Swine Flu strikes Azeroth!
by Adam Holisky 
Apr 30th 2009 at 3:00PM
I'm sure you all will be quite happy to hear that the Swine Flu has struck Azeroth. Yes, you read that right.
Out in the Borean Tundra, Unliving Swines near Warsong Hold will cast the debuff Swine Flu on you when you're fighting them. The pigs are dirty little creatures, and luckily anyone can cure the disease that has such an ability.
The Swine Flu disease itself is benign, however every time you attack something it has a chance at triggering an Outbreak. An Outbreak of Swine Flu will cause a fever that inflicts 120 nature damage every 2 seconds for 8 seconds total, and reduces movement speed to 70% of normal. Like Swine Flu, Outbreak is a disease that can be cured.
We should note that this isn't some joke recently put into the game. It's existed since Wrath of the Lich King released, so all the conspiracy theorists that are suggesting Blizzard manufactured the real swine flu in order to make more people stay home and play their game are clearly wrong. Clearly.
Oh noes! There's a knock at the door... I think Ghostcrawler and Belfaire are here with an offer I can't refuse.
Filed under: Virtual selves, News items, Humor
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Caliaelyn Apr 30th 2009 3:05PM
I lol'd
Karilyn Apr 30th 2009 4:29PM
I heard that President Madagascar has already closed the borders.
We're doomed.
John Apr 30th 2009 4:44PM
I love that game.
SINisterWyvern Apr 30th 2009 3:05PM
HAH, that's great
Netherscourge Apr 30th 2009 3:21PM
Wow - how DISGUSTING.
Yea, lets make fun of a DEADLY DISEASE....
Maybe you should recommend Blizzard add AIDS to the game too? Maybe have some trolls in Zul'Drak spread AIDS? Yea - that's a funny disease too.
wowinsider has reached a new low...
Adam Holisky Apr 30th 2009 3:22PM
Jared has aides.
offday Apr 30th 2009 3:24PM
First of all, it isn't a disease. It's a virus. Read a science book.
And second of all, you've obviously fell victim to all the hype that the news networks are putting out.
7 people have died from this swine flu. You know that other flu we get every year? That boring old regular flu? Yeah, it kills 36,000 a year. Where's all the news coverage on that?
d503 Apr 30th 2009 3:25PM
@Netherscourge
AIDS is in the game...you know, when your fellow raiders show up to raid pvp-flagged and someone buffs them!
Though this has gone away with 3.0, and the deflagging that happens when you zone in a dungeon.
SINisterWyvern Apr 30th 2009 3:26PM
@Netherscourge
Umm did you also fail to read the fact it was in game in november?
Nayeli Apr 30th 2009 3:43PM
Stop blaming the swine flu for people's deaths. It is a new strain of virus but no more in severity as any other flu that comes around every single year. Babies die to a fever, it happens. People living in poor hygiene and medical conditions die to a common cold, it happens. You may hear about 100+ people who have the flu in your area but 99% of them are going to recover without even going to a hospital.
The only real problem right now is that the virus is new and therefore no one is immune from having had it before. (Which is also the reason why it is spreading quickly.)
swimstarguy Apr 30th 2009 4:43PM
Someone needs a sense of humor and I won't say who...
Saint Apr 30th 2009 4:51PM
Swine Flu?
Ooh 9 deaths. I wonder how many people have been killed in car accidents in the exact same time period. I'd bet alot more.
You know what? Call me when Captain Trips starts going around. Better yet, don't call me. I'll be heading to Boulder.
Olicon Apr 30th 2009 5:53PM
"We should note that this isn't some joke recently put into the game. It's existed since Wrath of the Lich King released."
Should it be removed then? Swords and guns also kill in real life, you know?
Swine Flu is serious business in real life, yes. But it kills way less people compared to Diarrhea (or even a frikkin common flu), and we don't see anyone fretting about that!
Zeplar Apr 30th 2009 5:55PM
Netherscourge, you clearly have no real idea what swine flu is. It's just a different form of the flu, one that happens to have originated in pigs (swine), that people don't have a vaccine for. It has killed significantly less people than regular flu. In the United States it's practically harmless (I had it, it was similar to pneumonia, and lasted about 10 days), and only in Mexico, for no clear reason, does it appear to be particularly deadly.
Adam Holisky Apr 30th 2009 5:56PM
You know what's a joke of a headline? When Fox News, CNN, and other media outlets make a big fracken deal about this kind of thing. There was a lady on CNN today that was so scared out of her mind that she's already bought food supplies, was wearing a mask in her house, and was "just waiting for the President to tell us to stay in."
*That* is what I'm making fun of. Society today is full of bogus headlines and making mountains out of molehills.
So why not let Azeroth have some fun with it too?
And if you really want to get down to it, how many people died in Darfur today that wern't covered by the national media? How many kids starved to death? How many people were shot to death in gang related violence? We have heard and will not hear anything about that, and those things have killed more people that the Swine Flu will probably ever kill.
So don't lecture me about being insensitive. I've used my voice as a subtle critique of media bias and inferior reporting before, and I have every intention of continuing to do it.
Saint Apr 30th 2009 6:10PM
And that, Adam, is why you're one of the best bloggers here.
McDuff Apr 30th 2009 6:22PM
I just finished that book as well! I had a cold while I was reading it, too, so things like Swine Flu are making me a little more paranoid than usual. >_>
Saint Apr 30th 2009 8:10PM
McDuff when I read The Stand a couple of years ago, I finished the chapter that repeated "It wasn't a big deal" while showing how Captain Trips killed people without infecting them (the heroin guy, the crazy lady, etc) and right after I finished it I looked up and sneezed. Like three times.
I'm a horror movie fan through and through, but I don't think I've ever been quite as freaked out as I was at that moment. A total "OMGWTFMGS4BBQ" moment.
jbodar May 1st 2009 1:05AM
@Saint
jbodar May 1st 2009 1:08AM
GD comments system here blows...
@Saint
"I'm the Walking Dude, I can see all the world."
www.musicsonglyrics.com/A/anthraxlyrics/anthraxamongthelivinglyrics.htm