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Letters

Swine flu fear-mongering

Sarah Bruce - Campus Editor

Leading experts are predicting that a global pandemic is not only likely, it’s long overdue.

And the swine flu outbreak of 2009 just may be the pandemic they have been waiting for.

Swine flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, and muscle soreness, just like the regular flu. The treatment is also the same: bed rest and fluids. However, the average flu kills more people in a day than the swine flu has since its outbreak. Every year the flu kills an estimated 36,000 Americans, while the World Health Organization has confirmed only seven deaths to the swine flu. And yet the media acts as if it’s the next disaster.

In a world that has seen many great pandemics thrive and die, we have learned how to combat the spreading of diseases. Hand washing was the start, and sanitation is a key. Vaccinations and routine medical assessment has been able to prevent the unthinkable.

We have not, however, learned to combat the fear of disease spreading.

A headline reading “pandemic outbreak takes first victim” sounds more severe than the underlying story about the diabetic Maria Gutierrez, who contracted the swine flu, suffered respiratory complications and died as a result. And when a major broadcast reported on the first swine flu fatality in the United States, it took the entire program to mention that the victim was a toddler with pre-existing illness.

Spreading fear results in filled-up emergency rooms, as simple head colds are confused with the swine flu. Already overworked doctors then have to take more time out of their shifts to calmly comfort people and send them home with a prescription for bed rest and fluids.

Four years ago it was predicted the avian flu would affect 20 per cent of the population. Some might call this alert being prepared, but there is a greater number that call this concern fear mongering.

Fear mongering is the use of exaggerated fear to influence the opinion or actions of another.

If you look up swine flu deaths, you will find that a probable 152 people have died, however the World Health Organization has only confirmed seven of those deaths. Mentioning the probable number of deaths is a form of exaggerating numbers in order to make something appear worse.

The World Health Organization has raised the swine flu to a level five on their pandemic alertness, but there has yet to be a media definition of what level five means and how many levels there are.

There are six levels, and level five means that influenza is spreading by being passed from human to human in multiple locations on the global scale. The flu does that every year too.

When a fear breaks out, society has every right to be aware and alert of the possibilities. But washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and staying home when you feel unwell are equally as effective as million-dollar-vaccines and striking fear in the medical world.