- Joined
- Jun 13, 2007
- Messages
- 5,410
- Points
- 113
Well, maybe WB wasn't overreacting... ;D This is starting to spread pretty fast...
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an influenza pandemic that spread to nearly every part of the world. It was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin of the virus.[1] Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients. The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920,[2] spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. It is estimated that anywhere from [highlight]20 to 100 million peopl[/highlight]e were killed worldwide,[3] or the approximate equivalent of one third of the population of Europe,[4][5][6] more than double the number killed in World War I.[7] This extraordinary toll resulted from the extremely high illness rate of up to 50% and the extreme severity of the symptoms, suspected to be caused by cytokine storms. The pandemic is estimated to have affected up to one billion people: half the world's population at the time.[8]
Scientists have used tissue samples from frozen victims to reproduce the virus for study. Given the strain's extreme virulence there has been controversy regarding the wisdom of such research. Among the conclusions of this research is that the virus kills via a cytokine storm (overreaction of the body's immune system) which explains its unusually severe nature and the concentrated age profile of its victims. The strong immune systems of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults caused fewer deaths.
As of yesterday, the swine flu has killed 8 people. The regular flu kills ~36,000 in the US alone every year.
media hype
Out of those 36,000, how many are children?
Old thread, but its getting scary in T.O Canada. This thing is killing kids, very sad to see.
The lineups for the vaccine in both the USA and Can. are crazy.
Oh my! It's evolving into a SUPER ULTRA MEGA FLU!Also, (I'll have to look up the article again) this new strain of H1N1 has developed a lipoprotien that allows it to lie "flat" against the skin. Hand washing is not very effective in fighting it. Use hand sanitiser.
Peace,
dave
Oh my! It's evolving into a SUPER ULTRA MEGA FLU!
Ghia has a way for dealing with overcrowding. She is just not very kind when she acts to "balance" the populations again
Peace,
dave
Yes it's all coming back to me now. I believe it was 9th grade, environmental science, Mr. Ford's class. The oh-so-silly T4 bacteriophage:Are you ready for the REALLY frightening part?
Microbes such as virii have the ability to pass on such adaptations to other microbes they meet in the wild. They touch and swap a bit of DNA to "teach" each other what defenses they have developed.
Ghia has a way for dealing with overcrowding. She is just not very kind when she acts to "balance" the populations again
Peace,
dave
The children who died all had underlying medical conditions that made them more vulnerable to serious complications from the flu.
Also, (I'll have to look up the article again) this new strain of H1N1 has developed a lipoprotien that allows it to lie "flat" against the skin. Hand washing is not very effective in fighting it. Use hand sanitiser.
Peace,
dave