I pretty much agree w/ regards to the fear mongering. The truth is, researchers have been predicting a pandemic like the Spanish Flu in 1918 pretty much *since* 1918. That's why people were freaking out over SARS (which, admittedly, had made the leap from birds to pigs to people, had cropped up around the world and had proven itself lethal). There was another big scare in the 1970s and a rush on flu vaccines.
And yes, we aren't really prepared for another pandemic like 1918; who is? Seriously, it killed more people in one year than the Black Death did in 4. So many people died in the US that bodies were literally stacking up in the streets in some cities.
However, the CDC was founded to study such ailments and to track outbreaks around the world. I'm confident that there are plans in place for dealing with the worst case scenario. On top of that, hospitals around the country have been conducting worst-case-scenario drills in the event of a terrorist attack. They are creating disaster plans for how to handle huge numbers of incoming patients at once.
There may not be 'sufficient' vaccines in place but that doesn't mean there are none. Research in Japan has demonstrated that by only vaccinating school children they can effectively reduce the total number of influenza cases in an entire community.
Medical science really has come a long way in the last century: in 1918 people seemed to die more of a pneumonia that resulted from the flu than the flu itself. They basically *drowned.* We now have much more effective ways of treating such symptoms, even if we don't know how to prevent the flu itself.
If you are interested, Gina Kolata wrote a great book about the 1918 pandemic. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It. I was impressed by the how it was a well-researched and documented history while remaining a page-turner. It was a highly enjoyable read.
I guess what I'm saying is, while the guy is probably telling the truth, the way he is doing it pissed me off. He's clearly saying, 'Be afraid! Be very afraid!' and I don't have the energy to fear *all* the what-ifs right now. Frankly, my energy is all wrapped up in political paranoia and all of its attendant what-if scenarios. *g*
no subject
And yes, we aren't really prepared for another pandemic like 1918; who is? Seriously, it killed more people in one year than the Black Death did in 4. So many people died in the US that bodies were literally stacking up in the streets in some cities.
However, the CDC was founded to study such ailments and to track outbreaks around the world. I'm confident that there are plans in place for dealing with the worst case scenario. On top of that, hospitals around the country have been conducting worst-case-scenario drills in the event of a terrorist attack. They are creating disaster plans for how to handle huge numbers of incoming patients at once.
There may not be 'sufficient' vaccines in place but that doesn't mean there are none. Research in Japan has demonstrated that by only vaccinating school children they can effectively reduce the total number of influenza cases in an entire community.
Medical science really has come a long way in the last century: in 1918 people seemed to die more of a pneumonia that resulted from the flu than the flu itself. They basically *drowned.* We now have much more effective ways of treating such symptoms, even if we don't know how to prevent the flu itself.
If you are interested, Gina Kolata wrote a great book about the 1918 pandemic. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It. I was impressed by the how it was a well-researched and documented history while remaining a page-turner. It was a highly enjoyable read.
I guess what I'm saying is, while the guy is probably telling the truth, the way he is doing it pissed me off. He's clearly saying, 'Be afraid! Be very afraid!' and I don't have the energy to fear *all* the what-ifs right now. Frankly, my energy is all wrapped up in political paranoia and all of its attendant what-if scenarios. *g*