View Full Version : Chicken Flu in Europe
system_error
17-10-2005, 08:56 AM
Hey,
after the H5N1 virus was discovered in Romania it is only a matter of time until it reaches Central Europe. Governments all over are stock pilling drugs to fight against an epidemic and pharma companies make the profit of their life. Even though the disease can't go from human to human it might not take much longer before we have something like the plague in a really populated area.
Once discovered it takes 6 to 9 months for working countermeasures (aka flu shots) to work.
Do you fear that problem or is it only the media which tries to make us think it is that dangerous?
Why do you think that some drugs (Tamiflu for example) went from 7.70€ to 35.50€ for 10 pills?
Konfucius
17-10-2005, 09:17 AM
I think the media is hyping the flu.
I rarely watch news and so far I haven't heard of any cases in central europe - so it must be the media :P
As long as there is no incident in my area I'm not really concerned.
Yep, maybe I don't quite understand the magnitude of this flu yet but even though I do regularly watch the news, you can tell though that it is just the media that are hyping things up and scaring those poor unfortunate souls into buy £40 jabs etc.
I don't think it that big a deal and hopefully I'm right. :)
Jordan
17-10-2005, 09:24 AM
Unless it mutates and can go from Human to Human, don't worry about it. Nothing will happen.
If it does, then we're fucked basically.
The thing is it is very deadly at the moment, but hard to catch. If it mutates so it is easier to catch, it is also likely to get less deadly. So its not as bad as it seems at the moment. However, I am sure there are a lot of risk groups who have more to fear, like the elderly and those prone to infection.
I am sure the NHS will do all they can to prevent the pandemic getting out of hand, even if it is inevitable.
system_error
17-10-2005, 09:33 AM
So far it spreads not from human to human but imagine - winter is approaching and normal flu virus mixes with chicken flu (that is why it is a virus not a bacteria - it mutates easily) and you have a deadly new virus and no treatment for at least 6 months.
JonSt
17-10-2005, 10:07 AM
This thing is pretty lethal, so as along as it doesnt mutate we should be ok.
old_gregg
17-10-2005, 10:08 AM
we are all going to die!!!!....or are we????...heh heh heh
ViPeR
17-10-2005, 10:08 AM
This reminds me of that film Outbreak. We'll be fine as long as we have Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr on the case. On a serious note it could be potentially dangerous but I don't think it should be blown out of proportion the way it is.
Platty
17-10-2005, 11:03 AM
im not scared of no chicken! i eat the chicken!!
but in all seriousness untill it gets to like france or somewhere im not worrying.....
Ford Prefect
17-10-2005, 11:19 AM
i think i can say i'm probably in the safest place up here in the arctic circle. tho should it spread into europe i'll get my mum to post me my gas mask and move to a remote island round here and live in a hut till it all blows over so to speak. :P
at any rate, if you look how fast and far the 1918 flu spread, even with their much slower transport etc. in todays world, the combination of much faster transport (one side of the world to the other in a day) and the incubation period of the disease could mean that the flu gets around faster than the governments can move to quarantine areas & prevent travel. this does of course all depend upon the flu mutating to go from human to human easily as yet it is possible but very very hard, there's only one case. its more a case of when it mutates rather than if as the odds are high that it will. i've seen it compared to SARS on the news and they try to play down the risk by showing how far that got. but they fail to point out that the disease wasn't nearly as serious as they made out, the disease didn't actually do the killing, the immune system did that by going overboard, ended up attacking the body's systems. far as i know more people survived being infected by it than died as a result of contracting it.
its all debatable tho, won't know how it goes until it happens.
Strider
17-10-2005, 01:25 PM
It maybe coming this winter or next with the geese.... i think. And only people with jobs that will keep Economy going will get the flu jabs, oh and over 65's wont get it and maybe kids i dont realy know. But if that is true then im screwed.
Lets all go live with the Eskimos.
JonSt
17-10-2005, 01:30 PM
Lets all go live with the Eskimos.
Finally a sensible idea.
The Peeps
17-10-2005, 02:35 PM
We should all move to Australia.
rokhed00
17-10-2005, 02:56 PM
im not scared of no chicken! i eat the chicken!!.
Isn't that the only way humans can catch it?
dukkadukka
17-10-2005, 04:00 PM
Isn't that the only way humans can catch it?
or if human and bird get into very close proximity, if you know what i mean :wink:
i've stopped eating chicken as a precaution now, but to be honest while avian flu is at the back of my mind it doesn't pose any real danger to us right now.
Blackfox
17-10-2005, 04:03 PM
Until i see a widespread human strain im not going to jump on the "LOLOMG TREVOR MACDONALD SAY SO!!11!1!one!!1" bandwagon.
Haver
17-10-2005, 04:06 PM
There really isn't that much I can do so I'm just going to kick back.
Raining_again
17-10-2005, 04:06 PM
tehehe trevor mcdonald....can he read the future. doubt it. im not gunna panic til theres cases over here theres no point, your just gonna go all stresshead and not eat chicken or run in a mad panic if one comes near you :heh:
It's an absolute crock of shit. Remember the madness of SARS?
Bowser57
17-10-2005, 04:13 PM
It's an absolute crock of shit. Remember the madness of SARS?
My grandad died of SARS.
Raining_again
17-10-2005, 04:15 PM
awwww thats awful bowser! does that make you worry about this bird flu thing at all?
Athriller
17-10-2005, 04:37 PM
Chickens are very naughty.
Hellfire
17-10-2005, 04:48 PM
Flues (sp?) are more dangerous than people think and new types will keep appearing from time to time, killing thousands. This has been like this for quite some time and it will probably be like this for quite some time. Still, that doesnt mean that we're all doomed, but birds are migrating now,so it might be a problem. Studies indicated that 50000 might die in UK. Oh and I think you dont get the virus by eating chicken.
Eenuh
17-10-2005, 04:56 PM
Didn't like, 60 people die because of this already in Asia?
*checks*
Yep, 60 died. And the virus has now also been found in Greece already. Seriously, don't think this is just something like a cold or something that will go over. It -is- dangerous and so it would probably be best to keep following the news about this, I think.
system_error
17-10-2005, 04:58 PM
Well those drugs bought by governments are mostly reserved for doctors, military personal, police, politicians, ... and even this drug doesn't ensure you get instantly better. All it does is slowing down the growth of the virus. So far I am not that scared but it is a scenario that mankind should consider as a definite threat.
Ramar
17-10-2005, 05:01 PM
I'm not afraid, yet, but I am annoyed by how the media are hyping it. At the current state the threat is the loss of millions of birds. The viruses may or may not mutate. The media seem to be making it out that it will mutate and will kill us all, in sense creating a sense of panic and fear.
dukkadukka
17-10-2005, 05:26 PM
My grandad died of SARS.
i'm so sorry for you *huggles*
My grandad died of SARS.
I'm sorry to hear that, and I don't deny that people did die of it. However, the impact of SARS was vastly overstated by the media, and I think the same thing is happening this time.
Bowser57
17-10-2005, 08:20 PM
I'm sorry to hear that, and I don't deny that people did die of it.
No problem, he didn't really.
One died of cancer the other heart disease I think.
Haver
17-10-2005, 08:22 PM
Don't listen to that odiferous ill-breeding haggard, it is pretence and nothing more.
On-topic: I wouldn't underestimate this. But at the same time, there's no point fretting.
(Edit: He confessed before I laid my shit down)
Eddage
17-10-2005, 08:45 PM
Didn't like, 60 people die because of this already in Asia?
*checks*
Yep, 60 died. And the virus has now also been found in Greece already. Seriously, don't think this is just something like a cold or something that will go over. It -is- dangerous and so it would probably be best to keep following the news about this, I think.
Yeah but thats 60 people since 2002 so it's hardly as major as the media are making it out to be!
I think GMTV's news hour got it right this morning when they went on about all the 'IF's', e.g. IF it reaches the UK, IF it mutates so it can travel between two humans, etc
No problem, he didn't really.
One died of cancer the other heart disease I think.
Hah! I've still got one grandad left, ergo I win this topic.
Bowser57
17-10-2005, 09:19 PM
Hah! I've still got one grandad left, ergo I win this topic.
He'll soon be dead.
Moz La Punk
17-10-2005, 10:44 PM
Shite, I have my second cold in two months, I'm weak.
I'm going to die :/
Mikey
17-10-2005, 10:46 PM
lol, second time I've found a poster from deftonesworld by accident on a gaming forum. ;)
Mikey
17-10-2005, 10:48 PM
Bird flu eh. Media hype. They tend to blow these things out of proportion to sell papers.
Ford Prefect
18-10-2005, 07:50 AM
Isn't that the only way humans can catch it?
no, you cannot catch bird flu by eating an infected bird. remaining in close proximity to them for extended period like a farm worker would do is how you get it. its like working in an office with several people who have a cold, eventually you're going to get it, unless you kill them, stick em in a pit and burn them............ oh wait, thats just the birds......
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