Quote:
Originally Posted by T@T
Yes they do, as do the old and weak to the point of almost 1/2 million each year. but when a new strain starts up and mutates it can kill 10's of millions in one season if not taken seriously.
In WW1 the Spanish flu (actually started in the USA) killed more American soldiers than combat did. by the end of 1918 it had killed upwards of 50 million people. why did it kill so many? people had been living with the flu forever (much like today) but this flu was different and nobody had antibodies in their system to fight that new strain.
New strains of the flu do not pick just the toddlers and the old and weak, It's attacks everyone and make no mistake it can kill anyone, until they can find a working vaccination for this pig flu everyone should be very careful.
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First of all, I may have not made my point clear enough...I have not said that I fault the WHO or any health authorities (at least I don't think I did), heck I work for one. Like Displaced Flames Fan said, I am annoyed with the media's portrayal of the issue. It is fear mongering at its best. Should people practice proper sanitation and not travel into the epicenter of a possible epidemic/pandemic...absolutely (if you see any of my posts regarding vaccinations, I'm a huge proponent of the flu vaccination). These are the things the media should be promoting However, suggesting that the end is near, canceling local school trips to New York (not even Mexico!), etc. is absurd. This type of reasoning is being fueled by media hype.
As for the Spanish Flu pandemic, research suggests that it was actually secondary bacterial infection in combination with poor sanitation and lack of antibiotics that were major factors in mortality rates.