Three months into the U.S. bird flu outbreak, only 45 people have been tested. Laboratories that are the foundation of diagnostic testing have yet to get approval to detect the bird flu virus. They say their path forward has been slowed by miscommunication and uncertainty from the CDC and FDA.
Humans getting it? Yes, from farm animals. Humans getting it from other humans? Not yet, but I wouldn’t bet on that staying the case forever.
There are two aspects that make this different from COVID. One is that the mortality rate is much higher: near 50%, whereas COVID was around 1-3%. That’s the bad difference. The good difference is that it’s a flu variant, and we’ve studied flu variants for a very long time. I’ve heard there’s already a vaccine, but I haven’t verified that claim from any reputable health organization.
So if people actually follow health advice from officials, this could be handled much better than COVID. But if they don’t and they get it, it’s a coin flip if they die. And people are already doing things like drinking more raw milk because the CDC has identified the virus as being in raw milk from infected farms, so draw your own conclusions.
I followed all the suggestions and didn’t see family or friends until the vaccine was out. One thing that I find odd now is that there are people that mask up still, which is good, but their nose is hanging out. Like, dude, we had years of this, and you’re attempting to be conscious, but how have you not learned how to wear a mask properly?
Thankfully where I live, that sort of thing didn’t happen much during the pandemic itself. Most people understood how to properly wear a mask and why it was necessary. Nobody enjoyed wearing one - I didn’t either - but they definitely made me feel safer in situations where you couldn’t always avoid being near someone, like public transport.
Though it’s certainly odd that people who wear them NOW use them wrong. That’s a head scratcher for sure.
Have we seen cases of humans getting it yet or nah?
Humans getting it? Yes, from farm animals. Humans getting it from other humans? Not yet, but I wouldn’t bet on that staying the case forever.
There are two aspects that make this different from COVID. One is that the mortality rate is much higher: near 50%, whereas COVID was around 1-3%. That’s the bad difference. The good difference is that it’s a flu variant, and we’ve studied flu variants for a very long time. I’ve heard there’s already a vaccine, but I haven’t verified that claim from any reputable health organization.
So if people actually follow health advice from officials, this could be handled much better than COVID. But if they don’t and they get it, it’s a coin flip if they die. And people are already doing things like drinking more raw milk because the CDC has identified the virus as being in raw milk from infected farms, so draw your own conclusions.
My conclusions are thusly.
I never have nor will I ever drink raw milk.
Also don’t hang out with any nutters that are so fanatic that they would drink raw milk to prove some sort of point
I have once, on a tiny family farm in my childhood. It’s nothing special and I preferred the processed version personally. Truly do not see the hype.
As a Frenchman I’m torn on this, I don’t drink raw milk but damn all the cheese is made from raw milk, we’re screwed
Real cool the person suggesting Pont I’Eveque to my while in traveling through France.
That’ll work. I was sick and tired of people refusing to follow basic COVID guidelines. Selfish idiots.
If this takes out people with that same attitude? Awesome.
I followed all the suggestions and didn’t see family or friends until the vaccine was out. One thing that I find odd now is that there are people that mask up still, which is good, but their nose is hanging out. Like, dude, we had years of this, and you’re attempting to be conscious, but how have you not learned how to wear a mask properly?
Thankfully where I live, that sort of thing didn’t happen much during the pandemic itself. Most people understood how to properly wear a mask and why it was necessary. Nobody enjoyed wearing one - I didn’t either - but they definitely made me feel safer in situations where you couldn’t always avoid being near someone, like public transport.
Though it’s certainly odd that people who wear them NOW use them wrong. That’s a head scratcher for sure.
I don’t think we have seen human to human transmission confirmed yet, but that could be due to not testing enough to be able to know.
That’s fair, terrifying but fair. Thanks for the knowledge