Media gets a case of Flu to cure Torture

[itsrobert]

We will have no more of this torture talk. We have the flu to cover. Scores of people in the US are showing symptoms. They may need to take Tylenol and eat some chicken soup.

[Bluebear]

1. Oh brother.

[Oregone]

2. So this flu is an orchestrated conspiracy?

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. No, it is a small epidemic in another country, which has slightly

touched our own (20 confirmed cases)

and the MEDIA is screaming PANDEMIC!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't that just a little overblown?

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. So the world health organization is part of the conspiracy?

Mind you the media has not used the word pandemic

They said it is possible

They also said the country has essentially activated the plan

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. I was home sick yesterday (not the flu, a gut bug) watching the news and CNN was

using the word 'pandemic' almost exclusively.

And the WHO is not calling it a pandemic, they are calling it an epidemic. It is a fairly serious one in Mexico, and barely touching the US.

If you accept that the media corporations are in the pocket of the right, it is not unbelievable that the media is whipping up hysteria to drown out stories they'd rather NOT cover.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Well CNBC did not use the word pandemic

and CNN did not during this morning when I happened to watch them

And lord knows I had them for a few hours in the background

And the WHO has said it has the POTENTIAL for pandemic, and the BBC has even quoted them in that sense

As to hysteria, a little tidbit, from being the PIO with the red cross

THey said the key words today

REMAIN CALM, DON'T PANIC

I count on some panic

It is so damn predictable I put it in the handbook, steer away from those words

[Oregone]

9. 20 confirmed cases spread out is nothing to scoff about really

Its more than SARS already. How many unconfirmed cases? How many people were in contact with them during incubation? Do you realize if each of those 20 spread it to just 5 people a day (before diagnoses), who in turn did the same, that we would have a serious issue on our hands?

Look, I have no idea. But going on confirmed cases with a virus in the early stages isn't the best way to gauge.

The media freaks out about EVERYTHING. Its common place. Some are warranted, and some aren't. But just because a little boy is crying wolf doesn't imply that there is none.

[naaman fletcher]

11. look..

I am a skeptic typically, but a good friend at a top medical research lab, who is also normally a skeptic, says that while they still don't know enough that that there is a good chance that this is the real deal and is going to kill a lot of people.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. In 1996 we got got talk to the good folks at WHO

first warnings and all for a bad flu season

Their expected worst case scenario casualties hit 500 millions with their modeling

Your friend is right, nothing to scuff at, and keep paying attention, I need to update my very crude cluster spread map... really bad habit of mine

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Do you also deny global warming?

I mean after all it could also cure torture

Now can you chew and walk at the same time?

I can

And you do understand this thing called NEWS CYCLE right?

[itsrobert]

4. O' Brother

I'm going out to kiss a Mexican. Living on the edge.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Just don't do it in the hot zone

and you SHOULD, for the moment, be fine

And stay away from me by the way... I was down there last week

And you know what? I love how people DENY science

[maryf]

6. I was just thinking what news aren't we hearing?

I ask it anytime a story gets this huge, not that its not a true story...

[aquart]

14. Did you think everything would stop while we dealt with ONE issue?

Or maybe it's you who can only cope with one thing at a time.