You don’t scare me

You hear that H1N1?!  You don’t scare me!! 

I hear all the news reports.  I read the blogs and newspapers.  I see the line ups for the flu shot and the notices posted up in the daycare.  I have been subject to the fear mongering since you showed up.  I have heard the media sensationalize you, turn you into the plague, and make you into an undefeatable foe.  According to the news, we are all doomed.  Outbreaks are imminent, deaths will follow rapidly, and body bags are required in mass quantity.  You are making more headlines than SARS.  

And because of that I can still say; I am not scared of you. 

SARS was sensationalized in a similar fashion.  The sales of face masks sky rocketed, people refused to shake hands, hug, and at times breathe.  But it was not that bad.  The air wasn’t toxic.  People were not spreading sudden death when they exhaled.  The media just needed to sell papers.  They needed 30 second sound bytes for the six o’clock news.  

You, H1N1, are just the flu.  You are a mutation of a mutation.  The flu mutates every year and you are just another mutation.  Yes, I will keep washing my hands, use sanitizer when I can’t get to warm, running water; I sneeze into my elbow and throw away my tissues. 

But the fact remains you are still just the flu.  The elderly, those with respiratory or immune issues, those are the ones at risk.  Yes, I have heard the story of healthy, active 13 year old that passed away within hours of getting the flu.  My heart goes out to his family.  His life was precious, he was precious and he was taken far too soon.  But, in my untrained medical opinion, there has to be more to the story than that.  The flu doesn’t kill the healthy.  It will knock you on your tail, take the wind out of your sails and make you miserable for about a week but if you are healthy and strong you should be fine.

Now back to researching tile.

Posted in life

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