Bird Flu

[oracle]

ok what can the average joe do then?

surgical masks i suppose

[Concept]

Everyone's going to look like Altern-8 wannabes.

[Dogg Thang]

Concept you seem to have forgotton just how serious the millennium bug was too. Top consultants were called in all over the place. Governments were very worried. It was perceived as a real threat. I know someone that bought a wind generator for ten grand because he thought there would be no power.

As I have already said, I don't think the concept of this is made up. I do, however, think that opportunists have jumped on it. Pharmacuticals stand to make large fortunes and, as we all know, this sort of thing serves the media who are currently hyping it up. The media loves a panic - it keeps people watching and reading their news.

[Concept]

True. And what I would say is that recently disasters are back in fashion for the media (Katrina/the South Asian Earthquake), so it's no surprise they're latching on to the possible ramifications of Bird Flu at this time.

Conversely however, that argument can at times come across as whitewash. You could apply it to anything the media reports at any given time (even if in hindsight something happens which we were right to be fearful of). So in that sense, although I agree the media by and large controls people through fear, and that they've done so for decades... it doesn't mean that every scare reported is there to generate panic.

Otherwise a risk is run of generalising potential risks and failing to clarify informative, and perhaps, required information.

[MartyG]

The media is hyping it up though - if you read the link I put up (along with other articles on the WHO site) it paints a far less scaremonger slant on the situation than the media is leading people to believe.

The biggest risk from this situation is from mass hysteria which will lead to all sorts of problems. Yes there's a risk, but it's just that, a risk - there are risks in everything we do. There are far more problems for the average bloke on the street to worry about than the chance of a pandemic.

[Concept]

I did read the link. It pretty much presented the same facts I've heard from the media in a more matter of fact way. Still reads a potentially grim situation to me I'm afraid.

[baad bwoy]

Perhaps I'm just being ignorant but I've never seen a bird sneeze or cough...but they still get a terrible flu.

[wonderboy]

This Bird-Flu is nothing more than you'd expect. From human population
explostion, people living in tiny places in the far east with animal and
poultry. The industrialization of food. Chickens, turkey and animals in
general given a couple of inches for movement. It's all there in history,
people, hundreds, if not millenium ago with plagues and such...

The other day it was turkey, now romania. I guessed that. It's just pick
country now, because of global warming. Birds are so confusied they're
changed migrating countries all the time. Unwittingly spreading as they go..

What will probably happen with this, just a guess. It will peak at a small
number on a country or global scale. Be confirmed to be over, by health
authorities and govenments. Then pop up again in years or a decade to
come, when it mutated.

The funny thing about flu is, i remember scientists saying years ago in
an indepth program/report that it unusual. That maybe it's not from this
planet, an asteroid brought it here ? It's know to have killed more people
than anything ever. It's will to exsist, seems to be equal to humanity..

One optimistic statistic, is, no matter what virus kills people. There will
always be a number of people immune to it. Sadly, as little as 3-10%...

[MartyG]

Hang on - you're making a grand leap between global warming and a spread of avian-flu and then contributing it to extra-terestrial influence?

Do you write for the Daily Sport?

[wonderboy]

Hehe, nah forgot to post bird (hehe!) at the start of my post !

No i'm just passing on what i read. Global warming is a major
factor to the birds migration. As for e-t element. I just remember
some seriosus top scientist saying years ago. That flu strain is very
unusal. Then again i suppose they said, that for HIV/aids, eh...

[Chikuzan]

No Dead Parrot Jokes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4365956.stm

Regards

[Ginger Tosser]

Good thing it was in quarantine, just hope some dodgy backstreet poultry seller doesn't bring it in like foot and mouth.

[Richard.John]

Run for the hills.

[Spatial]

I'm half way out the door. But what if my copy of SotC turns up and I'm hiding in a cave?

Bugger it, I think this game's worth the risk of staying put.

Now, where's that Tamiflu auction on ebay...

[Pavey]

1st case of Bird Flu in Paris

Ho hum...