So, who has swine flu?

[Snarky]

One of the people I work with came down with the swine flu earlier this week, and now I'm feeling distinctly unwell, too. It's definitely a flu of some kind, whether H1N1 or some other strain. CDC guidelines are essentially to just stay inside and hope I get better (unless it becomes serious enough to put me in the hospital). With my headache and lightheadedness I can't even watch TV, read, or work on any of my stalled game projects either. Too tired to do anything, and I've taken as many naps as I can. Yeah, this'll be fun... 

Anyone else afflicted by the great hysteria-excuse of the year?

[Domino]

Not yet, but hope you feel better soon.

Back in March, I had a 3 day flu, which pretty much left me in bed. I could not eat, drink or do anything. I am 36 years old and I called my mom crying just to tell her how bad I felt.

Do you have a fever right now?

[Buckethead]

I had a 40C fever a week ago. But it passed over in a few days. From what I understand swine flu is just like normal flu. So just drink alot, don't wear too warm clothes.... you know the drill. Good luck!

[Peder 🚀]

What is the swine flu? :
I find it so stupid they make it sounds so dangerous..
I mean.. normal flu is just as dangerous..

If you get the flu, find some company near you that deals with alternative medicine..
They will most probably help you more than anyone else!
I have decided 100% that I wont take any vaccine.
Dont see no reason putting stuff into my body I dont even know what is!

[Snarky]

But how do I know that the alternative remedies haven't been cursed by an evil wizard?

I think I'll play it safe and do what I always do when I get sick: sacrifice a dove to Imhotep so he'll drive out the evil spirits.

[TerranRich]

More people die per year from the regular flu than have died from H1N1 so far. The media is mostly responsible for this ridiculous hype. My girlfriend is a medical assistant at a pediatrician office and we were discussing the hyperbole surrounding H1N1 and how ridiculous it all is.

[Joseph DiPerla]

My wife is a nurse. The H1N1 is no different than the normal yearly flew. In fact she has dealt with hundreds of patients who have had the swine flu. She herself has had it and so has my 12 year old niece. It might be slightly potent than most strands, but it only truly effects those who have severe medical issues or sicknesses. In my opinion, its been hyped up by the media.

[Evil]

The University I attend, like a lot of others, have taken up a policy that if you feel like you have any type of the flu or flu symptoms, then you are excused from classes on the day you were sick. I'd bet over half of our student population has "had" the swine flu this year!

[Chicky]

I was ill for 3 weeks, had it pretty hard on the first weekend then almost recovered only to get the whole migraine/cold/vomit situation for another week. Remember kids, roaches carry flu.

[Andail]

Well, technically the swine flu is more dangerous than the normal flu. It just so happens that a lot of people above 40-50 are immune to it, so over all the casualties don't exceed a normal flu.
But during a normal flu season, most of the severe cases and the casualties are found among the elderly. A normal seasonal flu does not kill off as many healthy young adults as the swine flu has done.

This being said, it's still much less dangerous than media makes it appear.

On a side note, I can't be vaccinated due to my egg-allergy.

[Calin Leafshade]

I think pandemic awareness shouldnt be glazed over as 'media hype'

Swine Flu COULD be devestating since it was a new disease to which humans had little to no immunity.

Spanish Flu killed in the region of 50-100 million or about 3% of the population. If that same figure were to be applied today it would kill the United Kingdom.. about 5 times.

Also remember it is typically not the first wave of a virus which is most deadly. Viruses evolve very very quickly and it is very possible it will mutate into a more deadly form of the virus (in the same way the spanish flu did, although this was attributed to evolutionary conditions of the first world war).

Swine flu is also not just killing the elderly and infirm. There have been many cases now of healthy adults dying.

The death toll of swine flu has increased by 10% in the US in the last 7 days (to around 6000ish). Expect it to get much worse.

[MrColossal]

Snarky, if you're bored can you listen to things? There are plenty of entertaining podcasts to listen to. Radio Lab, Wiretap, This American Life. At least that's what I would do in your situation.

[Misj']

Well, technically the swine flu is more dangerous than the normal flu. It just so happens that a lot of people above 40-50 are immune to it, so over all the casualties don't exceed a normal flu.

Actually, in  many ways it's less dangerous than the normal flue (lower mortality rates, less severe symptoms (in general), but a higher infection rate (which is lower than the pandemics of 1918, 1957, and 1968)). It is, however, vastly more popular among the cool kids (it has a different infection-pattern than the common flue).

Just to add another piece of useless information here: even with all the precautions we have nowadays, you have a bigger chance to be infected with HIV than with H1N1.

[Disco]

With my headache and lightheadedness I can't even watch TV, read, or work on any of my stalled game projects either. Too tired to do anything, and I've taken as many naps as I can. Yeah, this'll be fun... 

Anyone else afflicted by the great hysteria-excuse of the year?

Aw, hope it passes soon and you feel better buddy.

I can't remember ever having the flu in 27 years, so am unable relate to anyone's flu ailing, but the way some make it sound it is nearly death-bed serious for a week or more. I become ill maybe once every 2-3 years with a cold and sore throat for a couple days, but that is all really 

For this reason and many others I will not be vaccinated either, and I am quite happy to hear talk of the vaccine being made compulsory largely disappear, as I was not excited about potential complications of refusing it

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Expect it to get much worse?  Wow Calin, you really must buy into all the hype you read about on google.  The CDC themselves have made it clear that overall it's harder to contract than normal flu strains and not a pandemic issue in its current state.  The main reason the US Government is going apeshit is because The Obaminator is trying every angle he can to convince people that a nationalized healthcare system is the way to save us from all sorts of horrible things.  Swine Flu this year is like Bird Flu last year and the year before and is just an irritating attempt to fearmonger the populace.  Let's not get end of the world-itis and panic when we have millions of scientists around the world supporting medicine and cures.  I seriously doubt we'd ever lose millions again to a virus with our current level of research and improved knowledge of medicine and hygiene*, but maybe I'm just an optimist?

And this is coming from a hypochondriac so yeah, I do read up on these things!


*Hygiene, especially keeping one's hands clean, has done more for general wellness than just about anything.


Snarky:  Unless your normal flu symptoms are headache and disorientation (light-headedness) I'd say you don't have Swine Flu at all.  The flu is associated with fever, runny nose, drowsiness, body aches and pains and sore throat.  You could just have a case of the blahs!

[Calin Leafshade]

The CDC said its not a pandemic? The WHO disagree.

As i said, If Swine Flu continues as it is then it will end up being relatively harmless. Killing only a few hundred thousand people.

If it mutates in the second wave.. anything could happen.

My point was more about dismissing pandemics out of hand as 'media hype'. The same thing happened in the 70s and it turned out to be more or less harmless. However if this was Bird Flu and not Swine Flu (and its only a matter of chance that it isnt) everyone on earth would have roughly a 1 in 8 chance of dying within the next two years.

[Lufia]

I've just a regular cold. *achoo*
I wanna be cool and have the swine flu.

[Snarky]

Jesus Christ! Alternative medicine, vaccine paranoia and now nefarious Obama conspiracies. Let's just throw in UFOs and the freemasons as well, shall we?  :

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with the internet. 

Aw, hope it passes soon and you feel better buddy.

Cheers mate! It seems to have peaked yesterday, so while I still don't feel like going out or anything, today I'm at least able to take in some entertainment.

Snarky:  Unless your normal flu symptoms are headache and disorientation (light-headedness) I'd say you don't have Swine Flu at all.  The flu is associated with fever, runny nose, drowsiness, body aches and pains and sore throat.  You could just have a case of the blahs!

I have all the standard flu symptoms. The ones I mentioned (fatigue, headache, lightheadedness probably brought on by fever) were just the ones that meant I couldn't do anything; not even watch TV.

[Calin Leafshade]

Vaccine paranoia frightens me.

Vaccines have saved more lives than ANYTHING else... probably even more than antibiotics

We are supposed to be living in an enlightened age.. I feel a second Dark Age coming on.

[Snarky]

Yeah.

Hygiene, vaccines, antibiotics and anesthesia are pretty much the four pillars of modern medicine (the fifth would probably be the somewhat more abstract "scientific, explanatory models of illnesses, enabling doctors to more accurately diagnose and treat patients"--or perhaps nutrition), and it's depressing that not all people appreciate how much better off we are for them.

Not that I have a problem with adults choosing, for whatever reason, not to get vaccinated--at least as long as they're not putting others at significantly more risk. Particularly something like the flu, which is always spawning new strains, so that a vaccine at best reduces the risk slightly, and which isn't too serious in the majority of cases anyway. It's the whole Jenny McCarthy, "vaccines are dangerous and not to be trusted" attitude that pisses me off.