The epidimiology of a new strain of influenza A virus has the U.S. media in a frenzy.
There are researchers who predict that the virus can be pandemic in the United States.
Today, U.S. President Obama publically requests for $1.5B to monitor and fight the Swine flu and urged the proper virus name, H1N1. Swine flu is misleading to citizens and distracts from the awareness of how to reduce transmission.
Contrary to news media reports and consumer speculation, the Swine virus is not related to eating contaminated pork. The misconception has concerned citizens worried about thoroughly cooking their pork and having the stores destroy inventoried pork products. The virus is spread human to human through contact or mucous exchange. Prevention includes frequent hand washing with an anti-bacterial soap and isolating coughs and sneezes of infected people.
Annually, 35,000 people die in the US during flu season and another 45,000 people die from auto accidents. In the past month, there are 65 confirmed cases of the Swine flu in the U.S. resulting in nothing more than temporary 'cold' symptoms of a runny nose and sore throat. Although the H1N1 is responsible for the death of a 23-month old, the Swine is no match for the common cold virus.
Annually, 35,000 people die in the US during flu season and another 45,000 people die from auto accidents. In the past month, there are 65 confirmed cases of the Swine flu in the U.S. resulting in nothing more than temporary 'cold' symptoms of a runny nose and sore throat. Although the H1N1 is responsible for the death of a 23-month old, the Swine is no match for the common cold virus.
While 159 Mexicans died from Swine Flu, this statistic is not meaningful and supportive of the full media blitz to call for a pandemic that has resulted in schools closing, extracurricular activities cancelled, flight attendants quitting, the DHS releasing 1.5million Tamiflu vaccines, and countless Americans overloading public health lines for more information on the "national emergency."
I can only assume that the U.S. government and media is purposefully inflating the story to be self-important and to distract the public from the daily troop deployments, mortgage foreclosures, unemployment rates, and CEO bonuses.
3 comments:
yeah, your last paragraph, I've been saying that for the past few days. it is incredibly annoying listening to people propagate the fear - when the current statistics are so close to zero - it is non-news.
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2009/04/flu-fears.html
(cut-n-paste link to read post on the swine-flu scare)
With Patrick Swayze's passing at 57 years old from pancreatic cancer:
The same number of US people die per year from the flu as pancreatic cancer according to American Cancer Institute. Why does H1N1 get so much hype?
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