We are at level 5

[westbrook]

just now the head of WHO just announced a level 5 threat.

 

get ready...

 

1pm, Wednesday April 29, 2009

 

Swine Flu

[Vic303]

I dunno...this has the feel of a manipulated crisis. Just not sure who is doing the manipulating. I mean, WHO says level 5~! but only counts a total of 7 dead? What's up with that? So far in the US, there is only 1 death confirmed, a toddler from Mexico visiting family in Houston TX.

 

Keep in mind in a normal flu season, the seasonal flu & flu/pneumonia (this is how it is totaled at CDC) accounts for 20,000-40,000 deaths on average in the USA alone. And everyone is getting bent outta shape now over less than 200 possible deaths?

 

Please bear in mind Rahm's statement of "Never let a good crisis go to waste."

[Mother]

Or, if I might adjust my tin foil hat,,,,,they know something they are not telling us.

 

[ANewMe]

Either side of the coin....we are in for something you can guarantee. Either they know this thing is much worst than they are reporting and they are trying to avoid panic or they are trying to divurt our attention. Any rate....I'm prepping...with what I have not a clue...no money. But I am making a list now of what I want/need and then prioritizing. My husband's job sent him down to Pleansant (?), TX, not far from border. Can't say I'm real excited about him coming home. LOL

[blestmomof4]

Or, if I might adjust my tin foil hat,,,,,they know something they are not telling us.

 

 

 

I agree!!

 

BB

[Josephine]

Keep in mind in a normal flu season, the seasonal flu & flu/pneumonia (this is how it is totaled at CDC) accounts for 20,000-40,000 deaths on average in the USA alone. And everyone is getting bent outta shape now over less than 200 possible deaths?

 

From what I understand, those that die from the normal flu are mainly those that are sick already and the flu is the last straw. TPTB are concerned about swine flu because it is infecting and killing already healthy individuals.

[chinajade97]

Or, if I might adjust my tin foil hat,,,,,they know something they are not telling us.

 

 

 

Mother,

I am more to your way of thinking! I was in Sams club (Costco) today and everywhere I looked people were buying up the Lysol sprays, bleach, wipes, and so on....and that was just about in every cart. Some were buying it buy the cart loads. And, idiot me, I came out without any of it. I need to go back tomorrow!

 

I believe they are not saying the real poop so that the sheeple do not cause a stampede!

[gulfcoastruth]

Shhhhhhh...don't tell my kids! ((((I am also a member of the "Foil Hat" society! )))) LOL!

 

Seriously, there are so many depts telling us to "be calm" that it's making me nervous, and suspicious.

 

Remember to use wipes or spray on the cart when you go shopping.

 

 

[Teaberry]

This is so wierd. Yes, considering so few deaths and the fact it's been mild here in the States, you do have to wonder what's going on.

 

Well, so what is next?

[Grace&Violets]

I don't understand something. While everyone else is reporting *up to* 159 deaths in Mexico City, this is the quote from CNN:

 

"The figures include seven deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus, known scientifically as H1N1."

 

If there are *only* 8 total confirmed deaths, why raise the level to 5? Or is the number really 159? Or maybe neither of these numbers? Maybe higher? I wish we could trust TPTB. I guess we won't probably ever know the *real* truth, but maybe have a better idea of the situation in a week or so?

 

 

[Cat]

I'm not sure if I understand this correctly... the news is coming so fast and furiously that it's difficult to tell.

 

*I believe* that the number of *actual SWINE FLU* deaths is 7.

 

*I believe* that the rest of the deaths are proving to be what they are now calling "H1N1" flu, which is a MUTATION of the original "Swine Flu".

 

 

 

 

 

[ScrubbieLady]

I don't understand something. While everyone else is reporting *up to* 159 deaths in Mexico City, this is the quote from CNN:

 

"The figures include seven deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus, known scientifically as H1N1."

 

If there are *only* 8 total confirmed deaths, why raise the level to 5? Or is the number really 159? Or maybe neither of these numbers? Maybe higher? I wish we could trust TPTB. I guess we won't probably ever know the *real* truth, but maybe have a better idea of the situation in a week or so?

 

What I have heard reported is that they have so many deaths (159 sounds about right) but they only assume that it was swine flu, no tests were run to confirm. The scary part as I understand it is that people who have not be around swine are getting it so it has mutated where it passes from person to person.

 

I figure the level 5 is because of all the places it has popped up, not the number of deaths.

 

 

 

[Cat]

Yes, people who have not been to Mexico have now been getting this flu.

 

 

 

[Annarchy]

My MIL just called and said they are taking the ear temperature of all the people crossing the border in El Paso.

[Tracy R]

We have a lot of Mexican workers here in Canada -- many work in food processing plants, and a LOT work in agriculture as farm labour. The farming season is just beginning, and these folks are starting to arrive.

 

Canada has declared that all Mexicans coming into the country MUST be examined by a health practitioner PRIOR to being allowed through customs.

 

Kind of like closing the barn door after the livestock's already out, IMHO, as we already have seven confirmed cases in the country.

 

I have a terrible feeling about this. IMHO, the number of dead do NOT justify the steps currently being taken by WHO. I'll admit I'm no scientist, but I expect that a lot of people die of the flu every year -- I understand the fact that this is new, but the response seems rather abrupt. Maybe that's a good thing, but I'm still wondering.

 

I'm not often frightened -- I'm NOT one of the tin foil hat crowd, and I tend to take most things with a "we'll see" attitude. That, and I know that we're relatively well prepared for most eventualities, but I'll admit, this time, I'm frightened, and I'm not even sure of what.

[Louis1]

I dunno...this has the feel of a manipulated crisis. Just not sure who is doing the manipulating. I mean, WHO says level 5~! but only counts a total of 7 dead? What's up with that? So far in the US, there is only 1 death confirmed, a toddler from Mexico visiting family in Houston TX.

 

Keep in mind in a normal flu season, the seasonal flu & flu/pneumonia (this is how it is totaled at CDC) accounts for 20,000-40,000 deaths on average in the USA alone. And everyone is getting bent outta shape now over less than 200 possible deaths?

 

Please bear in mind Rahm's statement of "Never let a good crisis go to waste."

 

Exactly

[ArmyOfFive4God]

Or, if I might adjust my tin foil hat,,,,,they know something they are not telling us.

 

 

^^That

[Michelle_3kds]

Check out the WHO website, they explain how the phases of a pandemic are determined. And yes, phase 5 is having to do with the number of affected areas. But I also think if they are going to stratify it that way, they also need to somehow categorize levels of severity. Sure it's spread all over the world, of course there is the potential for a big problem, but with the way everyone travels nowdays, of course it's going to spread quickly. Will it turn into massive deaths and catastrophe? Who knows? I think calling it a level 5 pandemic misses the mark. We'll know in a few days if it reaches disaster level. I also think it has the potential to come around next flu season and really whomp us then. But again, who knows.

 

The Gov't has made national reponse systems across the country (really pushed after 911). The response and preparedness level we're seeing now stems from that. MSM has a ton of misinformation, the CDC swine f lu website and the WHO site have at least somewhat accurate info, they don't give out "maybe" statistics. They only give out the facts they know. They can't account for the many people who don't seek medical help and therefore aren't tested for any flu, they can't get actual numbers of cases from countries with little medical records and testing capabilities, so even their numbers aren't accurate. But it's better than some TV station repeating what they "heard".

 

 

[ANewMe]

I don't understand something. While everyone else is reporting *up to* 159 deaths in Mexico City, this is the quote from CNN:

 

"The figures include seven deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus, known scientifically as H1N1."

 

If there are *only* 8 total confirmed deaths, why raise the level to 5? Or is the number really 159? Or maybe neither of these numbers? Maybe higher? I wish we could trust TPTB. I guess we won't probably ever know the *real* truth, but maybe have a better idea of the situation in a week or so?

 

 

G&V...you are right. It seems they have retracted things and they are watering things down. I started following a thread on another board with people who are reporting what they are witnessing in their towns and they all contribute their own research of news articles etc. It does not look good from what I'm reading. But something is definatley not adding up.

[TurtleMama]

Here I am, being a right-wing extremist again... You know, one of those domestic terror risks from Nepalitano's report? LOL I have thought, more than once as this whole thing has progressed, that _soon_ it might be a really good idea for "someone" to declare martial law. *adding another layer of foil to her tinfoil hat* I'm just saying.

[quiltys41]

I don't understand something. While everyone else is reporting *up to* 159 deaths in Mexico City, this is the quote from CNN:

 

"The figures include seven deaths in Mexico and one in the United States. More than 2,700 other patients worldwide are believed to be suffering from the virus, known scientifically as H1N1."

 

If there are *only* 8 total confirmed deaths, why raise the level to 5? Or is the number really 159? Or maybe neither of these numbers? Maybe higher? I wish we could trust TPTB. I guess we won't probably ever know the *real* truth, but maybe have a better idea of the situation in a week or so?

 

Okay lets see if I can help out some of you here with what I am understanding. Lets start with the easy part...8 confirmed deaths. Those are a direct cause from the Mexican flu. The others were either not able to be confirmed as the direct cause of death or they died from complications from the Mexican flu. In other words, the .gov is now splitting hairs sort of. Reason? It brings the mortality rate down from 6.5%. The Spanish flu in 1918 was only a 2% mortality rate and it killed thousands upon thousands across the world. We may never know the *real* truth of this because of the locations we are dealing with. It is hot in Mexico right now and people are dying, need I say more? So they are burying them as fast as possible. No time to run extra tests or do autopsies at this rate. Then you have people dying in the interior of Mexico in very rural areas with little to no health care and no way to test them for the flu. So there are more unknowns. Not everyone getting sick with this is going to go get medical care, so more unknowns. See how this is going? And inside of 2 weeks, it has spread from Mexico to the US to New Zeland, etc...so it spreads easily, another piece of the pie.

 

Next we have a "novel" flu, which means that it is a combination of influenza viri that have not been seen together in the "wild" so to speak. It is a cross of human influenza A, north American swine, Eurasian swine and north American avian type A influenza's. All wrapped together in one neat little package. So? Okay, if that isn't enough to impress upon you the seriousness, here is some more. Since this is a novel, or new, virus....NO ONE has any immunity to it. NONE, nada, zippo, zilch. So if it mutates further and worsens, the mortality rate goes up. Meaning it kills more people. It can also mutate to a less virulent form too meaning less people will die. Either way, it's a killer just by virtue of no one having any immunity. Also, since it is a new virus, none of the vaccinations against the usual flu's will work on this. So now it will take weeks, months to begin to make one. We are talking about having to go clear back to square one with growing the virus in eggs here. It really could take 3 to 6 months for a vaccination. And by then, it will probably mutate and we get to start all over...ugh.

 

So now we have a brand spanking new virus with no one immune to it and no vaccination. But wait, there is more! Dr. Niman and other experts in the field are sure this is going to act just like the influenza of 1918 did. It also started out in the spring like this one. It came in waves with the first one just like this, not too bad, not that many killed and then it went away for months. People thought it was gone. Then when the regular fall flu season rolls around, BAM, here it comes back with a vengeance, mutated to be worse than before, no one was immune to that one either. People died in the thousands upon thousands. Sure we have tamiflu and one other anti-viral that works now. But, if it becomes immune to it, then we have nothing to treat it with, just like the 1918 flu.

 

There is a lot more to it than what I wrote here, but I tried to keep it simple so all could understand it instead of going into the gene mapping and sequencing, virulences of different strains of flu, migratory bird patterns, etc...all things that play into making this one bad bug! I will post some links here for yall to go check out if you wish. Some are forums just for flu trackers. And if you are interested in Dr. Nimans work, he posts here http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/search.php?searchid=1202385 - Flutrackers forum

http://www.pfiforum.com/ - pandemic flu forum

 

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/?s_cid=swineFl...ak_internal_001 - CDC swine flu info site

 

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html - WHO's swine flu info site

 

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/federal/fe...onsestages.html - federal response stages compared to WHO's stages

 

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/index.html - CIDRAP U of Minn infectious disease site. Good place for news and info on pandemics and bio-terrorism.

 

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDise...URItheFlu/13942 - medical news and info on infectious diseases

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/FLU/SwineFlu.html - ncbi - database of swine flu genetics and sequencing

 

That should keep yall busy for awhile lol. And I hope I haven't confused anyone or upset anyone. But there is the info and some answers to the questions I kept seeing pop up here, so thought I would help out a bit. And what ever you do, PLEASE do not ignore this flu. It will be back this fall. Keep praying, prepping and helping each other and we will get through this. Hugs to all...

 

Q

[Dee62]

I'm a bit frustrated with the lack of info we're getting here too.We just seem to have the same statements on a loop on the news as if no-one else knows whats going on either.

 

On talking to one of my neighbours this morning (who came in to borrow some milk as she's totally run out with 5 people in the house to look after) she wasn't even aware of what Level 5 meant OR the fact there was a health problem

Scary times indeed.

[Rita]

It is amazing to me how many people are just clueless about all of this.....I called my brother in Oregon and he just had no idea what was going on! I can't imagine NOT keeping up with this. I just read this morning that there are 2 more cases here in Houston, TX in 2 diffferent schools... Scary times...

[Cricket]

Also keep in mind that the reporting of "confirmed" cases is an understatement of actual cases. My understanding is (sorry, I can't remember where I read it to cite) is that, for example, at the NY school with more than 100 sick kids, they only tested a sample population of ten students. Eight of the ten came back verified as the H1N1 flu.

 

It's not hard to extrapolate that 80 out of 100 had this flu, and each of those 80 exposed... how many? A person is contagious for a day or two BEFORE they begin feeling ill.

[Cat]

While dropping DD off at church for Youth Group, I casually mentioned to our Pastor last night that we may end up stopping the "shake hands with people" time each Sunday morning. He totally blew me off, saying "maybe" he'd just buy more hand sanitizer to set around. And spouted the "Do you know how many people die from regular flu each year" line... I think that number shocks the sheeple so much that they can't get past that.

 

He thinks I'm a "Chicken Little" because I have mentioned "preparing" before. I got the "Trust God" feel-good story THAT time.

 

I tried to give him just a few bits of information, but his mind is already set against it.