New Virus entering US. 30% Mortality Rate

[TheTman]

A new deadly virus has sprung up, apparently from Saudi Arabia. A respiratory infection called MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).
First discovered in Saudi Arabia only two years ago, it's so new that scientists aren't sure how it's passed to others, or much about it.
They do know it's a virus, so antibiotics will not work on it.
Several cases have been found in Europe, and three cases have been found in the US so far. Two of the cases were discovered in health care workers recently returning from the Mid-East, and the third was a person who worked with one of the people.
The article about it is here:
http://www.independentlivingnews.com/health/superbugs/201091-deadly-virus-comes-to-u-s-shores.stml?utm_source=140528HEDGERE&keycode=140528HEDGERE&u=bb80a198-ddc7-11e2-88f9-80ee731fd7a1#.U4Z6ICjb4tI
Scientists say we are long overdue for a pandemic disease that will wreak havoc much like the Spanish Flu did. What is scary, is they say the Spanish Flu only had a 2.5% mortality rate, while MERS is killing 3 out of 10 infected with it so far (30%). This is pretty alarming, since they don't know much about it, the incubation period, how long people are contagious, or how it's passed. At least they seem to have confined the 3 known cases, but who knows who all is bringing it in without even knowing they have it.

[DavidS]

I think more and more that most "news" outlets tend to sensationalize their stories. This is fairly new and official information is somewhat scarce, facts are in short supply while the what-ifs are in plenty of supply.
I tend to not get all lathered up about stories like this. For one thing, it will probably turn out very different than initial reporting. Today, the CDC has reversed itself saying the person did NOT get the virus from one of the infected doctors, he actually has not been infected with MERS at all.
Second thing, doo-doo happens and there is not much I can do about it. I for sure am not going to go about building a "germ warefare clean room" in my house as linked to in the article. I would call this article more 'fear mongering' than fact.

[deadeye]

Killer bees and fire ants are supposed to have killed us all by now. I think climate change is what's gonna do it. Ovomit says so.

[muggsy]

Were all gonna die one day from something. I hope to shot in the back by an outraged teenage husband. It doesn't matter how you die, it matters how you lived.

[Bawanna]

Dang that's pretty profound Muggsy.

I'm on board with the enraged young husband plan, maybe not teen. Had that plan for many years.

Guess I ain't been caught yet.

[getsome]

I want to find out that I have 6 months to live so I can max out my credit cards, mortgage the house and do everything I couldn't afford to do then I'd buy a vette and when the pain got too bad I would find out how fast it would go while sucking down a quart of single malt, listening to some Skynyrd right before hitting something really really hard....:cool:

[ced_56]

Damn apparently I have had this planned wrong. I was hoping that in a long time from now I would I have the gigantic heart attack that does you in instantly.....preferably while I was sleeping.


Some people call them pandemics others prefer the term "population growth control"

[Bawanna]

What's the hold up getsome. That's what I do now. Cards maxed, house triple mortgaged all I need to do is suck down the malt, buy a vette and look for something hard.

ced, I'm with ya on the big one, I just want it to be while entertaining a young husbands wife while I'm looking for something hard. Wait, I already said that.

[TheTman]

Sorry to try and do something positive for the forum. Next time I'll keep it to myself.

[getsome]

Sorry Tman, we hijacked it didn't we.....You are right and it is a serious virus and from what I read both Doctors that have it changed planes here in Atlanta and the CDC is here and right now they are having some strange stomach virus going around that has about half their staff sick and they are telling the rest to stay home and work from there if they haven't come down with it yet......Of course they say, nothing to worry about here, move along, nothing to see....It's not comforting having the CDC here knowing what all horrible nasty deadly stuff they got in there....

I go to Church with two Doctors that are big chiefs over there at CDC so I will ask them what they think about this MERS thing next Sunday....

[knkali]

I want to find out that I have 6 months to live so I can max out my credit cards, mortgage the house and do everything I couldn't afford to do then I'd buy a vette and when the pain got too bad I would find out how fast it would go while sucking down a quart of single malt, listening to some Skynyrd right before hitting something really really hard....:cool:
Duuude

[knkali]

Sorry Tman, we hijacked it didn't we.....You are right and it is a serious virus and from what I read both Doctors that have it changed planes here in Atlanta and the CDC is here and right now they are having some strange stomach virus going around that has about half their staff sick and they are telling the rest to stay home and work from there if they haven't come down with it yet......Of course they say, nothing to worry about here, move along, nothing to see....It's not comforting having the CDC here knowing what all horrible nasty deadly stuff they got in there....

I go to Church with two Doctors that are big chiefs over there at CDC so I will ask them what they think about this MERS thing next Sunday....


Keep us posted

[ced_56]

I don't know about the rest of the world but I read that in the US there have been 3 cases. While it may be worth watching to see what happens I wouldn't call it time to worry yet

[knkali]

I don't know about the rest of the world but I read that in the US there have been 3 cases. While it may be worth watching to see what happens I wouldn't call it time to worry yet

I am not a virologist but a virus with a thirty % mortality rate infecting 3 people is 3 too many. This could get very ugly, also the virus can mutate out of its own virility and become something like the common cold or nothing

[ced_56]

I am not a virologist but a virus with a thirty % mortality rate infecting 3 people is 3 too many. This could get very ugly, also the virus can mutate out of its own virility and become something like the common cold or nothing

I can agree with that. Like I said worth watching to see what happens.

[johnh]

I still think the real threat in terms of virulent bugs is someone releasing a weaponized version of smallpox here. A friend with the DOD was involved in a simulation of that several years back and they had 1/3 of the population dead in a few months. That from a start at a few airports via infected carriers from overseas. Scary stuff!

[DavidS]

Actually, there are only two cases in the US. A couple days ago the third case was reported to not have MERS.

[muggsy]

I want to find out that I have 6 months to live so I can max out my credit cards, mortgage the house and do everything I couldn't afford to do then I'd buy a vette and when the pain got too bad I would find out how fast it would go while sucking down a quart of single malt, listening to some Skynyrd right before hitting something really really hard....:cool:

On my last visit to see my doctor he gave me six more months to live. When I left he said, "See you again in six months, Muggsy."

[nuke]

MERS has been in the news for over a month now. There have been a 1 or 2 reported cases in Florida where the patient has been treated and the virus eradicated. Stay calm & go target shooting.

[getsome]

News from the middle east finds the MERS virus is being passed from camels to humans so unless it's found that sheep also can also pass it along we should be ok here, (most of us anyway)....I talked one of the CDC Doctors last Sunday about it and they don't really think the virus is anything to worry about in this country and it seems to be difficult for it to pass from human to human unless in very close contact.....