Swine Flu: What A Fuss!

In the UK fliers about swine flu were distributed widely yesterday. Ads abounded and schools were closed.

On TV, pitiful images of kids with face masks, probably terrified, sequestered from the rest of humanity. Now there's a good way to reinforce to our kids that we're there for them.

School closures were intended by the health department as a way to contain the spread of the virus. Many people see it more as a monumental disruption of daily life.

And our wonder-drug Tamiflu? Well it's supposed to prevent the excretion of the virus ... but not all kids in the initiative will take it because of its unpleasant side-effects.

At last count there have been 34 confirmed cases in the UK, 13 of which have been kids. Globally 31 people have now died, all but 2 have been in Mexico.

Experts are now saying it is expected to behave like seasonal flu ... meaning that, theoretically, the only people that should be seriously concerned are standard at-risk groups. That is, babies, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients on chemotherapy.

Yet, with respect to those who have died, we are still 5 out of 6 on the pandemic scale, with no apparent attempt to qualify this number and give the average person a more appropriate perspective.

Scare-mongering, over-reaction and profiteering may be pandemic ... but swine flu appears to be no more than a disease that reflects problems systemic in global commercial farming practices ... with a name that sells papers.

And I still think it's wrong to treat children like lepers!

Advice to the rational: practice "good" respiratory hygeine (didn't your mum teach you not to cough and splutter over other people?) ... and pick another honeymoon destination until something sexier comes along to whip up a new frenzy.