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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Dear God, yet another media panic.

Actually, the World Health Organisation has just said that there are only seven confirmed swine flu deaths in Mexico.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/who-says-only-seven-confirmed-swine-flu-deaths-20090429-amlk.html

Flu contributes to over 25000 excess winter deaths every year in the UK.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/83933.php

There have been no deaths outside Mexico and, to reiterate, only 7 confirmed deaths there.

Spreading panic sells newspapers and provides governments with photo-ops. It's a business.  

So, let's have a sense of proportion here, please!

totally agree with you nickbat - completely outrageous coverage on all media - you get the impression they're a bit disappointed no-one here is going to die  :-?

Yes, the Daily Express the other day got the figure up to 120 million!!

Even in 1918 it was only 20-40 million, and that was all without modern medication and poorer health levels, which were not that much better than when the Black Death struck in 1351 to 1357.

An estimated 1.5 million deaths in the worst two years of the plague Lizzie..........................out of a then population of only 4 million in the U.K.........roughly 40%......of the entire population................Ahhhhhhhh.......the good old days.

Indeed Optimist, with between 2 to 2.5 million dying in England alone (33% to 50% of the total population ) over the various outbreaks of the bubonic plague between early / late June 1348, when it is believed to have first entered England at Melcombe Regis, Dorset (Prestwich, 2005, p.542), and the worst outbreak of 1361.  
Whole villages 'died' when they were abandoned by the few survivors who joined larger communities.  This was all replicated across Europe.

Yep.............parish records ............wills ...and diaries...........gave a pretty accurate account of the devastation Lizzie.
And.....of course.............there was no social security ..........or NHS........to fall back on in the mid fourteenth century.
I believe that the depletion of the population ............played a big part  in the "Peasants revolt" ............that subsequently came about.......... a couple of decades or so later.

[M0T0RVATE]

NHS has also tried to order 32 million masks, and been told nope, no chance, everyone else has got there first, leaflets are just to make up for up so when 4 in 10 of us get swine flu, (this seems to be likely figure is i spreads further)  you must rush for your  leaflet.  

But of course we're well prepared were told.  The vacination won't be ready for for 4-6 months, there is 33 million doses available of someting that will help a wee bit, like ease any discomfort etc.  Oh and and if does clear up over the summer, its very likely to hit during the winter again or a new outbreak will start.  

Yup were in safe hands, we're getting a leaflet.

And use origami to turn it into your mask...!!
 

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Dear God, yet another media panic.

Actually, the World Health Organisation has just said that there are only seven confirmed swine flu deaths in Mexico.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/who-says-only-seven-confirmed-swine-flu-deaths-20090429-amlk.html

Flu contributes to over 25000 excess winter deaths every year in the UK.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/83933.php

There have been no deaths outside Mexico and, to reiterate, only 7 confirmed deaths there.

Spreading panic sells newspapers and provides governments with photo-ops. It's a business.  

So, let's have a sense of proportion here, please!

totally agree with you nickbat - completely outrageous coverage on all media - you get the impression they're a bit disappointed no-one here is going to die  :-?

Yes, the Daily Express the other day got the figure up to 120 million!!

Even in 1918 it was only 20-40 million, and that was all without modern medication and poorer health levels, which were not that much better than when the Black Death struck in 1351 to 1357.

An estimated 1.5 million deaths in the worst two years of the plague Lizzie..........................out of a then population of only 4 million in the U.K.........roughly 40%......of the entire population................Ahhhhhhhh.......the good old days.

Indeed Optimist, with between 2 to 2.5 million dying in England alone (33% to 50% of the total population ) over the various outbreaks of the bubonic plague between early / late June 1348, when it is believed to have first entered England at Melcombe Regis, Dorset (Prestwich, 2005, p.542), and the worst outbreak of 1361.  
Whole villages 'died' when they were abandoned by the few survivors who joined larger communities.  This was all replicated across Europe.

Yep.............parish records ............wills ...and diaries...........gave a pretty accurate account of the devastation Lizzie.
And.....of course.............there was no social security ..........or NHS........to fall back on in the mid fourteenth century.
I believe that the depletion of the population ............played a big part  in the "Peasants revolt" ............that subsequently came about.......... a couple of decades or so later.

Historians Optimist consider that the real negative effects of the plague were in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, with England suffering from agricultural, economic and social upheaval, with a greatly reduced population. This made England highly vulnerable to invasion by first the Spanish and later the French, which only the strength of Elizabeth 1, much later governments, clever politics and pure luck managing to avoid such an event. 8-) 8-)

[STMO123]

When I mentioned swine flu leaflets, I had no idea it was going to turn into a page-sized quoting history lesson. Deja vu?

[OmegaGav]

NHS has also tried to order 32 million masks, and been told nope, no chance, everyone else has got there first, leaflets are just to make up for up so when 4 in 10 of us get swine flu, (this seems to be likely figure is i spreads further)  you must rush for your  leaflet.  

But of course we're well prepared were told.  The vacination won't be ready for for 4-6 months, there is 33 million doses available of someting that will help a wee bit, like ease any discomfort etc.  Oh and and if does clear up over the summer, its very likely to hit during the winter again or a new outbreak will start.  

Yup were in safe hands, we're getting a leaflet.

And use origami to turn it into your mask...!!
 

I've got loads of gaffer tape

[Lizzie_Zoom]

When I mentioned swine flu leaflets, I had no idea it was going to turn into a page-sized quoting history lesson. Deja vu?

It gives some historical background and perspective on what this swine-flue is about, and how it is hopefully going to be nothing compared to those past events STMO

As for leaflets, well we had similar things during the Cold War and all they are meant to do is give some comfort and simple instructions to the population to stop them panicking!  Don't panic, don't panic!! 8-) 8-) 8-)

Not suggesting the current publication is anything but helpful, but the Cold War ones were just bloody crap!!   We were all doomed anyway Mr. Mannering!!

[Vamps]

Dear God, yet another media panic.

Actually, the World Health Organisation has just said that there are only seven confirmed swine flu deaths in Mexico.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/who-says-only-seven-confirmed-swine-flu-deaths-20090429-amlk.html

Flu contributes to over 25000 excess winter deaths every year in the UK.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/83933.php

There have been no deaths outside Mexico and, to reiterate, only 7 confirmed deaths there.

Spreading panic sells newspapers and provides governments with photo-ops. It's a business.  

So, let's have a sense of proportion here, please!

Very well said Nick!!

Fully agree,