Sunday, May 03, 2009

Is H1N1 Overblown?

It’s hard to imagine a pandemic like my grandparents lived through in 1918-1919. Worldwide, Called the Spanish Flu, somewhere between 50 and 100 million people succumbed to its effects worldwide. If you got the Spanish Flu, there was a 2.8% chance of dying from it.

Contrast that to what is in the news every day.

Like the updates at the World Health Organization’s website.

Where the current number is 894 documented cases in 18 countries.

One computer model generated by a Northwestern University research team predicts 1700 cases by late May, labeling it a “worst case scenario.”

So what’s the deal here? Are we over-reacting here or just erring on the side of caution?

Don’t ask me. Ask the people that the government of Singapore are going to lock up for a week if they show up on a plane from Mexico.

Even if they don’t have flu symptoms.

“Singapore Health Minister Khaw Boohn Wan said travelers from Mexico, from which the disease has quickly spread, will be forced into weeklong quarantine in their homes or hotels regardless of whether they have symptoms.

He added that there would be penalties for those who refuse. No one has arrived from Mexico yet, he said.”

This from the country that has a law on its books that bans the possession of chewing gum.

But I get it. I get that we have to take this seriously. Close schools. Cancel sports events and proms. Because what if we didn’t and people got sick?

Lawyers from everywhere but Texas would have a field day.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the Bush panic on elevated levels of alert. Maybe homeland security could lick this thing too.

Anonymous said...

I think we should close all the schools down until it passes, especially election day!

Anonymous said...

I haven't been on a plane or bus since Joe Biden told me it was dangerous. And he's the second most informed man in the country.

Hal said...

Neither have I, Anon, but not because of what Joe Biden said. That's just common sense . . .

I haven't been on a plane because as a result of Bush's 8 year reign of terror on our economy I can't afford it any more.

Patriot Missive said...

Please, would everyone get back on the plane. The airlines need the money! Also you might want to consider what news issue this scare was meant to divert us from – namely the bank's stress tests. The results, by the way, were postponed for and interesting two weeks, while we were focused on yet another manipulated scare. Fear seems to now be in every presidents “tool box.”