Swine Flu

            Of the few companies blooming amidst an economic depression, Purell must be among them. The outbreak of influenza A, also known as the swine flu, is the latest epidemic troubling skeptics and health freaks across the world.

            With 1626 cases in Mexico, 2532 in the United States, 284 in Canada, and 95 in Costa Rica, only 53 deaths were claimed so far throughout the now 30 affected countries, according to WHO, the World Health Organization.

            So why are people so paranoid about the swine flu? You have a headache; it has to be the swine flu. You have a stomach ache, it’s the swine flu! Is anyone even aware of the symptoms? Of the treatments? Of the vaccine that is well on its way to being distributed among the masses? Or does the general fright created by the media overpower anyone to use their ever-so-useful computer to look up some facts? It’s really not that hard…

            To make it a little easier for everyone, the symptoms do include the most common symptoms of the regular flu, like: fever (usually high), cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, extreme fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting and in most extreme cases, fast or troubled breathing, and bluish/gray skin color.

            In any case, the skepticism created by the day-long television reports, magazines and newspaper articles do not say that out of the 4694 confirmed laboratory cases scattered throughout all the corners of the world, only 4 countries have confirmed deaths. Unlike common perceptions of this gravity of a problem, there is a cure, and the epidemic is not immediately deathly. The mistreatment or lack thereof can result in a death, along with problems like malnutrition, a weak immune system, and other such conditions.

            So while some cautions are necessary, and going to Mexico, where the flu is most concentrated wouldn’t be advisable, wearing face masks in our sunny South FLORIDA where only 55 cases have been confirmed (none of which have resulted in deaths), isn’t necessarily indispensable.

            To put it in perspective, being that there are 18,328,340 Floridians in the United States, only .0003% of our population has been affected. That’s .000018 % of the population of the United States.

Do you feel you’ve over reacted yet?

            Well, okay. As much as the .000018% of the people that have been affected in Florida do represent a small, but still important part of our population, none of these have actually died. And although we must be somewhat worried, the incessant and unnecessary massive outbreak of paranoia is just that, unnecessary.

            So… While the numbers remain low and vaccines are well on their way, lets worry about things that we actually need to be worried about.