Thirty Suspected Swine Flu Cases In Phuket

[vahack]

i love reading TV for the conspiracy theories lol

its just a seasonal flu.

get the facts. WHO info page here.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

[animatic]

This is such a non-issue. This will never amount to anything really serious. Between 250,000 and 500,000 people die annually,

worldwide, from the normal flu. So far, 141 people have died of the swine flu, this year. Compared to approximately 125,000

to date this year for the other flu. Which flu would you rather have? Of the 27,000 people infected to date, 141 have died. Do

the math. This is a media based hysteria. There is nothing to it. I am not concerning myself for a nanosecond over this.

I totally agree with your attitude.

So who's paying the controlled media to hype this up and get all the sheeple scared?

And why is Thai Visa bothering to make a statistic into breaking news?

Lets just have some good news - even if it's just imaginary, we'd all feel better

Perhaps you should educate yourself and review the potential for the current H1N1 virus to combine with the far more deadly Bird Flu virus that is more or less endemic in this region, the result of that mating would likely mirror or exceed the effects of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed over 50 million. Whilst the current "bug" has a low fatality rate it its human to human transmission rate is exceptional -

the bird flu virus by way of contrast has low transmission rate but its kill rate is exceptionally high.

That's why the WHO and TV publish these notes so that people can understand. Got it now!

Exactly.

If you are not worried you don't know the science.

[Jingthing]

i love reading TV for the conspiracy theories lol

its just a seasonal flu.

get the facts. WHO info page here.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

No, it isn't.

From your link:

What is the new influenza A(H1N1)?

This is a new influenza A(H1N1) virus that has never before circulated among humans. This virus is not related to previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses.

It might be a good idea to get some basic facts straight before posting, eh?

[BlueSmurf]

it may be spreading but the symptoms seem to be milder than the usual flu we get in the UK. The reason people died in Mexico initially was because of poor and slow access to medical treatment.

Medical treatment is dependent on where you live! i.e. In chiang rai there is no Tami-flu So best be a star and go to pattaya or PHUKET AND GET IT NOW WHILE THEY ARE TREATING PEOPLE QUICKLY.....

oPPS SORRY ABOUT THE CAPPS..

This country is the same as Mexico no knowledge and not alot of tami-flu...

Best of luck to everyone

[Jingthing]

People with mild symptoms do not require any medications.

[animatic]

This is such a non-issue. This will never amount to anything really serious. Between 250,000 and 500,000 people die annually,

worldwide, from the normal flu. So far, 141 people have died of the swine flu, this year. Compared to approximately 125,000

to date this year for the other flu. Which flu would you rather have? Of the 27,000 people infected to date, 141 have died. Do

the math. This is a media based hysteria. There is nothing to it. I am not concerning myself for a nanosecond over this.

spidermike007,

ENOUGH SAID!!

Now Mods close this topic!

If you wish to downplay the seriousness of the situation in respect to your own health, go for it. However, this virus is a lot more dangerous than you think or appreciate. Flu season is now starting in Australia and parts of SE Asia. It will grow exponentially. As more people are infected, the host pool grows and the opportunity for adaptation and mutation grows as well. What we will see is a mild form for a little longer and then this flu strain is going to come back and most likely match the mortality and severity of a very potent strain. What makes this flu of concern is that it has spread rapidly and that it can go undetected in the population. It's not the initial cases that are the worry, but rather what happens after a few months of the flu growing and developing in populations which are fertile places to mutate and adapt.

When reference is made to the people that die due to flu, you discount the fact that the population dying is the at risk population; They are already infirm, have impaired immune systems or are either elderly or very young. The swine flu strains are hitting the population segment that is not at risk and that's a major concern. Viruses don't sit still. They are constantly mutating. These mutations mean that sooner or later, new population segments will become susceptible. Keep in mind that this virus is special as it incorporates code from other severe flu strains which acts to facilitate adaptation and most likely potency.

Numbers of reported infections are not the only indicator of danger. If you lived next door to a nuclear waste dump, would you be concerned? That dump was built to the highest of standards and was 99% foolproof. All it takes is one series of incidents, perhaps even chance and all of a sudden there is a nuclear waste leak. Well, with an infectious virus, the percentage is somewhere down around 75%, which at face value is still good, unless you are the one that's exposed.

27,000 odd cases, 144 deaths; approximately 0.5 percent

50 million cases = 250,000 dead of the current version.

1 billion cases = 500 million deaths....at current strength.

But a mutant variation with stronger effects this number rises.

1 million cases is a lot of transmission vectors to allow for mutation.

It's not the current death rate, but the Vector rate that is the worry.

Viruses DO mutate and often unpredictably. And the DO merge and recombine.

it only takes ONE host with bird and swine to combine and set this off.

Just one thought :

1918 was not imagination, nor manipulation, but IS history.

Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

[Jingthing]

Well those numbers are scary considering the WHO is projecting 1/3 of the world, that is 2 billion people, will get the first wave of this virus. However, I don't accept for one second the figure 27,000 cases. It is most likely much higher than that, which means a lower per case fatality rate.

[vahack]

i love reading TV for the conspiracy theories lol

its just a seasonal flu.

get the facts. WHO info page here.

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

No, it isn't.

From your link:

What is the new influenza A(H1N1)?

This is a new influenza A(H1N1) virus that has never before circulated among humans. This virus is not related to previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses.

It might be a good idea to get some basic facts straight before posting, eh?

lol wow u read the whole first sentence. good job.

same symptoms as a flu. same treatment as a flu.

read further before being a cocky a$$..

What is the new influenza A(H1N1)?

This is a new influenza A(H1N1) virus that has never before circulated among humans. This virus is not related to previous or current human seasonal influenza viruses.

How do people become infected with the virus?

The virus is spread from person-to-person. It is transmitted as easily as the normal seasonal flu and can be passed to other people by exposure to infected droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing that can be inhaled, or that can contaminate hands or surfaces.

To prevent spread, people who are ill should cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, stay home when they are unwell, clean their hands regularly, and keep some distance from healthy people, as much as possible.

There are no known instances of people getting infected by exposure to pigs or other animals.

The place of origin of the virus is unknown.

What are the signs and symptoms of infection?

Signs of influenza A(H1N1) are flu-like, including fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea.

Why are we so worried about this flu when hundreds of thousands die every year from seasonal epidemics?

Seasonal influenza occurs every year and the viruses change each year - but many people have some immunity to the circulating virus which helps limit infections. Some countries also use seasonal influenza vaccines to reduce illness and deaths.

But influenza A(H1N1) is a new virus and one to which most people have no or little immunity and, therefore, this virus could cause more infections than are seen with seasonal flu. WHO is working closely with manufacturers to expedite the development of a safe and effective vaccine but it will be some months before it is available.

The new influenza A(H1N1) appears to be as contagious as seasonal influenza, and is spreading fast particularly among young people (from ages 10 to 45). The severity of the disease ranges from very mild symptoms to severe illnesses that can result in death. The majority of people who contract the virus experience the milder disease and recover without antiviral treatment or medical care. Of the more serious cases, more than half of hospitalized people had underlying health conditions or weak immune systems.

Most people experience mild illness and recover at home. When should someone seek medical care?

A person should seek medical care if they experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or if a fever continues more than three days. For parents with a young child who is ill, seek medical care if a child has fast or labored breathing, continuing fever or convulsions (seizures).

Supportive care at home - resting, drinking plenty of fluids and using a pain reliever for aches - is adequate for recovery in most cases. (A non-aspirin pain reliever should be used by children and young adults because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.)

[BigBikeBKK]

Spoke to my uncle who is a specialist in Pulmonary Medicine at UCSF to try and get an informed opinion on this bug.

He says that so far this flu strain has not been shown to be more virulent than regular human influenza.

The current mortality rate of confirmed cases was 1.6% in Mexico and only 0.1% in the United States.

All the fear and media hype about possible mutations are being blown out of proportion. ALL viruses mutate. There is always the possibility of any virus mutating into a more dangerous strain.

There is no scientific reason to believe that this particular virus will mutate into something more severe.

It's simply a new strain of Influenza A virus (subtype H1N1).

It seems many people don't understand the meaning of the word "Pandemic". The declaration of a Pandemic is a measure of the spread of the virus and NOT the severity of the illness caused by the virus.

[Rachawadee]

Some may think the H1N1 virus threat may be over blown. Yes, there is an anti-viral drug which can fight it as of now. It may lack some genetic characteristics of the Spanish flu of the early 20th century. So we feel safe. A lot more people die of Tuberculosis and malaria worldwide. So you say "what's the big deal?" It's simple really. MUTATION. A virus replicates at astonishing rates. With that, the chances of mutation in each succeeding generation are greatly increased. The growth is exponential. What the WHO / CDCC or the health authorities are worried about is when this happens. It may or may not. They want it stopped or to say, "neutralize" it before it has a chance to do so. The rainy season is upon us, soon winter will come. We all know what happens then. Yes tourism worldwide and in Thailand will suffer. But we have been through tougher times.

An ounce of prevention is so much better than a pound of cure.

[baht&sold]

If people are so concerned this will mutate into something worse, best go out and KISS or wet-handshake a swine-flu victim today and build up your immunity.

This is more a pandemic of news sites and websites ratings bonanza khrap.

All in all, this is a complete load of hysterical nonsense (but perfect for the 'we are all doomed/Thailand is complete <deleted>' typical majority here;)

Must be as simple as shooting fish in a barrel or driving straight through Bambi caught in the headlights....

[beerchang]

Spoke to my uncle who is a specialist in Pulmonary Medicine at UCSF to try and get an informed opinion on this bug.

He says that so far this flu strain has not been shown to be more virulent than regular human influenza.

The current mortality rate of confirmed cases was 1.6% in Mexico and only 0.1% in the United States.

All the fear and media hype about possible mutations are being blown out of proportion. ALL viruses mutate. There is always the possibility of any virus mutating into a more dangerous strain.

There is no scientific reason to believe that this particular virus will mutate into something more severe.

It's simply a new strain of Influenza A virus (subtype H1N1).

It seems many people don't understand the meaning of the word "Pandemic". The declaration of a Pandemic is a measure of the spread of the virus and NOT the severity of the illness caused by the virus.

Thanks BigBike, didn't know that.

[meelousee]

This is such a non-issue. This will never amount to anything really serious. Between 250,000 and 500,000 people die annually,

worldwide, from the normal flu. So far, 141 people have died of the swine flu, this year. Compared to approximately 125,000

to date this year for the other flu. Which flu would you rather have? Of the 27,000 people infected to date, 141 have died. Do

the math. This is a media based hysteria. There is nothing to it. I am not concerning myself for a nanosecond over this.

Well assuming the WHO knows what they are doing. The estimate is 1/3 of the population will get this flu. With deaths only at 5% that would mean millions will die.

Would you mean this kind of Non-issue?

You are not very smart in saying things like this some idiot might believe you and that makes you dangerous to someone else’s health. You really need to research this stuff before you spout off.

I dare you to say that the WHO and CDC do not know what they are talking about. The foremost doctors and viral scientist work there they are the top of the line. They only report to the media the information to keep people alive in this pandemic. The only one blowing things out of proportion is you.

[TheBrit]

I just had a friend call me from Patong and has been sick as a dog the past 2 days.

Not having a clue about what is wrong with her, her and her friends all share 1 room and all 4 of them have it.

So according to some posts here, they shouldn't be worried?

All 4 of these women do frequent the clubs in Patong and if 26 staff may have it from today, the tip of this has just started to show.

I have been trying to convince them to go to Hospital, but they just think I am crazy.

TB

[Rachawadee]

If people are so concerned this will mutate into something worse, best go out and KISS or wet-handshake a swine-flu victim today and build up your immunity.

This is more a pandemic of news sites and websites ratings bonanza khrap.

All in all, this is a complete load of hysterical nonsense (but perfect for the 'we are all doomed/Thailand is complete <deleted>' typical majority here;)

Must be as simple as shooting fish in a barrel or driving straight through Bambi caught in the headlights....

This is not a "WE ARE DOOMED" post. It's more like common sense. But the problem with common sense it that is is not so common after all. Someone should call it the opposite instead.

I will try to make this as simple as possible. Just like shooting fish in a barrel.

1) We do nothing, and it never happens = we lose billions in dollars

2) We do something, and it never happens = we lose billions of dollars

3) We do something, and it comes = we save lives but still lose billions of dollars

4) We do nothing, and it comes = we lose billions of dollars, millions die, and you figure out the rest.

Either way, we lose billions of dollars. I would rather have 1 -3. Money can be recovered eventually. Lives can't.

And kissing or wet shaking a swine flu victim will not increase your resistance. Go check it out. You are a smart man.

[JetsetBkk]

...This is a situation that will play out over months and YEARS. It is not like a tsunami and it is easy for the sheeple squawking people to say it was nothing, it is over, when it has really just BEGUN.

The great thing about this forum is that these posts will be here for years to come. And we'll be able to review all the scaremongering posts and point fingers.

[rdefazio]

Seriously, world wide pandemics and infections of lesser scope which have the flu at their center could be largely eliminated if nations, particularly South American and Asian nations, would take steps to ensure that farmers do not raise pigs and fowl together on the same property. The influenza virus is highly adaptive, and when it first starts as a form of avian flu and then passes to swine, it adapts in order to thrive. Unfortunately for us, the pig's biological processes and anatomy are remarkably similar to the humans that tend them, so when a pig infected by an avian virus comes in close contact with a farmer, the farmer gets sick. Those who care for the farmer (his wife, daughter, son, or doctor) run the risk of contracting the altered virus whose virulence is greater having already run the gauntlet of adapting to the pig's internal systems. The step from adaption to swine to adaption to humans is a small step, making the infection of humans a far more successful and potentially deadly action.

If agricultural ministries of governments were to adopt strict regulations with sanctions that actually have some teeth in them that would prohibit the raising of pigs and fowl together (together being defined as a specific measurable distance), the world wide impact of the flu would be greatly reduced.

This kind of information is not anything new. It has been known for some time, but lazy, do nothing bureaucrats, who are more interested in keeping their jobs just as they are and not having to work any harder than they do, foster the continued presence of such practices by their silence, resulting in someone's parent, child, spouse, or friend dying unnecessarily.

[meelousee]

Spoke to my uncle who is a specialist in Pulmonary Medicine at UCSF to try and get an informed opinion on this bug.

He says that so far this flu strain has not been shown to be more virulent than regular human influenza.

The current mortality rate of confirmed cases was 1.6% in Mexico and only 0.1% in the United States.

All the fear and media hype about possible mutations are being blown out of proportion. ALL viruses mutate. There is always the possibility of any virus mutating into a more dangerous strain.

There is no scientific reason to believe that this particular virus will mutate into something more severe.

It's simply a new strain of Influenza A virus (subtype H1N1).

It seems many people don't understand the meaning of the word "Pandemic". The declaration of a Pandemic is a measure of the spread of the virus and NOT the severity of the illness caused by the virus.

I dont think the fear of a mutation is realy the case I have not read much to suggest it is. But not doing anything is stupid. True most people recover, those who have access to medications or a clinic. Many do not.

This message from head of the department at UCSF:

Dear Sam,

If I am the uncle in question, the quote is accurate. H1N1 has been a cause of concern because it is quite different from the usual influenza that has been coming each year lately, which means that most people have little immune response to it. It is also clear now that it is easily transmitted from person to person. That is why there has been such worldwide concern about it. However, the current strain appears not to be more virulent than the usual influenza we see annually. That doesn't mean it is nothing to worry about. Usual influenza results in several thousand deaths each year. However, the good news is that most people who have gotten sick with the current H1N1 strain have had a rather mild form of the flu. The Bad News about H1N1 Flu

Since H1N1 is different from previously known types of viruses; there exists no vaccine against this new type of influenza.

The vaccine against H1N1 flu is likely to be developed only by autumn 2009.

The new type of influenza can transmit from person to person, so a threat of an epidemic really exists. I hope this helps.

Dean

So We should error on the side of caution.

The reason for caution and alert is the fact of it's ease of spreading and no vaccination is available yet. Some symptom relievers are out there but, they dont cure.

[baht&sold]

If people are so concerned this will mutate into something worse, best go out and KISS or wet-handshake a swine-flu victim today and build up your immunity.

This is more a pandemic of news sites and websites ratings bonanza khrap.

All in all, this is a complete load of hysterical nonsense (but perfect for the 'we are all doomed/Thailand is complete <deleted>' typical majority here;)

Must be as simple as shooting fish in a barrel or driving straight through Bambi caught in the headlights....

This is not a "WE ARE DOOMED" post. It's more like common sense. But the problem with common sense it that is is not so common after all. Someone should call it the opposite instead.

I will try to make this as simple as possible. Just like shooting fish in a barrel.

1) We do nothing, and it never happens = we lose billions in dollars

2) We do something, and it never happens = we lose billions of dollars

3) We do something, and it comes = we save lives but still lose billions of dollars

4) We do nothing, and it comes = we lose billions of dollars, millions die, and you figure out the rest.

Either way, we lose billions of dollars. I would rather have 1 -3. Money can be recovered eventually. Lives can't.

And kissing or wet shaking a swine flu victim will not increase your resistance. Go check it out. You are a smart man.

K Rachawadee, as in your sig: "You only have one life to live. Make the most of it" -Words to the wise and will leave it there.

Chok dee

[Jingthing]

...This is a situation that will play out over months and YEARS. It is not like a tsunami and it is easy for the sheeple squawking people to say it was nothing, it is over, when it has really just BEGUN.

The great thing about this forum is that these posts will be here for years to come. And we'll be able to review all the scaremongering posts and point fingers.

I am merely rephrasing mainstream info you can get from the WHO. I am not predicting the severity of future mutations. Neither is the WHO. There is nothing in that post (which you took totally out of context, typical) that predicts the severity of the viral mutations, just that there will be future waves over time, this is known science. I stand by the post. BTW, there is nothing fear mongering about any of my posts on the H1N1 flu that I am aware of, and I have posted many. I am offended by your false characterization of my balanced posts on the topic. I was early on saying this is coming to Thailand big time, and now it is here, the first wave which is a mild version.

Here is the complete post which you referred to:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2800820

There is nobody on earth who can predict how severe or mild the future mutations of this virus will be. Nobody, and certainly not me! But scientists can reliably predict now that it is spreading as a pandemic that the virus WILL mutate. That is certain. So that is why I say this story has just BEGUN, it will take a very long time to know the true impact, great or small, of this virus.

However, it will spread because we have no resistance. For example versions of the 1918 bug it is now known spread to almost all humans alive on the planet at the time in just a few years. And that was before airplanes! We also have vaccine science and that will of course be part of this story.

[vahack]

Spoke to my uncle who is a specialist in Pulmonary Medicine at UCSF to try and get an informed opinion on this bug. He says that so far this flu strain has not been shown to be more virulent than regular human influenza.

I dont think the fear of a mutation is realy the case I have not read much to suggest it is. But not doing anything is stupid. True most people recover, those who have access to medications or a clinic. Many do not.

ya like you and your uncle said, treat it like any other flu.

last year my wife got a flu that gave her a high fever for 2 days. that was considered an emergency to us. i put her in the hospital for a couple nights and they fixed it.

any severe body/health issue should be checked by a doctor. especially if u live in Thailand where full service private hospital suites are only a couple hundred dollars a night.

if yur just sniffling, coughing a little, maybe sore bones - treat it like you would any flu and stock up on Tiffy.

if u get a bad fever, go see your doctor. thats the advice from the scary, panicky WHO.

other than that, u should always keep your immune system strong. lots of mangos and papaya salad

[Jingthing]

other than that, u should always keep your immune system strong. lots of mangos and papaya salad

In 1918, the people most at risk had very strong immune systems; their strong immune systems killed them attacking the virus, not the virus. So far this current version does not appear to generally be behaving that way, though there were cases in Mexico that appeared that way, but since then it appears to be mild.

[johnefallis]

It's been a while since I've seen this much bad, false, assumed, and generally opinionated information all in one topic. I would suggest that everybody who wants to know about the PANDEMIC that has already been declared, and acknowledged that it was declared much later than it should have been, that you stop reading this topic, except of course for the entertainment value, and actually seek out and read the CDC, WHO and UN findings and information releases regarding this topic.

But hey, that's just my suggestion.

[johnefallis]

27,000 odd cases, 144 deaths; approximately 0.5 percent

50 million cases = 250,000 dead of the current version.

1 billion cases = 500 million deaths....at current strength.

But a mutant variation with stronger effects this number rises.

1 million cases is a lot of transmission vectors to allow for mutation.

It's not the current death rate, but the Vector rate that is the worry.

Viruses DO mutate and often unpredictably. And the DO merge and recombine.

it only takes ONE host with bird and swine to combine and set this off.

Just one thought :

1918 was not imagination, nor manipulation, but IS history.

Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Who did your math for you? Better check your batteries in your calculator.

[Aqualogic]

This is such a non-issue. This will never amount to anything really serious. Between 250,000 and 500,000 people die annually,

worldwide, from the normal flu. So far, 141 people have died of the swine flu, this year. Compared to approximately 125,000

to date this year for the other flu. Which flu would you rather have? Of the 27,000 people infected to date, 141 have died. Do

the math. This is a media based hysteria. There is nothing to it. I am not concerning myself for a nanosecond over this.

I totally agree with your attitude.

So who's paying the controlled media to hype this up and get all the sheeple scared?

And why is Thai Visa bothering to make a statistic into breaking news?

Lets just have some good news - even if it's just imaginary, we'd all feel better

Perhaps you should educate yourself and review the potential for the current H1N1 virus to combine with the far more deadly Bird Flu virus that is more or less endemic in this region, the result of that mating would likely mirror or exceed the effects of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed over 50 million. Whilst the current "bug" has a low fatality rate it its human to human transmission rate is exceptional - the bird flu virus by way of contrast has low transmission rate but its kill rate is exceptionally high. That's why the WHO and TV publish these notes so that people can understand. Got it now!

You are correct about most of that except that this H1N1 almost certainly Did evolve from the H5N1 strain, just as the 1918 H1N1 Spanish Flu most likely did. The difference now, as the WHO said yesterday "we have never been able to track and report a pandemic as accurately as this one" The fear is of course that this H1N1 flu evolves in the same manner as did the 1918 virus. We have no immunity, no likelihood of immunizations, and the rapidly mutating virus will soon render Tamiflu and Relenza useless. This is the first traditionally mildest wave. They know of 4 with the Spanish flu, but it was likely more because the world was at war and the majority of media and medical control in the west was under military rule (Spain was nuetral and this is why it got its name - early deaths were actually reported in pitsburg USA). The majority of fatalaties occured in the 3rd and 4th waves as the pathogen developed its lethal capacity to cause Hypercytokenemia (look it up on wikipedea) which kills the young and stronger 20-50 year olds. So even then it's kill rate was likely less than 10% which is logical, because as a pathogen becomes more virulent/lethal than that, it destroys its host too quickly to continue to spread.

It is a shame to see so many people joking and ridiculing the experts on this and I can only guess that this is because the media is not doing its job of explaining the rationale and the background. But that seems to be the go with the media these days, the 15 second sound byte. Well thanks to the internet we do have access to huge libraries of information facts and indeed the details published by the WHO and many others on this, and there are not many experts out there that dissagree on the point (and have done so for years) that if the H5N1 pathogen mutates to its milder humanly transmittable form, we'll have a BIG prombelmo.

Well guess what (all you cynics) it now has! It is here and it is evolving in front of your nose. Just hope and pray it doesn't get up your noses or in your mouths because you;ll then be rethinking your narsacictic words i'd guess... let's hope this does fizzle like sars did. Chances are that it won't. It didn't in 1918...

[Aqualogic]

According to doctors I have spoken to swine flu is - so far - not as seroius (dangerous) as "regular" flu. The media may have hyped it up has been suggested, but the fact remains that it could possibly mutate into something far more serious. I m begining to think it may be better to catch it now rather than later, which would presumably build up resistance in one's body and prevent infection from more serious strain later on - though I may be completely wrong of course. As a father of three young kids, any issues that could potentialy affect their health and safety are of concern to me, so I am prepared to suffer the possibility that media hype has blown this out of proportion so long as I am kept informed of the basic facts, in this case, the known locations of the curnnet wave of infections. Its a trade off: on the one hand facts are thin on te ground, on the other, I am grateful that raw information is available allowing me to make somewhat informed decisions - such as whether I should be considering taking my children out of school or not. Anyone that beleives everything they see, hear or read in news reports is obviosly a few degrees short of a thermometer. But to reject media reports out of hand is equally shortsighted. The hard part is deciding which parts are relevant, but better to havbe too much onformation than none at all in my opinion. Thanks to Thai Visa for providing a forum where opinions can be expressed and personal decisions honed.

Actually the media just haven't explained all the details very well. Real journalism died a long time ago I guess, but thank God or Buddha or Al Gore ;-) for the internet. Anyhow the point you need to know is this: The current flu symptoms are not particularly deadly, but this virus will continue to mutate as it goes through many many hosts and in 1918 it did so and produced hypercytokenemia in its victims. This is what kills the younger stronger ones, rather than the flu symptoms, and indeed is why all the fear from the experts. The mexico outbreaks this year showed very early signs of this albeit the pathogen is only mildly lethal right now. But this is the 1st wave and it will get a lot more deadly as it continues to mutate. Do not think for 1 second that getting any version of this flu will develop immunity to hypercytokenemia because you won't. This is your own immune system killing you in a very nasty horrible way. Anyhow, the WHO & CDC etc, have all made the right type of statements that can never be understated. Concentrate on hygiene and keep your hands clean! Virusses (almost all) much perfer to hitch-hike. You (and your family) are more likely to catch it from what you touch with your hands which then touches something that goes into your mouth or indeed your own hands touching your eyes nose or mouth, than from someone sneezing on you. The masks are for those that might already be infected and are likley to cough or sneeze the pathogen all over surfaces which you then touch. Money is a high risk carrier.

Anyhow there is tons of info out there, and harvard medical school have some neat web reports detailing what I just mentioned. Panicking won't help but going back to basics and practicing all the basic hygiene you learnt as a young child will.

Hope that helps give you some starting points for self educating

Kind regards

[Jingthing]

Depends on which media you are talking about. I have found the Washington Post website to be very excellent on this topic. It is not the kind of story that lends itself so well to t.v. soundbites.

[BusyBee123]

are people really concerned or is it just another conversation starter for people who have nothing else to talk about? i haven't heard a single person talk about it even after reading about it in the 'media'

[sezze]

This is such a non-issue. This will never amount to anything really serious. Between 250,000 and 500,000 people die annually,

worldwide, from the normal flu. So far, 141 people have died of the swine flu, this year. Compared to approximately 125,000

to date this year for the other flu. Which flu would you rather have? Of the 27,000 people infected to date, 141 have died. Do

the math. This is a media based hysteria. There is nothing to it. I am not concerning myself for a nanosecond over this.

I totally agree with your attitude.

So who's paying the controlled media to hype this up and get all the sheeple scared?

And why is Thai Visa bothering to make a statistic into breaking news?

Lets just have some good news - even if it's just imaginary, we'd all feel better

Perhaps you should educate yourself and review the potential for the current H1N1 virus to combine with the far more deadly Bird Flu virus that is more or less endemic in this region, the result of that mating would likely mirror or exceed the effects of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed over 50 million. Whilst the current "bug" has a low fatality rate it its human to human transmission rate is exceptional - the bird flu virus by way of contrast has low transmission rate but its kill rate is exceptionally high. That's why the WHO and TV publish these notes so that people can understand. Got it now!

Yes i got it , , BUT what are you going to do ??? Stay home and lock all doors and use masking tape to prevent air and potential virus spread ?? Yes , we need to watch this carefull and WHO is doing that . Only the media make people scared which is crazy . The virus has spread allready as WHO stated it has reached fase 6 or global pandemic . Basically it means nowhere you go you cannot be sure you wont be infected . Weather it is Phuket Pattaya , BKK , London , Stockholm , New York or Timbuktu , it doesn't matter : it is present and potentially dangerous . Quarantine the cases involved and do a follow up and that's it . No reason to change your travelling plans because it is at home also ( for the people who don't know , USA got the most infections http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_06_12/en/index.html ) . I'm going on a holiday next week and this will not stop me , neither will an airport being closed or a money crisis and from all all 3 options mentioned , this 1 is the least worry .

[Skajd]

oh my god patong phuket whaaaaaa ....... ladyboys with swine flu!!! ....... aaaaaaaaaaaarrrgggghhhhhhh