Asia prepares for bird flu pandemic; experts pessimistic

NewsTarget.com ^ | 2/4/2005 | Staff

[ex-Texan]

Read More Reports by scrolling down.

[blam]

I guess those face masks I got for SARS isn't gonna do me any good?

[NRA2BFree]

I saw that on world news tonight. It could get very bad. I heard on Albuquerque news last night that NM had 2 deaths from the flu this past week. It's very late starting this year. The two people who died were adults but not seniors. That's pretty scary.

[Domestic Church]

Ping for the falcons...

[ex-Texan]

Chinese 'New Year' celebrations have the potential of setting off Asian epidemics or perhaps even worse. The farmers take their birds to market for the celebrations. In small towns, hundreds of not thousands will be brought in from the country. Cock fighting abounds in Asia.

[rmmcdaniell]

And if millions of people die around the world, we should nuke the rest of these idiots who caused this disease by co-habiting with livestock.

[rmmcdaniell]

And if millions of people die around the world, we should nuke the rest of these idiots who caused this disease by co-habiting with livestock.

[NRA2BFree]

And if millions of people die around the world, we should nuke the rest of these idiots who caused this disease by co-habiting with livestock.

LOL!

[NRA2BFree]

Chinese 'New Year' celebrations have the potential of setting off Asian epidemics or perhaps even worse. The farmers take their birds to market for the celebrations. In small towns, hundreds of not thousands will be brought in from the country. Cock fighting abounds in Asia.

It could jump around the world in a very short time. I'm surprised that some disease didn't come out after the tsunami. I think we may have dodged the bullet on that one.

[ex-Texan]

Please pardon me, but, admittedly, I'm a bit of a conspiracy buff (conspiracies work because they are secret). I thought SARS was only a test by Beijing of WHO scientists and U.S. prevention protocols. China was not cooperating with WHO investigators and at one point even imprisoned hundreds of patients in military hospitals and allowed them to die in secret. In the end, Beijing blamed civet cats, exotic racoons, rats and fleas for the SARS epidemic raging through trashy apartments. Now Beijing has set up WHO again; they will blame chickens and migratory foul for spreading this disease!

Asian Bird Flu has a 73% fatality rate. Again, I am inclined to believe that it is no accident that the Bird Flu has suddenly mutated. China, N. Korea and Vietnam may be heading down the long, hard road of exotic global pandemics as just a means to an end.

Oh, well . . . Whatever. I am just a guy living in the Peoples' Republic of Oregon.

[Judith Anne]

Thanks for the ping. I think I'll go find out who makes Tamiflu, and where the company is located....BRB

[steve86]

Someone on CE said Tamiflu is OTC some countries and can be purchased online. Might as well add it to my next simvastatin order.

[Judith Anne]

Tamiflu, which has shown some signs of being at least partially effective against H5N1 in humans, must be given within 48 hours of the beginning of flu symptoms.

Tamiflu takes about a year to manufacture. Roche makes it. I don't think they can make enough to make a difference...and I don't trust China to report human-to-human transmission...

[steve86]

I guess those face masks I got for SARS isn't gonna do me any good?

Why do you say that? Is there something I missed? AFAIK, the N95 and N100/P100 masks, if fitted properly, give near 100% protection against influenza virus-sized particles.

[Judith Anne]

Wonder how much it costs?

I have a cold right now, my first in well over 5 years. My daughter, who is 30 yo, and physically in better shape, gave it to me, but she is much sicker, now with bronchitis...

[steve86]

NM had 2 deaths from the flu this past week.

Bear in mind that has next to nothing to do with the N5 avian flu.

[steve86]

Keep hitting up the Sambucol. I seemed to have stopped several things with it this year. Also am taking Oil of Oregano.

[Judith Anne]

I found Tamiflu available for $110 for ten doses--supposed to take 2 a day for 5 days.

[steve86]

I think the CE post quoted something like $60 or $80 for ten doses. Sometimes they add on a lot for express international shipping.

[Judith Anne]

I'm on the mend, almost over it. I don't take anything special, I just don't get a cold very often. This is the only one I can actually recall, so I'm guessing it's been more than 5 years.