The Great Swine Flu Scare
Should you fear pigs?
Should You Be Worried
About Swine Flu?
In a word… No!
Still not convinced? Let me add some perspective…
According to the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention), there have been 13,000 deaths in the US from common flu since January. And they estimate annual US deaths from common flu to be 36,000. If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you know (to date) there has been only one US death from swine flu (and that was an immigrant from Mexico).
Even most of the cases of swine flu showing up in the US are from people who were recently in Mexico. Why anyone would choose to visit a country that people are risking their lives to flee is beyond me, but that’s another story.
Although this particular respiratory virus (H1N1) appears to be spreading among humans and is of some concern as a result, the cases are generally showing up in young people. One theory why this is happening is older adults have come in contact with this particular virus sometime in their lives and developed an immunity to it.
As with any virus, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid contact with sick people, wash your hands frequently, and keep your immune system healthy. There is also strong evidence that keeping your vitamin D levels normal provides for a natural resistance to flu viruses (as well as several other diseases). Your doctor can check your level with a simple blood test.
Should You Take Tamiflu?
Multiple studies in Europe (published in the prestigious medical journal Lancet on Jan. 19, 2006) indicate Tamiflu is ineffective with a number of flu viruses including avian flu. In some cases people have even died as a result of taking it.
During the avian flu pandemic, governments built up massive stockpiles of Tamiflu that were never needed. On April 23, 2009 the World Health Organization said the total number of confirmed deaths worldwide due to avian flu since 2003 was only 257.
Since there are 36,000 deaths every year in the United States from common flu, one has to wonder why governments are going out of their way to create massive fear about a new possible pandemic.
Why is the CDC now recommending people take Tamiflu for this current swine flu, when there have been no studies to even indicate it would be effective?
Wonder how many government officials are getting rich by buying options on stocks of the makers of Tamiflu (Roche and Gilead Sciences)?
I’m much more worried about our government rapidly moving forward on socialized medicine in the US. We already have a clear picture of what government control in health care does in both the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Both are massively bloated with bureaucracy and are clearly not sustainable by anyone’s definition. In fact, they are both going broke. Of course, by hiding this under an umbrella of total socialized (government run) medicine, the problem can be buried for years.
But that won’t make the inherent problem go away! Government run health care doesn’t work, is always more expensive, and is a sham.
Photo credit: Xirzon
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