Pandemic. Nightmare. Beware. The hype surrounding the swine flu keeps getting worse and has probably surpassed any story relating to Pamela Anderson. Having flown through a number of airports over the last week, I wasn’t harassed by TSA but I couldn’t avoid the news screens constantly berating us with the latest outbreak statistics and medical experts diagnosing the virus. Not only did I see dozens of travelers with gloves and facemasks, now at work I have to deal with co-workers taking multiple days off because their children’s schools are closed.
The numbers simply do not add up. So far, the Swine Flu, has been responsible for exactly one death in the United States who happened to be a Mexican child visiting the U.S. According to the CDC, 36,000 deaths are attributable to influenza each year. So on average, roughly 100 Americans die everyday because of the flu, yet all this media attention and government incurred costs is being diverted to a strain that is far less harmful? Is this the same government we want handling our healthcare?
