Swine flu: debate on media hype

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Swine flu: debate on media hype
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bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 7:58 am Post subject:

resistance is fertile wrote:

Its Diarrhoea, 90% of which is caused by faecally contaminated food or water due to a simple lack of any sanitation at all among around 2.6 billion people.

It is strange how the world health authourities go into a panic when some of its more 'developed' citizens might get flu, but that the UN hasnt even had a dedicated department or been willing to prioritise simple sanitation issues.

This is very true, the fact the the lack of relatively simple infrastructure kills so many is terrible

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 9:55 am Post subject:

Gervase wrote:

We're all going to die!

(most of us between 70.8 years and 83.47 years, barring accidents, angry partners and stupidity).
Interestingly, most of the journalists writing about the pandemic will die younger than average (which is one reason why newspaper pension funds have always been so juicy; given that so many hacks keel over from self-abuse before they can trouser the dosh. Cap'n Bob wasn't that daft).

Didn't I already say that?

mark

Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 10:24 am Post subject:

I was very amused to listen to TV and radio last night ..

Long discussion on several programs on both about "media hype" of the "swine flu crisis"

It amused me that it was following the usual media pattern of use all the available material - then find some people who think it is all hype" and start a discussion about the effect of the the media - and manage to strect the story even further.

It works quite well from the media point of view - as people seem to be entertained by this discussion - as witness the length of this thread!!!

But I do sometimes wonder if the media is in danger of disappearing up its own fundament.

Another stupid comment I heard was :-
"It might turn out to be like "bird flu" and be crying wolf"
- bird flu is still a danger and care needs to be taken to monitor it. Mutations and crossovers don't always happen immediately. And the precautions already taken may well have spared us earlier problems.

Hundreds of people dying in Mexico, and a country like Mexico pretty much shutting down economy is a major news story in its own right (even without the pandemic threat) - so I don't mind the news.
Its the endless uninformed speculation that drives me nut and media navel gazing that drives me nuts.
But I'd ratehr watch it than big brother or yet another program about a group of fame hungry celebrity wannabes being manipulated to do something or orther on Island or in a jungle, which seems to be the main alternative to media to watching the news!

LOL

Mark

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 10:29 am Post subject:

mark wrote:

Its the endless uninformed speculation that drives me nut and media navel gazing that drives me nuts.

This of course is the problem

A lot of things about this new strain of flu aren't clear. It is certainly spreading relatively rapidly about the world but how serious a threat it poses really isn't certain and in some respects all the speculation does more harm than good

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 10:40 am Post subject:

mark wrote:

It works quite well from the media point of view - as people seem to be entertained by this discussion - as witness the length of this thread!!!

No one has said that any of the health scare stories are not news worthy but media coverage is far from just keeping us informed, as you say, and it is that which has driven this thread, not the entertainment value (speaking for myself here).

gnome

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 730

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 5:56 pm Post subject:
150 people are suspected to have died of it in Mexico - and it seems to have reached it's peak. considering the size of the population, this is not a very high death rate. you are more likely to be struck by lightening. flu can be lethal, and it is very likely that a major flu pandemic will break out that will kill millions - but not this time around

stewie

Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Posts: 6

Posted: Mon May 04, 09 7:17 am Post subject:

The sad thing is that the deaths in Mexico were not really due to the swine flu but to the bad medical infrastructure down there. If they could have provided medication to the affected, there would have been no deaths. In the US we won't have any problems to fight the virus since simple flu medication can be used. You can even order medication like Tamiflu online and treatment is so easily accessible in the US. It seems that the virus wasn't detected early enough and that led to the tragic cases in Mexico.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon May 04, 09 10:01 am Post subject:
An interesting point I heard made though was that this is how the 1918 flu started with a small number of deaths and seeming relatively mild

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon May 04, 09 6:32 pm Post subject:
Ben Goldacre has some interesting points on Swine Flu and the media

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Mon May 04, 09 7:01 pm Post subject:

bagpuss wrote:

An interesting point I heard made though was that this is how the 1918 flu started with a small number of deaths and seeming relatively mild

I think that it was also very bad because it was spread by soldiers coming home from the war, wasn't it? My Granny had it and nearly died.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon May 04, 09 7:30 pm Post subject:

Chez wrote:

bagpuss wrote:

An interesting point I heard made though was that this is how the 1918 flu started with a small number of deaths and seeming relatively mild

I think that it was also very bad because it was spread by soldiers coming home from the war, wasn't it? My Granny had it and nearly died.

These days because so many people fly it probably would be even easier to spread something like that though

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue May 05, 09 4:36 pm Post subject:

bagpuss wrote:

Chez wrote:

bagpuss wrote:

An interesting point I heard made though was that this is how the 1918 flu started with a small number of deaths and seeming relatively mild

I think that it was also very bad because it was spread by soldiers coming home from the war, wasn't it? My Granny had it and nearly died.

These days because so many people fly it probably would be even easier to spread something like that though

Most people have hotels, rather than trenches, though however in some package holiday cases, that might not be much different.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6634
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Wed May 06, 09 3:20 am Post subject:
media aside, three cases of H1N1 have been confirmed near my college, and recently we got an email saying: "A student with flu symptoms was evaluated at Health Services on Tuesday, May 5, and was asked as a precaution to remain in isolation until the student is no longer contagious to others." isolation? what's that mean?

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed May 06, 09 8:30 am Post subject:
I wonder if getting swine flu NOW might not be too bad a thing in a developed country - the authorities are on full alert, there are plenty of resources available to treat sufferers and, if you survive (which you almost certainly will), you'll be immune and better placed to cope with the consequences of a large-scale outbreak...

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Wed May 06, 09 10:28 am Post subject:

marigold wrote:

I wonder if getting swine flu NOW might not be too bad a thing in a developed country - the authorities are on full alert, there are plenty of resources available to treat sufferers and, if you survive (which you almost certainly will), you'll be immune and better placed to cope with the consequences of a large-scale outbreak...

Yep, and getting vaccinated for pnemonia

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