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Re: I almost feel like I'm coming down with something, but I'm not sure. Lupine Send a noteboard - 28/10/2009 08:40:17 AM
Some of the medical people here have told me that 7 in 10 people (at least in my province) are expected to get it. Don't know if that's realistic or reliable though.

Wow. That's... pretty crazy.

Since the mortality rate is about 0.5% (I think, and the following holds true even if that number is lower), the more people passing it around, the more people might die of it. Plus, the more people out walking around spreading the virus, the higher the chance someone in a high risk group (ie. pregnant women) will get infected. Each individual person staying home might not make much of a difference. But in the global game of statistics, it all adds up to lives saved.

EDIT - I just read 0.4% mortality rate somewhere else. In other words, 4 in every 1000, on average. Some other sources say that it may only be 0.1%, 1 in every 1000, which is comparable to the seasonal flu.

Actually, that first number is still a bit scary if as many as 70% of the population could get it. That would be like 80,000 deaths in America! (Unless my math is horribly wrong, which it well could be.)

However, if half the world's population (for example) contracts H1N1, then a 0.1% mortality rate would result in 3.5 million deaths, mostly in China and India. So, y'know ... here's hoping that's wrong. We'll have to wait and see. Since this is the first time the virus is really spreading into the full global population, any stats like that are suspect at this point. And I don't know if that takes into account the fact that a large number of people over the age of 52, who were exposed to the 1957 pandemic, seem to have more immunity to H1N1 than everyone else.

Oh yeah, you went on with this line of reasoning yourself. ;) But yes, those are all really interesting points. :) You're a more interesting source for news than my actual local news. :P

EDIT 2 - Another scientific source claims that the mortality rates quoted so far could be exaggerated due to how H1N1 has been reported up to date, and suggests 0.007 to 0.045% mortality rates. The upper end of that would see, at half the world being exposed, 1.5 million deaths (and 250,000 deaths at the lowest mortality rate). Which might be more in line with what we've seen so far, but as I said before, it's all conjecture until the winter hits and puts the damn thing to bed.

You think that will happen? Yay! Paul is still scheduled to come visit in winter, and I'd been worrying that he might be likely to get it, after being relatively safe in Belgium.

As long as you aren't coughing on people. And wear gloves in case you have to touch door handles or any high-hand-traffic area like that.

Oh, good idea.

I think the global death toll is around 5000, 6000 right now? Something like that. That seems like a lot, but annually, between 250,000 and 500,000 people across the world die of the regular flu. So it's certainly not the end of the world just yet.

It all comes down to the true fatality rate, which is inevitably just guesswork atm, as you noted. It's almost certain that more people will get this one than the regular flu, at least in areas where it's widespread, but if it's generally just a mild thing, then it need only be a cost and an annoyance, not a disaster.

1. Have you had swine flu? What was it like for you? (Symptoms, duration.)

Today I've felt weird. Tired and the hint of a sore throat and achey eyes. I don't know if I'm about to come down with something or not. I've let my boss know that it's a possibility, and will see how I'm doing in the morning. Perhaps I should be staying home just in case even if my symptoms are only mild? But that puts a lot of extra work on other people at my work, and I don't want to do that to them if I don't have to ...


I'm not a doctor and reputed to be terrible at judging me own health circumstances, but that has never stopped me from giving advice before, so... :P I'd say for the time being, just get rest and fluids and see if you can conquer it before it gets ahold of you. It doesn't seem like staying home would be mandatory just yet.

2. Do you know anyone who has?

You!

I'm special!
Actually, I am special- see my reply to Aemon for why my case isn't really that representative.

We've had a few cases here. Not much going on for measures, except that there's an H1N1 vaccine clinic on Thursday. There have been a few deaths from it in neighbouring communities, four or five of them.

Yikes. That's a bit scary.

Never have, no. Well, I guess I was quarantined from other kids when I had chicken pox. But I gave it to my brother and my cousin at the same time, so we all hung out together and played video games.

Haha, awesome. :D

It's definitely been overblown. More people will probably catch it than catch the normal flu. The final death toll can't be known right now, but aside from staying home when you have it, people should probably just live their lives and not panic. Wash your hands, try not to touch your face, that sort of thing. For most people it'll just be a normal flu, if they even catch it. That doesn't mean it's not serious; it is. But it's not the end of the world and it doesn't do any good to panic over it.

Okay, I apologize for repeating you at some points during this reply. Clearly great minds think alike, and great-minds-on-meds don't always remember what they read just a couple hours ago. :P But in essence, we're very much in agreement. :)
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/Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet? - 27/10/2009 11:29:51 PM 762 Views
It is raging here - 27/10/2009 11:42:41 PM 402 Views
Good on you for getting vaccinated. - 27/10/2009 11:58:06 PM 476 Views
Re: Good on you for getting vaccinated. - 28/10/2009 12:59:02 AM 401 Views
That's right, feel guilty! - 28/10/2009 01:14:50 AM 383 Views
I live in Oklahoma - 29/10/2009 01:32:34 AM 473 Views
Get better soon! - 27/10/2009 11:53:27 PM 427 Views
Good plan, I'd say... - 28/10/2009 12:00:45 AM 340 Views
Re: Good plan, I'd say... - 28/10/2009 12:07:10 AM 345 Views
of course you can walk pippin! - 28/10/2009 01:29:23 AM 408 Views
- 28/10/2009 01:31:52 AM 359 Views
Re: /Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet? - 28/10/2009 01:42:05 AM 424 Views
Re: /Survey: So... is swine flu affecting you/people you know yet? - 28/10/2009 01:48:58 AM 405 Views
a few of my students have had it... - 28/10/2009 02:12:51 AM 361 Views
Get well soon! - 28/10/2009 03:13:20 AM 441 Views
I almost feel like I'm coming down with something, but I'm not sure. - 28/10/2009 03:26:26 AM 550 Views
Re: I almost feel like I'm coming down with something, but I'm not sure. - 28/10/2009 08:40:17 AM 491 Views
I think I've had it. Symptoms seemed to match, anyway. - 28/10/2009 05:31:46 AM 443 Views
Odd. - 28/10/2009 08:27:42 AM 526 Views
I feel I am getting ill this week - 28/10/2009 08:45:33 AM 365 Views
Drink tea, eat oranges. - 28/10/2009 08:54:44 AM 457 Views
Will do - 28/10/2009 09:02:57 AM 445 Views
Re: Will do - 28/10/2009 09:31:44 AM 373 Views
Re: Will do - 28/10/2009 09:38:45 AM 405 Views
It's a sinus infection, once again *sigh* *NM* - 29/10/2009 09:16:01 AM 192 Views
Hope it leaves you alone soon! *NM* - 30/10/2009 12:10:46 AM 167 Views
It's not very wide-spread here - 28/10/2009 09:17:20 AM 389 Views
We've had 7 people die from it at my hospital. - 28/10/2009 09:21:45 AM 409 Views
I suspect that working at a hospital gives you a rather biased sample of the populace. *NM* - 29/10/2009 12:16:16 AM 166 Views
i agree *NM* - 29/10/2009 02:13:55 AM 157 Views
Sure is. - 28/10/2009 12:22:30 PM 449 Views
apparently a lot of people had it at my uni - 28/10/2009 01:39:43 PM 460 Views
What do you mean, "you/people"? - 28/10/2009 03:01:35 PM 435 Views
Re: I keep forgetting who you are! Poor Angie. *NM* - 28/10/2009 06:55:15 PM 157 Views
Had it. Wasn't so bad. - 30/10/2009 02:38:48 PM 380 Views

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