Paris Hilton was asked by a paparazzo yesterday if she’d heard of the swine flu and she shook her head “no” and continued to play with her Blackberry. When the photographer explained that “it’s a new flu that’s killing a lot of people in Mexico and everything,” and asked if she was concerned she said “I don’t eat that.”
The swine flu is of course spread from person to person and cannot be caught from eating pork. You wouldn’t expect Paris to know that, since she’s completely oblivious to the biggest story in the news. She must not even glance at the headlines on the papers.
I’m all for public awareness of a possible pandemic, but the swine flu coverage is over the top and it’s unnecessarily scaring the people who do pay attention. From most reports in the US, it’s responding well to antivirals and is easily treated if it’s caught soon enough. No one in the US has died from the swine flu that we know of, which can be deadly but usually only causes mild symptoms. (Update: a 23 month-old baby in Texas has died from the virus.) The government seems to have a solid plan for containing the flu and making sure there are enough drugs available to treat it. (I agree with this editorial in the LA Times that we should take sensible measures, focus on containment without penalizing immigrants and help the Mexican government as much as possible.)
The Daily Show did an hysterical send up of the media coverage of the swine flu, which is below. Stewart quipped that swine flu ranks last on the list of things that can kill you in Mexico, with “Bullet Flu” at the top of the list. They showed a clip from CNN in which they turned the entire country of Canada red on a big map for “6 mild cases” of the flu. Stewart said “I like a good scare as much as the next guy, but for six mild cases of the flu you’re going to turn four million square miles bright red?… What does a herpes outbreak look like out there? Blood coming out of your eyes?” Maybe Paris is right not to be too concerned. She’s doing fine.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | M – Th 11p / 10c | |||
| Snoutbreak ’09 – The Last 100 Days | ||||
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Thanks to The Huffington Post for featuring this video.
Here’s Paris shopping at Kitson yesterday and buying accessories for her dogs. Credit: Fame Pictures.
Are we so sure she’s only ‘playing’ stupid for the publicity?
apparently the 1st confirmed death in the US happened today, according to CNN…
But that doesn’t change the fact that Paris Hilton is a dumb twat.
I see a 23-month-old baby is the first casualty in the States. That’s so sad. (No, I’m not saying it’s any sadder than the people dying in Mexico — just that it’s sad that a baby has died!)
Here in South Africa everything’s still very chill as far as the spread is concerned but I saw that the Ukraine has quarantined an entire plane because one (US) woman had a headache…
Scary times
Oh, and LOL @ Paris showing off her ignorance once again!
I’m not so sure anymore Hieronymus.
Quick clarification on something CB – I think it’s more accurate to say that this variant of the swine ‘flu virus is spreadable from person to person, which is causing the panic, as opposed to the origianl animal-to-human transfer, similar to one of the Asian bird ‘flu some years back.
My understanding is that the concern stems from the fact that this seems to be a variant of the H1N1 virus which had the same rapidity of spread as the variant which broke out in 1918 – aka “The Spanish ‘Flu” which affected 1 billion people worldwide (half the world’s population then), killing hundreds of thousands. The fact that most of the affected people and deaths are outside the usual at risk categories (children, the elderly and already sick), the WHO and others are ramping up coverage to avoid a pandemic.
Perhaps Dr. Grrl or another one of our more medically-inclined readers could correct any mistakes I’ve made.
EDIT – I hadn’t heard the news about the baby. Very sad.
LOL! Meanwhile, she probably uses face creams and such that’s made with pig semen.
Scary how quickly things change: Not 30min ago I said there were no cases of this flu in SA. Well, it’s just come through: two suspected cases in South Africa.
Quick ques……what about inhaling liquid pig fertilizer? I am surrounded my farms and you can smell it when they use the pig sh*t. So, wouldn’t inhaling be a threat? Anyone know?
@Mairead – it’s a similar virus to the Spanish flu, but every strain is different. H1N1 is a basic description of the virus, it’s actually a very common strain of the flu. As scary as a pandemic flu can be, we have to think realistically – the common flu kills thousands every year, and this may not be more than that. The scary thing about the Spanish flu was that many of the people it killed were average, healthy, young people. Only time will tell if this virus is different.
The best advice is to wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and if you do have symptoms, go to the doctor! Just like normal flu season precautions.
lol. seriously? she thinks swine flu is caused by eating pork? rofl. intellectually challenged blonde. 😛
I think she really is that f*cking stupid.
Not to be insensitive to anyone suffering from swine flu, but something like 1000 people die every week from regular flu.
Quite honestly, I would be surprised that PH even knows what “swine” means. If she had said that she “doesn’t drink that”, it would have made more sense – swine/wine…hmmmmmmmmmm.
Her stupidity makes my ears and eyes bleed.
Cara- no, shouldn’t be a threat. Go to the CDC website. They answer alot of questions there. Strict handwashing is still #1 defense
Valuepack….thanks.
@Mairead and Polkasox: What I find important to point out about the Spanish flu from 1918 is that the epidemy (or pandemy, I’m never sure what’s the difference) happened right after World War I. People in Europe were half-starved and malnourrished, there was no medication and the hospitals were full of wounded soldiers. So it is in no way comparable to the situation nowadays.
Older people and children unfortunately are in more danger of becoming seriously ill. Poeple with a normal immune system and access to medical care won’t die. People in the Western world will have access to medication. And that’s it. You take your medication and you stay in bed for about two weeks.
I caught the (normal, without any fancy surname) flu that winter for the first time in my life, and though it sure FELT epic to have a fever for the first time in 13 years and to puke out every sip of water, there was no need for a news flash. I took my pills and stayed in bed for about ten days. I recovered. The end.
Thanks for adding to and correcting my post lads 😀
Actually sauvage, I was going to mention the impact of World War I on the spread, but felt that it would get long-winded, so thanks for pointing that out. Visting some of the graveyards last year really hit home the sheer numbers who perished, up to 1919 from what had to be the Spanish Flu. Weren’t there two major outbreaks that year? The second wave spread again nearly everywhere in November after the calling of the Armistice and people hosting celebration parties.
In many ways we’re far healthier now, but those on a lower income might inadvertently suffer if they avoid going to the doctor to save money. But a medical expert on radio made a good point of not pressurising governments and drug companies to divert all resources into vaccines for this, when constant upgrading of the standard influenza virus is needed to cut down on deaths in the vulnerable.
A pandemic is an epidemic of world-wide proportions! 🙂
It’s funny to me that people panic about the Swine Flu so much when obesity has killed more people each year. Or cigarettes! Or car crashes! The list goes on and on.
Nicely written Sauvage, Polkasox and Mairead. I’m with you 100%.
And is it fucked up that I think that this is just nature’s way of regulating population?
@Annie: No. That’s what I think whenever one of these germs goes around killing a bunch of elderly, already sick, or really young people. And then we rush to get vaccines and treatments for it just so the virus can mutate around them and come back again stronger.
Jon Stewart had the best handle on it. I mean, WTF? People are literally freaking the hell out about this and it’s killed less people than drunk drivers do.
Edit: Paris Hilton is a dumbass.
i agree that the swine flu isn’t anything to panic about at this point, but it has the potential for becoming something overwhelming. i think that the response is somewhat prompted by history. in the early 1900’s, 50 million people died from some new strain of the flu, around the 1940’s i believe, about 4 million died, again, of a new strain of the flu. so i’m somewhat grateful that they are catching it early and attempting to put a stop to it. but at the same time, it’s really annoying to hear about people panicing and depleting pharmacies of medication as a precautionary measure and taking it away from someone who might really need it.
oh, and just to stay on topic, paris hilton is a dumb bitch.
My Great Grandmother died from the Spanish Flu in 1918. She left 2 small children.
The media coverage back then was limited, news/warnings didn’t travel like it does in this century. That alone would help stem this from killing as many people by education alone.
Although Jon’s skit was hilarious, the flu can kill, wash, wash your hands.
wait, how do you justify the dying of the young as a form of population control? i somewhat understand your morbid argument against the old and sick, but the young?
and NO it doesn’t just effect the young or the old or the sick… though do comprise the majority of the cases.
it’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation… if the government didn’t respond soon enough we could have public outrage and a possible “hurricane katrina” episode.
anyway, i just hope a loved one doesn’t catch a widespread disease and die, cuz i’d like to see how much comfort you’d find in the “population control” argument then… :/
Christina nobody can justify it. Nobody is saying that these people deserve to die… or its “right”… its just nature.
I think the biggest reason people are freaking out so much is because you cant control whether you get it or not. Sure, obesity kills more people, but its not like you can go outside & have somebody cough in your direction, and poof! you’re obese. But that’s how this flu works…
i still think those comments were very insensitive…
just to clarify; while still sad, the child who died yesterday was from Mexico, but went to recieve treatment of some form in the US, it wasn’t someone from there.
also to my knowledge, the spanish flu did not target the sick, elderly or children, it hit healthy young adults the hardest. Something to do with how it turned the body’s immune system against itself, the stronger the system, well….(cytokine storm). And i belive it started during the war, not in its aftermath.
Thank you Annabelle.
I never brought in any notions about someone deserving it or karma or what have you.
I just noted that death in this form is natural.
It’s happened throughout time, not just with people, but with other species and will continue to happen.
And like the regular flu, you just have to be cautious.
anyway, i just hope a loved one doesn’t catch a widespread disease and die, cuz i’d like to see how much comfort you’d find in the “population control” argument then… :/
Sounds like you kind of ARE wishing it. No one brought in family into the argument or discussion. We were just noting something. Death happens. How it happens is all just up in the air.
Orion70, you are correct. The Spanish flu’s victims were predominantly healthy young adults.
well, maybe you and homeboy over there should think twice before throwing out arbitrary, unfounded, scientifically innacurate theories about the intended reason for death… especially of young children…
you really don’t see anything wrong with posting a comment like “it’s probably just population control” in an article where the death of a 23 month old is mentioned?
That was a fabulous clip. More people right now are dying from REGULAR flu everyday than this piggy stuff.
That was brilliant. I am so happy I am wise enough to not watch mainstream news. The Pharmaceutical companies make BILLIONS off these scare media hypes. And the people own those news stations own PLENTY of stock in drug companies.
Does this bitch even have a brain ? ? Or is there a peanut just rolling around in her head seriously no one can be that stupid . . I live in west texas and so far there hasnt been any case of swine flu here but my best friend who works at one of the 2 hospitals her just told me that 2 people have been tested for the virus at the hospital that she works at cause they both are suffering from high fever, stomach and respitory problems and are very dehydrated the hospital didnt want to take any risk so they put the 2 people in a quarintined area of the hospital so they wouldnt infect any other patients of staff . . there still waiting for the test results to come back. . . i pray that they don’t have it not just for the fact i dont wanna catch it , but i dont want my daughter or any child for that matter to be infected by this virus. . . that goes for every other state effected by this virus . . . im praying for all those who are infected i hope that they can get passed this awful illness and be well and happy . . .
Where to begin Christina?
well, maybe you and homeboy over there should think twice before throwing out arbitrary, unfounded, scientifically innacurate theories about the intended reason for death… especially of young children…
It’s not arbitrary. Disease has been nature’s way of regulating populations (human, animals and plants alike) since the earth’s existence. Scientifically inaccurate? Are you daft? Throughout history, MOST diseases have attacked weaker organisms, period.
No one said anything about “intended reason”. Nature happens. There aren’t necessarily any reasons by which we can understand why one life is taken over another.
Also, you might want to grab a dictionary before you start throwing out terms to make yourself seem more intelligent than you actually are.
you really don’t see anything wrong with posting a comment like “it’s probably just population control” in an article where the death of a 23 month old is mentioned?
No. Actually, I don’t see anything wrong with it. I didn’t say the child deserved it, I didn’t run around saying that all children should die from Swine Flu. Or that old people should all contract it. Please put your pitch fork away and stop acting as if I’m the anti-christ, you’re beginning to look really stupid. I merely stated that it is a natural thing. It is extremely unfortunate, disheartening (take notes here, I’m using these terms correctly! :)) and worthy of mourning.
However devastating as it may be, it is still natural.
did you not hear me when i asked you to justify why CHILDREN would be erradicated by disease as a form of population control? or are you intentionally blocking out key points through sheer stupidity?
i’ve meticulously observed your ongoing habit of posting asinine and insensitive remarks and have come to the profound conclusion that… you’re kind of a bitch.
i meant to say healthy adults and children…
christina- ever taken any biological anthropology courses?
I may be a colossal bitch, but at least I don’t talk out of my ass.
Why should I justify the “eradication of children” when that’s not what I said, at all? I never spoke of eradication, which for your information:
Eradication (1)is the elimination or destruction of a thing or group.
Eradication may also refer to:
* Genocide, the deliberate, systematic destruction of an ethnic, religious or national group of people
Again, stop pulling words to make your insanity seem justified.
Also, please look up asinine. How is anything I’ve said “utterly foolish”? It’s a HISTORICAL fact. That NATURE happens.
Confirmation is likely late today for the foremost instance of to someone person shift of swine flu in the UK. It is believed to be a friend of Lain and Dawn Askham, who were the foremost confirmed victims in the UK and they gathered after their homecoming from honeymoon in United Mexican States. Initially the man was cleared but later on his symptoms carried on he was re tested and was found to be suffering from Type A flu. Examinations are still ongoing but are expected to confirm swine influenza. This instantly takes the entire number of swine flu sufferers in Britain to 8 -that is 6 in England 2 in Scotland but so far no deceases.
I have been assuming Hurricane Earl isn’t that devistating. I could be wrong?