Swine Flu: The Pandemic That Wasn't

http://www.businessweek.com ^ | February 4, 2010 | By Arlene Weintraub, Andrea Gerlin, Dermot Doherty and Phil Serfino

[Maelstorm]

The swine flu pandemic didn't turn out to be the scourge international health agencies predicted. On Jan. 29 the World Health Organization declared that even though the H1N1 virus is still spreading in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, the number of confirmed cases worldwide is declining. About 14,000 deaths from swine flu have been reported. That's a tragic loss, but it's a small number considering that the run-of-the-mill seasonal flu kills up to 500,000 people each year, according to the WHO.

[Maelstorm]

No only did the swine flue turn out to be far less a problem than the regular flu. I think it is a good example of how people can be manipulated into a frenzy. I'm not against vaccinations but the hype around this was ridiculous and the rush could have placed some people in as much danger from the hastily produced vaccines and overreaching government violation of individual rights as from the disease.

[highlander_UW]

I'm glad my family didn't risk the shot...I figured it was a scam. Another Obama pay off to big pharma.

[CPT Clay]

Really!

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"I figured it was a scam. Another Obama pay off to big pharma. "

Once again...Imagine if the Bush administration had been behind all the hysteria of this...

[shadeaud]

Obammma lied and nobody died

[Obadiah]

Yep,the schools really pressed to get our kids vaccinated. No way. I refused to succumb to the herded panic.

Remember the avian (bird) flu that was supposed to kill millions? And hey,what about movie popcorn? Has anybody done anything about that killer?

[b4its2late]

Guess Not! But we had fun here on FR with it!

[highlander_UW]

It seems like people have the attention span of a hummingbird. What’s up with that?

[Maelstorm]

No one in my family did either and none of us have been seriously sick. I know one person whose son had the swine flu and though his whole family had antibodies none even got the sniffles. We really have to be careful because the threat of pandemic could easily be used to control a population in politically inconvenient times.

[Maelstorm]

Yes I do. The worst part about all this is that there was never any hard evidence that this flu would be more deadly than any other. The initial death counts from Mexico turned out to be inflated. I do believe in caution but the amount of rhetoric just got out of hand.

[Maelstorm]

lol That is so funny.

[highlander_UW]

We really have to be careful because the threat of pandemic could easily be used to control a population in politically inconvenient times.

You are correct. This time it was just a financial shake down of the American people, but it's very possible that round ups and quarantines could be down the road. Never underestimate a fascist like Obama and his Chicago gang.

[Siena Dreaming]

They tried this with SARS a few years ago. The public already forgot that and bought into this one with even more fervor.

[MaxMax]

I believe the frenzy was created to facilitate health care reform.
Like GW it turned on the chicken littles.

[Blueflag]

OK, we need to be epidemiologically correct here.

H1N1-A SOI was technically widespread enough to fit the definition of pandemic. The term does not imply lethality or mortality. The term applies to spread and prevalence in the population.

H1N1-A SOI was indeed a global pathogen of mild impact overall. Deaths were mostly from acute respiratory distress (i.e., bacterial pneumonia) as a secondary infection/illness.

NET: if you actually read the CDC website, you would have known this all along, that most were not at much risk of the “swine flu”. The MSM and various governments were misleading, willfully on this topic.

[kidd]

I’d be curious to hear how the usual seasonal flu faired before I start claiming “hoax”

Because of the much enhanced emphasis on washing hands and all of the hand sanitizers that can be found in every school, airport and secretary’s desk; I wonder if ALL types of flu were reduced, or just the H1N1 flu

IOW...did we just practice good hygene, or was the H1N1 flu overblown

[frogjerk]

I’m tearing up from laughter!

[conservative cat]

The latest thing people are being told is that “it is coming back.” I have had two people tell me that they were told that when I told them they were idiots for getting shots this week, after the pandemic that didn’t exist has already died off.

[Star Traveler]

A doctor just recommended a relative (who is pregnant) to get the swine flu shot, and she just did. And then, a bit later, she is supposed to get the seasonal flu shot. I guess they put her at the top of the list for getting those shots since she is pregnant.

With me, however, I’ve never gotten a flu shot at any time... and it’s been a good many years that I’ve been around, too [i.e., if I died now, they would say it was of old age... LOL..] ...

[chuck_the_tv_out]

"It seems like people have the attention span of a hummingbird. What’s up with that?"

Overworked & overdebted. But things are getting better. I'm still convinced America has a chance.

[gopno1]

I got excoriated on here by a bunch of people when this thing was at it’s peak because I said I wasn’t going to worry about it. It’s too bad those people bought into the frenzy..oh well.

[highlander_UW]

i.e., if I died now, they would say it was of old age... LOL..]

If you died now you'd probably be voting for democrats in Nov.

[Star Traveler]

Are you trying to give me nightmares? :-)

[highlander_UW]

Are you trying to give me nightmares? :-)

LOL...maybe it's best not to have an obituary in the paper...make it harder for ACORN to get your name.

[immadashell]

Okay, by the numbers. It was reported by Breitbart that slightly more than 14,000 people died worldwide with approximately half (7,166) being North Americans. Assuming 90% of the total 7,166 were citizens of the U.S. that would mean 6,450 U.S. citizens died. Given the current estimated population of the U.S. as 308million that would calculate a .020942 per 1,000 death rate from the swine flu. Folks, the murder rate in the U.S. is .042805 per 1,000.

[OldMissileer]

It seems like people have the attention span of a hummingbird. What’s up with that?

I have an attention span of.....a........uh.......What were you saying again?

[BJClinton]

I had it. As far as flues go it was pretty wimpy.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

The injuries and health problems from the vaccines will be FAR worse and more costly.

[jmaroneps37]

http://www.collinsreport.net/2010/02/03/n1h1-scare-another-united-nations-leftist-hoax-the-numbers-say-absolutely/

[GailA]

Hubby and I saw our doc today, annual visit, his nurse said a lot of their patients who had the h1n1 had bad reactions to them including convulsions.