28 Apr 09
Originally posted by Andrew HamiltonMore soberring is the possibility of a virulent 'flu strain forming able to infect and kill many different types of cell in the body, not just repirartory tract cells.
Here is a sobering thought; what if a strain of HIV mutated so that it spreads like the common cold?
-I had once seriously considered this possibility but, fortunately, there is no evidence the closely related SID virus that infects Green Monkeys and which HIV almost certainly evolved from ever spread like the common cold so I guess the chances of this happening are remote. But what if it DID happen? Yikes!
30 Apr 09
Originally posted by Andrew HamiltonI think you hit the nail on the head with this one -- there was nothing "logical" about his comment.
[b]…For the 'natural selection' and 'isolate and DESTROY' comments here, and in general for all the COLD HEARTED idiots speaking out of ignorance,…
..… (my emphasis)
Are you implying that anyone here merely mentioning the words “natural selection” and “isolate and DESTROY” must be “COLD HEARTED”?
-if so, nobody so far in this thread said ...[text shortened]... ural selection” must be ‘cold hearted’ and what have these words got to do with “ignorance“?[/b]
I'm quite sure he had no idea what he was trying to imply.
07 May 09
Originally posted by Diodorus SiculusSeem to know a bit..
It is important to remember the 1918 Spanish flu killed an estimated 50 million people in less than one year which to put in context is considerably more than all HIV-1 deaths since this pandemic began in the 80s.
The presently circulating human strain of influenza A, subtype H1N1 became resistant to the main stockpiled antiviral, the neuraminid ...[text shortened]... cores the requirement for new antivirals but in the interim, surveillance and epidemiology.
Agree the 1918 pandemic is concerning. My knowledge is limited to Wikipedia and a few articles linked. if anyone knows different please post. It's been updated very recently. That came in three waves, the second in autum was far more lethal, says wikipedia, killing mostly people in there 20s n 30s by over reaction of the immune system, the first 2 graphs make disturbing reading. 2 - 5% of the popualtion died in the counties hit.
Seems these mutations can happen naturally esp in intensive farming, or deliberately, it was hypothesised the 1918 outbreak was a millitary attack. No one sane wants that. My sister is in Mexico at the moment - the uni she works in has been closed for now ...
08 May 09
3 edits
don't want to sound to bleak about it... that was 1918 before they had many antibiotics .. let alone antiviral drugs ... there were similar mutations since says wiki...
My sister's in a town quite near the outbreak, n people sound quite worried. however it sounds like there are more then enough precautions to (the whole uni is closed) I think the media can hype this up. In my office we now have alcohol based cleaners.... whoever makes them is doing well. cynical i know.
I wonder how much intensive/battery farming of animals increases the risks of mutations, seems sensible to have laws to limit this -, also... ok maybe dumb but with bird flu - does having large numbers of just of a few species (pigeons , seaguls etc) make this easier to happen?
10 May 09
Originally posted by Andrew HamiltonI'm sure we will all get it eventually, just a matter of time.
I heard somewhere (don’t remember where) that it takes about only 24 hours between catching it and the first symptoms appearing.
I just hope there is not throwing up involved, I hate throwing up, especially when it comes out your nose!
😞
10 May 09
Originally posted by mlprior…I just hope there is not throwing up involved
I'm sure we will all get it eventually, just a matter of time.
I just hope there is not throwing up involved, I hate throwing up, especially when it comes out your nose!
😞
.…
Nor diarrhoea -it is most undignified spurting it all out and making an unpleasant stink right in the middle of a serious business meeting or on a train/bus before you can have access to a loo.
….I hate throwing up, especially when it comes out your nose!
...…
-and have you noticed that, no matter how hard you try, you cannot stop it coming out of your nose.