You swine, you!
Okay, this might be proof that I actually live in a little universe of my own - but am I the only person wondering what all the fuss is about with the whole Swine Flu pandemic?
Every year, millions of people the world over get the flu. Every year a few thousand people die of it. There is no country in the world that doesn't have a few hundred flu viruses (what's the plural of virus? Viri?).
Now I get that Swine Flu has crossed the animal/human border and has mutated. I get that makes it bad. But so far, for all the panic, only a few hundred people even have it, and only a very small handful have died (last time I looked, WHO said only 17 people had died of the disease). I don't want to diminish the very real tradegdy of those who have lost people - but I am getting this vague feeling that the world is wrapping itself up in a huge blanket of overreaction.
WHO is telling people to stock up on a couple of weeks' worth of food. People are going to Bunnings to buy industrial strength face masks (they won't help - you need masks that are specifically designed to stop small droplets). Schools and communities are planning what to do if they have to close down - what are they going to do with all those kids!
Now don't get me wrong - I am very invested in this. I have just yesterday put my deposit on my big trip in October (more about that in my next post). I was also clobbered with the SARS virus when I travelled to China a few years ago. Our trip was cancelled literally minutes before it was due to start and we were effectively stranded in Beijing as the country was quickly shut down. Many, many more people died of SARS than in the same period for Swine Flu - but the Flu is considered more dangerous.
I have been impressed by how quickly governments and health authorities have moved and prepared for the worst - I find that very comforting. But the thing is - so far there is absolutely NO evidence that this is actually a serious disease. The number of deaths is incredibly small and there is no indication that they will climb dramatically.
Of course, the media is having a field day - must be a slow news week otherwise (for those of us not that interested in Mel's new Oksana or the Kelly McGillis lesbian shock) - but the reality is that it's the WHO that's doing all the announcements, and getting people fired up.
I don't mind if this is a practice run for the real thing - but there are a lot of people out there who are genuinely afraid and I don't think that's a good thing. Still, it's making the drug companies a lot of money.
So, am I being incredibly insensitive and out of touch with the real danger - or are there other people out there wondering what all the fuss is about?
Every year, millions of people the world over get the flu. Every year a few thousand people die of it. There is no country in the world that doesn't have a few hundred flu viruses (what's the plural of virus? Viri?).
Now I get that Swine Flu has crossed the animal/human border and has mutated. I get that makes it bad. But so far, for all the panic, only a few hundred people even have it, and only a very small handful have died (last time I looked, WHO said only 17 people had died of the disease). I don't want to diminish the very real tradegdy of those who have lost people - but I am getting this vague feeling that the world is wrapping itself up in a huge blanket of overreaction.
WHO is telling people to stock up on a couple of weeks' worth of food. People are going to Bunnings to buy industrial strength face masks (they won't help - you need masks that are specifically designed to stop small droplets). Schools and communities are planning what to do if they have to close down - what are they going to do with all those kids!
Now don't get me wrong - I am very invested in this. I have just yesterday put my deposit on my big trip in October (more about that in my next post). I was also clobbered with the SARS virus when I travelled to China a few years ago. Our trip was cancelled literally minutes before it was due to start and we were effectively stranded in Beijing as the country was quickly shut down. Many, many more people died of SARS than in the same period for Swine Flu - but the Flu is considered more dangerous.
I have been impressed by how quickly governments and health authorities have moved and prepared for the worst - I find that very comforting. But the thing is - so far there is absolutely NO evidence that this is actually a serious disease. The number of deaths is incredibly small and there is no indication that they will climb dramatically.
Of course, the media is having a field day - must be a slow news week otherwise (for those of us not that interested in Mel's new Oksana or the Kelly McGillis lesbian shock) - but the reality is that it's the WHO that's doing all the announcements, and getting people fired up.
I don't mind if this is a practice run for the real thing - but there are a lot of people out there who are genuinely afraid and I don't think that's a good thing. Still, it's making the drug companies a lot of money.
So, am I being incredibly insensitive and out of touch with the real danger - or are there other people out there wondering what all the fuss is about?