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Saturday, September 30, 2006
Before The Cold Season Begins And Flu Panic Starts, Remember... And, then, it began to emerge that the whole panic was basically media driven. Looking over the CDC annual flu death numbers, no more than usual died that year. The only difference was media coverage of those deaths. And, damned poor coverage at that, because it was rarely mentioned that the children that died had other medical problems, such as pre-existing respiratory ailments or immune system problems. Furthermore, the media-hyped flu shot available -- the one with careful well-publicized rationing and long lines -- was not even effective for that particular strain of flu, as they are made well in advance of flu season. There's another element to these stories, as well. I've watched the yearly panic carefully after my traumatic season, noting the way the price for the shot soars. Remember when clinics were being robbed of their supplies and prices were insanely inflated? And, then when all the profit possible was milked out of the panic, suddenly, miraculously, there appeared extra supplies, at reasonable prices, available for anyone who wanted, no rationing necessary anymore. Call me a cynic... but I do my research. So, here we are again moving into the season. It's early yet, so the media stories are fairly sensible, such as this one from the Boston Globe: "During an overnight hotel stay, people with colds left viruses on telephones, light switches, and television remotes, researchers said yesterday at an infectious disease conference in San Francisco. Infectious disease specialists caution people to wash their hands and avoid touching their noses and faces to avoid catching colds that infect about 60 million people in the United States annually. The study, sponsored by Reckitt Benckiser PLC, maker of the Lysol cleaner, suggests that infectious cold germs may survive longer in the environment than has been thought. "When you touch surfaces a day later, the virus may still be there," said Owen Hendley, a pediatrician at University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville who led the research." You'll see versions of this story all over for the next few days, but the bottom line is simple. Wash your hands frequently, try to avoid touching mucus membrane areas -- nose, mouth, eyes -- in public or germ and virus threatened places, and take care with your diet and rest to promote the vigorous strength and performance of your immune system, being sure to include an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Blogger News Network is advertiser-supported, and your visits to our advertisers help BNN to meet its expenses. Help keep us afloat! posted by Sharon Secor at 1:36 PM |
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