Bird Flu

[ErinKC]

The current bird flu is really started to freak me the heck out... Anyone else? I'm trying to just ignore the news since I am absolutely powerless to do anything about it. But, yikes. It feels very ominous right now, especially in the US where we'll definitely do absolutely nothing to stop it if it means - god forbid! - negatively affecting our beloved beef and poultry industries.

[Carnation]

This......

ignore the news

[fishman65]

Infection of humans is tiny though?

[Carnation]

Probably zero fishman. We've been down that road many times before.

[ErinKC]

Probably zero fishman. We've been down that road many times before.

It's the largest bird flu outbreak in history, now spreading among hundreds of species of animals. There have been 14 confirmed US cases in farm workers, but data suggests the numbers are higher. Our farm workers are mostly migrants - they work in horrible conditions and many don't have access to healthcare because they are undocumented or otherwise don't have insurance. We're also doing hardly any surveillance of it and have only tested a few hundred people. 100 million chickens have been killed in the US and it's spread to hundreds of cow herds across 13 states. It first jumped from chickens to cows in November and from cows to humans in April. No evidence of human to human spread, but unlike past outbreaks, scientists have just in the last few months discovered efficient mammal to mammal spread, which is a major change from prior outbreaks. It doesn't kill cows, so it keeps spreading. Inactive virus has been found in at least 20% of the US milk supply (killed by pasteurization). Scientists are now working on an mRNA vaccine for it.

I realize that the mutation that helps it spread from human to human could never materialize, but it also definitely could and I suspect zero lessons will have been learned from Covid.

Honestly, I just need a place to spit out these anxieties. I can't do it at home because my husband was so against any Covid restrictions and we had so many fights about it that I can't bring something like this up at home without fighting.

[.Poppy.]

Unfortunately Erin, I think the mortality rate is high enough that if it does start to spread human to human, it will definitely make the news and steps will need to be taken (sorry, I’m sure that does nothing for your anxiety!). For now, I’m still covid cautious so not super concerned. Just cook all of your meat and eggs and don’t drink raw milk. Probably good advice with the listeria outbreaks anyway.

But I do feel your fears. My parents have cattle and chickens so there is a lot of handwashing going on, but I think their animals are isolated enough to be safe. It’s so hard to be afraid of something you can’t physically see.

Also, not to be political but hopefully in November we will elect some people into office that will competently handle any potential pandemic.

[ErinKC]

Also, not to be political but hopefully in November we will elect some people into office that will competently handle any potential pandemic.

Honestly. Living through Covid in America in 2020 was enough trauma for a lifetime.

[Lencoboy]

I'm sure the relevant authorities in the USA (and worldwide) would seriously be on the case by now if this current Bird Flu thing truly posed a credible threat.

Surely after the recent Covid pandemic nobody can afford to be caught napping over major public health concerns anymore.

[WiredIncorrectly]

I have to regularly remind myself to turn off the news. I'm somebody who can get sucked in fast and waste stupid amounts of time searching things.

The riots were a nightmare for the anxiety. I spent 2 solid days doing nothing but reading and watching.

I'm debating turning my Internet off for a bit so I can focus on the things I want and need to do.

There is a way on PC to block domain names. I've blocked all the news sources and procrastination websites but I often find myself unblocking them.

[ErinKC]

I have to regularly remind myself to turn off the news. I'm somebody who can get sucked in fast and waste stupid amounts of time searching things.

The riots were a nightmare for the anxiety. I spent 2 solid days doing nothing but reading and watching.

I'm debating turning my Internet off for a bit so I can focus on the things I want and need to do.

There is a way on PC to block domain names. I've blocked all the news sources and procrastination websites but I often find myself unblocking them.

I relate to this so much. For almost the last year I've completely detached myself from the news. I subscribed to the print edition of the newspaper so that I can stay moderately informed but not go down rabbit holes online. But then when all the political hoopla in the US began with the presidential debate, I got sucked all the way back in to follow that and then, inevitably, ended up consuming way more news than I had been or wanted to be.

Of course I feel extraordinarily better when I'm not following all this. Just last night I was talking to my husband about how unnatural it is for us to know so much about everything all the time. The other day, on a neighborhood website, someone posted a video of kids throwing sticks in her backyard and said how this generation is so terrible. But, imagine if as kids everyone had cameras on their freaking doorbells and all our antics were filmed and posted on the internet??

And when it comes to this stuff, just a few decades ago no one would know anything about the intricate science of bird flu mutations - something that 99.999% of the population has absolutely no control over in any way. I don't think the human mind was designed to know so much.