# Swine flu, will it be a NON-EVENT like SARS and bird flu? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 30, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831 "2009-04-30T12:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**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 4, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/121 "2009-05-04T12:39:00Z")
> [@calm\_kiwi](#): > > Can I still say I am sick of the media on the whole porquine snuffles thing? > [@calm kiwi's op](#): > > I thought that the main job of media was to inform the public Well right there at the start was your problem. The media’s job to sell things. Informing doesn’t do that so well so they do fairly little of that as a general rule. Sex sells. Fear sells. Celebrity sells. Any story that cannot be made into one of those will get very little airtime. Best is to get all three into one story but you need at least _one_ of those angles for a story to have legs. Discussing something as needing a graded, serious, and persistent response, neither “no worries” nor “panic we are all going to die!” without putting boobs or Brangelina or both into it? Be real. No body would watch. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/122 "2009-05-04T12:43:07Z")
So true. So when the Swine flu is about to get me I will be oblivious because the news coverage will kill me faster. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/123 "2009-05-04T13:36:17Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I’m still looking for a cite from **gonzomax** showing where an entire school district was shut down for 10 days. It’s Fort Worth Independent School District- 80,000 kids. They announced it last week. You can find a story [here](http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042909dnmetswineflu.2f76c58.html). ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/124 "2009-05-04T14:57:09Z")
On a related note, you can read an excellent article (at the Daily Kos of all places) explaining why yes, it is necessary to shut schools as early as possible to mitigate the spread of the virus. Wait until more people have it, and it’s too late to be useful (this, equally, is why it’s pointless shutting down air travel at this stage). > **[H1N1: Why Do Schools Close, And When Do They Open?](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2009/5/2/727192/-H1N1:-Why-Do-Schools-Close,-And-When-Do-They-Open)** > > Public health folks are doing a terrific job staying on top and ahead of the H1N1 (swine flu) epidemic, which is both local and world-wide. As is often the case, public health officials have to walk ... ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/125 "2009-05-04T15:05:42Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > It’s Fort Worth Independent School District- 80,000 kids. They announced it last week. > > You can find a story [here](http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042909dnmetswineflu.2f76c58.html). He said it was in Michigan, and this was before Ft. Worth announced the closing. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/126 "2009-05-04T15:35:08Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > This part of the quote is succinctly and more effectively stating what I was trying to say in my previous posts. > > Interesting concept too: Meta-news! Reporters reporting on the validity of their reporting. > > When people lose faith in the actual quality of information, you are more likely to have people ignoring evacuation orders when the category 5 storm is heading toward their beach house. Yup. When a cloud floats over my house, the news immediately flies into OMG A HUGE STORM IS COMING WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE mode… It has gotten so bad that last year the news flashed that a tornado was on the ground and heading my way…that it was huge and killing people enmasse. I went to bed. I just assumed they were mistaken/lying. I was right. Woke up next morning…no tornado had touched down in the cities. I’m serious…I didn’t even believe the news when they said I was in iminent danger of death…I just assumed they were wrong. If they had had pictures or something to confirm it…I would have listened. Otherwise, forget it. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/127 "2009-05-05T00:20:28Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I’m still looking for a cite from **gonzomax** showing where an entire school district was shut down for 10 days. You are kidding. Aren’t you. [http://www.freep.com/article/20090503/NEWS02/90503019/1004/Fears+over+flu+spark+more+schools+to+shut+down](http://www.freep.com/article/20090503/NEWS02/90503019/1004/Fears+over+flu+spark+more+schools+to+shut+down) I’ll provide it but I wont read it to you. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/128 "2009-05-05T00:23:19Z")
> [@Dead\_Badger](#): > > On a related note, you can read an excellent article (at the Daily Kos of all places) explaining why yes, it is necessary to shut schools as early as possible to mitigate the spread of the virus. Wait until more people have it, and it’s too late to be useful (this, equally, is why it’s pointless shutting down air travel at this stage). > > [H1N1: Why Do Schools Close, And When Do They Open?](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/2/727192/-H1N1:-Why-Do-Schools-Close,-And-When-Do-They-Open) No. You can argue that it may be necessary. You can not say it is necessary. As a matter of fact it is not. But you do not want to look like you were not treating it without sufficient respect. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/129 "2009-05-05T01:44:24Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > You are kidding. Aren’t you. > [http://www.freep.com/article/20090503/NEWS02/90503019/1004/Fears+over+flu+spark+more+schools+to+shut+down](http://www.freep.com/article/20090503/NEWS02/90503019/1004/Fears+over+flu+spark+more+schools+to+shut+down) > I’ll provide it but I wont read it to you. That was an article from today, which is several days after you made the claim. On top of that, I don’t see a lot of evidence that those schools will be closed for much more than a week, though I can’t tell when some of them initially made the decision Some may be over that amount. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/130 "2009-05-05T11:02:42Z")
pointless… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/131 "2009-05-05T11:26:57Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > pointless… I like posts that are short, sharp and right to the point. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/132 "2009-05-05T13:07:58Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > No. You can argue that it may be necessary. You can not say it is necessary. As a matter of fact it is not. Oh, well, that’s all right then. Do you want to ring up the WHO or shall I? "Hey guys, there’s some schmuck here who says you’re all wrong and to stop doing stuff. Yes, I know you’re actual epidemiologists, but this guy has to be right. Reasons? No, he didn’t give any reasons, but he did say it’s a ‘matter of fact’, and you can’t argue with that, can you? Yeah, I showed him the graphs. Yep, and the historical data and all that. But I mean, if you’ve seen all that and still stick to your guns, you’ve pretty much got to be right, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. “Oh, he also gives mortgage advice; I’ll give you his number.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/133 "2009-05-09T01:51:06Z")
I think you guys are making light of this serious situation. In my state alone 1 in every 260,000 people has a confirmed case of this flu. Your risk of getting this flu is greater than being anally probed by aliens, molested by clowns, **or** anally probed by clowns, and you’re all saying that this is no big deal? When you’re the one in a quarter million to contact this virus, you won’t be laughing, now will you. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/134 "2009-05-09T02:11:35Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > you won’t be laughing, now will you. Well, not without triggering a giant coughing fit. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/135 "2009-05-10T12:19:11Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, not without triggering a giant coughing fit. Or without a major news story to take over. Not even an oink of Swine flu on New Zealand news since Thursday beause there was a real crisis/news story. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/136 "2009-05-10T20:58:04Z")
> [@Dead\_Badger](#): > > Oh, well, that’s all right then. Do you want to ring up the WHO or shall I? > > "Hey guys, there’s some schmuck here who says you’re all wrong and to stop doing stuff. Yes, I know you’re actual epidemiologists, but this guy has to be right. Reasons? No, he didn’t give any reasons, but he did say it’s a ‘matter of fact’, and you can’t argue with that, can you? Yeah, I showed him the graphs. Yep, and the historical data and all that. But I mean, if you’ve seen all that and still stick to your guns, you’ve pretty much got to be right, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. > > “Oh, he also gives mortgage advice; I’ll give you his number.” Have you woken up yet? Are you still hiding in your bunker terrified of a non event? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/137 "2009-05-10T21:02:42Z")
Even a stupid pig finds the occasional truffle, **gonzomax**. ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831/138 "2009-05-11T11:42:10Z")
> [@DiggitCamara](#): > > Wrong again. > > Look, the political action would have been: on one hand I have a potential problem (worst case scenario). But on the other hand I have a definite, current problem (economic shrinking, loss of jobs, etc.). So, a politician’s first action would have been to suppress the problem, hoping it went away by itself. Which is, for instance, what happened a couple of years ago in China. I’m not sure I agree. While we all would wish that our politicians stay focused on the real problems. It is probably all too common for them to attempt to “do something” or show “leadership” on a potential problem rather than actually deal with the real problem. When the crisis fails to materialize they can say that their swift decisive action helped and if it does appear they can at least claim that they tried to do something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swine-flu-will-it-be-a-non-event-like-sars-and-bird-flu/494831.md?page=6)