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I stick with what I posted on another ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ blog site, this strain of influenze will prove approximately as contagious and virulent as most other strains of flu, if moreso, then only marginally. It is not the dreaded bird flu epidemic that epidemiologists fear will recall the large number of deaths resulting from the outbreak in the 1920s.



Meanwhile our fool of a Vice President said publically that he would advise his friends to stay off subways and planes. The White House is now engaged in spin control to contain the damage. A serious pandemic of a deadly flu strain or some other disease may be unavoidable but this is not it and unwarranted panic only dulls public sensibilities when the alarm finally sounds for real. Lots of irresponsibility among those professionals who should know better.

How's your pork ribs William, did you get any oinkment for your rashers.

Speaking about pork ribs Puritan, the medical authorities in the United States have said again and again in recent days that you cannot get swine flu from eating pork if it is well cooked (internal temperature at least 160 degrees F.) In recent days, the pork industry has been very worried about sagging demand. This could be an excellent opportunity to lay a hundred or two hundred pounds of ribs in my freezer, maybe some chops and roasts too. The tough decision, baby backs or regular cut. Maybe a hundred pounds of each. Should be under $2 a pound, maybe under $1. Yum. Cough,cough,cough....Ha....chooooo. Yust Yoking by Yimminy :-)

Technological progress, new knowledge and its application, new diagnostics, preventive and therapeutic interventions have significantly changed medicine and the life sciences ... giving rise to bioethical dilemmas both in highly developed and less developed countries.

I've been reading various announcements from US religious denominations, and they are encouraging various measures to prevent infection. In the event of church closure, many are planning to arrange for worship services through other media. All of them are encouraging the continuation of worship services as normal for as much as possible, both for its spiritual necessity and for the simple human need of familiar faces, a reassuring environment and hope.
On the website of the Episcopal Church (USA), they have a collect in honor of "Constance, Nun, and her Companions
Commonly called 'The Martyrs of Memphis,'" who died in an epidemic in Memphis, USA in 1878. (These were Episcopal Nuns, incidentally...)

"We give you thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the heroic witness of Constance and her companions, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death: Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

As for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, they have stated that, if necessary, worshipers may take communion using the bread only, not the common cup. (While Lutheran Confessions of Faith condemn the denial of the cup to the laity, the ELCA (and presumably other Lutherans) do believe that all the elements of the sacrament are present in both wine and bread, and they do allow for some people not to take bread (if they are allergic to it or for similar reasons) or wine (if they are recovering alcoholics or for similar reasons).)

As for Swine Flu, as far as we know, man didn't create it...

Maybe Swine flu will be the cloud with a silver lining for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. They may have to cancel their General Assembly in June.

Had there been even one shred of truth in the dire warnings the WHO and others tried to pound into the world's public consciousness, half the world would be engulfed in a "pandemic" and at least thousands around the world would be dead by now. I think America suffered its third fatality and China has recorded its first case which was brought in by someone returning from Mexico. You barely hear mention of it the news anymore. The danger of crying wolf is that nobody will pay attention when a real one shows up. Mexico's official death toll from swine flu has dropped considerably. One report I heard said about 100. I think another said 45. Either way, this is not the big one. Keep your powder dry and save your retroviral drug ammo until you see the whites of their eyes.

This may not be the big one par se. The reason it is interesting from the WHO point of view is that it is a zoonosis, and no human has natural immunity to it. Epidemiology is having a field day. The disease may pose no serious threat to an average fit person, those who are immune suppressed it may be a different matter. The fact that no person as immunity may mean that it has the possibility of infecting a vast majority of the population. Cross infection will only drop when the number of uninfected persons becomes obscured by the greater population which has been infected and now has naturally acquired immunity; thus limiting spread.

The health service seems to be looking towards September/October to be their busy period.