The dangers of potential
Tim Curtiss
Issue date: 5/15/09 Section: Opinion
It seems that most of the concern over the potential epidemic known as swine flu or H1N1 influenza virus, for those who are worried about political correctness, is subsiding.
The three weeks or so of potential danger proved to be a spectacle of a congregation of news reporters and exposed the lack of knowledge and the misinformed knowledge of many people.
The main word being potential.
While all the signs showed this virus to be nothing more then an alteration on the regular flu, it was advertised as something the could bring down the nation, if not the world.
While an average of 36,000 people die each year in the United States from the regular flu, a grand total of 3 have died this year from the potentially terribly dangerous Swine Flu that we are all so afraid of.
There was and still is, an incredible amount media hype surrounding the swine flu and even though most broadcast companies recognize that it was blown out of proportion, I feel that it was not a fear of the swine flu, but rather a fear of the unknown.
Already set up with a shaky economy, the country was in a fragile state, perfectly ready for anything to sweep us up into frenzy and there was swine flu ready to sweep up the vulnerable United States.
We were all ready to go pick up our medicines and face masks because we just had to block ourselves from any particles that could potentially catch swine flu.
So what if we were to catch swine flu, out of the fraction of people who catch the regular flu what would happen if one of us were to obtain the dreaded virus?
Well, according to news reports which flashed the same message every other few minutes, most people with swine flu recover without ever going to the doctor's office. Sure the potential for death was well present but no more then any other ailment we deal with each year, perhaps less.
It goes to show the American tendencies of fear and consumption, when in a crisis we run to buy goods that offer us some form of comfort. The news reports and special investigations only fuel the fire more. Warning us all of the potential dangers out in the world.
So next time the next big crisis rolls around, just think a little before you go to Costco and stock up with a pack of 1,000 face masks and latex gloves.
At least this took the attention off of "Octomom."
The three weeks or so of potential danger proved to be a spectacle of a congregation of news reporters and exposed the lack of knowledge and the misinformed knowledge of many people.
The main word being potential.
While all the signs showed this virus to be nothing more then an alteration on the regular flu, it was advertised as something the could bring down the nation, if not the world.
While an average of 36,000 people die each year in the United States from the regular flu, a grand total of 3 have died this year from the potentially terribly dangerous Swine Flu that we are all so afraid of.
There was and still is, an incredible amount media hype surrounding the swine flu and even though most broadcast companies recognize that it was blown out of proportion, I feel that it was not a fear of the swine flu, but rather a fear of the unknown.
Already set up with a shaky economy, the country was in a fragile state, perfectly ready for anything to sweep us up into frenzy and there was swine flu ready to sweep up the vulnerable United States.
We were all ready to go pick up our medicines and face masks because we just had to block ourselves from any particles that could potentially catch swine flu.
So what if we were to catch swine flu, out of the fraction of people who catch the regular flu what would happen if one of us were to obtain the dreaded virus?
Well, according to news reports which flashed the same message every other few minutes, most people with swine flu recover without ever going to the doctor's office. Sure the potential for death was well present but no more then any other ailment we deal with each year, perhaps less.
It goes to show the American tendencies of fear and consumption, when in a crisis we run to buy goods that offer us some form of comfort. The news reports and special investigations only fuel the fire more. Warning us all of the potential dangers out in the world.
So next time the next big crisis rolls around, just think a little before you go to Costco and stock up with a pack of 1,000 face masks and latex gloves.
At least this took the attention off of "Octomom."
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