Am I missing something?

[mscher]

I just saw a dire segment on the no-spin "Evening News", that the U. S. is in the midst of a major FLU EPIDEMIC! (Not even blaming it on the chickens this time) ;(

10 Children have died already this year, which stinks, but how many children normally die from these types of illnesses?

The WHO needs to be involved, since of course, the vaccines that nobody recieved, are not working as they should. New vaccines will need to be deveolped (at a large cost, of course).

Is the flu really a problem this year, or is this just another reason for me to cherish the "off" switch on the TV?

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Am I missing something?

The sky is falling!!! Keep your remote control handy and hit the off button.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Am I missing something?

No major flu outbreaks around here yet this year.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Am I missing something?

Ayuh,....

Lake Mead is drying Up next year too,...

 

[mscher]

Re: Am I missing something?

The sky is falling!!! Keep your remote control handy and hit the off button.

You got that right!

No wonder people would rather "Access Hollywood" than "The NBC Nightly News".

"Access Hollywood" has more credibilty and accuracy ;(

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Am I missing something?

According to the local news, several school systems in the area around here have shut down due to flu and high rate of absenteeism.

 

[Coors]

Re: Am I missing something?

Yeah right, every since I got to be in my 50's, I always get the flu (mildly, but enough to be a pain in the --.
I'm healthy, no flu yet, and haven't heard of any in N Fl
B Hockey, they run out of the other "extreme, dire, situation" news?

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Am I missing something?

Actually here in Texas it is a concern. My wife is a RN at the ER. She said they are seeing a ton flu cases.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: Am I missing something?

According to the CDC 20 thousand people die from the flu ( and it's complications) on average each year in the US.
There are more varieties of flu than you can shake a stick at, and the flu vaccine used at the beginning of each flu season is an educated guess at best as to which flu strain will become problematic.
Wash your hands often and hope for the best.

 

[JB]

Re: Am I missing something?

Twenty thousand!!?? Please check your sources, BMB.

Maybe the "complications" bit is a cop out.

Influenza is a serious family of diseases that can lead to pneumonia, but I doubt "twenty thousand", unless survival is considered a complication.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Am I missing something?

Twenty thousand!!?? Please check your sources, BMB.

Actually that's probably about right. Of course, most of them are elderly (so, you kinda have to figure, it doesn't take much to push someone into death this week if they would have died of old age next week anyway).

Death rates sound staggering at first, until you realize that over the next 75 years, 300 million people will die in this country. That averages out to 4 million people a year. 55,000 die in car accidents, and another 54,000 die of congestive heart failure (the #1 and #2 most common causes of death). But that still leave 3 million, 890 thousand people to die of all kind of other things, such as the flu, so 20 thousand isn't actually that big.

BTW, there is a flu epidemic around here. All our schools are out for the week (for the 2nd time this year) due to the high rate of illness.

 

[carrotsnapper]

Re: Am I missing something?

I'm with you mscher, I love the sound of silence. Turn off the tv please. I walked in from work tonight and my wife was watching Katie Curic. I went right upstairs to the bedroom until it was over.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Am I missing something?

Twenty thousand!!?? Please check your sources, BMB.

He's right 20k is about 'normal'. That's not even an epedemic. Consider that in the 1918 pandemic, 500,000 died just in the USA, and 20,000,000 died world wide. The next major flu pandemic will probably kill 2x that many.
Here's a CBS story on the current outbreak. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/07/health/main535605.shtml

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Am I missing something?

Second hand smoke, lung cancer, cervical cancer,asbestosis, cholora, minigitus, maleria,typhoid.....we all gotta go sometime. Pick your flavor.

Me, I want to live to be 121 and be shot by a jelous husband half my age!

Until then, I try not to let the plauge of the week bother me.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: Am I missing something?

Second hand smoke, lung cancer, cervical cancer,asbestosis, cholora, minigitus, maleria,typhoid.....we all gotta go sometime. Pick your flavor.

Me, I want to live to be 121 and be shot by a jelous husband half my age!

Until then, I try not to let the plauge of the week bother me.

Cervical Cancer???

Your going to die from cervical cancer or be shot by a jealous husband? Something doesn't sound right here.

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: Am I missing something?

Twenty thousand!!?? Please check your sources, BMB.

Maybe the "complications" bit is a cop out.

Influenza is a serious family of diseases that can lead to pneumonia, but I doubt "twenty thousand", unless survival is considered a complication.

JB, I just googled it, the #'s I got wre supposedly from the CDC.
I have heard those numbers and much higher every year.
I'm sure Sarge is right that most are elderly or in some way there immune system is weak.

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Am I missing something?

Good one Caveman!

I think that the news people want us to worry about it all though, no thought given to whether the risk is real or not.

Thanks for the belly laugh!

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Am I missing something?

Good one Caveman!

I think that the news people want us to worry about it all though, no thought given to whether the risk is real or not.

Thanks for the belly laugh!

I think the point that the news people were making is that you're more likely to get the flu this year than in normal, but the flu that you get this year isn't going to be any worse to get over than normal. But, let's face it, getting the flu, isn't fun. So make sure you wash your hands more often. Unless of course you happen to live in southern Florida which does not seem to be affected (probably because it's still warm there).

 

[newbie4life]

Re: Am I missing something?

Me, I want to live to be 121 and be shot by a jelous husband half my age!

I think while you're 'shooting for the stars', why would you want to be shot by a guy who's wife is probably around 60 years old or so.

Do you have a thing for 60 year old women that like 121 year old guys?

I'd love to die next week, being shot in the back (because I'm heading out the window) by a jealous husband who's married to a 25 year old hottie.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Am I missing something?

, My sister n law has been missing work nearly all week due to the flu (she still isn't feeling any better), my brother missed a day of work (he's been sick nearly as long as his wife). My niece missed school because of her spell with flu symptoms.

I hardly ever get sick I always take vitamin C (1000mlg a day), actually I've messed up lately and took more than that, by accident (don't ask me how). Seems like I have heard of other people missing out on school and work because of the flu also. I'm not feeling up to par lately myself, the weather keeps changing from cold to hot, that may have allot of play in why everybody down here is feeling ill. Hopefully it's just the power of suggestion making my mind play tricks on me, I'm not feeling good, everybody talking about being sick and making me feel like I'm sick lol. But seriously I think I'm coming down with the flu also