UK homes to receive swine flu leaflets

[Churchill]

It's a smokescreen!

Nothing to see here, move along!

[Mich the Tester]

The scary part is that is probably has spread far beyond what we believe so far.

Looking at the timeline of events from the beeb, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8021547.stm, it looks like mexico was seeing cases in mid-march. If thats true then its highly unlikely it has only just spread to other countries over the last 3 days. It could have been here for a month already.

But hang on, why would the Mexicans have been worried in mid march? If they thought there was just a flu bug going around they wouldn’t have cause for concern. OK, so a number of people died, but were those people young and healthy or old and decrepit? In any case of flu going around you’d expect the old or infirm to be vulnerable anyway. Add to that the fact that Mexico has a lot of people living in poverty who are not so well nourished as others and you'd expect the number of deaths from flu to be higher in Mexico than the US or Western Europe. Is this really so much scarier than the usual flu that comes and goes from year to year?

[ThomasSoerensen]

The scary part is that is probably has spread far beyond what we believe so far.

Looking at the timeline of events from the beeb, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8021547.stm, it looks like mexico was seeing cases in mid-march. If thats true then its highly unlikely it has only just spread to other countries over the last 3 days. It could have been here for a month already.

It probably was. And some people felt ill, then they got better and went back to work. Amazing story.

[chicane]

Where the flip do the Government, councils, NHS, banks and utilities expect us to store all these informational leaflets they constantly ply us with?

Virtually every one that comes through my door just goes straight in the green bin because I simply don't have anywhere to put it. There must be a better way.

[CheeseSlice]

The virus should be allowed to spread IMO. It is a mild form of a new strain of virus and people should catch it. There might be fatalities of course, as flu has and will always be a big killer.

The scary part is that is probably has spread far beyond what we believe so far.

Looking at the timeline of events from the beeb, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8021547.stm, it looks like mexico was seeing cases in mid-march. If thats true then its highly unlikely it has only just spread to other countries over the last 3 days. It could have been here for a month already.

[TimberWolf]

Another cr@p populist measure from Gordo just so he can get on the telly - which we'll all be watching, because the leaflet wil say "stay indoors and watch the telly" - and say "I am Super Gordon and I am firmly dealing with the swine flu threat by sending everyone pieces of paper".

Agree with OP, I'd be curious to know what all this is going to cost, I may even go so far as trying to find out under the freedom of information thingy!

Spending billions on the next to useless Tamiflu and will probably end up an executive on some pharma's board of directors.

[moorfield]

The virus should be allowed to spread IMO. It is a mild form of a new strain of virus and people should catch it. There might be fatalities of course, as flu has and will always be a big killer.

I think this is secretly what the govt is hoping for, this is why the US tossed it over the fence from Area 51 into Mexico. Should deal nicely with that demographic timebomb and free up the jobs for the yoofs of today and tomorrow.

[Churchill]

Don't forget the fact that the leaflet will be translated into umpteen bloody languages!!!

[Mich the Tester]

Gordon’s obviously been advised that this presents a second chance to save the world.

[moorfield]

Another cr@p populist measure from Gordo just so he can get on the telly - which we'll all be watching, because the leaflet will say "stay indoors and watch the telly" - and say "I am Super Gordon and I am firmly dealing with the swine flu threat by sending everyone pieces of paper".

Agree with OP, I'd be curious to know what all this is going to cost, I may even go so far as trying to find out under the freedom of information thingy!

[TimberWolf]

Surely in this modern age we have a better way to disseminate information than destroying more trees and potentially assisting the spread of swine flu

The virus should be allowed to spread IMO. It is a mild form of a new strain of virus and people should catch it. There might be fatalities of course, as flu has and will always be a big killer.

[NotAllThere]

...
Surely in this modern age we have a better way to disseminate information than destroying more trees ...

[CheeseSlice]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8023977.stm

What a complete waste of money.

Sure we need to make sure people know the risks and how to deal with the situation. But what about television, radio, local news and signs in shop windows ?
Maybe there are people that don't have a TV, radio or ever go out of their homes. But if so, they'll be just fine

I can see this being a major disaster as the people handling the leaflets or working in the print works will probably have swine flu, and if they don't then the post man will do.

Surely in this modern age we have a better way to disseminate information than destroying more trees and potentially assisting the spread of swine flu