Each year there are 36,000 flu-related deaths in the United States according to the CDC. That means, on average, 692 people died in the US last week from the normal flu! So, how many have succumbed to the swine flu? Surely, with all the attention, the numbers must be in the thousands. *sigh* So far 150 people have died of the 1,600 total cases in Mexico and ZERO deaths of the 40 cases in the United States.
It appears that, in another case of "inventing the news", the media has hyped this thing for the sole purpose of increasing ratings and readership. Quite frankly, they were probably getting bored with the whole "Economic Armageddon" as a lead. They needed something fresh. Please, save the sensationalism for when this strand is actually more dangerous than, oh I don't know, the flu?!
What's the harm in making people aware of the potential for pandemic (by the way, let's call it a "pandemic" when it's still barely an epidemic), you may ask? Why not ask that question of the airline industry, the meat export industry, the tourism industry. Thankfully, we have an economy that can absorb the potential job losses in these sectors.
The whole thing makes me sick...
..uh oh.
Update: yesterday in the United States one person died from H1N1. Meanwhile, 100 people died from normal flu.
Update 2: watched Sportcenter on ESPN this morning and they dropped "pandemic" 3 times in one report about the Mexican soccer team playing in Chicago. In the same report they said that stadium officials have made available hand sanitizer throughout the stadium. No joke, I'm not being sarcastic. It appears those officials believe that just because you're from Mexico, you are a carrier of a dreaded disease that may (or may not) give you a fever.
No comments:
Post a Comment