Are you kidding me? It is a freaking flu! Come one guys! Yes, I understand that it is is spreading. Yes, I get that people have died. I even get that this flu is attacking the healthy middle-aged people (like myself) just like the influenza epidemic of 1918. I have taken Public Nursing, Epidemiology, and many other classes where we have studied the disease progression and implications of a pandemic like this. And I totally get that it can be serious.
But, it is a flu. Wash your hands, stay home of you are sick.
Do people really even understand that each year almost 65,000 people die in the US from the regular flu. So, now we have a new strain - the swine flu. Not that big of a deal. It is treatable with Tamaflu and the US has already distributed stockpiles of Tamaflu to the states in preparation.
So, it is not that I don't care or that I am going to go try to catch the swine flu. But I feel such frustration that America freaks out over this flu - which is even a weakened strain here in America - when we have such bigger health issues that no one cares about. Five of the top six leading causes for death in the US are - heart disease, cancer, stroke, lung disease, and diabetes (according to the CDC). Do you recognize that incidence of these diseases could be greatly, greatly lowered by living a healthy lifestyle? By eating right? Exercising? Not smoking? That is why I am so frustrated with the swine flu. Cause I will go to work as a nurse and watch hundreds of people come to the hospital and eventually die from preventable diseases - and America seems not to recognize this pandemic. However, a few people get the flu and the nation is glued to the TV about the swine flu pandemic.
5 comments:
Have you ever heard of the book The Great Influenza? It's about the 1918 pandemic - really interesting book.
While I am a total germaphob, I totally agree with you.
Amen sister!
What bugs me is the media. I think that they are totally fanning the flames of fear that seem to run wild in this country. It also bugs me that they are calling that little boy the first US casualty of the flu. He was a mexican boy, he got the flu in mexico, he crossed the border and died. I don't think this counts as a US casualty, but is another hook the media has in the mouths of the gullible.
I agree completely! Here in NYC, people walk around with masks over their faces (not like those are even effective at all in protecting you). It's completely ridiculous!
Ha so funny, I agree- my cousin told me that at Utah State he saw people walking around with masks on. ridiculous!! Like the picture though!!
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