Swine Flu Scare: The Long-Awaited Great Epidemic or Just Medicine’s Y2K?

Reports of swine influenza have whipped the world into a fear-induced frenzy, prompting officials in nations around the world to issue public health advisories and restrict travel to and from Mexico, where more than 100 people have died and a thousand more have been sickened by the new strain of the disease.

But is swine flu a global epidemic, like the 1968 outbreak of Hong Kong flu that killed a million people worldwide? Or is it just the medical version of Y2K, the much-hyped computer glitch that was supposed to grind the world to a halt on 1-1-00 before it fizzled out with barely a peep?

What is Swine Flu?

Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that originates in pigs, but the strain of the type-A influenza virus that is causing alarm bells to go off around the world is a new, hybrid variation of the H1N1 virus that is a mix of human and animal versions of the infection.

It can be easily passed between people or from animals to humans and has the ability to mutate, making it more difficult to control and treat. The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of the common flu and including fever, lack of appetite, diarrhea, coughing, runny nose, fatigue, nausea, and sore throat.

In most healthy people, swine flu produces mild symptoms that do not require treatment or hospitalization. However, some victims suffer deadly complications from swine flu.

More Cases Reported in U.S., Europe

In the U.S. alone, health officials have confirmed more than 40 cases of the flu and issued health advisories warning against traveling to and from Mexico. Today, 20 more cases were confirmed, doubling the previous tally. President Barack Obama announced that the possible outbreak of swine flu is “… obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert” but “not a cause for alarm.”

European Union officials also have confirmed cases of swine flu on their continent and warned people against visiting Mexico. Officials have instituted tougher screening of travelers returning from Mexico in an effort to weed out people carrying swine flu.

Should We Be Scared or Skeptical?

Are reports of swine flu enough reason to fear leaving the house, or just an overreaction to a threat that is not as bad as it is being made to seem? Health officials have long warned of a global pandemic of infectious disease and have in the recent past issued similar warnings about SARS, avian flu, and other illnesses that cropped up in locations around the world. In every one of those cases, the outbreak was eventually contained and never developed into the worldwide killer that some officials warned about.

Still, swine flu is a threat that should be treated with caution. So while we’re not recommending running out and purchasing surgical masks in bulk, we are urging people be extra vigilant to limit the spread of the infection, even if swine flu turns out to be the new Y2K.

No related posts.