You Can't Spell 'Pandemic' without PANIC.
I am amazed at the reaction I've seen so far about the recent influenza outbreak. Schools closed their doors to prevent the potential spread of the virus, businesses are complying to the point of overcompensating with the guidelines submitted by the World Heath Organization (WHO) which issued a Level Five alert on 29 April 2009, and the public behaves as if it were listening to an Orson Welles radio program from October 1938.
While this event gives me cause for concern (just like any flu season), I fear that this flu frenzy, spurred on by hyperactive media outlets, will make people behave more irrationally that they presently do. So far I have seen plenty of precautions taken by my place of employment. I've also read reports of actions taken so far by organizations, public and private, to minimize the spread of this virus that leaves vigilance behind heading towards hysteria.
Because of this, I wonder what may happen if the fever pitch (pardon the pun) continues to rise. Will employers send a worker home because he or she is sneezing due to a high pollen count? Will they declare public water fountains off limits, fearing this strain of the flu will spread that way (forcing people to purchase even more bottled water)? Will this curb airline travel even more? (Although I would not object to keeping my shoes on when I go through security; that would prevent the flu and plantar warts.) How will it affect the new school year if the Level Five alert persists through the next few months or escalates?
The incredible access to information we have, in addition to better quality health care (for the most part), this should keep this "pandemic" at the level of a standard flu season that we are all familiar with. Perhaps people will keep a level head so this will pass like SARS in 2003.
While this event gives me cause for concern (just like any flu season), I fear that this flu frenzy, spurred on by hyperactive media outlets, will make people behave more irrationally that they presently do. So far I have seen plenty of precautions taken by my place of employment. I've also read reports of actions taken so far by organizations, public and private, to minimize the spread of this virus that leaves vigilance behind heading towards hysteria.
Because of this, I wonder what may happen if the fever pitch (pardon the pun) continues to rise. Will employers send a worker home because he or she is sneezing due to a high pollen count? Will they declare public water fountains off limits, fearing this strain of the flu will spread that way (forcing people to purchase even more bottled water)? Will this curb airline travel even more? (Although I would not object to keeping my shoes on when I go through security; that would prevent the flu and plantar warts.) How will it affect the new school year if the Level Five alert persists through the next few months or escalates?
The incredible access to information we have, in addition to better quality health care (for the most part), this should keep this "pandemic" at the level of a standard flu season that we are all familiar with. Perhaps people will keep a level head so this will pass like SARS in 2003.
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