April 10 Flu Update
ProMed says there are two new human cases in Egypt.Myanmar says it will be open on bird flu.
Kuwait reveals it tested 1,248 people for bird flu, and they were all negative. And, a doc informs the nation that Tamiflu is not a cure.
Nigerian officials says little has changed in how birds are handled there, despite deaths and bird outbreaks.
A bird flu film in Malaysia is released.
Kuwait says it is going to ban imports from Saudi Arabia, which seems exactly backwards.
Thailand and Laos are going to cooperate in bird flu fight.
The City of Cornwell (Canada) heard an update on bird flu.
Revere writes on masks (again!) and a correspondent who admits he is a shameless promoter.
A physicians meeting is taking on special significance with the emergence of the bird flu in the Middle East.
Region 8 in the Philippines is fighting bird flu.
More on the flu fight from the Philippines.
A restaurant industry website from Britain gives "just the facts" on bird flu.
posted by Orange @ 8:38 PM
2 Comments:
Orange;
There is really not a whole lot to comment on today, but I'll manage.
I think the ProMed article is out of date now – the 15 year old female that was in critical condition yesterday, unfortunately died this morning. In conjunction with this news, I read somewhere, that an astonishing 80% of all H5N1 influenza deaths in the entire world (to date), involved individuals 44 years of age, or younger.
As a card-carrying AARP member, I might just have the edge during a pandemic. I can just see myself now: leisurely walking through banks and jewelry stores, filling up my grocery carts, flaunting my immunity.
On a more serious note, the death statistics of the younger generation, sound a whole lot like 1918 all over again, doesn’t it? I wonder what other striking parallels are lurking out there, just waiting to be discovered over time – virus attenuation, multiple waves of severity, or instead of infected soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, how about plane loads of infected international airline passengers ?
You’re right, the decision by Kuwait to ban imports from Saudi Arabia, does sound a little convoluted. But, so does the statement from the secretive ruling military junta in Myanmar (aka, Burma to us free people), that “the public will be kept informed through newspapers, television, radio, and non-governmental organizations”.
In my view, Burma is situated too close to communist mainland China, for me to believe in their “openness”. Maybe I’m getting a little too cynical after reading all these news reports, day after day, but I believe there are many countries out there that are culling birds while at the same time denying that they have the virus. Also, I believe there are a vast number of countries that have the virus, but it remains undetected and unreported. Transparency and truthfulness, is in the eye of the beholder.
Unfortunately, I filed the latest Revere article on protective masks, away in my circular file. I have made a personal vow – I am automatically filing all future articles about protection masks in my circular bin, and also filing future articles about the effects of Tamiflu on Japanese teenagers. These two subjects are starting to drive me a little schizoid and ruining my bipolarity.
I actually enjoyed your British restaurant industry article, which is fairly accurate, but take issue with one small point in their facts list, which says: “A large study in Vietnam suggests that bird flu’s mortality rate among humans is about the same as the common flu”.
I don’t think so.
The only thing that’s preserved the safety and security in a whole lot of third world countries this far, is truckloads of Tamiflu.
But even Ben Franklin said 250 years ago, “He that's secure is not safe”.
Wulfgang
I don't think the majority of people are exposed to this virus are those under 44 die from it. In the countries where this disease hits hardest, being over 44 is not common, I think 80% of their population is under 44. So it evens out.
Post a Comment
<< Home