Photo du Jour 516
Welcome Back! Um, Why Are You at Work Today?
Tiger Woods In "Serious" Condition After Car Crash
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Photos from Black Friday
Builder of Oakland's Fox Theater Once Imprisoned For 'White Slavery'
There are multiple stories from multiple news sources this gray Monday morning concerning all the Bay Area school closures that have been announced due to swine flu fears, and a few scattered cases. It appears that the cases that have cropped up have all been mild, and all the panic stems from the idea that this virus is both new and unpredictable, even though it is not especially widespread nor is it deadly when treated.
What we learned this weekend was that air-kissing might not even be safe, and that health officials are most concerned about the virus picking up steam and morphing into something deadlier during the Southern Hemisphere's winter flu season, which is starting just about now. It could then come back to bite us all in the ass, in a far worse form, as soon as our flu season starts up again. There will of course be a new flu shot by then, but who knows. Until then, we'd like to congratulate all the Bay Area schoolchildren -- who've never known the joys of snow day -- who are getting a free week or two of play time.
After the jump, a quick KRON4 clip about how the pig flu is putting a damper on Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
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i thought this would have blown over by now. can we go back to talking about layoffs and unemployment rates please?
Why do you never hear of "Financial District Office Closures" due to fears of Porkflu? I haz a sad.
Word. We're all here, coughing flegm all over each other and using our hands to open doors, then using the same hands to eat sandwiches at our desks. And I just chewed the end of a pen I found in a meeting room.
What flu? The big media is like super hyper children and the doctor won't let them have some prozac.
WERE ALL GONNA DIE!!!1!!!!
We all are going to die. But I'm sure some of us have many years left to endure before reaching our inevitable end.
I'm holding out for something cuter than swine flu. Is there an otter flu?
This is exactly why we need more gun shows.
It's the Stupid Flu and it's spreading like wildfire.
FYI
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html
Cinqo?
Though the media response has been sensational, the precautions being taken by the WHO, the CDC, and local school districts do not seem uncalled for. Even though the virus has proven relatively mild so far, it has resulted in an unusually high number of hospitalizations among people in their teens and twenties. Even if the virus is not nearly as virulent as first thought, our health care system couldn't handle a sudden, massive need for hospitalization in the event H1N1 became truly widespread. Taking swift steps to stem the virus's spread seems not only necessary, but potentially helpful in preventing even more disruptive impacts later.
Yep.
on the other hand: fewer teenagers.
PORK PANIC!!!!!
Which 20-something is going to be the first to pull off a surgical mask flash mob/pub crawl?
I'm looking at you Snuggie organizers. Just go do it already so I can move on. ; )