Comments on: Has swine flu story been overblown? http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/ Tell Jack how you really feel Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:35 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Laura http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965436 Laura Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:54 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965436 Yes it has. There is a cure for it, so I don't see the need for panic. If you develop a fever and flu like symptoms, do what you should do any flu season; see a doctor within 48 hours of symptoms in order to start taking Tamiflu. This is suspcious to me. Now suddenly a vaccine will be ready next week?? When a small handful of people have been infected, why don't we become this concered with seasonal flu, which is more deadly? If you gave me a vival of the swine flu virus itself and a vival of the vaccine and told me to choose; I'd take the swine flu injection in a heartbeat, even if you paid me $1 million to take the vaccine instead! Like I said, something doesn't seem right. And our global economy doesn't need this right now! Yes it has. There is a cure for it, so I don't see the need for panic. If you develop a fever and flu like symptoms, do what you should do any flu season; see a doctor within 48 hours of symptoms in order to start taking Tamiflu.

This is suspcious to me. Now suddenly a vaccine will be ready next week?? When a small handful of people have been infected, why don't we become this concered with seasonal flu, which is more deadly?

If you gave me a vival of the swine flu virus itself and a vival of the vaccine and told me to choose; I'd take the swine flu injection in a heartbeat, even if you paid me $1 million to take the vaccine instead! Like I said, something doesn't seem right. And our global economy doesn't need this right now!

]]> By: Ben Flattum http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965435 Ben Flattum Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:53 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965435 Absolutely it has been overblown. Thousands die from the flu virus every year and now when 256 out of well over 6 billion people become infected with another strain, it's a global crisis. This just shows another example of the media capitalizing on how easily frightened people are. As if they didn't have enough to worry about with the economy, home foreclosures and other concerns, now they think they have to worry about getting fatally ill from a disease that has a microscopic number of people infected. Absolutely it has been overblown. Thousands die from the flu virus every year and now when 256 out of well over 6 billion people become infected with another strain, it's a global crisis. This just shows another example of the media capitalizing on how easily frightened people are. As if they didn't have enough to worry about with the economy, home foreclosures and other concerns, now they think they have to worry about getting fatally ill from a disease that has a microscopic number of people infected.

]]> By: Chris B.from MD http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965433 Chris B.from MD Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:45 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965433 Yes it has been overblown. I pray for the families of those who died and the ones currently seeking treatment. But come on people, there are other calamities happening in the world right now. AIDS is still a major killer from the cities and villages across Africa to the streets of Washington DC. Children are still starving continents away and right here at home in the US . Millions do not have health insurance in the U.S., and the list could go on and on..... let's stop the madness and stop being so narrow-minded. We live in a complex world with compless issues. It is silly to overblow one partical issue and become hysteric. It doesn't help at all. The hype will fade just like it happened with the Bird flu, the mad cow diseases etc.... Yes it has been overblown.

I pray for the families of those who died and the ones currently seeking treatment. But come on people, there are other calamities happening in the world right now. AIDS is still a major killer from the cities and villages across Africa to the streets of Washington DC. Children are still starving continents away and right here at home in the US . Millions do not have health insurance in the U.S., and the list could go on and on.....

let's stop the madness and stop being so narrow-minded. We live in a complex world with compless issues. It is silly to overblow one partical issue and become hysteric. It doesn't help at all.

The hype will fade just like it happened with the Bird flu, the mad cow diseases etc....

]]> By: john gibbons http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965430 john gibbons Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:37 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965430 overblown? yes. this who level keeps being mentioned as the 'highest ever reached'. Uh, how long have they been around? overblown? yes. this who level keeps being mentioned as the 'highest ever reached'. Uh, how long have they been around?

]]> By: Todd Dennis http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965429 Todd Dennis Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:35 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965429 Yes it has been overblown. The big story here is how big agri-business and their massive farms create health risks to society. Where is the reporting on how this flu epidemic started at a factory farm in Mexico? Yes it has been overblown. The big story here is how big agri-business and their massive farms create health risks to society. Where is the reporting on how this flu epidemic started at a factory farm in Mexico?

]]> By: Seattle Ted http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965428 Seattle Ted Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:32 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965428 NO the swine flu is not overblown. I am a researcher and teacher who deals with infectious diseases including the flu. The world has not had a pandemic flu outbreak in a long time. Maybe that is because of our current medical practices, or maybe we have been lucky. But sooner rather than later, we will get a pandemic flu and that will kill a lot of people and, as important, it will overwhelm our medical centers, and the medical care throughout the world. The question is if it is important to alert the public to the possibles, or wait until we know it is the real pandemic. Swine flu, bird flu, Hong Kong flu,etc. They all have the possibility of becoming the real pandemic. Swine flu looks like it has the possibility of becoming the real pandemic, more than avian at the moment. Do the public want to know in advance about these possibilities or do they want to wait until we know for sure that it is a pandemic. But if we wait until it is the sure thing, it may be unstoppable and kill the 100s of millions that the 1918 flu killed. I am not sure any of us want that. Better to be safe and forewarned than sorry. Better a few scares that don't materialize than to be unaware when the real one hits. NO the swine flu is not overblown. I am a researcher and teacher who deals with infectious diseases including the flu. The world has not had a pandemic flu outbreak in a long time. Maybe that is because of our current medical practices, or maybe we have been lucky. But sooner rather than later, we will get a pandemic flu and that will kill a lot of people and, as important, it will overwhelm our medical centers, and the medical care throughout the world. The question is if it is important to alert the public to the possibles, or wait until we know it is the real pandemic. Swine flu, bird flu, Hong Kong flu,etc. They all have the possibility of becoming the real pandemic. Swine flu looks like it has the possibility of becoming the real pandemic, more than avian at the moment. Do the public want to know in advance about these possibilities or do they want to wait until we know for sure that it is a pandemic. But if we wait until it is the sure thing, it may be unstoppable and kill the 100s of millions that the 1918 flu killed. I am not sure any of us want that. Better to be safe and forewarned than sorry. Better a few scares that don't materialize than to be unaware when the real one hits.

]]> By: Leah http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965426 Leah Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:28 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965426 Given that the definition of pandemic is Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world. I don't think this even qualifies as a pandemic. Even with the thousands of cases reported by Mexico I don't believe it's a pandemic. I don't blame the media for this...I blame WHO. They seem to be raising the alert level based on public fear rather than numbers. Given that the definition of pandemic is

Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world.

I don't think this even qualifies as a pandemic. Even with the thousands of cases reported by Mexico I don't believe it's a pandemic. I don't blame the media for this...I blame WHO. They seem to be raising the alert level based on public fear rather than numbers.

]]> By: lennybruce from amsterdam http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965427 lennybruce from amsterdam Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:27 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965427 Absolutely overblown but hey, hysteria sells. The real story here is the quick and coordinated action by nations around the world, especially Mexico's reaction. What we need to know is that if this isn't the real thing then it has been a valuable dry run test for the inevitable real one that will one day happen. Absolutely overblown but hey, hysteria sells. The real story here is the quick and coordinated action by nations around the world, especially Mexico's reaction. What we need to know is that if this isn't the real thing then it has been a valuable dry run test for the inevitable real one that will one day happen.

]]> By: Evan Maeda http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965425 Evan Maeda Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:24 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965425 I greatly the swine flu has been overblown. Everyday people die of malaria in India or the common cold here in the Unites States. Caution and awareness are completely acceptable. But there is a fine line beteen being caution and uneducated paranoia. I greatly the swine flu has been overblown. Everyday people die of malaria in India or the common cold here in the Unites States. Caution and awareness are completely acceptable. But there is a fine line beteen being caution and uneducated paranoia.

]]> By: Steve Schultz http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/has-swine-flu-story-been-overblown/#comment-965423 Steve Schultz Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:19:22 +0000 http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/?p=5616#comment-965423 What's really going on with this swine flu thing? Only 109 cases in the U.S., and that's AFTER everyone with a cough has gone to the hospital convinced they have swine flu. Is this a "Wag the Dog" scenario? Maybe an anti-Mexico thing? I have no idea. But I do know that it sure isn't a health emergency. What's really going on with this swine flu thing? Only 109 cases in the U.S., and that's AFTER everyone with a cough has gone to the hospital convinced they have swine flu. Is this a "Wag the Dog" scenario? Maybe an anti-Mexico thing? I have no idea. But I do know that it sure isn't a health emergency.

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