# The swine flu - whatever happened to it?



## RMCF (30 May 2010)

I always take any of these scares with a massive pinch of salt, but the hype last year was amazing on this. I remember hearing how it was going to hit half the population, schools would be empty, factories struggling for staff.

Load of bunkum, eh?


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## mathepac (30 May 2010)

Keep taking the salt, it'll protect you better against imaginary pandemics than the stuff the drug pedlars sell. 

Was this "swine flu" thing launched by the same PR crowd that sold Blair and Bush the WMD nonsense?


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## ajapale (30 May 2010)

[broken link removed]

when I googled "What happened to the swine flu" the article above was the first to popup.

"The severe *Spanish Flu* virus of 1918 initially retreated and then resurged killing nearly 40  million people. 

In the spring there was a significant wave of illness,  but in the following fall, the virus resurged and brought about an even  more serious second wave of illness."




RMCF said:


> Load of bunkum, eh?


I blame ill informed lazy journalism.


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## UFC (30 May 2010)

I always assumed it was nonsense (anyone remember SARS? Avian Flu? CJD?) but sadly it seems I was in the minority. It never ceases to amaze me how gullbile humans are. It's actually reached the stage where I think we've evolved to be gullible so a small few can be in control and everyone else can be sheep...!


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## boaber (30 May 2010)

UFC said:


> I always assumed it was nonsense (anyone remember SARS? Avian Flu?* CJD?*) but sadly it seems I was in the minority. It never ceases to amaze me how gullbile humans are. It's actually reached the stage where I think we've evolved to be gullible so a small few can be in control and everyone else can be sheep...!



Agree totally.  The 'authorities' are still wary of CJD.  Would love to donate blood but as I am from the North then I'm told 





> Unfortunately, because of the risk of variant CJD you are unable to give blood


  What a load of bunkum!


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## D8Lady (30 May 2010)

Could the mass vaccinations and awareness have anything to do with it? All those hand sanitizers all over the place?

Perhaps becuase of the publicity, people took precautions therefore the pandemic was stopped in its tracks.


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## UFC (31 May 2010)

D8Lady said:


> Could the mass vaccinations and awareness have anything to do with it? All those hand sanitizers all over the place?
> 
> Perhaps becuase of the publicity, people took precautions therefore the pandemic was stopped in its tracks.


 
I don't think so. I think the WHO even admitted they were OTT about the risks. And isn't some head guy in the WHO being investigated because it turns out he is a major shareholder in the swine flu vaccine company or something like that?


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## mathepac (31 May 2010)

UFC said:


> ...  And isn't some head guy in the WHO being investigated because it turns out he is a major shareholder in the swine flu vaccine company or something like that?


Ah Lord save us no, imagine that now, and there was I thinking we had exclusive rights to bribery and corruption.


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## gipimann (31 May 2010)

D8Lady said:


> Could the mass vaccinations and awareness have anything to do with it? All those hand sanitizers all over the place?
> 
> Perhaps becuase of the publicity, people took precautions therefore the pandemic was stopped in its tracks.


 
Bit like that other famous "bug", the Y2K......did nothing happen because companies threw millions at the "problem" or was there never anything to worry about in the first place?


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## BillK (31 May 2010)

Further to the comment about the Y2K, can you remember that the makers of KY jelly brought out a new version for the millenium called Y2KY. they sold it on the basis that you could then get 4 digits in your date where previously you could only get two.


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## z104 (31 May 2010)

It's gone to the same place as the nuclear anihilation of earth, the ozone layer,Y2K Bug, global cooling, global warming and killer bees


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## Thirsty (1 Jun 2010)

It most certainly did have an impact - I don't know of a single family, including my own (and from both work and volunteer work I have a large contact list!) who didn't have at least one member come down with it.

That said everyone of them (thankfully) recovered fairly quickly.


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## D8Lady (1 Jun 2010)

gipimann said:


> Bit like that other famous "bug", the Y2K......did nothing happen because companies threw millions at the "problem" or was there never anything to worry about in the first place?



Flu mutates every year, so the jumping from avian to swine flu to human transmission is a concern. The original swine flu outbreak was lethal in Mexico. 

The Y2K, well yeah, point taken.


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## Birroc (1 Jun 2010)

Complete over-reaction I reckon, I only met one person that had it and to be honest it seemed just like standard flu. Refused the vaccine for both my kids and glad I did so.


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## Birroc (1 Jun 2010)

UFC said:


> It never ceases to amaze me how gullbile humans are. It's actually reached the stage where I think we've evolved to be gullible so a small few can be in control and everyone else can be sheep...!


 
 I think you're right!


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## Molly (2 Jun 2010)

> It most certainly did have an impact - I don't know of a single family, including my own (and from both work and volunteer work I have a large contact list!) who didn't have at least one member come down with it.


 
I do not know of 1 person who contracted Swine flu, no one in my large immediate or extended family, none of my friends or any of their family, or any work colleagues ( 2 OF 130 staff were sent home with suspected swine flu , and were back in work days later fit and well)


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## lightswitch (2 Jun 2010)

I also have contact with a very large amount of people and not one bad flu case let alone Swine flu.  

I'm just waiting or next years big epidemic to be announced!!!  No doubt it will also serve to distract a large portion of the population from the real issues as the Bird / Swine flu hype did!

A possible suggestion would be Motor Flu, that you could catch from driving your car................... it would suit the Green Party after all 

As my Dad used to say " You can fool some of the people all the time, all the people some of the time, but you cant fool all of the people all of the time"


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## gillarosa (3 Jun 2010)

Thirsty said:


> It most certainly did have an impact - I don't know of a single family, including my own (and from both work and volunteer work I have a large contact list!) who didn't have at least one member come down with it.
> 
> That said everyone of them (thankfully) recovered fairly quickly.


 
I don't know anyone directly who contracted it, but then I don't know anyone who had the regular variant of the flu last winter either. Maybe it was the incessant cold keeping everyone home over Christmas and NY when a lot of people would have been out more mixing with people.


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## truthseeker (3 Jun 2010)

Molly said:


> I do not know of 1 person who contracted Swine flu, no one in my large immediate or extended family, none of my friends or any of their family, or any work colleagues ( 2 OF 130 staff were sent home with suspected swine flu , and were back in work days later fit and well)


 
No - I dont know anyone who came down with it either. I do know 2 people who PHONED their doctors and were diagnosed over the phone as 'swine flu' but both of them were fine in a few days - so it could have been anything from a cold to normal flu to swine flu - an over the phone diagnosis is hardly infallible.


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## DB74 (3 Jun 2010)

There were a number of deaths attributed to swine flu in this country (and many others), at least one of whom had NO underlying symptoms.


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## gillarosa (3 Jun 2010)

DB74 said:


> There were a number of deaths attributed to swine flu in this country (and many others), at least one of whom had NO underlying symptoms.


 
Of course and it was tragic for them and their families, but on the other hand we were exposed to scare mongering about the potential of this virus at an official level and so far it seems to have been wrong.


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## mathepac (3 Jun 2010)

It's amazing the way the poor unfortunate meeja types get it in the neck for Harney Drumm & Co's mixed messages.

"19 Jul 2009 *...* The HSE has said that it is "inevitable" that  there will be some _deaths_ from _swine flu_ in _Ireland_  in the future as the virus spreads. *..."

*"27 Jul 2009 *...* Public health experts have warned that _deaths_  from _swine flu_ in _Ireland_ are inevitable, with up to  26000 _swine flu_ sufferers facing *...*"

"7 Aug 2009 *...* A young Irish woman *with serious underlying  medical problems* has become the first fatality from the _swine flu_  virus in _Ireland_ since cases *...*"

*RTÉ  News: HSE moves to quell swine flu fears*

"18  Aug 2009 *...* RTÉ.ie News: _Swine flu_ Second _death_  from virus in _Ireland_. _Swine flu_. Second _death_  from virus in _Ireland_. RTÉ.ie News: Kevin Kelleher Virus *...*"

An amazing volte face by the HSE in the space of a month last year.

July - We're all going to die !!!
August - Calm down let ye and put this in perspective  ... 

Sources - RTE, Irish Times, Tony's Independent, BBC, available in detail on the link below.

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=swine+flu+deaths+ireland

Hopefully the remote diagnosing doctors were able to prescribe remotely and appropriately as well - antibiotics, antidepressants, tranquilisers and slimming tablets no doubt.


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## Welfarite (6 Jun 2010)

I find it slightly offensive that people are posting that we overreacted to the Swine Flu threat, justifying this by flippantly commenting they did not know anybody who contracted it. This anecdotal 'evidence' of overreaction means nothing. People died after contracting Swine Flu, usually people who had undrlying health problems. I myself was undertaking medical treatment and was glad to avail of the vaccine. My son contracted Swine Flu adn was debilitated by it for three weeks during which time he could not visit me in hospital which upset him greatly. Im for one, am glad that we 'overreacted' to this threat.


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## annet (6 Jun 2010)

I heard today from a reliable source that there is one person who is now paralysed and in rehab as a result of contracting the swine flu.


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## PyritePete (6 Jun 2010)

I have an underlying condition & not once was I advised when attending hospital to take the jab. In yesterdays times...

[broken link removed] 

Maybe the Irish Govt. didn't overreact although there are loads of vaccines left over that they were looking to return but the global response says otherwise.


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## mathepac (6 Jun 2010)

PyritePete said:


> ... In yesterdays times...
> [broken link removed]
> ...


Thanks, you beat me to it. It seems that some WHO advisers were paid by the drug companies for work in areas related to the "pandemic" and "... The industry made billions of euros during the height of the swine flu  “crisis”, with the sale of antiviral drugs such as Roche’s Tamiflu and  and GSK’s Relenza."

That seems to me to be a fair conclusion based on evidence in the Council of Europe report and an independent investigation "... also published yesterday by the British Medical Journal and the Bureau  of Investigative Journalism".


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## UFC (6 Jun 2010)

Welfarite said:


> I find it slightly offensive that people are posting that we overreacted to the Swine Flu threat, justifying this by flippantly commenting they did not know anybody who contracted it. This anecdotal 'evidence' of overreaction means nothing. People died after contracting Swine Flu, usually people who had undrlying health problems. I myself was undertaking medical treatment and was glad to avail of the vaccine. My son contracted Swine Flu adn was debilitated by it for three weeks during which time he could not visit me in hospital which upset him greatly. Im for one, am glad that we 'overreacted' to this threat.


 
I don't think anyone is saying swine flu didn't exist or should have been dismissde (although the medical evidence showed it was actually less dangerous than normal flu); we are saying the warnings were completely OTT. 

What annoyed me most about the scare mongering were the number of professionals (doctors, etc.) who ridiculed anyone who questioned what the WHO were saying. For example, there was a thread on boards.ie where a user who claims to be a doctor in Australia was very viciously attacking anyone who questioned how many people were going to die from swine flu. I saw similar nonsense on BBC news.

It seems many people - no matter how educated or intelligent - are completely gullible.

There will be another hyped up disease in 3 or 4 years and no doubt anyone who questions it will be called an idiot.


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## shanegl (6 Jun 2010)

And if they don't take the next one seriously and it gets out of hand people like you will whinge about them not doing their jobs properly.


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## UFC (7 Jun 2010)

shanegl said:


> And if they don't take the next one seriously and it gets out of hand people like you will whinge about them not doing their jobs properly.


 
No, I just want them to do their job properly. 

In the case of the swine flu, they should have listened to the experts who said swine flu is less dangerous than the normal flu. 

And they shouldn't have people in decision making positions who also work for or are linked with the pharma companies who will benefit from their decisions.

No one is saying we shouldn't take health issues seriously. Not sure how you've come to the conclusion really.


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## Welfarite (7 Jun 2010)

UFC said:


> I don't think anyone is saying swine flu didn't exist or should have been dismissde (although the medical evidence showed it was actually less dangerous than normal flu); we are saying the warnings were completely OTT.
> 
> What annoyed me most about the scare mongering were the number of professionals (doctors, etc.) who ridiculed anyone who questioned what the WHO were saying. For example, there was a thread on boards.ie where a user who claims to be a doctor in Australia was very viciously attacking anyone who questioned how many people were going to die from swine flu. I saw similar nonsense on BBC news.
> 
> ...


You are twisting words to suit your arguments. I never said swine flu didn't exist. I never said it should have been 'dismissed' (as of inconsequence due to it was no more dangerous than normal flu (whatever that is!)?) quoting a social network 'doctor' as evidence of the medical profession's attitude to Swine Flu is hardly good enough to convince people that the pronmotion of Swine Flu vaccination was OTT. If anything, people who are influenced by on-line 'doctors' are the gullible ones! Saying that sick people who took the vaccine on the advice of the medical profession of this country are gullible and running scared is a bit much. By all means be annoyed by the 'scare-mongering' but at the end of the day, it probably saved lives. Understating a health threat certainly would not.


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## UFC (7 Jun 2010)

Welfarite said:


> You are twisting words to suit your arguments. I never said swine flu didn't exist. I never said it should have been 'dismissed' (as of inconsequence due to it was no more dangerous than normal flu (whatever that is!)?) quoting a social network 'doctor' as evidence of the medical profession's attitude to Swine Flu is hardly good enough to convince people that the pronmotion of Swine Flu vaccination was OTT. If anything, people who are influenced by on-line 'doctors' are the gullible ones! Saying that sick people who took the vaccine on the advice of the medical profession of this country are gullible and running scared is a bit much. By all means be annoyed by the 'scare-mongering' but at the end of the day, it probably saved lives. Understating a health threat certainly would not.


 
I think you're taking what we're saying personally and in fact are the one twisting our words. 

No one has said people who were already sick shouldn't have taken the vaccine. So you can drop that right now.

I think it's clear everyone is talking about the amount of pressure placed on healthy people to worry about swine flu. For example, constant news bulletins about how dangerous it is, signs in every toilet warning about it, hand gels in shops and toilets and restaurants for people to disinfect their hands continuously, etc. 

The reality is it was weaker than normal flu (and experts who said this were ridiculed) so it should have been treated as such, i.e. whatever normal precautions are taken for the flu every year.

Hardly any 'healthy' people died from swine flu so let's be real and not pretend the WHO etc. were being accurate.


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## carpedeum (7 Jun 2010)

The Irish Times had an article last Friday on a drug resistant mutation of the virus that is emerging! The only winners will be the drugs companies. 

[broken link removed]


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## Welfarite (7 Jun 2010)

UFC said:


> I think you're taking what we're saying personally and in fact are the one twisting our words.


 
I certainly am not taking it personally and don't know how you could surmise this from my post!



UFC said:


> No one has said people who were already sick shouldn't have taken the vaccine. So you can drop that right now.


...and neither did I so there is nothing to drop!

You've made your point, I've made mine; let's agree to differ!


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## DB74 (26 Jan 2011)

I see a woman died in Cork recently from swine flu and she had no underlying health problems

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/woman-dies-from-swine-flu-in-cork--report-490801.html


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