Friday, 8th May 2009
Swine Flu; Hogging the Limelight?
"You're going to die!" the text message said.
Phoebe Wyburd, one of several pupils at Alleyn's School in Dulwich, South London, who caught swine flu at the end of last week, received that several other messages, phonecalls and e-mails of the same ilk. So did three of her four sisters.
This reaction by children, who until a fortnight ago called themselves "friends" is on the face of it, understandable.
Part of it, surely, is the "there but by the grace of God go I" syndrome. They are not about to let Phoebe forget that they are not the ones being confined to their homes.
But the issue is more complex than that. No doubt, some of those sending the messages are, ironically, annoyed that Phoebe is getting media attention just because she is sick. Not that they would exchange places with her - but still, this child has ironically acquired fifteen minutes of fame, while all they can hope for it having their messages repeated in the text accompanying photos of Phoebe.
The, of course, there is the all-pervading ignorance which is explained in the adage "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing". This is why some people will tell you that "This is Mexico flu but they are not calling it that because it is not politically correct to do so."
The reason for this confusion is that when the first cases surfaced, it was undecided whether to call the illness, Mexicol Flu, North American flu, novel flu ... or swine flu.
Clips of people wearing surgical masks, shown on several television stations, have possibly led some viewers to believe that they afford protection - "because that's what doctors wear when they are performing surgery..." little understanding that the masks are worn so that the patient, and not the surgeon is protected.
This is what happens when people revel in their own lack of knowledge, and do not even deign to increase the amount of information they have.... if anything, so as not to make a fool of yourself in front of others.
The term "worst-case scenario" is used in news bulletins and health reports for a purpose. However, the man-in-the-street tends to use it as a scaremongering tactic... with hidden agendas coming to the fore.
Hearing the news, rather than listening to it, is part and parcel of these people's lives. Stand in any queue; sit down in any waiting room - immaterial or not of whether it is a clinic or a hospital reception foyer - and the chances are that you will hear mangled versions of the truth to the extent that some versions are diametrically opposite to one another.
The people who are responsible for disseminating information, sometimes, pander to the rumour-spreaders without even realising it... a prime example of this is the aforementioned coverage featuring crowds of commuters on a railways station in Japan, all wearing surgical masks.... something which they do as a matter of course, given the level of pollution in some Japanese cities.
There are some people who take the sentences, or even words, out of context - and misconstrue them. Whether this is because of sheer wickedness or utter ignorance, or a mixture of both, depends upon the person and the situation.
"They locked up the only pig in Afghanistan." Actually, although swine influenza viruses cause high levels of illness in pigs, there is a low death rate. These viruses usually circulate among swine throughout the year, yet most outbreaks occur during the late autumn and winter months, as is the case with humans.
"They are killing all the pigs in Egypt." This gives us to understand that pigs are dangerous. In fact, swine flu is a porcine respiratory disease by type A influenza virus that regularly infects pigs. These viruses do not normally infect humans. Human infections with swine flu do occur, albeit sporadically and rarely, and cases of person-to-person spread of these viruses have now been documented.
"I am not eating any more pork." This gives us the idea that meat from hogs is dangerous, too. Although the Jewish and Muslim religions classify pork as an unclean meat, and the hog an unclean animal, properly handled and cooked pork and pork products are absolutely safe. An internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus, as it does other bacteria and viruses.
"The last flu pandemic killed millions of people..." This is probably one of the most deceptively misleading statements I have heard this week. The person who said it was not aware (I asked) that it happened almost a century ago - she was certain it had occurred "in 1955", and she added, for good measure "the year when my mother was born and she nearly died because of it."
Since then, medicine has made great strides - and so, for that matter, has personal hygiene.
Apocalyptic scenarios are created when anyone who does know how things are, is afraid to correct misconceptions for fear of being ridiculed. Children need to be reassured; the elderly may not always understand clearly what is happening. All it takes is one "be careful because..." to many, to frighten them into not wanting to go out of the house.
Let us all tread carefully in this. The public health sector, rather than the corner grocery, is the place to go for advice.
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Comments
This is the definite end for everyone.
However, we do not know WHEN? HOW? or WHERE?
Make the best of what you have got.
roland