Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: There is History

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  • Lucy Stewart,

    But I'm not seeing this anywhere else. I wonder where they got it from.

    The US figure is definitely wrong - although there have been six *cases* (not deaths) in Canada, maybe a mix-up there? Morning Report were saying 150 deaths in Mexico, though, which is quite a sharp increase.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    Nice. If that's the word ...

    I'm starting to think this whole "Web 2.0" thing might have some legs, after all... ;-)

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Brent Jackson,

    But surely they could spell Auckland correctly, and find out where the Waikato is !

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    Still it was interesting to observe the senior health officials today emphasizing the importance of media coverage in getting the safety message out.

    I have to say, the Heralds actual reporting hasn't been too bad (and I did see a Newstalk ZB release cut'n'pasted on there). Far better than the over-wrought nonsense on Stuff (stuff had the word 'panic' on their front page first thing this morning. Fortunately someone's removed it).

    It's just a shame they had to merrily shoot themselves in both feet by opening it up to 'your views'. Way to trivialise the issue to the level of 'who should win dancing with the stars', guys.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Well, either someone at Nightline knows something the rest of the world doesn't, or...someone at Nightline was half-asleep when they put that graphic together. Any bets on which?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole,

    I imagine that Nightline graphic will go down in history with the Chicago Tribune's infamous faux pas declaration of Truman's election defeat.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    Has there been any increase in the 76 confirmed cases worldwide, and 20 confirmed swine flu deaths (all in Mexico), that Wikipedia is reporting? That seems to be largely based on CNN & AP sources, and while the number of "attributed" deaths and "possible" cases keeps on rising, I don't think I've seen any increase in the confirmed figures.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Lyndon Hood,

    http://xkcd.com/574/

    Title text:

    "Bad flu epidemics can hit young adults hardest because they provoke their powerful immune systems into overreaction, so to stay healthy spend the next few weeks drunk and sleep-deprived to keep yours suppressed."

    Swine flu outbreak - Journalists' questions answered

    20: Are we all going to die?

    A: Yes but probably not of flu and more probably not of this virus.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report

  • Knowledge Bro,

    It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
    it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
    it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
    it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
    it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
    we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
    we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct
    the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present
    period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its
    being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree
    of comparison only.

    Hmmm.

    Behind the fridge • Since Mar 2009 • 58 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    That's knowledge, bro.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    I suppose it might be too much to hope that
    it's all just a "viral" marketing push for a reissue of Stephen King's The Stand or perhaps a new Greg Bear book...?

    Has anyone started a PhageBook yet?
    (this initiative is offered up for nurturing by The Idea Orphanage - free to the universe)

    yrs
    Captain Trips
    & the Blue Meanies

    PS: The Terry Gilliam "12 Monkeys" award for best Post-Python Phlu Pun must go to Tom Beard

    It wouldn't be the first time that someone has turned swine into spam.

    - nice!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Blake Monkley,

    Flashback to 1976.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 215 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen,

    Regarding aerosol vs contact transmission.

    I'm very aware that flu is transmitted by aerosol (coughing etc) and that most sites you visit will talk about this transmission as being the dominant.

    The reason I talk about contact as being the dominant is from my time as a virology MSc student. Which is to say some time ago and feel free to listen to practicing virologists and not me.

    At the time we had a number of conversations about transmission of viruses and the consensus amongst the people I trust was that yes you get flu from aerosols - but only if you happen to be around when someone coughs or sneezes. The virus does not hang in the air for hours and hours and you can't really walk into a room that someone sneezed in an hour ago and get infected. Same for planes, which filter the air pretty well.

    But you can touch a door handle (say on an airplane toilet) and transfer infective virus several hours after the infected person was there. The virus is now on your hands and will die there unless you touch your nose eyes or mouth, at which point, bingo you win the prize of 3-10 days of feeling miserable.

    So in the end us virologists decided that about the best thing you can do is wash your hands - lots. It also helps to not rub your eyes or nose.

    It is harder to avoid breathing.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Jan Farr,

    Mark, 3410, Sacha, Tom and Russell - I bow to your greater experience adn internet savvy. Am currently singing Happy Birthday and washing my hands.

    Carterton • Since Apr 2008 • 395 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen,

    Has anyone started a PhageBook yet?

    That would just be wrong...

    Unless you think of us as mere vehicles for the perpetuation of the billions of bacteria that inhabit us all.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen,

    I hope you have a waterproof keyboard Jan

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • Jan Farr,

    I hope you have a waterproof keyboard Jan

    Whoops!

    Carterton • Since Apr 2008 • 395 posts Report

  • Matthew Reid,

    WHO alert level now four

    South Africa • Since Nov 2006 • 80 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    WHO alert level now four

    Wake me when it reaches 11.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    If they're not doing colours up to red, it won't work for me as an alert system.

    Unless they put DEFCON in front of it. That'd help.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    We're at terror alert orange! Which means something might go down somewhere in some way at some point in time.
    So look sharp!

    (Hey, those incessant repeats of the same clips on Comedy Central came in handy!)

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    Wake me when it reaches 11.

    It goes up to 11?

    But seriously, accoridng to the WHO, "Phase 4 is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause “community-level outbreaks.” The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. [my emphasis] Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion."

    I'm awake.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Unless you think of us as mere vehicles for the perpetuation of the billions of bacteria that inhabit us all.

    Hell yes! I am proudly a colony!
    Macro-shoulder to micro-shoulder with my symbiosisters and brothers
    A standing wave, a bio-energetic eddy
    of co-existent cell clusters,
    a frequency flyer and resonancy boy...
    all hail the dominant biomass on the planet...

    (how else am I gonna synthesise folic acid or break down the bulk of the organic matter I send to my system - my little gut buddies do all the work - fermental as anything!)

    Maybe Timothy Leary was right
    and DNA just wants to get off the planet
    ...we are the toolbox...
    - Bacteria the future!

    We may be the perfect hosts, but ya have to leave the party sometime, right?
    After DNA-Mince anyone?
    or am i merely having a plasmid-life crisis?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    I must caution you, Ian, that's a dangerous amount of awesome for one post.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

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