I should apologise, and do, for the strong tone of my letter. Im sorry Lloyd. My letter was too strong but was written just after I had battled through a family of terrorised flu 'victims' who were insisting on tests and treatment (very loudly, in Arabic) when they needed nothing. Let me explain:
Every day we face about 50 cases of flu in Dubai, mostly misinformed and wanting this and that when in fact flu has no cure. Never has. And we dish out printed sheets telling everyone not to panic. The current death rate from H1N1 worldwide is less than 1%. These people are elderly and infirm generally, though we are all concerned about H1 N1 in pregnancy. There have been 5 deaths in Dubai, 4 are pregnant women. The Australian experience ( they've had their flu season) is best summed up by : much ado about nothing. Tamiflu does not work too well. The WHO guidelines do not recommend the blanket use of Tamiflu at all, and state that the evidence is weak. So don't go asking for Tamiflu unless one is pregnant, very fat, very old or very young or has other major health issues like severe diabetes. In these situations it MIGHT be of use. A small californian company holds the trade rights to Tamiflu. Donald Rumsfeld is a major shareholder. Yes, Donald Rumsfeld of Iraq 'we know what we don't know' fame. Seek medical help if you belong to one of the at risk groups I described above or if you develop symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing up blood, light headedness, drowsiness. H1N1 does not give you a skin rash. If you develop fever and a skin rash contact a doctor pronto. Dont waste time in Cantare. If one wishes to pray go ahead, but any words profoundly said should suffice. Remember there are people who have killed their children by praying : the child who needed insulin but received a prayer? The Jehovah's witnesses who regularly refuse blood transfusions for their injured children? There are hundreds of such cases. Religion and science are not bedfellows. Darwin was threatened with death. Rushdie too, though he is no scientist, just a free thinker. So pray if you will, but swine flu is almost always a trivial illness..... at present. A mutation might occur soon that increases its lethality. But we are busy developing a prayer that will tackle that problem, worry not. PS: If any one wants references for my statements I will be happy to provide. Dilip [email protected] > Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:54:34 +0530 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [SALIGAONET] Re: H1N1 Virus Prayer > > > Hi All > Kudos for dilip for putting thoughts to the computer before me. i was > afraidn to reply to this cus it would draw flak but he shares my > sentiments exactly > > > > On a more serious note, pay not the slightest bit of attention to loose > > comments about "the dreaded H1N1" virus. > > Even the H1N1 is god's creation (if you believe that sort of thing). > > It's a friend and it is actually almost completely harmless. Only > > pregnant women and very fat people need pray. Both groups might have > > difficulty kneeling and perhaps your prayer, Lloyd, is a little too long. > > Yeah lloyd in all honesty, u stand a better chance of dying if u stand > out there on the road!. > > > course no one has reacted in the past, cos there was no hype, and there > > were no bible-thumpers using secular channels to push religion and > > frighten the sh*t out of ordinary people. > > EXACTLY. dont get me wrong. i'm ur typical religious guy but using > religion to try to pass by something like this is NOT the right thing to do. > > > not. Anyone died of Typhoid yet? Maybe the water isn't holy enough? > > LOL nice way of putting it. but seriosly lloyd. maybee u could take some > time off to read as to WHAT are the ways the virus spreads and how to > prevent it and all. > i myself have just returned from a trip to mumbai, and it was really > ammusing to see ppl wearing masks everywhere and remove them when they > stop to enjoy a plate of food at the roadside only to put it back on > again when the finsih eating. ROTFL. what are ppl thinking? this is what > marketing and panic does to us. it takes away all reason. > > > > > As for the moderator of this site - he seems quietly to snooze whenever > > completely unfounded, frightening, religion-pushing mail is published. > > Religion always exploits ignorance and fright. Get a grip, Rico! > > > > > yeah and rico he is right... i partially agre with him. his email might > have been i good faith but the prayer that came along with shd have been > screened. i'm a staunch catholic but even this is going overboard - what > is the use of moderation than? > > regards > Ashley > > > -- > Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness!! > > Devine Computers > Abreovaddo, Saligao, Bardez, Goa. > Ph: 2409544 / 9823118321 > Branch: Opp Municipality, Shetye resicom, Shop #3. Bicholim > Ph: 9422448900 / 2361147 > > > _________________________________________________________________ More than messages–check out the rest of the Windows Live™. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. 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