Disease And Terror -- A Commentary

From Newsweek:

The swine-flu outbreak caught health officials completely by surprise—just as a bioterror attack would.

A complacent America, growing ever less concerned about the threat of pandemic bird flu, was startled last week by the sudden appearance of a major epidemic of swine flu in neighboring Mexico. Cases were soon reported from New York, California, Texas and Ohio, as well as France, New Zealand, Canada and Britain. So far, the apprehension and confusion about what to expect resembles the early days of the anthrax attacks of 2001, when a fine powder of weaponized anthrax bacteria showed up in the U.S. mail. Then, as now, health authorities were taken completely by surprise, and the public panicked out of all proportion to the actual threat.

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My Comment: Even if people were to die off like flies, this Government and its politicians will be more concerned about their image and how they are going to present themselves to the world than to do what is necessary to fight off the disease. The lackadaisical approach to the Swine flu case in Mexico .... the unwillingness to do what any epidemiologist would say needs to be done (close the borders even during the infection phase) .... and having the President himself say that "when the horses are out of the barn, it is too late to close the door !?!?!?! .... nope .... I have no confidence at all.

The height of hypocrisy was having Department of Homeland Security lead off in making news announcements .... not the CDC .... when uncertainty and concern first started to percolate to the public's conscious and when the first news of the outbreak started to be announced in the U.S.

Sigh .... I want doctors and specialists telling us what to do .... not politicians and bureaucrats.