# How worried should we be about Swine Flu? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 25, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359 "2009-04-25T23:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/241 "2009-05-19T04:47:29Z")
Uh-oh. Thailand may have had its first death from the new flu. [A 59-year-old female German tourist died in Hua Hin after developing a “high fever.”](http://nationmultimedia.com/2009/05/19/national/national_30103032.php) They’re conducting an autopsy on her. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/242 "2009-05-20T04:52:30Z")
Scratch that. The German tourist, who turned out to be 65 and not 59, died from pneumonia after contracting regular flu. She tested negative for the new flu. Seems she had some sort of condition she was taking medication for, and that weakend her immune system. To date, Thailand’s had two conformed cases, but something like 25 people are quarantined under observation, Thais and foreigners alike. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/243 "2009-05-20T05:33:57Z")
Sam, I wouldn’t sweat the individual cases; it will be there, whether they ID it or not. Thailand does worry me however if the numbers get large mainly because you fairly regularly also have those scattered cases humans infected with avian from poultry sources, and to the best of my knowledge do not yet have a regular screening of poulry. Along with China Thailand may be the place that the son of Satan is conceived. Within a farmer who happens to be co-infected with both bugs giving them a chance to hook-up and allowing our little swine girl to come back home with a memento of her stay - a little bit of Asian avian growing within her … [Meanwhile](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/19/AR2009051900364.html?hpid=sec-health) > [@](#): > > The government reported Tuesday that the number of H1N1 cases in Japan has reached 191 – more than in any other country except the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to the World Health Organization. > > Meanwhile, in Geneva, WHO officials said the swine flu virus is not growing as fast as hoped in research laboratories, which means drug manufacturers will not be able to start making a vaccine for it until at least mid-July. And in other news [cases increase across Latin America.](http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/20/content_11406068.htm) But that’s okay. America has decided that it’s [not to worry.](http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/19/med.swine.flu.poll/) > [@](#): > > concern over the flu, also known as the swine flu, has diminished, with 17 percent of people questioned saying they are worried that they or someone in their family will fall victim to the flu. An additional 20 percent say they were worried in the past few weeks, but are no longer concerned. Sixty-three percent of those polled say they were never worried What, me worry? (America needs you, Alfred E Neuman.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/244 "2009-05-21T03:14:12Z")
Oh, I’m not really worried. I was one of the ones who sat back and giggled at the folks who wore face masks during both the bird-flu troubles and Sars. I particularly recall one Japanese tourist at the time who looked especially ludicrous trolling the go-go bars late at night with his face all wrapped up. 😃 I mean, if you’re that worried, why go into the crowded bars to begin with? Must have had a very demanding libido. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359.md?page=12)