What would you do? - Bird Flu

[SAS]

This is kind of connected with research I am undertaking for my book and I'd be interested in how you'd react or do if this situation comes about...

The BBC are reporting that Bird Flu can now pass from human to human. Question is, if this did spread across the world and it reached the UK. What would you do? Or is there anything you can do? How the government would handle it?

 

[Nos]

Lemsip Max Strength would send it packing!

 

[Munkey]

move to trogs house. He lives on a deserted scotland island surrounded by sheep.

No chickens for miles.

We'll be safe!

 

[rynnor]

Depends how serious an outbreak we had - in a really catastrophic outbreak society would break down as noone would go to their jobs for fear of infection. The government would setup a corpse collection hotline - in the early days they would try to quarantine the infection.

There would be panic buying and food shortages and hunger - the water supply would eventually cease with noone operating the water treatment plants etc. etc.

However we are pretty good at isolating infections so its unlikely that such a mass infection would occur - hopefully...

 

[Ukle]

If it does combine with normal flu then sod all we can do... no way could hope to contain that

As to what would i do... stay put and try and fight it off.

Government would near enough collapse within days and will be down to the local authorities / police force / local army to control the towns and cities arrange body disposel's etc..

A major killer flu outbreak is bound to happen at some point either due to the normal flu mutating of its own accord or the bird flu forcing a mutation. If its as bad as the last outbreak in 1918 then up to 10 percent of the worlds population will die :/

All in all its just another one of those things that could kill us ... still you're probably more likely to die due to being run over than dying due to a pandemic.

 

[Tom]

Government wouldn't collapse. There are procedures in place in the event of a national emergency to cope with situations such as this.

Anyway, I'm not scared - I haven't been ill since I was 12. I'm immune to everything!

 

[OblongChicken]

I'd get a weak strain of this deadly master virus and inject it into an unsuspecting child, thus creating a vaccine! Might not work first time, but there are plenty of kids out there.

ps. you're writing a book about an outbreak of some deadly virus? Think it's been done before... though 12 Monkeys was the most excellent of them all

 

[Paradroid]

How about something like this for daily use?

 

[rynnor]

Problem with the full body suit approach is that youll never build up an immunity - you'd have to wear that suit forever as any new flu is likely to periodically return.

And for Tom "Government wouldn't collapse. There are procedures in place in the event of a national emergency to cope with situations such as this."

Yes, there are procedures but thats not the same as saying they will work - there are procedures for a major biological or radioactive incident in London but the auditors found that most hospitals didnt have the neccesary gear they were supposed to be using...

I severely doubt the army has sufficient full body suits for all of their men plus you need decomtamination facilities (you cant sleep/crap etc in the suit...) - anyone who doubts this only has to look at the fiasco at the start of the Iraqi invasion when there werent enough bullet proof vests etc.

It doesnt help that most of our Armed forces are committed overseas...

The Police can only keep the calm if the majority of the population allows them to - once it goes to hell the police would probably try to hole up with their families.

 

[moomin]

get a tent go off to the countryside, with a radio and mobile phone


anyfucker comes near you kill them with a maguyver inspired weapon

 

[TedTheDog]

Surely the americans will declare a "War on Bird Flu" and bomb somebody, and perhaps invade an oil rich nation just to be sure....

 

[Munkey]

get a tent go off to the countryside, with a radio and mobile phone


anyfucker comes near you kill them with a maguyver inspired weapon

radiation from the mobile, beamed into the metal tent poles, creating a massive radiation weapon!

 

[Escape]

Spanish Flu 1918-1919
The influenza commonly called "Spanish flu" killed more people than the guns of World War I. Estimates put the worldwide death toll at 21,642,274. Some one billion people were affected by the disease -- half of the total human population. It came at a time when 19 nations were at war and the disruption, stress, and privation of war certainly aided the flu's transmission. It killed people on every continent except Antarctica, with the most lives lost in Asia and the highest percentage of population killed in India

An outbreak in 1968(Hong Kong Flu) killed ~750,000. According to the WHO, another "Big" killer flu is inevitable, possibly this decade(reason for people who believe the world will end in 2010 to get excited ). If it happens, there's not much you can do. Stay where you are and live it out, migrating would be silly. Stock up on food suplies and avoid large public gatherings.

Though if it is a "Big" one, the deathtoll will be huge. Don't believe modern medicine with find a cure in 24hours testing and manufacturing the vaccine for billions of people just won't happen in time to stop the outbreak. Having gone through malaria, typhoid and chicken pox within 2 weeks, I'd hope my immune system can cope with the next virus

I doubt governments will topple, the population will be too dependant on them to revolt.

Brief history of pandemics
P.S. check out wikipedia's history timeline. Just work forward or back

 

[Tom]

Oh no, we're all doomed (again)

 

[Tenko]

Got to remember what kind of figures we're talking here.

An utterly devastating flu epidemic of a new strand of flu similiar to the great pandemics of the past would kill 10s of millions.


But that's still just a low single figure % of population.


Yeah mass panic, lots of blame posted around and lots of sadness and grief but not likely to topple any societies.

The best defence for a pandemic isn't inoculation anyway, though antivirals agents would be used on mass where stockpiles existed (another topic that one!). The best defence is isolation, i.e. stay at home.

They do burn out these types of things, and a variant flu vacine is not like vacinating against HIV, possibly 6-12 months. Still would fuck us all up entirely, just I don't think we'd be lucky enough to get rid of New Labour while we're at it

 

[SAS]

Problem is if the food network is disrupted with people sick / hiding at home, in about a week supermarkets shelves would be bare (probably worse if people buy to stockpile). Where will you get food?

Also depending how it hits, you could return to work with 1/4 of your work force gone forever meaning more pressure in your day to day life. Its scary stuff and hopefully fingerscrossed we never face an outbreak!

 

[Tom]

Where will you get food?

From my garden.

 

[Chilly]

id just order from asda online - virtual shelves never go empty!

 

[Dr_Weasel]

id just order from asda online - virtual shelves never go empty!

Of course the useless bastards would probably substitute the bread you ordered for shampoo and the beans for bleach...