Alright, yes. I get it. The H1N1 is making the rounds and people are getting sick all over the place (like other flu seasons) and some people are dying (like other flu seasons) and by GOLLY you should go get your flu shot (like other flu seasons).
I'd like the media to take this big pointy stick and shove it up their....whatever. I don't even care which hole they use. Just pick one. I'm sick of hearing the hysteria being fed.
Perspective is a glorious thing.
Let's have a little look at the Spanish Influenza outbreak. (courtesy of Wikipedia; edited with blunt objects by me) The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920. It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide which is from three to seven times the causalities of the First World War (15 million). An estimated 50 million people, about 3% of the world's population (approximately 1.6 billion at the time), died of the disease. An estimated 500 million, or 1/3 were infected.
According to the World Health Organization's website, as of 25 October 2009, worldwide there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and over 5700 deaths reported to WHO.
Yeah. Sucky. Until you look at this little number right here from the CDC - Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu.
So. Worldwide? 5700 deaths from H1N1. In the US? 36,000 on average die per year from the NORMAL flu season.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against immunization. Or for it. Whatever - it's up to you whether or not you are in a high risk category. I'm just sick of everyone acting like it's the worst thing EVER since ANYTHING. Because it's not. It's a FLU. When you start bleeding from your eyeballs then we can officially have a media free-for-all.
Spanish Influenza - 10% Death Rate (going by the lower death guesstimate of 50 Million)
(Out of those hospitalized) NORMAL FLU season in the US? - 18% Death Rate
H1N1 - To date worldwide? 1.30% Death Rate
Perspective.
Monday, November 2, 2009
I'm Sick of Hearing About Sick People
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Things that make you say "Hmmmm" - Inspired by RUM
- In medieval England jurors weren't fed until they reached a decision.
- The Chinese used to scatter firecrackers around the house - as fire alarms.
- 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
- A child laughs about 400 times per day. Adults laugh about 15 times.
- The blood vessels of a blue whale are so wide that an adult trout could swim through them.
- Some beaver dams are more than 1,000 years old.
- Male hospital patients fall out of bed twice as often as female patients.
- 25% of Americans think Sherlock Holmes was a real person.
- The leading cause of death in Papua, New Guinea is falling out of a tree.
- Babies are born without kneecaps.
- In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the world's nuclear weapons combined.
- Los Angeles is 2cm closer to San Fransisco than it was a year ago.
- In her entire lifetime, Queen Isabella of Spain (1451-1504) bathed twice. King Louis XIV bathed three times.
- Per capita, the cities of Winnipeg and CALGARY drink the most Slurpees in the world.
- More than 50% of all the lakes in the world are in CANADA
- Belgians once tried to deliver mail using cats. (It didn't work.)
Meet the Repressed Pirate Mom
- Why Mom Drinks Rum
- Alberta, Canada
- Working full time as a legal assistant, newly divorced, raising two kids who despite my attempts at supression are stubbornly strong willed, and living in a busy city longing for the simple life. Madly in love with the keeper of my peacocks.
Words of 'wisdom' from the Rummy One (and various people I've stolen from)
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29 comments:
DUDE!
I've been telling people this ever since 'OH NO SWINE FLU WILL KILL US ALL' mentality set in from the media.
It pisses me off SO badly that people just don't check things out properly.
So I gotta say, thank you VERY much for ranting this out. It makes me happy inside.
Hey there, it's @phronc from twitter...
Of course you are correct about the whole numbers thing that you mention in the post. However, part of the reason that they are concerned is that normally the numbers are for the whole flu season and they are already very high and we still have 5 months to go.
But you are correct. The long story short of H1N1 is that it is NOT more deadly than "normal" everyday line of the flu. It is that H1N1 spreads WAY more easily. In fact H1N1 is supposedly LESS fatal than average flu strains. But if say with normal flu strains 10% of people get it. And of that 10% say 10% die... with H1N1 there would be say only 2% deaths, but 30% of people will catch it so that 2% is of many more people. That is the concern.
But like you, I say get the vaccine or don't, its up to you. But people, stop bashing people for taking the vaccine. We have been vaccinating people for a REALLY long time. And as with anything (including something as every day as having a tooth removed), things can go wrong 1% of the time. It is not just vaccines. So get a friggin' grip!
-@Phronc
Oh, and I forgot to mention, that even though the numbers that you posted for the pandemic in 1918 were large, because we do WAY more international travel and it take WAY less time to travel across the globe this pandemic will spread EVEN more and EVEN more quickly.
Those are the concerns. However like with everything else that the media talks about, it is overly stressed. Like I said, H1N1 is actually less likely to kill you than a normal Flu, just more people will catch it thus leading to more deaths than normal.
word... and, well done.
Agreed @Phronc...it does seem to spread much easier. Especially - considering how aware we are of handwashing in this day and age. I suspect the Spanish influenza would have been MUCH less drastic under cleaner conditions.
BUT...the first reported cases of H1N1 were in April of this year. 8 months ago (ish?)- so while it's taking it's time and sticking around, I still consider the amount of deaths over an 8 month span to be un-drama worthy.
And as for the whole immunization thing? Honestly, it shouldn't be a judgement situation. If you think you need/want it - get it. If not, then don't. People will fight about ANYTHING.
Fight about something worthwhile - like potatoes.
I agree about the hand washing... and although MANY more people are cleaner these days, there are an alarming number of people that wont wash their hands after even using the toilet (grosses me out all the time) let alone use alcohol gel. It amazes me daily.
And yes, people just seem to like to pick on others and fight. That too amazes me daily.
Hey! There is no fighting over potatoes, they are fantastic! Unless you are referring to the spelling. ;)
Good for you. Totally agree x
Thank you! It's the flu. Stay in bed and don't infect the world. And wash your hands. Pleaseandthankyou!
great rant!
100% in agreement!
yes, i was just coming to agree (keep perspective) and also remind everyone that flu season doesn't really hit until February in the northern hemisphere (based on annual average of cases in past several years)
Fun stuff (cuz Google knows all)
And of course I watch enough B-movies to know that if the virus mutates or another virus escapes a government lab we'll likely be overrun by zombies in a matter of days, so for that reason I've already stocked up on batteries and mac and cheese. And wine.
Another important aspect worth mentioning about the H1N1 is the demographic that tend to have more severe life threatening complications, ie. young healthy people with no underlying health conditions. My RN ICU nurse friend says that most of the patients in her ICU are in their mid-twenties.
Oddly enough, that is not the age group that is being targeted as being at risk, and yet, as with the 1918 flu, they are more at risk.
I've got that damn flu right now, and it SUCKS....
Of course, that's not to say that I disagree with you on the whole media overreporting thing. They might as well hype up the common cold.
Thank you for doing that legwork! I'm now going to send this out to all my paranoid friends who won't leave the house or bath in antiseptic every time they touch someone.
I totally agree. The media hype and ensuing paranoia is unnecessary and totally annoying.
I think you have the right perspective. More people should get a little perspective. And common sense.
Perspective!
Found you on Finding Trinitys blog!
THANK. YOU.
It's been a long couple weeks of pitch fork wielding psychos telling us it's the end of the world if you don't get a vaccination.
Hell, even one blogger has gone far to tell us that if we don't vaccinate it could be OUR fault if someone dies from this flu. I respectfully, wholehearted disagree and am completely offended by the idea that they have taken that route to place blame.
(I'm ranting, sorry!!)
In the end, the fear mongering is completely out of control and it makes me so irritated. LOL
YES.
EXACTLY.
Thank you for posting this.
HOLLA!!!
YES!!! Thank you for including the CDC and WHO crap too!!!
I think the media hypes a lot of things way out of control. Very well stated. Although I can say, being that I tested positive for the pig flu, it SUCKS when you have it! ;)
Thank GOD I am not the only one that sees this. I almost feel like people don't feel safe unless something's out to get them and they can bitch about it. If there's nothing big out to get us (because terrorism seems to be a backburner on the media frenzy these days) then let's make a flu big and scary.
But don't worry, go jump in that crapmobile car you drive with balding all season tires and do twice the speed limit on freshly fallen snow and ice on your way to get your H1N1 flu shot. Because clearly that little flu bug is the biggest threat.
Someone may have pointed this out already but the regular flu almost always only kills the elderly and people with serious health problems. The difference with H1N1 is that it kills healthy people and has a disproportionately high number of children that are critically and fatally affected. It is not the same as the regular flu at all.
A healthy 13-year-old hockey player died from H1N1 here last week. He came down with flu-like symptoms and 48 hours he was dead. He died in his own home - not a hospital - because the deadly symptoms came on so fast. He WOULD NOT have died from seasonal flu. His immune system would have been able to fight it off but no one knows exactly why healthy immune systems cannot always fight the H1N1 virus.
I have a family member that works in a hospital alongside some of the worlds leading microbiologists and infectious disease experts. They are legitimately concerned that healthy babies, children and pregnant women in particular are at risk. A risk that is very different than that of the seasonal flu.
I do agree that the media has hyped it up but I do think it is important to be clear about the nature of the virus and why health officials are so concerned about it.
Good points Stephanie...this is from the WHO website:
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.
(A non-aspirin pain reliever should be used by children and young adults because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.)
_____________________________
They have found in a majority of the deaths in children (in Canada) that there have been underlying health issues that contributed to the death. Such as asthma.
As I said, I think people at risk should make their own choice regarding immunization. BUT...it's not a panic situation. The first case was 8 months ago. A 1.9% death rate over 8 months is still far less than the normal flu season. It doesn't warrant the media frenzy and stupidity I'm seeing/hearing every night. I think at any rate :o)
Not panicking (until I actually see the zombies) but I have two kids with asthma and there has so far been NO vaccine in our town - we'd get it for them if we could.
You make me smile on the inside and piss myself on the outside! hahaha Thanks for your comments as always, you are the BEST!! I loved your iTunes rant, I am SOOOO glad to be away from them, you have no idea! LOL
I'm with ya on the swine flu. Fuck that I am not letting someone stick some barely tested vacination in me for the sake of some sniffles and a sore throat... Im not old or pregnate, so I think I have a good chance if I get sick, plus I could stand to loose about 20 pounds from the constant diahrea and puking anyways...
Blessings, ;)
Bret
amen.
it's amazing how every single season the media lights on something and refuses to back down from it. causing unnecessary hysteria.
you'd think people would be immune to it by now.
think before this, bird flu, shark attacks, the terror of what'll happen when 2000 appears we'll all be doomed all the computers will fail, carjacking, SARS will kill us all.
"Spanish Influenza - 10% Death Rate (going by the lower death guesstimate of 50 Million)
(Out of those hospitalized) NORMAL FLU season in the US? - 18% Death Rate
H1N1 - To date worldwide? 1.30% Death Rate"
I think it's a bit dishonest to be comparing overall death rate with Spanish Flu and Swine Flu to the death rate of "normal" flu but out of those hospitalized.
According to this article
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58E6NZ20090917 ,
seasonal flu has a death rate of less than 0.1%.
You said that Swine Flu has a death rate of 1.30%. If that's true, then that is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than seasonal flu.
Meg, I'm not sure how that is dishonest, seeing as how all the information is RIGHT THERE for everyone to see. As well as the sources.
I was using the hospitalized flu patients as an example because I would presume out of those that WOULD die, it would mainly be the hospitalized people. Again..the numbers are clearly up there.
I'm sorry, but I'm going to take the factual information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization over an article written by an Editor working for Reuters.
On average 36,000 people PER YEAR in the US die of the seasonal flu. 5,700 WORLDWIDE for H1N1 (probably a bit higher now) in an 8 month span of time. So no, it's not significantly higher according to the numbers provided by WHO and CDC.
I love your perspective!
PS. My word verification is 'doleding' which makes me think of a penis with a slice of dole pineapple on it. I never said I was normal.
"When you start bleeding from your eyeballs then we can officially have a media free-for-all."
'nuf said.
*throws in towel*
p.s. LMFAO @ left of lost. normal is SO overrated. and uh, my verification word is "pooger". WHAT THE FUCK. that is raunchy on like 10 different levels. *blocking out visuals that involve vaginas and boogers* pooter, booger, etc. AHHHHHH STOPPPPP!
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