On a scale of 1-10 for worried, I'm about a 4 or maybe a 5. It may die down like SARS did, but then again, it may not.
The word "pandemic" scares people, but here is the explanation from Wikipedia:
Quote:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met:[1]
* Emergence of a disease new to a population.
* Agents infect humans, causing serious illness.
* Agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.
A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic, because the disease is not infectious or contagious.
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So yes, it is scary, but let's remember that the common flu can also kill people -- and I'm not scared of the common flu (I don't get a "flu shot"). That said, since this is a
new strain it is concerning, especially since they do not yet have a vaccine for it (and yes I would probably get a vaccine for this one since it is relatively new and attacks healthy folks, unlike the common flu which is deadly to the sick, elderly and premature babies).
As for why people in Mexico died? I have my guesses. If the flu kills those in "richer" countries, I will be worried. But, I hate to say it, when a disease kills in a country like Mexico, my suspicion is that their deaths could have been prevented with the medical attention and, well, access to money and therefore medicine and things, that we have in North America.