My nickel's worth...

I wasn't really sure which way to go on the title line since with inflation, two cents worth is more like a dime, but with the economy maybe it's more like a nickel?

I don't know...

So is anyone worried yet about the swine flu other than the media... a.k.a. the panic/fear mongers? Obviously if we choose to ignore it, it doesn't mean it will go away. BUT... in the grand scale of the world's population, the number or reported cases and related deaths are low. More people die from... and I'm stealing a line from Jon Stewart... the bullet flu.

Today's big story is that the U.S. recorded it's first death related to swine flu down in Texas. While sad that it was a 23 month old boy, the child was Mexican whose parents (or whomever) came here seeking treatment... a little too late I'd say. While this is tragic, I don't think it qualifies for the first death recorded here... but it causes me to pause and ponder.

So... if a man is standing on the Mexican/U.S. border or the Canadian/U.S. border and is shot... wait, maybe that's not a good analogy. How about this... if a man it shot in Mexico or Canada and staggers over the border into the U.S. it's counted as a U.S. death? What if the man crosses the border and once on U.S. soil a bullet is fired from across the border and kills him... is this counted as a U.S. death? For my money, if that man was a U.S. citizen than yes... it's a U.S. death. I know pointless nonsense really.

Anyway, now we've created panic in people who just might have the "regular" flu... that is to say that if anyone experiences any flu like symptoms... now especially... they will make a dash for the local hospital. A question kinda begs to be asked here. Without all the press this is getting and all the momentum, if you were feeling like you had the flu, would you go in, or is it more likely with this being all over the news that you will now... thus boosting the number of reported cases which in turn creates more panic and so on? You can see how this is... in a sense... a self perpetuated panic.

Common sense mandates that you should wash your hands before eating and take (in some ways) the same precautions that dictate normal hygiene habits. Right???

Oh wait... therein lies the problem... counting on common sense as your guide.