MetaFilter posts tagged with Flu

You Got Transmissibility in My Lethality!

drdanger — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:06:22 -0800

In a hot lab in the center of Lyon, space-suited virologists want to create a superflu as contagious as H1N1 and as lethal as H5N1. Why? So nature doesn't get there first.

The Economist: The World in 2010

goodnewsfortheinsane — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:09:43 -0800

In 2010, Obama will have a miserable year, NATO may lose in Afghanistan, the UK gets a regime change, China needs to chill, India's factories will overtake its farms, Europe risks becoming an irrelevant museum, the stimulus will need an exit strategy, the G20 will see a challenge from the "G2", African football will unite Korea, conflict over natural resources will grow, Sarkozy will be unloved and unrivalled, the kids will come together to solve the world's problems (because their elders are unable), technology will grow ever more ubiquitous, we'll all charge our phones via USB, MBAs will be uncool, the Space Shuttle will be put to rest, and Somalia will be the worst country in the world. And so the Tens begin.

The Economist: The World in 2010. Previously: 2009, 2008, 2007. How did we do last time around? Guest contributions: President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso lines up Europe's priorities President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev argues for dialogue and cooperation President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed wants his island nation to remain above water President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would like for Islam and the West to live in harmony President of South Africa Jacob Zuma says Africa should rise to the occasion Director-General of the World Health Organisation Margaret Chan predicts the development of the flu pandemic Managing director of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn explains how to prevent another crisis CEO of Yahoo! Carol Bartz believes business leaders should tap into the information flood Chairman of HSBC Stephen Green argues that the financial sector should welcome emerging economies CEO of Fiat Group and Chrysler Group Sergio Marchionne thinks greener cars require bolder action CEO/CTO of SpaceX Elon Musk says the private sector should handle space travel

Does the (Flu) Vaccine Matter?

torquemaniac — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:41:22 -0800

In Does the Vaccine Matter?, Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer discuss the history of vaccines and explore why "some flu experts are challenging the medical orthodoxy and arguing that for those most in need of protection, flu shots and antiviral drugs may provide little to none." In a related story (which condenses and provides a point-by-point summary of the original (with obvious bias)): "Flu vaccines revealed as the greatest quackery ever pushed in the history of medicine."

Madagascar's Ports Still Open, Though

empath — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:22:59 -0800

WHO declares global flu pandemic. "The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century," [WHO Chief Margaret ]Chan told reporters. "The (swine flu) virus is now unstoppable." "The agency has stressed that most cases are mild and require no treatment, but the fear is that a rash of new infections could overwhelm hospitals and health authorities — especially in poorer countries."

He's Behind You, He's Got Swine Flu

jon_hansen — Sun, 10 May 2009 09:41:40 -0800

He's Behind You, He's Got Swine Flu. New video from The Streets: stupid fun, or smart commentary on social panic?

Flu Season Fashion

inkyroom — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:11:26 -0800

The flu craze might be reason to stay inside, but it's not stopping Mexicans from going out in style. It might even be the next fad north of the border, thanks to radio morning show DJs in cities such as Chicago. If you act now, you can submit your own design here just in time for Cinco de Mayo. But what do you know, some fashion designers already had the new fad planned out. But they can't ultimately claim the credit, for the Japanese have been putting their masks on for a long time.

God Bless Them.

hadjiboy — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:10:33 -0800

Question... What has killed more people than have died in the First World War... No, not another War, But a Pandemic, The Influenza Pandemic of 1918. It spread to nearly every Part of the World, and it is the worst Epidemic that the United States has ever known. Here are some of the stories of those who were lucky enough to Survive it, and here is an account of the Effect it had on London. (Posted before on Mefi, Here, and Here.)

Don't follow the walking dude

tylerfulltilt — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:01:31 -0800

Is Swine Flu Captain Trips? Probably not. But Mother Abigail's following is growing all the same.

I'm the healthiest 55 year old you'll ever see! I play golf every weekend!

miss lynnster — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:26:49 -0800

Get your swine flu shot! (Circa 1976)

The plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

KokuRyu — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:32:29 -0800

Experts at WHO and elsewhere believe that the world is now closer to another influenza pandemic than at any time since 1968. WHO uses a series of six phases of pandemic alert... The world is presently in phase 3: a new influenza virus subtype is causing disease in humans, but is not yet spreading efficiently and sustainably among humans. The outbreak of a variant of swine flu led federal officials to close Mexico City-area schools indefinitely - the first such shutdown since a devastating 1985 earthquake. At least 62 people have died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness in Mexico, according to WHO. Some of those who died are confirmed to have contracted a type of swine flu known as A/H1N1. That particular flu variant has not previously been seen in pigs or humans, though other types of H1N1 have. H1N1 is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus. H1N1 has mutated into various strains including the Spanish Flu strain (now extinct in the wild), mild human flu strains, endemic pig strains, and various strains found in birds. Pandemic concern: The virus appears to infect by human-to-human transmission, and has spread within Mexico and into the United States. Investigations of infected patients indicate no direct contact with swine, such as at a farm or agricultural fair. In contrast, for example, disease transmission in the last severe outbreak of influenza, the bird flu that peaked in 2006, was determined to be almost entirely from direct contact with birds. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the U.S. in San Diego County and Imperial County, California as well as in San Antonio, Texas. The majority of these cases have occurred in otherwise healthy young adults...Because there are human cases associated with an animal influenza virus, and because of the geographical spread of multiple community outbreaks, plus the somewhat unusual age groups affected, these events are of high concern. Mexican virus could throw wrench into North America's pandemic planning: Preparations based on assumption outbreak would surface in Asia, and take three months to arrive According to the tin foil hat brigade, there are solid reasons to suspect that this new Mexican Swine Flu is NOT a naturally occurring event but instead is an Advanced Biological Warfare recombination DNA genetically engineered virus. Google Flu Trends has no data yet on this latest threat.

Bring in 'da funk.

LordSludge — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:06:49 -0800

Celebrate flu season with Phage Wars. (Flash sick-in-bed Tuesday)

But will it work on the subset of searches sent via avian carriers?

grouse — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:03:26 -0800

Google Flu Trends brings us epidemiology through search analytics. The prevalence of certain search terms seems to be a good predictor of CDC flu reports a couple of weeks later. The New York Times has a story on this project.

Whoa, Nellie! The Great Epizootic of 1872

cenoxo — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:39:04 -0800

Running Like Wildfire — Imagine a national disaster that stopped 99% of American transportation in its tracks; shut down the country; halted shipping and trade; hobbled counter-insurgency operations, and helped Boston burn down. It spread from Canada southward to Cuba and westward to the Pacific, crippling all that Americans took for granted: their cities and towns; their supplies of food and consumer goods; their jobs, businesses, and the national economy. Such was the Great Epizootic of 1872.

Fighting the flu for 90 years

Knappster — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:05:28 -0800

Inspired by an episode of the short-lived TV series Medical Investigation, researchers have found that survivors of the 1918 influenza pandemic continue to make antibodies against the virus.

Anyone for the Global War on Flu?

athenian — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:41:29 -0800

The UK's national risk register is made public. It is kept updated by the secret squirrels in the Cabinet Office, and was previously kept under wraps. Pandemic flu and flooding beat out terrorism as the major risks facing the UK at the moment. Both are seen as less likely than a terrorist attack, but more devastating. The full pdf has a chart on page 7 showing the main risks on a grid.

Influenza in the Amazon

roofus — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:19:43 -0800

A British TV crew have been accused of spreading flu to a remote Peruvian tribe of 250 members, leading to 4 deaths. TV director Matt Currington (google cache) and team were researching for the Discovery channel in the Peruvian Amazon, when flu struck the Matsigenka people. Despite denials from the production company, US anthropologist Glen Shepherd has substantiated the allegations.

wash your hands (a PSA)

tarheelcoxn — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:24:23 -0800

Don't want the flu? Wash your hands! Washing your hands is not the only way to prevent the flu, but it's clearly important. Note that not all hand sanitizers are effective! Also, way to go ladies (90% of you, anyway). Guys, we need to catch up. Can you tell I'm home sick?

The end of influenza?

Kickstart70 — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:55:16 -0800

The end of influenza? New british vaccine may prevent ALL types of flu, savings thousands of lives (and sick days) each year.

If they'd had this website there'd have only been 6 dwarves

phearlez — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 15:01:49 -0800

Both Find a Flu Shot and Flu Clinic Locator will let you punch in a date & zip code and find a bunch of locations near you in the U.S. selling the vaccine. For the first time in three years there's plenty to go around. The CDC estimates that everyone who might want one will be able to get one. And you probably want one. According to wikipedia "36,000 people per year in the United States die from influenza, and 114,000 per year are admitted to a hospital as a result of influenza. According to estimates by the World Health Organization, between 250,000 and 500,000 die from influenza infection each year worldwide." That's 5 to 10 times as many civilian casualties as the Iraq conflict in 1/3 the time. [more inside]

Ba ba ba ba bird flu!

casconed — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:30:52 -0800

The "Bird flu dance" is "sweeping" Africa. Or at least the Ivory Coast. DJ Lewis created the dance (youtube warning) which was described in the BBC article as being "like a chicken with Parkinson's disease trying to dance to hip-hop". There are examples all over youtube (warning: here be lofi youtube videos).

Is H5N1 flu transitioning to human-to-human transmission?

chakalakasp — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 01:30:31 -0800

Is H5N1 flu transitioning to a human-to-human illness? Recent reports of familial clusters suggest that it may be, though there are certainly other possible explanations, such as families living in environments contaminated by virus-laden bird feces. On the other hand, it would seem that epidemiologists are growing increasingly interested in the possibility that these clusters are indicative of human-to-human transmissions. Further, the virus may be inching towards being asymptomatic, which isn't as good as it sounds: if people can carry the virus and transmit it to others without showing symptoms, it will be very difficult to impossible to tell who is a vector and highly difficult to control any emerging epidemic.

H5N1, shmaitch5N1

Eothele — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:35:05 -0800

Dengue in Texas. If it ain't the flu, it's the haemorrhagic fever. Disease info from WHO, CDC, Wikipedia.

Kobayashi Maru, what do you do?

Eideteker — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 21:32:17 -0800

Taiwan ignores drug patent - To save its people from a dangerous flu, Taiwan is synthesizing a vaccine without permission. This bears a striking resemblance to a classic moral dilemma of Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Kohlberg's theory is not without criticism, including gender bias, Western-centric thinking, and external validity. Simply knowing a person's decision doesn't tell you about their stage of development; you have to know the reasoning behind it, which is hard to come by in real world situations. Conversely, knowing a person's stage of moral development (even harder to come by in the real world) does not reliably predict their decision (moreso at the higher levels). Nor does Kohlberg's theory scale to what choices societies themselves make. Decision Making is a booming field of research, but how much research is being done on morality and group decision making? Not much. (initial article via /.)

Personal Pandemic Preparedness Plan

stbalbach — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 16:52:52 -0800

Personal Pandemic Preparedness Plan.

Pandemic Flu Awareness Week

grabbingsand — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 06:34:36 -0800

October 3-9 is Pandemic Flu Awareness Week. "Like hurricanes, when a pandemic occurs can not be accurately predicted. Nonetheless, that which can be done in advance should be done, because eventually something will happen. Planning can only help, even if at the local level it can’t prevent." (Avian Flu previously discussed here, here, here and here.)