"Nerd flu" from PAX may be more serious

[Lyinginbedmon]

I figure I should do my bit by reporting this even though I couldn't make it to PAX, but it looks like that might not have been a bad thing.

Anyways, the news:

There have been confirmed Swine Flu cases from attendees of PAX last week.

You may have heard of a lot of people reporting feeling ill after the con, Twitterers have called it "nerd flu".

From the official folks (Gabe) over at Penny Arcade:

We Just heard of our first test-confirmed swine flu case at the show. PLEASE if you feel symptoms (fever, etc) call your doctor.

-Gabe out

Flight List for those with Confirmed Cases:

Departed Sunday:
JetBlue #498, Seattle to Boston, Departed Sunday Night
United #356, Seattle to Denver, Departed Sunday Afternoon

Departed Monday:
Alaska Airline #12, Seattle to Boston, Departed Monday Morning
Delta #1050, Seattle to Atlanta, Departed Monday Morning

For those with doctor-confirmed cases, please email [email protected] with your flight info. Thanks.

Scott Kurtz is going to a clinic because he's not feeling great, and Gabe himself isn't feeling great either.

Make sure convention season doesn't end permanently for you folks.

[tak197]

Again, while this is a major concern, just a reminder: Swine Flu has rarely been worse than a mild or moderate case. That said, the fatal cases are often because of pre-existing conditions of the heart or lungs, or another condition. Just wash your hands, use sanitizer, cough into your shoulder or elbow, and if you are exposed to it, wear the mask. Don't wear it if you don't have it, you'll look stupid and it won't prevent you from getting it.

Also, by the time PAX East rolls around, most all people will have the vaccine.

[Digital Dolphin]

A number of my friends who went to PAX are now sick and off to get checked out. I hear Matt is also sick.... hope he doesn't have it

[tak197]

Me either. It's nothing to get hugely worried about, but still being sick blows worse than a virgin prostitute with braces.

[Kara]

Rough. I hope Matt and the rest of the crew are okay as well as everyone else from the forums and all other LRR fans are okay.

Otherwise, hopefully this won't spread TOO ridiculously through PAX-goers.

[Cade Antilles]

My friend that came back from PAX has a case of the "Nerd Flu", but the doctor he saw wasn't concerned. So, neither am I.

So, like tak197 was saying, be health conscious and take good care of yourselves.

[Lyinginbedmon]

Again, while this is a major concern, just a reminder: Swine Flu has rarely been worse than a mild or moderate case. That said, the fatal cases are often because of pre-existing conditions of the heart or lungs, or another condition. Just wash your hands, use sanitizer, cough into your shoulder or elbow, and if you are exposed to it, wear the mask. Don't wear it if you don't have it, you'll look stupid and it won't prevent you from getting it.

Also, by the time PAX East rolls around, most all people will have the vaccine.

While that is true, it's still worth alerting people who just figure it's regular con-sequences. People over here in the UK take tamiflu and quarantine themselves for a day because of it, so I figure people need to be made aware that it's there and they might have it and should take the appropriate measures.

[JesterJ.]

There are over 2,000 people at WSU with Swine Flu at the moment, so it's entirely possible some people drove over to Seattle from Pullman for PAX and contaminated everyone.

It's WSU's fault and we all know it. Just another reason to hate them.

[Arius]

Can we blame Morgan for this? Had he done more Man Cooking, swine flu never would have had a chance to evolve.

[Kara]

Can we blame Morgan for this?

We can blame Morgan for anything. It's easy.

[James]

A report on the crew.

Monday morning Graham and Paul were feeling super sick. Ben seemed to have a minor cold.
Monday afternoon Graham seemed to be doing a lot better, Paul not so much and ben was still dealing with the cold.
Monday evening Graham seemed a lot better, Paul was sleeping and ben was still with cold
This morning Paul was feeling quite a bit better but still not great, ben was seemed to have a cold and everyone else was OK
Matt said on his twitter he was going to the doctors as he wasn't feeling well as what I can only assume was a precaution.

I can't believe that everyone that got sick at the con has H1N1. Simply put at the end of any convention people get sick. You stick 75,000 people into the same place for 3 days it's going to happen.

If you have a cough or runny nose just see what happens, if your burning up and feeling like crap then get yourself checked, but only then. The biggest problem we have during times like these are worried people wasting doctors time when all they have is a cold.

[Arius]

Matt said on his twitter he was going to the doctors as he wasn't feeling well as what I can only assume was a precaution.

Obligatory Matt/Tim joke:

It's alright, you have a spare.

[Cybren]

Swine flu is the exact same thing as the regular flu.

[Master Gunner]

That's like saying an orangutan is the exact same thing as a chimpanzee. Similar, yes, but different. Swine Flu is both separate and more dangerous than the regular flu, primarily because people like Matt, Graham, and Paul are more likely to die from it than people with regular flu. So yes, it is something to be concerned about, and to watch out for after you've just been to a conference with 75000 other people, some of whom have it.

[Arius]

The regular flu isn't even the same as the regular flu. Viruses evolve into new strains and become resistant to medication.

Just swine flu has evolved from a completely different strain, so no one knows how it will affect people. It has very little in terms of similarity and it is much more resistant to common flu drugs.

There are differences that matter.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/key_facts.htm

[tak197]

That's like saying an orangutan is the exact same thing as a chimpanzee. Similar, yes, but different. Swine Flu is both separate and more dangerous than the regular flu, primarily because people like Matt, Graham, and Paul are more likely to die from it than people with regular flu. So yes, it is something to be concerned about, and to watch out for after you've just been to a conference with 75000 other people, some of whom have it.

While you are on the right track, you need to look at the statistics from the current outbreak of swine flu. In the US alone, only 9,079 cases of H1N1 have resulted in hospital stays, and only 593 people have died. This is out of a total of tens of thousands of cases. While people our age are more likely to get it than the seasonal flu, the vast majority of cases are mild enough to just warrant sleep, Vitamin C, and taking care of yourself.

Finally, I will also say this to all the LRR people: there is a vaccine on its way, as soon as you hear of it's release, get in line.

[iEatNinjaZ]

I was sick this weekend and i still am a bit, it was the worst ive ever had.
Half of my school is sick, its gonna be bad...

Like my teacher said, the world is overpopulated. It would do us good to loose a few million people.

[Abacus]

Apparently Kathleen doesn't have it, though. I wonder if the consumption of alcohol at her birthday party had something to do with it. :3

[Cade Antilles]

Can we please stop calling H1N1 the "swine flu"?

That is all.

[Arius]

Piggy flu it is, then.

[stoplightred]

Can we please stop calling H1N1 the "swine flu"?

Then since it's 'Nerd Flu,' can we call it R2DFlu?

(nyuk nyuk nyuk)

Actually, if I'm going to go with a Star Wars droid theme, I think it would be better called HK-47 flu. He'd like that.

[Nevrmore]

Can we please stop calling H1N1 the "swine flu"?

That is all.

Yeah, and can we please get back to calling cars "automated mobiles" and AM "Ante-Meridian" and PM "Post-Meridian" and while we're at it can we please call Rhode Island by its proper name, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations? I just hate nicknames for things with a fiery passion, you see!

[stoplightred]

Yeah, and can we please get back to calling cars "automated mobiles"

YES. YES WE CAN.

[gcninja]

Well according to matts newest twitter ( mine just uodated after teo days) he has the nerd flu. RUN AWAY GRAHAM!!

Poor guy. Dammit feel better. You damn hyperchondiac

[Lord Chrusher]

I am happy that I did not go to PAX and get sick right before I went traveling for six months.