Swine Flu Pandemic - Death Rates Soar In Buenos Aires

[MataHari]

Argentina is now ranking first with H1N1 fatal cases:

1/ Argentina: 409 reported death for 8356 cases.

2/ USA: 379 death for 52209 cases.

3/ Mexico: 292 death for 28471 cases.

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/

[Wild Walleye]

They did! At least, they were supposed to. I've noticed official posters from the department of health here, usually in bathrooms, that talk about making sure you wash your hands real well and that it is unsafe to kiss, either male or female, on the cheeck. Best to hold off on social norms for the duration of the crisis. They have a couple of other points and give a hotline number to call if you have questions.

If I remember right, one of them was posted in the bathroom at Cafe Orleans.

Of course, I think most ignore it.

I think I saw one that pointed out that H1N1 is not transmitted via mouth to genital contact and was therefore encourage more kissing of genitalia.

[El Queso]

All the Argies stop for a period of time, all the cheek kissing!

They did! At least, they were supposed to. I've noticed official posters from the department of health here, usually in bathrooms, that talk about making sure you wash your hands real well and that it is unsafe to kiss, either male or female, on the cheeck. Best to hold off on social norms for the duration of the crisis. They have a couple of other points and give a hotline number to call if you have questions.

If I remember right, one of them was posted in the bathroom at Cafe Orleans.

Of course, I think most ignore it.

[Wild Walleye]

All the Argies stop for a period of time, all the cheek kissing!

No joke. I didn't feel well upon my return and had mild, flu like symptoms. It took a while for the symptoms to fade but upon further contemplation, my physician says that the only thing going around like that right now is miss piggy flu. Never bothered getting tested (I was afraid that with Obama care they would euthanize a right-wing extremist with pig flu) Just didn't feel well for a few days.

[Hubbster]

It's a good thing I have a surgical mask fetish. There's nothing hotter than a cute little Paraguayan spinner sporting a mask. They're even good as mono-bras and, if clipped right, a thong.

Please, people: all health experts say that the symptoms are just like any other flu. Has anyone here ever let an ordinary flu stop them? I didn't think so.

Yes, its totally BS. Where is the data on these 100s of people who died in Argentina?

Around the world out of a pop of 6 Billion about 800 people have died.

I spoke to 2 well respected DRs in the US. Both told me this is a flu like any other and is only potentially fatal if you are 1) Newborn 2) Very old 3) Have a comprimised immune system.

Other than that you can expect cold symptoms, maybe a fever, coughing, and some diahrea or vomiting at the very worst.

More likely the world media and govts want to use this to scare people into changing some behavior the powers that be don't like

[Stan Da Man]

More evidence that all this commotion -- the masks, the hue and cry, the worldwide vigilance -- is preposterous. I just don't get why this is getting so much attention. If anything, the focus should be on why this new strain of influenze kills so few people as compared with other new strains. Here's the latest:

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina has the most swine flu deaths outside the United States, but the virus is still killing fewer people than normal seasonal flu — good news for a world waiting to see how it evolves in the southern winter.

And despite fears that the virus will mutate and turn more deadly, genetic sequencing shows this influenza remains virtually identical to what is circulating in the U. S. And Mexico, making it more likely that a single vaccine can work around the world.

With more than a month still to go in the southern winter flu season, swine flu infections have peaked in Argentina. Doctor visits by people with flu symptoms have declined sharply. Hospital beds are available for the first time in weeks.

The A-H1N1 virus has probably spread so widely now that there are fewer susceptible people left to infect, flu experts say. And while the global epidemic is still in its early stages, there have been no signs of resistance to antiviral drugs in Argentina, so it's possible that Tamiflu will remain effective in patients who get timely treatment.

The bad news: Young healthy people are getting sicker and dying more often than other age groups, just like they are elsewhere in the world.

"Compared to other influenzas, the death toll won't be any greater, but we are probably going to see a much greater impact on the young," said Dr. Vilma Savy, who runs the respiratory virus service at Argentina's National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Argentina is among several countries that stopped publishing its death toll. Health Minister Juan Manzur called it misleading, since only serious cases get tested. But an Associated Press survey of provincial reports found at least 248 swine flu deaths. That's high compared to the 353 confirmed deaths in the United States, which has seven times more people, and far higher than any of Argentina's South American neighbors.

Dr. Elsa Baumeister, who is coordinating the institute's swine flu response, says it's too early to relax.

"The numbers are still quite raw," she said. "We have to be careful."

Manzur estimates more than 100,000 Argentines have swine flu right now — a number Baumeister believes is quite conservative. That would result in a mortality rate of less than 0.2 percent, well below Argentina's death rate of 0.27 percent from seasonal flu last year.

Meanwhile, with winter only months away in the Northern Hemisphere, wealthy countries have already reserved vast quantities of vaccines and antiviral drugs for their citizens. Many fear the developing world will be left out, and can ill afford to buy the expensive drugs in any case.

Argentina's president, Cristina Fernandez, wants the World Health Organization to guarantee their availability to poorer countries — and to enlist labs in Argentina and Brazil to help produce swine flu vaccines.

"We're confronting a situation in which the needs of millions of people cannot be subordinated to economic interests," Fernandez declared at a South American trade summit last week.

The two Argentine strains sequenced so far — taken from a gravely ill patient and another who hardly suffered — were isolated at the institute's level 3 biohazard laboratory — one of very few in Latin America capable of handling the world's most dangerous pathogens. The lab is now dedicated to swine flu, confirming 300 or more infections a day.

This same institute, nearly a century old, responded to the 1918 flu pandemic and produced smallpox vaccines that helped save a generation of soldiers years later. Savy's plan is to enlist the WHO and use the swine flu pandemic as leverage to boost Argentina's capacity to make a variety of vaccines for other killer diseases as well.

Argentina initially downplayed the pandemic. Fernandez hardly mentioned it before the nation's June 28 midterm elections, and resisted declaring a health crisis even as deaths mounted and the public health system was swamped. Tourism plunged — the number of airplane passengers from Brazil dropped by half, and Argentina's winter resorts have been empty.

But the government responded forcefully in July — closing schools weeks early for the winter holiday and giving pregnant women and other vulnerable workers 15 paid days off. As hospitals set up extra beds in waiting rooms and hallways and bought extra respirators to handle the caseload, Manzur took the nation's supply of antiviral drugs out of private pharmacies and made 2 million courses of Tamiflu available for free at public hospitals.

Few Argentines wear masks now, but many remain wary. Absenteeism is expected to be so high when schools reopen Monday in Buenos Aires that Manzur vowed to send social workers to the homes of children who don't show up. Brazil also extended its winter school holiday, but swine flu fears are keeping millions of students there at home as well.

Some cherished traditions have suffered. In a culture where male and female friends alike greet each other with a kiss on the cheek, people keep a wary distance. Many won't even share their mate (pronounced MAH-teh) the omnipresent herbal drink that Argentines usually pass around and sip through a common metal straw.

"Only with family and close friends," rancher Julio Fernandez said as he shared a large mate while tending to his prize bull at La Rural, Argentina's largest annual agricultural fair. "It's a symbol of friendship — you can't take that away — but you also have to be careful with this influenza."

Link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...1VtrgD99PK0MG0

[DblGear]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

[El Queso]

Viruses by nature are antibiotic resistant since they are not bacteria. Doctors commonly prescribe an antibiotic for a flu patient just to pacify thier demand for some type of treatment. This overuse of antibiotics can then allow bacteria to become resistant, something that's already becoming a huge problem.

They can also be necessary, because if a bacterial infection is being passed around at the same time someone contracts a virus, the virus could leave the body much more susceptible to the bacterial infection. If a relatively simple sinus infection goes from there to bronchitis to pneumonia, the antibiotics could be necessary.

However, I completely agree with you about antibiotics. They are too easily prescribed, the bacteria mutates, and we have bigger troubles coming because they are not very effective at that point at saving lives.

[Rainot]

Something's definitely wrong about this flu. All the media coverage, so few deaths (in comparison to other illnesses) all the paranoia. Of course some labs are making a lot of money out of this. Makes one wonder. Was this released on purpose? Really, disease travels really fast across borders. Hell, just take a look at all the global flights per day and you'll come to realize that it may only take two days or less to spread some disease all over the world (provided it's contagious enough) Maybe they just wanted to see how fast they could sell their products, and already knew that there would be a small death toll.

Another thing to talk about is misinformation. Masks don't do jacksh*t, hell, they may even be the reason you catch the flu. Everybody started using the masks, but only ppl who HAD the illness were supposed to wear them, to avoid spreading the virus. Anyways, the filtering effect of the mask will last only a few hours, cause it rapidly builds moisture and after that it's useless.

Also, what the media fails to inform is that most of the deaths (around 80% here in Argentina - as I've just seen in a news report -) weren't caused just by the "swine flu" but also because the deceased had another deadly decease or condition (pneumonia, diabetes, etc. So ppl need to relax about this, you won't die if you catch a flu, unless there's something else already screwing up your body.

[Tequila Tim]

As you say, it has been mild so far, however, that could change any minute, apparently a more virulent and antibiotic resistant variation is developing as we speak so it is hard to foresee the future. With a bit luck it will not mutate into a more virulent strain.

Viruses by nature are antibiotic resistant since they are not bacteria. Doctors commonly prescribe an antibiotic for a flu patient just to pacify thier demand for some type of treatment. This overuse of antibiotics can then allow bacteria to become resistant, something that's already becoming a huge problem.

[Whiskas]

There have been a number of otherwise healthy young people that have died from H1N1 (including a 20-something friend of the family) However, while H1N1 has been easy to spread, for the most part, it has been symptomatically mild.

As you say, it has been mild so far, however, that could change any minute, apparently a more virulent and antibiotic resistant variation is developing as we speak so it is hard to foresee the future. With a bit luck it will not mutate into a more virulent strain.

[Wild Walleye]

You had it and should not be susceptible to catching the same strain again. These things do change and it is possible that you could catch a different variant of swine flu. That said, when you get a flu shot, you are only getting protection from one variant of influenza. That is the one that 'the powers that be' decided was the most likely strain to be a problem during the current flu season (although the decision was made months before the current season because they have to manufacture the inoculation before the flu season hits full stride).

There have been a number of otherwise healthy young people that have died from H1N1 (including a 20-something friend of the family). However, while H1N1 has been easy to spread, for the most part, it has been symptomatically mild. That doesn't do any good for those who have lost loved ones to it.

[Tmontana]

As what will be happening in August and Sept. When the flu season peaks in Argentina and then makes a reappearance in Norte America. I have already had this flu. Was in my lungs. I was sick in May 09 to the 21st. My nephew had it in June (15 to 27) A doctor told me up here that if you have had the flu this year (2009) it was swine flu because there is no other flu they have seen. Plus, only confirmed cases get reported as a statistic. I was not a confirmed case. My 19 year old nephew was. He was taken to the hospital suffering from acute chest pains. Like a heart attack. They diagnosed he was infected with swine flu (later) and that for some reason the flu had attacked the lining around his heart and the localized artery area. They put him in the Ottawa Heart Institute. I was visiting with him when they thought it was some kind of juvenile heart problem when the doctor came in wearing a mask saying my nephew had the swine flu, that he was now in quarantine and that we should register with the nurses station and leave them our personal info so they could track any infection in our family! I was visiting with my 20 year old son! THAT my friends is close to home. What bothers me is that this coming flu season it might keep changing and keep getting more virulent. Some say this is happening. Personally I hope I did have the swine flu already but not knowing perhaps I did not. Who knows really. Lets just hope it burns itself out and keep an eye on what is happening abroad. I like many of you travel a lot. It will be impossible to avoid exposure but at least I know if it changes and becomes a reaper I can at least stop traveling and go to ground for a while.

[Wild Walleye]

Poorly written and horribly translated but maybe useful info!

Now the chicas will be making us wear masks while fucking them!

Most of them should anyway!

We will be asking ¨con o sin mascara? ¨

TL

I am working on developing a mask with a hole in the middle that will allow BSGCM (bucal sin global con mascara) or BBBJWM hopefully TCIM.

I will be looking for female subjects to try them out. If there are any production delays, I will still be looking for the female subjects, we can practice the BBBJTCIM part to make sure we have it right when the new masks are available.

[El Queso]

Here's a somewhat better link. No statistics, but they are starting to freak out a little and are definitely closing schools, though no mention was made of businesses in the article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124642190802178481.html