H1N1: Cancel Those Dinners!

And those parties.

I was reading something the other day from a doctor who expects a breakout of swine flu after Thanksgiving since so many people will be together for all those stupid dinners and parties.

Well, not me, and I suggest you also nip the possibility of swine flu infection in the bud by canceling any plans you have to go visiting tomorrow night.

The Times- Standard reports 45 people have been hospitalized for swine flu related reasons in Humboldt. The Press- Democrat reports 131 hospitalized in Sonoma County. Both counties have yet to vaccinate even half their populations with only around 20% vaccinated in Humboldt, so far.

This doesn't look good. Sure, the odds are against you or a loved one dying from it, but what if the worst does happen? After all, any of us could end up being one of the over 4000 people that have died from swine flu so far this year. How would you feel if someone you know got seriously ill or died just because you wanted to go to a party?

Cancel those Thanksgiving festivities. It's not too late. Do it for the children. You can still have a Thanksgiving dinner. Just have it at home.

Pandemics

I hate it when things like this new swine flu come up. They scare me now. I didn't think much of them when I was younger but now, especially since the wife is potentially an at risk person- being at least a little immune deficient- they're horrifying to me.

I have to tell myself maybe this is being blown at least a bit out of proportion and I need not worry as much about it as I tend to. After all, new varieties of flu are discovered all the time and don't people already die in the tens of thousands each year from flu in this country every year? Maybe this is nothing special?

I was reminded of the bird flu from a few years ago. I was scared with that one but nothing really came of it, despite all the hype.

This letter to the editor to the Santa Rosa Press- Democrat adds a different perspective to the pandemic issue than most of what I've been hearing:

Out of proportion?

EDITOR: First of all, a pandemic is defined as a flu or virus that occurs in a large geographic area, perhaps a continent.

Secondly, let’s do the math. Mexico City’s metropolitan area is the largest city in the Western hemisphere, more than 22 million people, approximately 9 million in the inner city. Worldwide, it is second only to Tokyo and Shanghai in population. Mexico City has the greatest air pollution and incidence of respiratory disease in the Western hemisphere. As of Monday, there were 22 confirmed deaths from swine flu, 103 suspected and 1,600 possibly infected. Out of 9 million people 103 deaths would be about 1000th of 1 percent. It would take 90,000 people to die of this flu to equal 1 percent of just the inner city population. World-wide the number infected is far less. And yes, I know that every life, every loved one, is precious.

And so thirdly and, most importantly, I ask why is this particular cyclic event being so blown out of proportion in our world-wide media and in our present day collective psyche?

SUSAN BAKER

Santa Rosa

Thanks. I feel better now.... I think.

Update, May 1: Looks like this thing might have been a flash- in- the- pan.