Officials around the world on Sunday raced to contain an outbreak of swine flu as potential new cases were reported from New Zealand to Hong Kong to Spain, raising concerns about the potential for a global pandemic.
Governments issued travel advisories urging people not to travel to Mexico, the apparent origin of the outbreak, where 81 people have died and some 1,300 have been infected. China, Russia and others set up quarantines for anyone possibly infected.
Cases of the Mexico City strain have now been confirmed in California, Texas, Kansas, and New York, with suspected cases in several other states. Thus far the American victims have suffered mostly mild symptoms, but the number of confirmed cases is not yet large enough to be statistically significant, so here’s hoping that Mexico’s mortality rate—consistently running at a stunning 6 percent as new cases are reported and confirmed—turns out to be the anomaly, not the norm.
Of course, it’s too soon to panic, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a run on surgical masks over the next few days. And this wouldn’t be a bad time for folks around these parts to restock your earthquake survival stores to make sure you have enough food to last several weeks.
I’m not worried yet, but I’m getting there.
Educate yourself:
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm
Personally, I think Republicanism is more virulent, more infectious, and a greater threat to planetary survival.
That settles it. I’m saying away from the entrance to the Home Depot parking lot. Oh, and hotel maids, and selected fast food establishments.
Hay Troll
Did you see this things genome .. can you spell evolution?
Does everyone here realize that you cannot get swine flu by eating pork products?
Swine flu is any flu that troll gets.
@7
I hope an illegal sneezes into your burrito.
4 Hey, Troll…ya gonna ditch your pals who just got back from their cruise to Cabo, too? Also, are you going to put on a mask before you go to the grocery store and get up close and personal with all that Mexican produce?
Be interesting to see what if any impact this swine flu issue has on the desire of some to increase urban density afterall some will argue that increased density will help diseases spread.
10 msf
Density is not the problem. Travel is.
But if I am wrong then I guess we have to buy all the poor Latino people homes on two-acre tracts.