Spread to Latin America-Australia

 1  1   1  1   1  1
Won't repeat the data which can be found in topics in the main news section. Basically Swine Flu has spread to 3-4 countries in South America, and at least 3 in Central America and Australia.

This was expected. Inevitable really. The fact that is came from the U.S. and touched down in Brisbane is - well in the most non-alarmist word TPTB use- is of great concern.

Brisbane is for one, notorious after Brisbane 10 which eluded our vaccination and also another strain which went into prize racing horses.

We haven't exactly made it into half-time of the sweeping unofficial Pandemic- which with the inclusion of these two areas only awaits final confirmation of it in Asia (It has already reached Japan). But maybe we are nearing the end of the first quarter, football wise.

The official spin, and actually reality to present is so far, it has not been a particularly malevolent bug, except in Mexico. However numbers at this point as formally release are rather inconsistent and meaningless given the parameters established to report confirmed cases.

This- the spread to the Southern Hemisphere were the flu season is winding up for the 2nd inning, is a significant event. It is effectively the final lifting of the gates (except for China and Southeast Asia) of the race to see if it is going turn ugly.

There is no small amount of concern of this happening. However, as always, my bet is still on Guangdong Province nested near Hong Kong, as the spot where things really take off if there are going to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangdong

My concerns are very much reflect by China who is very aggressively quarantining people from suspected countries and making headlines for doing so.

Here, where we have some type of flu- and need confirmation of such- family members are pretty unhappy and getting a bit worried. I would think there are many grasshoppers and party animals that plan to enjoy the summer much like the novel Nightfall -before a rather gruesome scenario develops from this highly unpredictable virus.

If nothing else, this guy should alert us to the reality that we are that close to a Pandemic of the Influenza kind (we already have three others).

Its a day by day thing and I certainly with stomach cramps, headache, fever, coughing, and all the symptoms, could have done without this news today.

I think people are getting nervous, and that is why (can't do this on a week end) am going to put up or try and find a hotline (not personally-Shoot - I'd have to hire a hundred people) for anxious people to call with questions. If by some total fluke my book does even moderately well, we will try and put up a hotline- but really .gov has the bucks and probably has already done this.

So that's it. I wanted to relax this weekend. Course I might advise many of you to do as much. It will be a week or so before things really start perking, if they are going to in the Down Under and Latin America.

Although in the words of Deborah Harry of Blondie

(one of my personal favorites...short break here)

http://www.deborahharry.com/

Buckle up your seat belt baby.
It's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Buckle up your sweet self sugar.
You drive me crazy ya fly me high.

Re re repercussions, echo and the reverbs sigh.
Careless caution, it's not the case but what's inside.
What can pass for safety measures?
You can tell 'em not to wreck your treasures.

No this time, not ever, not next time.
Make secure some sons and lovers.
It's all made clear with see-thru covers.
We're too close, too close for comfort now!

Buckle Up/Blondie

Medclinician
 
Vid of Blondie and Fergie performing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LBCmXxCTuc

we all need a little diversion sometimes.. this Pandemic stuff gets so...
serious.  I have contacted her agent and hope to get some comments back from her I can post. We may... and this is a little out there try organize a concert for benefit of Pandemic  victims and funding to set up concern and information hotlines. I sent them this site addy to check out.