People will die! (Antibiotics).

Some more scaremongering from the BBC. On the radio this morning, it was explained that there is an antibiotic that is for all intents and purposes, 'The Daddy'. I can't remember the name of it, but it's basically the last antibiotic in the line of defence that we have against certain bad bacteria. So far, so bad - dun dun durrrrrr (that was the piano building the tension)

Except...the super-killer-gonna-wipe-out-the-whole-world-(next week maybe) that has proved resistant to the Daddy antibiotic was defeated by another type of antibiotic that's a bit further down the food chain.

The bad bacteria might alter it's molecular code, and become resistant to all antibiotics. That word again folks was 'might'.

So, to summarise -
  • there's a bad bacteria that's resistant to a strong antibiotic
  • But the bad bacteria can currently be killed by a weaker antibiotic
  • The bad bacteria might alter and become super deadly
  • But it might not...
[Buys a shed-load of those ridiculous dust masks that Japanese cyclists wear]
 
I don't think there's much need to overreact here everyone. Just take the sensible precautions - stock up on a lot of canned goods. Get a couple of rifles. Make some kind of crows nest vantage point on your roof. Shoot anyone who approaches your house. If they are coughing, shoot them twice. If they get up - headshot. If they still get up they have the dreaded 'lead resistant' strain - this is basically the end of the end-times - while they scratch down the door, try to make a capsule to tell future generations how we lived. And by golly we lived didn't we! (If possible make some kind of mind controlling flute program to teach future generations/civilisations about us).
 
I don't think there's much need to overreact here everyone. Just take the sensible precautions - stock up on a lot of canned goods. Get a couple of rifles. Make some kind of crows nest vantage point on your roof. Shoot anyone who approaches your house. If they are coughing, shoot them twice. If they get up - headshot. If they still get up they have the dreaded 'lead resistant' strain - this is basically the end of the end-times - while they scratch down the door, try to make a capsule to tell future generations how we lived. And by golly we lived didn't we! (If possible make some kind of mind controlling flute program to teach future generations/civilisations about us).
Loving the zombie theme and Star Trek NG reference! Off for some hot earl grey..... :)
 
I cannot remember the stats (I think it was 80%), but was shocked to hear on the radio that the vast majority of antibiotics are used in livestock, mainly to increase growth and survive the cramped conditions.
 
I still don't know why nobody was up in arms about the research guy that created a strain of the flu (I think) that bypasses our defence mechanisms earlier this year.
 
This has been tracked for years - more likely decades - and antibiotic immunity has progressed more slowly than predicted.
 
Coughs and flu are virus based and don't really have a place in a debate about antibiotics.
I only mention this because I am getting fed up with stories tbat eminate from a dreadfully poor media, normally, and use unrelated scary stuff to justify an argument.
Viruses and antibiotics, pollution and global warming, refugees and economic immigrants. The list is endless and getting longer.
Just saying that I find it a little irritating
 
This is pretty serious. Scientists have been warning of it for years. It's not scaremongering, it's trying to shake some sense into everybody before it's too late
- although this country is better than most, India is still stuck in the past where ignorant patients demand antibiotics for anything from their micobiologically ignorant doctors who prescribe them regardless
 
And don't prescribe a course, just a few so they aren't any help.
 
I still don't know why nobody was up in arms about the research guy that created a strain of the flu (I think) that bypasses our defence mechanisms earlier this year.

How do you expect to fix a problem without understanding it? If you wanted to design something to protect against bombs you'd want a bomb maker on the team.

I get the impression that antibiotics are a fairly blunt instrument and the problem isn't so much that they're going to become useless, as that more focused treatments just aren't there yet.

Coughs and flu are virus based and don't really have a place in a debate about antibiotics.
I only mention this because I am getting fed up with stories tbat eminate from a dreadfully poor media, normally, and use unrelated scary stuff to justify an argument.
Viruses and antibiotics, pollution and global warming, refugees and economic immigrants. The list is endless and getting longer.
Just saying that I find it a little irritating

Yeah, it is difficult to find decent journalists these days. Half the time when you do a sanity check on the numbers yourself the effect is so small you wonder why it's newsworthy.
 
I get the impression that antibiotics are a fairly blunt instrument and the problem isn't so much that they're going to become useless, as that more focused treatments just aren't there yet
I would say a universal instrument, it meant a small package could heal so many different people.
 
don't think I've ever had antibiotics as an adult.. and I'm 45 now...
 
Think ive had them twice in the last 25 years and on both occassions the have been needed.

The local GP that we use my missus has to go there quite a bit and every time hes perscribes antibiotics even for slight colds. Absolute joke.
 
but who goes to the docs with a slight cold..?
 
Think ive had them twice in the last 25 years and on both occassions the have been needed.

The local GP that we use my missus has to go there quite a bit and every time hes perscribes antibiotics even for slight colds. Absolute joke.
Then report him.
Apart from the waste of money and ineffective treatments, he is probably a terrible GP all round.
 
don't think I've ever had antibiotics as an adult.. and I'm 45 now...

Me too! The the last time I had them was late teens or early 20's I had a pretty bad chest infection. But have had a few man flu's since then and would spend the time wailing on the couch about how close to death I was to my wife.

And then I'd keep that up for ages so she'd pay more attention to me and to wind her up - why should I suffer alone??
 
Recommended viewing ...

Published on 8 Mar 2017

Antimicrobial resistance is the most complex and pressing challenge since climate change. Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies discusses the problem. Apologies for the audio issues with this talk - we had a few technical difficulties while filming.

Having secured support nationally from the Prime Minister and UK Government for the need to action, Dame Sally Davies is working tirelessly internationally to increase global awareness and secure commitments to action on antibiotic resistance. In this Discourse, Dame Sally explores why antimicrobial resistance has developed to such an extent that it is now a threat to modern medicine. She looks at how it is spreading across the globe, why we need to urgently change our attitude towards antimicrobials, in particular antibiotics, so that we treat them as a common good – not only in health but also in agriculture, farming, aquaculture and the environment.

Antimicrobials are a wonder drug, but only when used effectively. If we do not learn how to look after them, we could see a return to ‘pre-antibiotic era’ where 40% mortality is due to infections – something that is difficult to believe now.
Published on 8 Mar 2017

Is an antibacterial wipe more effective than soap and water? If everyone became a vegetarian, would that solve the crisis? Where do new antibiotics come from? Dame Sally Davies answers questions from the audience following her talk.
 
I must say since I have been on a high dose of vitamin D (for a condition I have) I don't seem to have had any flu or colds. Touching wood as we speak and I don't mean I need the toilet....mixing my metaphors I think. Not sure if this is a coincidence or not.
 
My biggest puzzle is at my workplace.
So many people appear perfectly healthy one day, are too sick to come in the next day, then the following day they are back at work looking fine.
That's never happened to me in my entire life.
If I'm coming down with something there is a long run up that's very obvious, then ages to gradually get out of my system, or if I fall or twist my back or something, I suffer for ages whilst by body deals with it.
This whole one day off work concept baffles me.
 
Yeah yeah, people will die. There've allegedly been a few breakthroughs or at least potential options for new antibiotic and/or anti-bacterial treatments that mean we should still be OK for a while yet.

The issue with mass animal farming giving antibiotics purely for growth and prevention is bad indeed, but when consumers demand so much meat cheaply you kinda know where the blame lies...
 
My biggest puzzle is at my workplace.
So many people appear perfectly healthy one day, are too sick to come in the next day, then the following day they are back at work looking fine.
That's never happened to me in my entire life.
If I'm coming down with something there is a long run up that's very obvious, then ages to gradually get out of my system, or if I fall or twist my back or something, I suffer for ages whilst by body deals with it.
This whole one day off work concept baffles me.

Stomach bugs can do that, though you probably won't actually feel perfectly fine the next day in most cases, but well enough. Or more realistically, a hangover... :laugh:
 
I've had 13 sets of antibiotics since July last yr, 10iv, 2 oral for pneumonia and 1 set this week for a knee infection, I have to say, I do worry about this current run of infections.
 
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