd throw a curve ball and pick unlisted option c: a YouTube video.

twentypenceoff

themanbearpig wrote: »

Most would pick the later. The fact they are rushing through a vaccine just shows that it isn't quite as harmless they want the masses to believe.

.

my thought too, otherwise, why worry, most will catch it, a few will die, but this would just be like normal flu cycles, wouldnt it?

amcluesent

Smart peeps will already have got their Tamiflu from a private source. The NHS will melt-down once this goes expenential.

Cleaver

amcluesent wrote: »

Smart peeps will already have got their Tamiflu from a private source.

What 'private source'? eBay?