more fun with numbers
the WHO has figured it out (who says they aren't on top of things) that calling these latest little nasties "swine flu" might actually be causing unwary panic inductees to improperly blame things on pigs. (sorry, egypt). no, from now on your delta tau chi name will be... "H1N1 Influenza A". if you look up H1N1 Influenza A, (imagine that), it seems that this particular variety over which we're being encouraged to panic, is actually descended from a whole bunch of DNA sources, including human and avian varietals. you can't possibly catch it from anything other than humans. (imagine that). oh, and btw? there are now two hundred and fifty seven actual cases confirmed!!!! 257!!!
257, as in, not fatalities, but people who have caught the bug. the actual number of fatalities, best i can tell, is now at a grand total of eight. (that's seven mexicans in mexico, and one mexican in the us, if you're planning where not to vacation this summer while converting your backyard nuclear shelter into an influenza pandemic pied a terre).
257 folks down with the flu, and 8 in the morgue. that's the bogeyman.
as we've also mentioned in here the other day, the CDC has already confirmed 13,000 deaths from garden variety flu bugs endemic to the US that have nothing to do with this particular strain. (that's endemic, as opposed to pandemic or epidemic, in case you're having trouble finding your reading glasses). 13,000. thirteen THOUSAND. as in, even if you're already dead, but hoping to be able to cite "H1N1 Influenza A" in your obituary, you'd have had a better chance of hitting the daily number the day you checked out than you would having your name come around on the big influenza death wheel that i'm sure the grim reaper is spinning just for you, just for fun.
thirteen thousand dead people, and not one major news story about it--not even as an asterisk to the constant stream of electronic diarrhea about those unfortuate eight who won the 15 minutes of fame lottery via their obituaries and the coincidence of the viral strain being responsible.
people are funny.
257, as in, not fatalities, but people who have caught the bug. the actual number of fatalities, best i can tell, is now at a grand total of eight. (that's seven mexicans in mexico, and one mexican in the us, if you're planning where not to vacation this summer while converting your backyard nuclear shelter into an influenza pandemic pied a terre).
257 folks down with the flu, and 8 in the morgue. that's the bogeyman.
as we've also mentioned in here the other day, the CDC has already confirmed 13,000 deaths from garden variety flu bugs endemic to the US that have nothing to do with this particular strain. (that's endemic, as opposed to pandemic or epidemic, in case you're having trouble finding your reading glasses). 13,000. thirteen THOUSAND. as in, even if you're already dead, but hoping to be able to cite "H1N1 Influenza A" in your obituary, you'd have had a better chance of hitting the daily number the day you checked out than you would having your name come around on the big influenza death wheel that i'm sure the grim reaper is spinning just for you, just for fun.
thirteen thousand dead people, and not one major news story about it--not even as an asterisk to the constant stream of electronic diarrhea about those unfortuate eight who won the 15 minutes of fame lottery via their obituaries and the coincidence of the viral strain being responsible.
people are funny.
posted by kad barma at 1:00 PM
3 Comments:
there once was an old creepy guy from lowell,
whose boat washed up on a shoal,
he saw her & said, "oh, my dear heather!
how i'd love to see you in leather,
please don't deny me my goal!
~~a member of the creepy old guy fanclub ;)
err, that went on the wronmg post, lol. sorry.
Kad,
As members of the Joe Biden (unfan?) club, I have got to refer you from his wonderful comments regarding air travel and subway usage in this current state of pandemic.. I don't know if the current Administration would consider dropping him, but one can hope, right?
Maybe those coal miner ancestors of his can school him on air quality standards..
Also, I hear from my inside source at the Bridge Street CVS that masks are selling out way faster than they can stock 'em..
best,
gp
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