Calm Down America

Like past illnesses, America is fully overreacting to the current Swine flu endemic. Why is it that whenever Americans hear a rumor of a food causing sickness, mayhem occurs? Since June 11, 2009 when the World Health Organization declared global pandemic of H1N1 (Swine Flu) many misconceptions about the sickness have spread.
In 2003 a similar sickness was spreading around the world that caused a comparable reaction to the current Swine Flu situation. H5N1 (Bird Flu) is an influenza type A that is highly contagious among birds. Although it is rare, the virus can cause lethal human infection if not medicated correctly.
The virus has reported to have infected over 400 cases since 2003. Since that time more than a dozen countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East have reported cases of Bird Flu. Both Indonesia and Vietnam have reported the highest number of Bird Flu cases to date.
The majority of Bird Flu infections in humans have been caused by direct or close contact with infected poultry or surfaces contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected birds.
Considering that the virus has never been detected in the United States to this day, it is baffling how terrified Americans were of the sickness. Whether it was the 60 percent fatality rate among those infected, or that it was spreading through one of America’s most popular meats is unknown. Whatever the cause, the overreaction of some people was embarrassing.
Some eliminated poultry from their diets completely while others just became nervous about consuming the meat. Even if infected birds did make it into the United States the virus could have been prevented from properly handling and cooking eggs and poultry. Hopefully Americans are already practicing safe preparation of food so as to prevent dangerous viruses like Salmonella, and other food poisonings.
Our current national hysteria has been caused by the spread of a new influenza: Swine Flu. Unlike the Bird Flu this virus is very contagious between humans and is not a food borne disease. There has been deaths caused by Swine Flu but that is only when the disease is caught by someone who is at high risk for seasonal flu related complications. This means that of the 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized or have died from the virus previously had a serious illness.
So unless you have a chronic medical condition that could get worse from seasonal flu then don’t be so scared of Swine Flu. Like the seasonal flu, Swine flu has symptoms like runny nose, low grade fever, mild headache, body aches, and mild stomach upset. Unless these symptoms become extreme then medical attention is not typically required.
Fear not Americans, just simply wash your hands and attempt to stay away from other infected humans. If you do catch the virus and do not have a chronic medical condition then at worst you will spend a couple days at home, in bed like any other flu.