This particular H1N1 strain has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is entirely new.
The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another.
As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries.
… I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6. The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic.
… On present evidence, the overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a rapid and full recovery, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment. Worldwide, the number of deaths is small. Each and every one of these deaths is tragic, and we have to brace ourselves to see more. However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections.
… Most cases of severe and fatal infections have been in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years.
This pattern is significantly different from that seen during epidemics of seasonal influenza, when most deaths occur in frail elderly people. … At the same time, it is important to note that around one third to half of the severe and fatal infections are occurring in previously healthy young and middle-aged people.

Read more details in the World Health Organisation press release.

This is also a timely reminder to people who work in office spaces about coughing/sneezing not into your hands, but the best cloth at hand. Two years ago at the start of the Flu season in Australia I blogged about the benefits of using your sleeves for catching germs. I’ll re-iterate this again with this comic but well done video:

The WHO has more details on the H1N1 strain of the Flu. There are also details on the current severity of this strain.

Research by the University of Arizona last year found the average office desktop harboured 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat.
…
“Should somebody have a cold in your office, or even have gastroenteritis, you’re very likely to pick it up from a keyboard.” … one of the causes of dirty keyboards was users eating lunch at their desk, with crumbs encouraging the growth of bacteria. Poor personal hygiene, such as not washing hands after going to the toilet, could also be to blame.

Read more at the BBC well before you have lunch.
This is also a good time, going into the colder months in Southern Australia, to brush up on your coughing skills; and it is about this time last year I discussed the best way to do this.

Want to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain. Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. Cutting the connection between sweets and calories may confuse the body, making it harder to regulate intake.

You can read the full article at ScienceDaily.

Personally, I have never ascribed to the need for artificial sweeteners. If I want to sweeten my food, I will use a natural product like cane sugar, and as raw as possible. I also reject diet drinks and diet foods. Your “diet” is merely your food intake as a whole. If you want to be “on a diet” then alter your food intake and type on a permanent ongoing basis. Not just for a set period.

On a side note; I often think about going completely raw with my food but find it difficult to reconcile with eating in our modern society as a whole. Food for thought.

In a study done by Rutgers University, NJ, the scientists found that rats could reduce the likelihood of pre-cancerous sun-damaged cells from becoming cancerous by 100% if the rats either exercised or drank caffeine. However, when both the exercise and caffeine were combined, the preventative qualities of the combo raised the efficacy to a whopping 400%

I found the actual study report at rutgers.edu.
I’ll drink caffeine to that (oh and run to that when I can).

Any other policing on Melbourne trains is done by the internal security of Connex Melbourne. Their main focus appears to be revenue gain by ticketing as many people as they can. I have had them stand on a carriage watching the crazies in the next carriage, and do nothing. It was my action in initiating a 000 call that got something done about it, but as I said previously the Police were able to do little. I don’t blame the Police here, I think they do the best with what resources they have. It is the engagement of Connex and Police that is lacking.

Trains are dirty. Seats stained with whom knows what. Barrier jumping graffiti taggers get away (the ones I see and report). Why is it that I have to call 000 to report graffiti? I think an SMS/Text reporting number would help, so the train cops could respond.

The reason I care to blog about all this? The train driver was smoking on the train this morning. I had to move carriages, and will raise a complaint today. How do you police that? Had I been smoking (I don’t smoke, but hypothetically) then I would have the full extent of the transport law applied to me to prosecute or fine me. What happens to the driver? Nothing, Nil, Nada.

Ultimately, Melbourne transport is an undesirable necessity.

Why Don’t We Do It In Our Sleeves?. This covers how to sneeze and/or cough into our sleeves. The experts say that germs on cloth die out pretty quickly, whereas coughing into our hands spreads the germs onto everything we then decide to touch…. eeeewwww. Should you actually sneeze or cough into your hands, wash them immediately.

So think about this next time you are sitting in a crowded train or tram. This is also aimed at YOU – YES YOU – people sitting in offices who insist on coming to work even though they are coughing every 5 minutes.

Watch the Video!!! It is very informative.

If people don’t take heed of this sort of advice I will have to break the cycle fashion mould and start wearing a surgical mask. Being a geek, I already get singled out for my fashion and quirks, so why not a mask?!!

To keep this ‘technical’, this will be my first post from my Palm T5. It connects via bluetooth over a 3G mobile. Neato.