Scientists: we have some good news and some bad news on the pandemic front.
Public: Gimme the good news first.
Scientists: We’re going to solve the housing crisis really quickly.
X/
That’s dark. +1
There could be 1000000 empty houses for every homeless person and capital would still be murdering people who tried to squat.
They have to find you first. 1 in 1,000,000? I like them odds.
“Top virologists raise alarm” … that didn’t help last time. People and government won’t take notice or want to take action until we see people with blood coming out of their eyes and dying in the streets, and even then, everyone will be more worried about the economy than in the body count.
at least worrying about the economy would be an improvement to just worrying about their personal freedom
They’ll just ask the elderly to die again
They wanted blue cities to die first. But somehow thought it would never get to the red places.
I’m not sure bird flu would work that way, anyway, but I’m sure lots of people with the bro science will declare that it does. Just like the bro science people were saying people were only dying “with” Covid, not “from” Covid.
“He didn’t die from being shot. He died from massive blood loss.”
I need to watch 28 days later again.
Just in time for the sequel!
If you wait a while, we’ll be living in it
The third pandemic is a good book about a variety of diseases, including bird flu, mingling in a host (bird) body, morphing into a superbug, and wiping out huge swaths of the population.
If you like to read, it’s quite good, if a bit long. (but notably I read it in 5th grade and hauled around a dictionary for a lot of it… it sticks hard in my memory, because my step dad gave it to me after finishing it himself, and it was a challenge. One of our few shared positive things from the era where he almost killed me multiple times… but I haven’t read it in a hot minute; just shy of 30 years…)
There’s a movie for this. Bird flu in america, was mediocre but somehwat accurate for the death rate portrayed
In the U.S., RFK has promised to personally consume every dead bird he finds on the side of the road.
I knew there had to be at least one positive trait.
He actually does have one positive trait: he’s open to the idea of psychedelics for the treatment of mental health disorders. Past administrations have had way too much love for the Nixon-era “War on Drugs” DEA schedule, which treats magic mushrooms as more dangerous than fentanyl. It doesn’t make up for all the other damage he’s doing, and even this one thing he probably won’t handle in an appropriate way, since he’s also, y’know, incompetent. But it’s conceivable that this one thing could move in a good direction despite his leadership.
Great point and something that I support. Psychedelics have been known to provide psychological therapy for a while and I’ll take any gains in that area.
That happened before bird flu was announced tho
Thankful JD was only into couches
That’s just the worm talking, it’s out for revenge
It wants a mate
I have a buddy who is a virologist. He sends me shit all the time about bird flu. The gain of function tests on it is wild. Also, note that we have seen this shit coming since 2012
- Fouchier, R.A.M., et al. (2012). “Airborne transmission of influenza A/H5N1 virus between ferrets.”
Published in: Science
Summary: Demonstrated that a small number of mutations could allow H5N1 to spread via respiratory droplets in ferrets.
Link: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1213362
- Herfst, S., et al. (2012). “Airborne transmission of influenza A/H5N1 virus between ferrets.”
Published in: Science (companion to Fouchier’s work)
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22723413/
- Imai, M., et al. (2012). “Experimental adaptation of an influenza H5 HA confers respiratory droplet transmission to a reassortant H5 HA/H1N1 virus in ferrets.”
Published in: Nature
Summary: Kawaoka’s lab showed that reassortment of H5N1 with pandemic H1N1 genes could enable airborne spread in ferrets.
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10831
- Zhang, Y., et al. (2013). “H5N1 hybrid viruses bearing 2009/H1N1 virus genes transmit in guinea pigs by respiratory droplet.”
Published in: Science
Summary: Chinese researchers found that hybrid viruses combining H5N1 with H1N1 pandemic genes could spread between mammals.
Link: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1243362
- National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) Reports (2012).
Summary: Initially recommended redacting details of GoF studies due to bioterrorism concerns, later reversed.
2012? Bird flu been warned about since 2005 at least in my memory
The first case was in 1959 in Scotland. The first human case was in 1996 or 1997 in China. Then around 2002, there was an outbreak in SE Asia that caused alarm then in 2005 it spread by wild birds into Europe and triggered a big WHO warning. The first gain of function tests was in 2011 and 2012. My comment was about the gain of function tests. I probably could have worded it better
What is the point of gain of function research? Sounds unwise to devote resources to making deadly diseases deadlier.
I think the idea is that the diseases are likely to become deadlier whether we do research or not, but by experimenting we are able to get ahead of it.
That makes sense. As you might guess, I am not a scientist
We don’t “improve” diseases to make them deadilier and then just release them. The point of gain of function research essentially boils down to “How quickly can this disease become a serious issue and what do we expect that to look like?” with covid, thanks to gain of function research we knew it would quickly mutate and decrease in severity and we could significantly reduce harm by slowing the spread until it got to the point it’s at today.
Makes sense! Thank you for taking the time to summarize
I have to say it again, I am not a virologist. I am just a middle-aged peckerwood from South Texas so please don’t take anything I say on the subject of H5N1 as fact. It’s just my understanding of how things work in a field I have very little connection to lol.
Gain of function tests are very controversial. IIRC there were a few SARS-CoV-1 leaks in Asia from GoF tests in 2004 or 05. People use those to argue against them. It can also be argued that GoF tests help us map out what mutations we should be watching for so there will be faster responses when they eventually occur. It can also help to advance vaccine research.
When they are done they destroy the mutated viruses or store nonviable samples in secured labs. The security and precautions, for the most part, keep it safe. Or so we are told lol
In the big picture GoF tests are a drop, what should scare the dick off you is reassortment. That happens on its own in the wild. The hits include H2N2, H3N2, H1N1, and H9N2. IIRC H9N2 is a top donor for internal genes and making it a superstar in the reassortments of all sorts of avian flu.
Good luck
Good luck
Sounds like I’ll need it! Good luck to you too!
Summary: Chinese researchers found that hybrid viruses combining H5N1 with H1N1 pandemic genes could spread between mammals.
That would be bad, as current vaccines against avian flu in humans tent to work on the “H5” part…
I just hope it kills a lot more Nazi antivax idiots this time
There will probably be some slant in that direction, but there’ll be a much bigger slant towards killing the elderly, the immunocompromised, those who can’t afford medical care and time off, etc. As usual.
As terrible as it feels to say with the way elderly people vote they more often than not fall into the nazi camp. I know my gandad does with fox constantly playing.
Unfortunately, it’s the rich that are feeding them the garbage that’s infested their minds. I don’t think there’s any saving the masses from the delusion they’re slobbering up, but as long as the buffet keeps getting restocked, the pigs will keep fattening up for the slaughter.
Hopefully it kills the uber-privileged carnists responsible for all of this death and disease.
being able to be vegan/vegetarian is a privilege. it’s expensive as hell for starters. you can eat meat and still want change in the meat industry.
Not to mention there are people who physically have to eat meat. I have anemia due to stage 4 endometriosis. I can’t take iron supplements so have to eat meat or I get very sick.
Carnist? This is why we lose.
I doubt it will they all have doomsday bunkers. I do hope that they are forced to cower in them for the rest of their days though……because guillotine
Yeah, and this time masks will be illegal.
They can pry them out of my cold, dead hands.
Well, I think that’s the likely scenario
If I go down, it’ll be kicking and screaming. I’ll fight back.
Meanwhile my country’s most powerful public health official: “vaccines are dangerous because they train viruses to be stronger, we should instead simply infect as many birds as possible”
Future historians will say that Donald the dumb was a plague spreader.
Im just worried how bad it can get. 90% fatalities to pregnant women, that high. That’s not the COVID 1-2%
Future historians? I like your optimism.
2044
This heresy scrubbed by The Mechanicum of Misinformation
FOR GOD EMPEROR TRUMP!
brain in a jar
don’t forget RFK Jr who suggested that people drink raw milk amidst an H5 breakout
Infected raw milk.
Pasteurized milk is fine.
yes my bad somehow my hand skipped over the raw part
Bigger picture, pasteurized milk is not fine. You need a system of animal agriculture infrastructure to make that happen, and that system is why we’re in this mess in the first place.
Don’t forget all the carnists who literally paid for this.
OMG we get it, you’re vegan. Get over it!
Not now
This is literally the worst possible time for it to happen. If you think global trade and prices are fucked right now then just you wait.
Time to stop all testing immediately so that there are no cases
Anecdote: I’m pretty sure lots of diseased chickens are being dumped without being reported because carnists don’t want to cull their flock. I literally found several trashbags of sickly dead chickens spread around a field (by coyotes probably) where I run.
- the case mortality rate is, by far, one of the worst we’ve ever seen for an influenza. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20250131.pdf
- we already have a vaccine for it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5N1_vaccine
- don’t panic but be educated https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5CyVi4UzKxE
Having a vaccine, and getting it sufficiently wide deployed under a known antivaxxer “health” minister are two different kinds of shoes.
And: The virus is currently trying to overcome species barriers, which might reduce an existing vaccine less useful. AFAIK you need a different vaccine for poultry than for cows, and some infections have made it across to humans, also AFAIK, from cows.
getting it sufficiently wide deployed under a known antivaxxer “health” minister
Not to mention that the asshole in the WH would absolutely weaponize this against blue states and would try to enrich HIMSELF in the process. We know, because that’s what he did during Covid. That’s just how fucking depraved he is.
They initially thought that Covid was killing more of the Blahs…and they of course loved that idea.
If only we had some technology that could replicate the mRna or DNA as things changed to get an updated vaccine out quicker.
Too bad that didn’t work out, killed billions of people, and is now being banned for how awful it was.
that didn’t work out, killed billions of people, and is now being banned for how awful it was.
I’m out of the loop, what was banned?
I don’t know if any of them have actually gone through the whole process yet, but multiple states are trying to ban mrna vaccines
https://www.yahoo.com/news/bill-ban-mrna-vaccines-passes-140200324.html
Once it takes hold in swine, it’s party time!
Is there is a functional vaccine for it then I want it ASAP.
we already have a vaccine for it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5N1_vaccine
Gonna be illegal in the USA
Ugh, do we really need Trump + Pandemic again?
It’s entirely avoidable, if only Trump would have actually learned something from his first term and actually funded research and prevention teams. Sadly, he only has the foresight to see how cutting those programs saves the US Govt. a penny now, and not the wisdom to see how that panny would have been money well spent if it prevented us from having to spend thousands on recovery efforts.
But they made so much money stealing PPE last time! Probably some good extortion money, too.
Huge bonus if they get to hold a cure over people’s heads, too.
Trump would have actually learned something
That’s physically impossible at this point.
do we really need Trump + Pandemic again
If there were any justice in the universe, he would have died from the virus he unleashed on the world
The fucknut RFK will tell the AmeriKans to drink fish tank cleaner or bleach and shove a UV light down their throats. When this things slams into the USA, Krasnov will continue to fail.
I’m ok with this.
We’ve known about vaccines, germ theory, and virus for quite some time now. If they want to kill themselves because they choose to not follow the science, so be it. I’m tired of having this conversation with the wilfully and proudly ignorant tomato soup brained infants.
RFK jr. Isn’t just anti-germ theory. He doesn’t even follow miasma theory… he follows something even older and more stupid: terrain theory. The idea that you get sick BECAUSE you were unhealthy and not the other way around. That diseases are opportunists looking for malnourished or lazy or weak individuals (weak by their own choices) than just something that can happen to anyone.
You know those girls who died of measles? He insisted it happened because they were malnourished. No amount of evidence presented by doctors could convince him otherwise.
Basically we have an absolutely insane conspiracy theorist who has the medical beliefs of a medieval quack in charge of US health.
this whole “valuing specific humans are inherently inferior to others and can’t be saved” business reminds me of something…
Misinformation is what you wanna target, not the victims
How long do you personally choose to argue with a flat earther?
The evidence is there. The math isn’t that hard and they can do it themselves to prove a round earth. There are a few simple experiments they can do to prove it. They consciously choose to ignore everything and believe something provably incorrect.
If someone is mentally deficient, or had a learning disability, that’s one thing. I’m not talking about these people. I’m talking about the flat earther type (or anti-vax, or tribalism MAGA nut) who chooses to go against simple science.
Media landscapes can be vastly different for different people, and if they’re surrounded by media “confirming” their conspiracies, they will choose to believe that rather than what “some random people” say
That is still no excuse.
+1…Indeed!
So, you’re okay with a whole bunch of people who have no problem with vaccines die because they live next to anti-vaxxers?
Wow, so noble. You really are a moral person and not some idiot wanking your anger boner on the internet.
Ideally those who have the vaccine would be protected from the contagion that might come from the anti-vax next door.
I’m very worried for those who are Immunocompromised or those that can not get the vaccine for whatever reason. When the next plague comes, these are the people I will be supporting and trying to help.
I think what you fail to understand is many of us spent unlimited hours trying to explain vaccines, masks, washing hands, social distancing, etc to these people during covid and all it did was get them to double down on their anti-social behaviour. I even had a few spit at me.
So yeah, fuck these asshole cunts. They put all of us in danger.
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Get down off your high horse. There are people who physically have to eat meat. Btw if you have to take supplements because your diet doesn’t contain enough nutrients, your diet is bad.
Let me try to engage with the last point rationally.
Yes, of course, Vegans take supplements. At least B12 is a required.
I personally don’t think that makes it a “bad” diet.
From my perspective, it is the morally correct way of living, for many reasons, one of them beeing that it causes the least amount of suffering for sentient beeing.
The point you are making (and correct me if I am wrong) is that taking supplements means it’s not a natural way of eating, hence the need for supplements.
I agree. It is not.
But there are plenty of things that are natural for us, but we have decided that they are morally bad and hence should not be practiced. Violence, for example, is so natural in humans that even after thousands of years of civilisation we still require laws to regulate or punish it, alongside “outlets” for our violence (like Marital Arts or Video Games). I am sure you can think of other things that are natural to humans, but are considered immoral.
Eating animals is, in my opinion, just the next step in that line. It’s something that was needed once but is not any longer, at least for the vast majority of people (as you hinted at in the first half of your comment).
Shut up
Do you think libs are going to tell people to stop eating meat because it’s destroying the planet, breeding diseases, and of course least importantly (\s) torturing/murdering animals?
Never have. Never will. Chuck and nancy probably have stock in this shit.
Do you want people to eat less meat, or do you want to feel superior to people because you eat less meat? Because it feels like the latter from all your comments here.
Humans have been eating meat since the dawn of mankind. Get over it.
The US will end up with the highest fatality ratio than any other country and Trump will still blame Biden and Hillary’s emails
How to prepare for this shit again? I guess I can start by storing some masks, and a lot more food.
Any advice or thoughts? I can work from home fulltime, and grocery deliveries is possible.
My recommendation is to honestly just do what we did during covid. The government likely won’t be enforcing anything this time so we’re probably gonna be on our own. Also I recommend stocking up on things asap. We’re already having supply chain issues and it’s gonna get infinitely worse if or when this pops off.
I live in Norway, so the government will do everything in it’s power to protect its citizens probably. Like it did during COVID.
Theres no supply chain issues here currently either. During COVID pretty much everything was available besides acceptably priced GPUs
Ah I’m American so I’m probably just gonna die lol
If you get the flu just attend the next Trump rally you can find and cough as much as possible
Honestly that’s a good idea
I think so. Spit on your hands and touch all the door handles you can find. Introduce yourself with a handshake to everyone you encounter. Buy a MAGA hat and see if you can get a picture or something with Trump. Turn yourself into a full on bio weapon that exclusively targets fascists.
I’m gonna become a carrier from left 4 dead. I’ll show no symptoms but I’ll get everyone around me infected
Typhoid Mary 2: MAGA Boogaloo
Ethically, I hate it. Realistically, the pandemic largely happened in the US because it was used as biological warfare against the populace, hoping that it would stay in blue areas and, turnabout is fair play.
The best thing to prepare is to not be fearful and to not panic.
I suggest that everybody protest against factory farming and participate in boycotts. Call lawmakers and regulators to take direct action against these companies and their dangerous practices (and hold them responsible).
If you pitch it as a wall around the farms, that the farms will pay for. You might have a shot.
Only if you claim that the farms are all filled with brown people.
Going to post this as a main comment but two things are true
- the case mortality rate is, by far, one of the worst we’ve ever seen for an influenza. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/emergency/surveillance/avian-influenza/ai_20250131.pdf
- we already have a vaccine for it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5N1_vaccine
- don’t panic but be educated https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5CyVi4UzKxE
Thanks, that mortality rate is frighteningly high. Luckily no human to human transmission so far. Hopefully never.
Might be good to have some personal protective equipment in my emergency toolkit, as people would probably go instantly nuts for that if there is a breakout of human to human transmission.
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That’s not possible for all of us. I have dietary issues and food allergies that keep me on a strict diet. Animal protein (and even the type is limited) is the only source of main protein I can eat regularly without getting sick. Shit like this scares me because I’m afraid I could literally end up starving to death if all the birds and fish die.
What are your dietary issues and food allergies?
I have IBS/GERD and the food allergies aren’t actually limiting (it’s only two things). The combo of IBS & GERD limit what I can eat in general, and vegetarian or vegan sources of protein must be eaten in very small amounts seldomly or I simply cannot eat them at all. I am unable to eat even wheat/seitan or soy or dairy. Seldom can I eat beans/lentil/nuts/seeds.
I wish I was stronger in this regard. Will make and a eat a vegetarian dinner today though.
