To add intrigue to the virus, the media has now given this “deadly plague” a mysterious and sci-fi sounding name, the “2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus”. Of course, any virus whose name contains a combination of names and numbers must be dangerous and deadly – and I must be next!
However, one must keep things in perspective, especially when it comes to things like fear and danger. Failure to keep accurate facts and statistics in perspective can result in even more unnecessary injury and death. In most cases, the very same evasive measures taken to help prevent one from contracting the disease can place a person in substantially more danger than the disease itself.
Op-Ed: Swine Flu: Misguided Mass Hysteria?
Unless your head is buried in the sand, you’ve probably been told to beware of the coming “pandemic”, “health crisis”, or “epidemic”. You are most likely being as careful as possible to wash your hands often, stay away from crowded areas or, perhaps, to go as far as keeping your children home from school.
To add intrigue to the virus, the media has now given this “deadly plague” a mysterious and sci-fi sounding name, the “2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus”. Of course, any virus whose name contains a combination of names and numbers must be dangerous and deadly – and I must be next!
However, one must keep things in perspective, especially when it comes to things like fear and danger. Failure to keep accurate facts and statistics in perspective can result in even more unnecessary injury and death. In most cases, the very same evasive measures taken to help prevent one from contracting the disease can place a person in substantially more danger than the disease itself.
A news report I heard Friday on NPR was of a town whose schools were all closed to prevent the spread of the swine flu. As a result of the school closures, what did all of the town’s homebound children do? They spent the day in places like the movie theater, arcades, malls, restaurants and zoos – all of which, like school, are crowded areas in which the spread of any virus is made more probable.
To make matters worse, according to the DOT over 41,000 Americans are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents, giving a student a better chance of being killed in a car accident while home from school, than that of contracting the swine flu at school, let alone being killed by it. In fact, more Americans have won the lottery on a given day, than have been killed by the swine flu.
The National Safety Council reports 12,000 stair deaths per year, making it second only to automobile accidents as the major cause of unintended injuries in the United States. But you don’t hear any panic or frenzy over stair deaths or even motor vehicle deaths, both of which are much more common than any flu, let alone swine flu.
Despite the media circus surrounding the swine flu, the actual statistics from the CDC are as follows: Less than half of the states have even seen a single confirmed case of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Six of the 21 states have had only a single confirmed case of the virus. 15 of the 21 states have less than 5 confirmed cases, and 17 of the 21 states have less than 10 confirmed cases.
Of the total of 160 confirmed cases, there has been only a single death, and that was of a child who had become infected in Mexico where, for some unknown reason, death resulting from the virus is more likely.
The fact is that Americans have a greater chance of contracting any other illness than they do the swine flu, and have an even greater chance of being killed by any other cause of death than the swine flu.
Yet we have shelved all of the other more-warranted fears and have thrown the necessary caution to the wind in fear of a virtual non-threat. A person who thinks he or she has swine flu, has a greater chance of being killed on the way to the hospital than from the virus itself.
Of course I am not suggesting that we take this threat, as minimal as it presently is, lightly. I am simply saying that many people will put themselves and others at greater risk of a substantial threat while trying to mitigate a less-likely and less-dangerous one.
Case in point:
According to a report today on CNN, emergency rooms across the country are flooded with victims of flu hysteria. In nearly every instance, the patient is told that he or she is not ill at all, has something as basic as allergies, or an unrelated mild illness like a cold.
Or that they “simply” have the “regular” flu. And therein lies the rub.
While Americans are hysterical about the swine flu and are overcrowding already-crowded emergency rooms, one of the major causes of death in the United States has taken a back shelf. I am referring to the standard seasonal influenza virus, also known as “the flu”.
According to the CDC, 36,000 people die from flu-related causes each year, and 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications.
Yet which disease gets the most priority? The one that affects as much as 1 in 5 individuals each year, or the one that affects 0.00005245901639344262% of the population? The one that kills 36,000 Americans each year, or the one that killed in only 1 unique case?
Yes, one should take all of the necessary precautions and report any suspicions or symptoms to their healthcare provider. But let’s keep things in perspective and not forget the real dangers while panicking over the remote and unlikely ones.
Let’s all drive carefully and cross the street with caution. Let’s make sure that the very young and very old are not injured by falling from stairs. Let us take the proper preventive measures and treatments for more common and serious illnesses such as the regular seasonal flu. Let’s wash our hands all the time to prevent more common diseases spread by lack of proper hygiene.
And let’s not inundate our already-overburdened medical professionals and emergency rooms by looking out for actual symptoms and not dashing to the emergency room at the sign of a runny nose.
Dr. Jeffrey Steinbauer, professor of family medicine and the medical director of the Baylor Clinic in Houston, Texas, said on CNN that it is advisable to find more objective measures such as fever.
“A temperature is very objective,” Steinbauer said. “If the temperature is normal, the allergens in the world and other viruses in the world can give you cough and runny nose. But if you don’t have a fever, chances of it being a flu is very low.”
May Hashem protect us from all illnesses, from the less-serious to the serious, and may we all know of only good health.
This Op-Ed reflects the views of its author. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CrownHeights.info nor of its Editors.
A reader that wishes to make his or her voice heard on any topic of their desire is welcome to submit his or her Op-Ed to News@CrownHeights.info.
AMAZED
Ver iz der chacham?
agreed
i agree 100% with this author
Thank you
Thank you for writing this! I was wondering when someone would notice this!
sc
i have been saying this all along. people making more of it than it is.
wow!
very well written!
look at the bright side of the swine flu- it prevented a lot of people (especially the not yet frum Jews) to stop eating pig- it’s Moshich tzeiten!
follick
Harping on the low number of confirmed cases so far is pointless. H1N1 is spreading very rapidly over a wide geographical area. Yesterday when you wrote this, it was confirmed in 21 states. Today it’s been confirmed in 30 states. Within a few days it will probably be confirmed in all 50 states. It is spreading rapidly and eventually pretty much every single person in the USA and most of the people in the world will get it. This is typical for a disease where there is no previous immunity in a population.
Given what is now known of H1N1, most people who get it won’t even know they got it. This is also typical. Even in Mexico where it has hit hardest, only a small percentage of the people who contracted Swine Flu have died.
Many strains of Flu kill people of course. In most cases, the people who are killed are the most vulnerable, the old, the very young and people with immunity problems. With prompt medical treatment to this sort of Flu, almost everyone recovers.
What made the 1918 Spanish Flu so fearsome was the profile of people dying. Anyone could be hit with very little warning. There were many young healthy adults who just suddenly died. It’s hard to medically treat someone who just dropped dead.
The reason why people are worrying about H1N1 is that, in Mexico, the disease is showing that same profile. Young, otherwise healthy adults suddenly dying. So far, Baruch Hashem, outside of Mexico it is acting like a normal Flu strain. If it continues this way then there is no need to panic, but it needs to be watched.
E.D.
people like this author, who base they’re lives and opinions around statistics, are more dumb than people realize. Trying to sound smart and telling the community not to worry about a potentially deadly virus isn’t going to do any good. Granted there might have been some exxageration to the extent of the severity of this flu virus, but in order to avoid a pandemic or even epidemic people must be cautious. and if that means being overly protective of ones family for a few weeks or months, then so be it.
Anonymous author ( why did you not disclose your name, if you believe so strongly about what you write?) : please do not mock this situation, it is real, it is here, and it must be dealt with.
May Hashem bless us all with good health.
wnf
to e.d.
you are the stupid one here actually. people see in others what is really in them…
1)the author did write his name
2)it is not they’re lives but their lives
3)your writing and grammar is incorrect
4)trying to sound smart doesn’t look or sound right
instead of pointing fingers so fast and being negative, realize that you have work to do of your own and that people have the right to their own opinions….
agree with author
To E.D. Author is Naftali Salomon — it’s printed at the top of the article
To follick: The point is not that H1N1 doesn’t have the potential to be deadly. The point is, we need to stay alert and practice obvious risk-reducing behaviors (such as hand washing)– but NOT give in to panic because of media fixation.
please shorten
just a general note to all op-ed writers, please keep them brief. Most times they are too long winded and could be said in half the space (I am not necessarily referring to this one).
Avraham Santopinto
This is a serious matter affecting all. We also need the enlightened opinions of experts writing from within their own field. I read your lead article with interest. One of the few sources actually cited by the author was CNN. The health of our children deserves better scholarhip. The epidemiological reports of the World Health Organization(WHO) might be a good start. May we all be well.