We’ve been hearing so much about “Swine Flu” — is this a medical issue or an emotional one?
Was talking to a doctor friend today who mentioned how much press we’re giving Swine Flu when “regular” influenza is so much more destructive every single year. I was totally surprised, assuming that all this media coverage must signify a serious threat. So I looked that up — turns out that about 200,000 people are hospitalized every year in the US per year for influenza — less than .1% of that number have been diagnosed with Swine Flu in the US (see this story on WebMD: Putting Swine Flu in Perspective).
So what’s the fear? Is it the uncertainty of a new type of influenza? (Apparently there are new influenza strains every year). Is it just media hype? Is it a “lighting rod” of a tangible threat that’s just happening to surface while millions of people are seeing their quality of life eroding in the face of global recession?