Posted on 10/27/2005 1:05:01 PM PDT by emiller
I am still trying to figure out how to dress up as the Avian Flu for Halloween.
So the human form should soon start to appear in San Francisco?
I'm sure that will come as a surprise to the 67-odd people killed by H5N1.
A chimney with bird wings?
Great idea! It will be so much easier to send in the shipments when the pandemic starts, what with people at Fed Ex and UPS all being subject to the same pandemic, rather than increasing production now to fill demand (and make a few bucks).
People really shouldn't hoard fire extinguishers until fire season starts, either, and they shouldn't buckle up until the van in the oncoming lane swerves into their own lane. They also shouldn't buy a gun until they are taken hostage in their own home. Don't worry, the government will protect you.
I like your last paragraph.
The day that changes will be a day too late to decide to start "stockpiling" tamiflu.
All the know varieties of H5N1 are extremely virulent but very difficult to catch. The big fear is that it will mutate into form that is easily transmissable and STILL as virulent. Have you seen any scientist give any scientifically valid odds on this happening? All I read are folks saying it's inevitable. I am skeptical of this. Plus, if it could happen anytime from 10 days ago till 50 years from now, what are we supposed to do with that information?
What about insurance? Should I buy it for my house? It hasn't burned yet.
If that's not strong advice TO stockpile, I don't know what is.
Thank you. Care to apply to be my translator?
Your welcome. I excel at simplicity. :)
It's neither a big deal nor "paranoid" to attach bookshelves to the wall, to put a strap around your water heater, to have a few gallons of bottled water, etc., to minimize damage and increase survivability in the event of earthquake. In the same way that it's not a big deal to buy a course or two of tamiflu and put it in the medicine cabinet.
Let's be clear that if a big quake does come through, the authorities will be thankful for every person who doesn't become an urgent care/triage patient immedately, to say nothing of everyone's value of their saving their own lives. I would posit that if the pandemic does begin, the authorities will be thankful in the same way for every single person who does ward off the disease by means of "hoarded" tamiflu, and doens't come crying to them for tamiflu now, or on stretchers (or in bodybags). But, apparently, Roche doesn't want to entertain this.
No, there's no need to buy insurance until either the thieves are in it, the earthquake, flood, or fire has begun, or the tornado has just passed your neighbor's house. Any sooner than that, and you're just hoarding insurance - taking it away from someone who needs it now, you sick, evil person.
(/sarcasm, obviously)
Q: Will it be easier for authorities to contain an outbreak if 10% of the population already had treatment waiting in their medicine cabinet, or if no one did?
Q: Will the eventual supply of tamiflu be more if they start making it now at increased levels, to fill the current demand, or if they continue production at historic levels, and only increase production when flu season starts?
Exchange of bodily fluids, similar to transmission of HIV. (Mere skin contact won't do it.) There is one case of daughter-to-mother transmission of bird flu, IIRC.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.