Posted on 05/23/2006 4:46:15 PM PDT by utvolsfan13
True. These are only "confirmed" cases.
On the other hand, quite a few likely died from it and their numbers are not in these figures - the index case for this outbreak, for example. There have been many others who have died of symptoms but either came up negative or weren't properly tested before they died so weren't counted in the WHO numbers.
In widespread testing for antibodies from other outbreak areas, there are few, if any, people who show antibodies. In other words, there don't appear to be a lot of people who recovered who remain uncounted and hidden. Usually, when you get sick with this, you are really sick and end up in a hospital, usually on a respirator. It's not just a bad cough and a headache. So, statistically, they are not there. It doesn't mean there aren't some, though. Just probably not a lot.
Just more Bird Flu Hysteria.Honey,would you pass the Bird Seed ?
Sorry, I'm a rookie when it comes to this panic mongering thing. Normally I ignore this stuff, and unless it's actually a problem in my face, don't give a da*n.
I prefere those problems I can shoot. ;)
They didn't follow the first rule: Don't confuse the issue with facts!
"There are not a lot of mild, asymptomatic infections out there [with H5N1]. We're now aware of six studies involving over 5,000 close contacts of H5N1-infected people, in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, in which less than one person per thousand contacts had evidence of an H5N1 infection that was missed—that is, a mild infection."
Well, that would be damn inconvenient. I have a doc appointment on the 25th. Or should I just go ahead and cancel.
Ping
Thanks, Judith Anne for the 'heads up'.
"The fatality rate is so scary: 6 of 7 dead. I read somewhere that the virus will have to get a bit milder to be really dangerous. If you kill 80-100% on contact, the flu will be limited to pockets of disease--like Ebola. Ebola kills so efficiently that it doesn't spread very effectively."
Funny how the authorities ignore this fact; it is like a back fire versus a prairie fire.
This particular crisis is driven by its popularity rather than its propensity.
I am going to be out of town that day, do you know which city?
No, maybe just many of us. We'll see.
WHO is obviously concerned about human-to-human transmission in Indonesia. Especially with close human interaction with pigs. But they seem to take their sweet time issuing orders to quarantine a region. I would feel a lot more comfortable if the WHO just recommended "no more flights into Sumatra" or wherever. WHO does not have to issue a quarantine order -- just give a recommendation.
But I expect they will wait around and stall until people start to die in neighboring countries.
The French kook who predicted it said it would crash into the Atlantic and wipe out the east coast of the US. So...
"Don't forget the asteroid impact forecasted for Thursday, 5-25-2006."
Getting charcoal and grey poupon!
WHO chief dies after emergency brain surgery
Lee, who spearheaded the UN health agency’s fight against the spread of bird flu and the preparations for a potential human influenza pandemic, died this morning, said South Korea’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Park Won-hwa. Lee was 61.
(happened on May 22, 2006)
What effect that will have on research is not known, but the sudden nature of his demise suggests there will be at least a little disorganization as things there get sorted out.
It is possible that the folks at WHO researching this can make a seamless and smooth transition, (hopefully they do) and I won't discount that possibility, but most organizations would take a little bit to get back up to speed.
It appears they are doing fairly well, considering.
Birds tend to go down real easy with birdshot.
It's very disheartening that, as soon as SARS was confirmed in Canada, the CDC came out against travel restrictions because of the potential for discrimination and stigmatizing vulnerable populations (really).
There is zero possibility that western governments will ban arrivals from SE Asia (which would work) until millions are dead here (after which, of course, it won't work).
Run for your life!
It will never happen.
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