Anyone see the ‘crap your pants’ documentary on Bird Flue the other night.

They recon a pandemic could kick off within 3 week of the virus catching a piggy-back ride from the common bird flue. However, the drugs cannot be developed until the type of virus it turns into can be analysed. It will then take about 6 month to manufacture enough to immune the country.

The drug already in manufacture is based on a guess of what the flue will turn into, and they are only producing enough to supply to ‘important’ people, ie doctors, MPs and their friends.

They recon the UK death alone could be anywhere between 50,000 and 750,000.

How scary is that?

I’ve watched films and the like where people are facing death from pandemics, but never imagined that it may happen.

We were planning a trip to Vietnam in April. Think we should cancel it?

There was a similar "pandemic" alert over SARS a few years ago, that was meant to kill thousands of us too....were all still here, I wouldn't worry too much at the moment and I wouldn't go canceling any holidays.

Chances are if it gets here that the old and ill will be most at risk.

Also have a look at how many people each year die from the normal strain of Flu, I think you'll be surprised at the figures. The winter mortatlity figures alone are around 30,000 !!

This is a bit different though. The bird flue is the same as any other flue, except that it likes warmer temperatures. Whereas the common flue lives in the throat (relatively cool) the bird flue attacks the lungs (Warmer environment).
Unfortunately, like the common flue, it is extremely contagious and, like the common flue, can attack almost everyone within one winter. It also has the same characteristics in that it can mutate very quick, therefore being difficult to keep on top of. No true vaccine has been developed for the common cold or flue because of its ability to change.
Imagine if the common cold and flue was a killer of ‘normal’ people (ie not just the old).
A small break-out of the bird flue in 1918 killed mainly 18-30 yr olds.
It is a flue related pandemic that scientists and governments have been afraid of due to these characteristics.

I know this amount of info is a bit sad. I spent an evening with a bloke who is working on the vaccine in London. It was a riveting evening.

I did not watch the programme, as I am worried enough already. The only thing we can do is try to make sure our immune systems are in good working order, and if the bird flu does come - try not to go among large crowds of people, and avoid air conditioned atmospheres if possible. The longer it takes to get here, the more chance there will be of a treatment being avaialble. So, I would not be going anywhere that there have been reported deaths - but then I would not go abroad anyway, so what do I know.

Valid point about the SARS virus, thankfully that never got as bad as it might have. We can but hope the boffins will save us from this threat as well.

Meh, more Government scare-mongering... :loopy: :rant:

They got everyone into a panic about the Y2K bug, nothing happened, they got everyone's nappy in a niggle over SARS, nothing happened... Anyone sensing a pattern here? :rolleyes:

Stupid asshat Government! Blair is a ****.

What's the worry. Nothing we can do. It may kill us it probably won't. Why would the government be scare-mongering? It makes them look bad.