Swine Flu

There is an article in today's Chicago Tribune titled "US declares health emergency as world officials race to contain worrisome swine flu, panic."

Yet, after reading the article, my reaction was more of a, so what? Apparently, this whole thing started in Mexico. The country estimates that there have been around 1,600 cases and 103 deaths. Only 22 of those 103 deaths have been confirmed to be the result of Swine Flu.

But outside of Mexico, almost all people suspected of having swine flu reported feeling mildly ill. I feel mildly ill about 10 times a years...many more if you include hangovers. It seems like the biggest reason people are dying from this disease is because of how much Mexico sucks ass.

New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, the US and a few other countries have had less than a dozen confirmed cases from recent visitors to Mexico. Many of these visitors were students returning from spring break. According to the article, these students got mildly ill and that the current strain is being treated with Tamiflu and Relenza.

Currently there is no vaccine, but the CDC is hard at work manufacturing one. It is still unknown where in Mexico the disease started and how it is spread, other than it involves pigs. The current strategy is to quarantine and treat. A couple of schools in New York and Texas canceled classes last week to contain any possible spread.

Anyone remember when the bird flu was supposed to destroy the world? Wasn't it supposed to be an unstoppable mega-plague that made the black death look like a case of chicken pox? 11 years after the nightly news was showing people in China wearing surgical masks, the nightly news is showing people in Mexico wearing surgical masks.

It seems like the common denominator between the bird flu and swine flu is the nightly news using words like; pandemic, epidemic, outbreak, plague, crisis, and emergency. Lost in the conversation are words like; treatment, mild symptoms, limited spread, prevention, and control.