It's his first post. Be gentle. Let's at least wait for his second post before we tear him a new one. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The jury's still out on this Indonesia cluster. I don't think it'll amount to much because the virus has already been analyzed at two different reference labs and both showed no new mutations, so these people probably got it some other way or were somehow particularly susceptible. I mean, I don't mean to be flippant--these poor peole are still dead, but I seriously don't think that it's the start of a pandemic. (I sound like the naysayer in some bad movie just before the new killer virus starts spreading like wildfire)

I discourage stockpiling Tamiflu, too. How did you come up with 120 doses? Is that a case? Because 120 doses is enough for 12 full therapeutic courses (at least of normal flu).

Since we don't know what organism the next pandemic will be caused by, it's rather hard to prepare for it except for general preparedness steps. The next real pandemic strain could be totally immune to Tamiflu. Masks? Gloves? No good evidence anywhere that they would be effective in a pandemic situation.