Editing 574: Swine Flu

{{w|Swine influenza|Swine flu}} is a strain of the flu which can be transmitted from pigs to humans. In 2009, it was the origin of the {{w|Pandemic H1N1/09 virus}}, which most news stations called either "H1N1" (the subtype name) or "swine flu". Because of the ambiguous name given to it and the somewhat hazy description of the transmittal process and dangers to humans, many people were concerned about the virus in ways that weren't going to be threats. This comic pokes a bit of fun at the overreaction by users on {{w|Twitter}} (rebranded as "X", in July 2023, long after this comic).

[https://twitter.com/PAULYSHOREFAN Paulyshorefan]'s tweet is a reference to the flash game "[https://www.crazygames.com/game/pandemic-2 Pandemic 2]", in which players try to create a disease that infects the whole world. {{w|Madagascar}} is the most difficult country to infect, as it only has 1 port and often closes it at the slightest hint of an infection. The difficulty of infecting Madagascar has caused it to become a [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/shut-down-everything meme]. The user's Twitter handle is a reference to {{w|Pauly Shore}}, a comedian who was briefly popular in the 1990s before quickly becoming out of favor and derided as unfunny.

[https://twitter.com/CrackMonkey74 CrackMonkey74]'s tweet is a parody of viral Christian(?) messages that say that current tragedies are God's punishment, [http://bible.cc/mark/13-7.htm despite the fact that the Bible says that the end is not yet to come.] More specifically, Crackmonkey74 blames the {{w|American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU}}, {{w|Lesbian|lesbians}} (a reference to the current culture wars that give big press towards proponents of {{w|Same-sex marriage|same-sex marriage}} against fundamentalist Christians), {{w|September 11 attacks|9/11}} (the day when the {{w|World Trade Center (1973–2001)|Twin Towers}} fell, causing controversy on whether {{w|Muslim}} terrorists crashed their planes on the towers or whether the government {{w|9/11 conspiracy theories|staged}} this by purposefully demolishing the towers) and {{w|Nanorobotics|nanobots}} (possibly a reference towards the highly promising but still relatively not understood field of nanotechnology, plus another reference towards the phrase "playing God"). He is likely the same Crackmonkey74 from [[406: Venting]] and [[202: YouTube]].

[https://twitter.com/Twilight7531 Twilight7531]'s tweet implies that she got a {{w|Bone fracture#Orthopedic|bone fracture}} which ended up protruding from her arm. However, she seems to lack medical knowledge, so she is worried that her fracture is actually swine flu (though how she can be typing with a broken arm is confusing).

The last comment by [https://twitter.com/2011SENIORSRULE 2011Seniorsrule] references a medical paper published by the journal {{w|The Lancet}}, in which it is proposed that {{w|Autism|autism}} is caused by {{w|Vaccine|vaccination}}. Since then, the paper was partially retracted in 2004, and fully retracted in 2010 because of conflicts of interest. The entire incident has been defined as the {{w|MMR vaccine controversy}}. This stance has still been seen since the retraction of the paper, and still holds some popularity by {{rw|cranks}}, {{rw|quacks}}, {{rw|pseudoscience|pseudoscientists}}, and {{rw|conspiracy|conspiracy theorists}} alike who are convinced that the {{rw|CDC}} is {{rw|Release_the_data|hiding vital data}} that proves {{rw|Anti-vaccination_movement#Autism|vaccines cause autism}}. The most famous figure in support of it is {{w|Jenny McCarthy}}. This Twitter user is not only using a debunked study about a completely different set of vaccines, they have also confused cause and effect (i.e. even if vaccines caused autism, that doesn't mean that autistic people carry flu vaccines). Also, licking vaccinated people isn't how vaccines are administered.{{Citation needed}} On top of that, fear of germs and/or hypersensitivity is common among autistic people, so "licking an autistic kid" may be a difficult and possibly painful experience for the lickee. (By contrast, allistic children are well known to enjoy being licked.){{Actual citation needed}}

The title text at first states the fact that some flu symptoms are actually the symptoms of the body's reaction, and can in some cases be more dramatic than the initial infection. E.g. A fever is a defense mechanism of the body against a disease. Then the title text makes the recommendation to protect oneself from an overreaction by living an unhealthy life. This is not good advice.{{Citation needed}}

:<font color="blue"><u>2011Seniorsrule</u></font>: My Dad said flu vaccines are linked to autism, so to be safe from swine flu I'm trying to lick an autistic kid.