http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2846243.stm
Houston, we have one Hell of a problem.
And I ain’t laughin’.
Be on the lookout for cases of this disease. I suggest that you report cases to local/regional/national Health services ASAP.
BTW–please bump this, so it stays near the top.
And for those of you who are shrugging their shoulders and saying “Flu? So what?” I will remind you that even ordinary influenza kills many thousands every year.
I just hope this ain’t another 1918.
Damn! Scary stuff there.
Huh. I’ve been waiting for a superflu to come around again. I’ve also been waiting for a winning lottery ticket. Maybe I should pick one up tomorrow…
Now, I just have to remember where I put my goofy looking surgical mask I got in Japan.
So, hey - how’s that whole vaccine thing coming for next year? We’re just about through with the season this year, right?
Right?
uh oh.
Lets hope it’s relatively contained thus far - I think we’re a lot more cautious about this now than we were a century ago.
The Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918-1919 has always fascinated me. The populations of entire towns died. Well people would go to work in the morning and be dead by afternoon. It was absolutely horrific.
Worldwide 30-40 million people died. That was before air travel was commonplace. Imagine what could happen now. Particularly with an airborne disease.
I think flu vaccine is one of the wonder drugs of our lifetime. I have been taking it since it became available. I rarely have colds anymore and when they occur I’m symptomatic for about 6 hours maximum. Herpes outbreaks have also been extremely rare. No studies have been done that I’m aware of related to decreases of other viral infections related to flu vaccine use, but this is definitely true for me.
Thanks for the heads-up. Maybe THIS will finally convince my parents to start getting their flu shots.
tsarina’s mom: But why do I have to get it every year?
me (soon to graduate with a B. S. in microbiology): Because the flu virus genome changes EVERY YEAR!
I’ll keep an eye out for reports in Michigan.
I’m lucky my parents are both medical people and know the value of a flu shot. As do I, in fact.
Does this mean we should keep an eye out for Randall Flagg?
Wowee. That’s one bad bug. Here’s hoping it runs out of steam FAST!
Stay well, Dopers.
Yikes! I gave my husband so much crap about being such a baby, it’s just a chest cold. Then he came home with pneumonia so bad the doctor had wanted to hospitalize him. From now on, if he tells me he’s REALLY sick, I’ll believe him.
I am on day ten of some kind of horrible flu, that was bordering on pneumonia. I’ve never had any kind of flu in my life before, and believe me, I never want it again.
I’ve missed the entire week of work, and the only time I’ve ever missed this much work was after a hysterectomy.
I have been in hell. Every day I think I’m getting better, the next day throws me back into bed. My doctor gave me some three-day antibiotics (which were done with Wednesday) and some strong cough medicine, but even though I “feel” better, to a degree, I don’t feel well. The coughing alone has just wracked my body.
This is also the first time in years I didn’t get a flu shot. 
I just totally forgot. Bet I won’t next time. I simply don’t think I could live through something like this a second time.
Hopefully, a vaccine against this virus (if it becomes more commonplace), will be available for the next flu season (but that seems like too soon, right?). I don’t think any flu shots given this season would protect against such a flu completely, although it may minimize the symptoms(¿?).
I’m happy I get my flu shots for free (thanks, UF). My parents are still young to be considered high risk, but they’ll soon have to take them each year, as do my grandparents.
By a physician on the scene
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2851487.stm
Authorities declare a Travel Alert
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2849703.stm
General Flu Information
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical_notes/281873.stm
Feedback from the Medical People on the Board is appreciated.
I read the first three stories posted on this flu and it seems like the sort of thing that should be in the news here in the U.S.
Yeah, but our news sources are too busy covering stuff in Iraq.
Suffice it to say, I’m suitably freaked out. Germs just scare the stuffing outta me.
Is there any way to get a flu shot around this time of year? With something like this, you’d think there would be, if only to stave off a possible epidemic.
“There have now been suspected cases of an acute
respiratory syndrome with an associated “atypical pneumonia” reported from China (Hong Kong, Guangdong), VietNam, Singapore, Taiwan and now Canada.”
Six sick and two dead in Ontario; possible cases also in British Columbia, but unconfirmed as of yet.
Did someone mention Randall Flagg?
BTW, apparently this is NOT any type of known influenza virus - so far they have not even been able to isolate a virus to point the finger at. At this point they aren’t even sure whether it’s a virus or a bacteria, although opinions seem to be leaning toward a virus of some kind.
In other words, while getting a 'flu shot is always a good idea, please don’t expect it to protect you from this disease until we hear differently from the medical community.
I’m not an epidemiologist or anything, so my opinion really doesn’t count for much, but what I find scary about this outbreak is the apparent contagiousness and the speed with which it is spreading, especially from one continent to another.
I sure hope it’s a false alarm.