# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/41 "2009-04-26T14:58:55Z")
What worries me most is the age group that appears vulnerable, young adult and middle aged, significantly different than normal flus . That is eerily similar to the 1918 pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/42 "2009-04-26T15:35:45Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > So the economy’s bad, everybody’s worried about gas prices, there’s a swine flu epidemic, and they’re making a Star Trek movie. It’s the 70s again, isn’t it? > [@ghardester](#): > > Oh NO!!! The clothes, the shoes, the HORROR!!! I dunno, the girls’ hairstyles were pretty sexy. BTW–I’m the only person not panicking about this. Odd. Does that mean that this really is the big one?:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/43 "2009-04-26T15:37:25Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > What worries me most is the age group that appears vulnerable, young adult and middle aged, significantly different than normal flus . > > That is eerily similar to the 1918 pandemic. Worth noting. ---
**Author:** ![Determinist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@Determinist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Determinist)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/44 "2009-04-26T15:46:48Z")
Perhaps there is no reason yet for the average person to freak out but it’s never a bad idea to have a few weeks worth of emergency food stockpiled–like basic beans and oils and dried stuff–in case of a natural disaster or pandemic. Here is a [decent website](http://www.birdflumanual.com/articles/foodStockpilingTips.asp) with suggestions on what one would need in such an event. ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/45 "2009-04-26T16:13:59Z")
Well, I certainly wouldn’t travel to Mexico anytime soon. Looks like they’ve confirmed cases among a group of students in New Zealand and are looking at possible cases in France and Israel… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/46 "2009-04-26T16:34:12Z")
Which appears to mean that it is transmissable by air, rather than by food or water. That’s not good. WWII was kinda loud, Salma Hyeck is sorta hot, and thats not good. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/47 "2009-04-26T16:37:34Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > , Salma Hyeck is sorta hot, and thats not good. Sorta hot? She is smoldering sex in a hot Latina package! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/48 "2009-04-26T16:54:53Z")
Here’s a [Google Map](http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.0004681a37b713f6b5950&ll=39.548397,-104.873385&spn=62.487058,88.330078&z=4) that keeps track of all references to the Swine Flu. As of this morning, the CDC has confirmed another case- this time in Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/49 "2009-04-26T17:26:39Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Which appears to mean that it is transmissable by air, rather than by food or water. :dubious: Aren’t all varieties of influenza transmissible by air? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/50 "2009-04-26T17:29:32Z")
Nothing is more gratifying to the ego than to be able to answer a difficult question immediately, and without hesitation! I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/51 "2009-04-26T17:32:34Z")
I just saw on one of the news feeds that some countries are banning imports of pork. Now I would understand an import on pigs, but is influenza transmissible in food products? I always though it was spread by contact or aerosol transmission. In other words, is this legitimate or an hysterical reaction? Shibb, trying to fight his own ignorance ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/52 "2009-04-26T17:35:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Aren’t all varieties of influenza transmissible by air? > **[Flu Transmission](https://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-transmission.htm)** > > Influenza pandemics have occurred every 10 to 60 years, with three occurring in the twentieth century (1918, 1957-1958, and 1967-1968). Influenza pandemics occur when there is a notable genetic change (termed genetic shift) in the circulating strain... According to this, no. > [@](#): > > …The influenza virus is transmitted in most cases by droplets through the coughing and sneezing of infected persons, but it can be transmitted as well by direct contact… If we stretch the point a bit, you might say that sneezed droplets are “air borne”, but I was thnking more along the lines of a virus that survives in the open air, and floats about looking to cause some mischief. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/53 "2009-04-26T17:37:27Z")
Cancun has to just love this. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/54 "2009-04-26T17:40:16Z")
It seems significant to me that the people who have died have been in Mexico (exclusively, at this point), and that this has apparently been going on there for a month and we’re only hearing it breaking the news now. What’s the deal with the news reporting ‘200 kids sick at Queen’s school!!!’ and then the actual news is that 8 kids tested positive for swine flu? Is it mass hysteria or just some other bug at the same time? I hate manipulative health-news reporting more than anything… ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/55 "2009-04-26T17:41:31Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > [Flu Transmission](http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/ops/hsc-scen-3_flu-transmission.htm) > > According to this, no. > > If we stretch the point a bit, you might say that sneezed droplets are “air borne”, but I was thnking more along the lines of a virus that survives in the open air, and floats about looking to cause some mischief. Is there any evidence that the cases of this flu were not transmitted by airborne droplets? The students in New Zealand (and some teachers, too) had recently been in Mexico and were exposed there. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/56 "2009-04-26T17:50:46Z")
[QUOTE=C3] Is there any evidence that the cases of this flu were not transmitted by airborne droplets? [/QUOTE] Certainly. There are cases of flu that is non-transmittable via any kind of human to human interaction (i.e. they went from some other animal to human but then weren’t transmittable to other humans). There are also non-aerosol variants of the flu. My understanding is that the worst strain is the type A aerosol variety…that’s the one that caused the 1918 and the one in 1958 (IIRC) and during the 60’s. Very nasty. Of course, even the common variety flu that people dismiss every year (and don’t bother getting their flu shots for) is pretty deadly…much more so that folks seem to realize. -XT ---
**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:** [April 26, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/57 "2009-04-26T18:00:16Z")
“Airborne transmission” means that it stays infectious in the air for a prolonged period of time and distance. Examples include measles and chicken pox. “Droplets” means that they fall out of the air fairly quickly. Influenza and whooping cough are droplet transmission. That’s why “close contact” to a case of swine flu - is defined as being within 6 feet by the CDC. I am viewing this as a great test run for our systems, sort of like a fire drill. The odds are remote that this particular flu will cause a pandemic, but one of these times one will … unless we are very skillful at containing each pretender to the pandemic throne quickly as they show. It is nice to have plans but even better to have had to run through them a few times and work out the problems. Maybe this episode will demonstrate where the systems need improvements and motivate improved readiness. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/58 "2009-04-26T18:05:02Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Certainly. There are cases of flu that is non-transmittable via any kind of human to human interaction (i.e. they went from some other animal to human but then weren’t transmittable to other humans). There are also non-aerosol variants of the flu. My understanding is that the worst strain is the type A aerosol variety…that’s the one that caused the 1918 and the one in 1958 (IIRC) and during the 60’s. Very nasty. > > Of course, even the common variety flu that people dismiss every year (and don’t bother getting their flu shots for) is pretty deadly…much more so that folks seem to realize. > > -XT I think I didn’t word that very clearly. What I was responding to was **elucidator’s** speculation that this flu might be transmitted “in the air” vs. via airborne droplets or direct contact. He thought maybe the cases in NZ illustrated this. I was just bringing up that the NZ kids had been in Mexico, so they probably did contract it through direct exposure. So, my questions about if there is “any evidence that the cases of **this** flu were not transmitted by airborne droplets” was meant to be in contrast to eludicator’s theory about this particular flu. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/59 "2009-04-26T18:05:14Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > pretender to the pandemic throne Og, I love this place! ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359/60 "2009-04-26T18:10:34Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Of course, even the common variety flu that people dismiss every year (and don’t bother getting their flu shots for) is pretty deadly…much more so that folks seem to realize. Agreed. About four years ago I caught the “regular” flu… and spent five days shivering in bed. That’s the only time I’ve \*wanted \*to die- it was the most miserable experience of my life. Just walking to the kitchen for more soup was agony. > [@Masudkarim](#): > > An eighth case of swine flu in humans has been confirmed in the US, according to > the Centers for Disease Control. … Related Topics. Number of Americans who get > AIDS each year 40 percent … Should we be concerned about swine flu? Considering how much more easily flu can spread than AIDS, and how much faster it kills, yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-worried-should-we-be-about-swine-flu/494359.md?page=4)