SteveSteve - Your website/blog is obviously designed to take financial advantage of people's fear. You've clearly been monitoring the things people are searching for and are writing posts to match those searches. People Google for Cancun Swine Flu (and it's variations), find your site (you hope) and then click that crapload of GoogleAds you have on there. You couldn't be more obvious. And you can't even be bothered to spellcheck your posts. As far as I'm concerned you are doing nothing more than fear-mongering.
Hi Rivergirl, I suggest we stick to facts. We do not need to attack each other. Today I provided newspaper articles that people back from Cancun got sick (NYC and Canada). Now does it say anything about Cancun? The reader has to be the judge. But I am not going to self-censure and not talk about news that is already out there (on proper newspapers) fearing that I be accused of 'fear mongering'. You and gabesz also please present what you think is the real thing, and we let truth sort of work itself out. Gabesz asked me to (a) validate the NYC article, I did via CDC announcement that it is indeed swine flu, (b) 7% fatality rate, and I provided numbers. That is all there is to it. Let's not make this emotional. peace, steve
Stevesteve~ just to be clear, I don't agree with your numbers, 7% or 6.2% at this stage because the numbers themselves are based on: 1) Cases that were directed to medical facilities without mention of estimates for cases that remained within the public at large or weren't serious enough for medical treatment. 2) The Cases aren't all tested as being AH1N1 Swine Flu related 3) The Cases "may" have only been cases that advanced to pneumonia level treatment and hence heavier testing and scrutiny. 4) From the multiple reports I've read it's still unclear to reporting authorities what percentage of cases are influenza and which are not. Now, in the end, the numbers may be prove out to be higher or lower, or maybe even a ballpark 7% (God forbid) but it's far to soon to be making statements IMHO of a "7% Kill Rate in Mexico". We agree that the situation is serious and I would hope that most people are taking it as such but to state the 7% as factual, outside the realm of opinion is incorrect. JMO
Because of being attacked here multiple times (not by you Danger), I just present the article, and you guys decide. I think your point correlates with the 2nd paragraph as more than 1,000 people may have been contaminated. "In Mexico, about 70 deaths out of roughly 1,000 cases represents a fatality rate of about 7 percent. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19, which killed an estimated 40 million worldwide, had a fatality rate of about 2.5 percent. The Mexican rate sounds terrifying. But it's possible that far more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus and that many had few if any symptoms, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, a prominent pandemic expert at the University of Minnesota." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30409923/
SteveSteve~ I think your article confirms what I was stating. From the article: The Mexican rate sounds terrifying. But it's possible that far more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus and that many had few if any symptoms, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, a prominent pandemic expert at the University of Minnesota. U.S. health officials echoed him. "In Mexico, they were looking for severe diseases and they found some. They may not have been looking as widely for the milder cases," said Schuchat of the CDC. The U.S. health agency sent two investigators to Mexico on Saturday to help, she said. Currently, even the counted illnesses are problematic. Only a fraction have been lab confirmed. Severe penumonia-like illness happens all the time, so it's challenging to figure out which ones are really tied to the outbreak, U.S. health officials said. "These numbers need to be confirmed," said Dr. Richard Wenzel, the immediate past president of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.
Maybe I am too much of a paranoid and some others who believe all is well in paradise are right. I do hope as heck that they are! We will leave it at that. Peace. steve
My husband flew thru Mexico City last night and although 80% of people had masks the airlines were not giving them out. We tried several pharmacies in Cancun to get them and all had already sold out! Costco said they should get some in today. I am flying this week and I must admit to being a little nervous . Am worried just how much more bad press Mexico can cope with, its so tragic. Reading comments on the BBC news website from Drs involved in Mexico City the situation actually sounds much worse than is being reported. Stay healthy everyone . Tracey x
Looks like it may have been in a small town in Veracruz. http://www.reforma.com/influenza/articulo/496/990356/ Sorry no time to translate. Busy enjoying Chicago! Impressionists at the Art Institute yesterday and, yes, they let you take pictures) and Civic Orchestra (trainees for the Symphony) last night with Strauss so I am in good company.
Saw one person wearing a mask this weekend, in Las Americas and that was it, so the people that have bought all the masks must be staying at home! Does sound a bit scary this but surely if it's that much of a risk it's the governments responsibility to ensure everyone has the appropriate injections and masks? Lots of people were in Nazareth on Saturday, paying 1400 pesos for an injection that they said only is 30% effective against it!
I am travelling down this weekend and I admit I have my reservations. However, I want to be smart about it. The CDC and the WHO have issued NO travelling warning against Mexico. This mornign at a press conference, President Obama said there should be cause for concern but not alarm. To put things into more perspective, 36000 people die a year from the regular flue, 3600 in US and 4000 in Canada. All the reported cases outside Mexico have been very mild. And the EU's recent travel ban was unwarranted according to the CDC. I am constantly checking in and am worried, but you have to be smart everywhere you travel but I also don't want to be victim to media propaganda either.
