Why the big fuss, H1N1

[pierre]

Why the big fuss, Yes Thailand has allot of reported cases of H1N1, 4,000 Plus, but that is still half what the UK and Canada has reported and Canada has a much smaller population. are they closing the Schools, Restaurants, Bars, etc. No, are the papers full of out cries to stop travel, No.

on the contrary people are being told to be sensible, carry on as usual yes wash your hands and stay at home if you aren't feeling well, all thing you should do anyway, just out of politeness to every one else. In the UK the advise is if you are feeling unwell, is to stay at home, if you are not feeling better after 3-4 days and or are having real difficulty in breathing then make a visit to you local doctor, not the hospital.

Have you ever asked your selves why thailand is showing more case than other countries in the region, most likely is that Thailand's reporting system is better, and that you have freedoms here to express your opinions that other nations do not.

Just because the press is free here to express it's opinions without censorship from the government dose not mean it dose not have a moral duty to not to go over the top and sensationalize stories, and instigate panic and over reaction in the general population. on the contrary the media should be level headed and supply the readers with true accurate information without the sensitization, that dose not help except maybe increasing its circulation.

one last question: has any one stopped to think, why slow the spread, if 90% off us are going to get this anyway in the next three years. what is one week closing or shutting down a country really going to achieve ( a nice break watching TV) after a week H1N1 will still be here. You can not close a country down for the next six months until the vaccine is ready and when it is, it will only be given to the most at risk i.e. doctors and so forth.

what we need is to be sensible, yes if the hospitals were over stretched and the health system could not cope, their might be a case for shutting things down just to create some breathing space, but we are far from that at this time.




Pierre Drake

[sai]

Dr Pierre.
You make me smile.Where you come from.What you hear it's not a censorship hire
Just because the press is free here to express it's opinions without censorship from the government dose not mean it dose not have a moral duty to not to go over the top and sensationalize stories, and instigate panic and over reaction in the general population. on the contrary the media should be level headed and supply the readers with true accurate information without the sensitization, that dose not help except maybe increasing its circulation.
one last question: has any one stopped to think, why slow the spread, if 90% off us are going to get this anyway in the next three years. what is one week closing or shutting down a country really going to achieve ( a nice break watching TV) after a week H1N1 will still be here. You can not close a country down for the next six months until the vaccine is ready and when it is, it will only be given to the most at risk i.e. doctors and so forth.Have read this from Australian medical expert and you must know in Australia it's healt more better like hire.Waik up

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/838 ... -6000-dead

[pierre]

director of public health for NHS Dr Andrea Atherton

"It is important to stress that the symptoms of swine flu are, relatively speaking, mild. Unless you have flu-like symptoms and are being tested for swine flu, there is absolutely no need to stop your normal everyday activities," she said.

Another expert, Prof Robert Dingwall, director of the Institute for Science and Society at the University of Nottingham, also struck a reassuring note. "This is not at all unexpected – there have been a few deaths elsewhere in the world among people with no obvious underlying condition.

"However, it does not really affect the growing body of evidence that the first pandemic of the 21st century is a relatively mild one and that death rates are likely to be broadly comparable with the annual toll from seasonal flu. There certainly will be more deaths like this one – but most deaths will still occur among people who have some serious underlying condition, and are already likely to be under active medical management," he said.

The Guardian, Saturday 11 July 2009 i think these sources are a bit more legit than the ones you have quoted. think it s time all media not just here in Thailand really look at there role as information distributors.

[sai]

Dr Pierre.
I not talking about another country.I'm Thai And I talk about Thai.You know around 2 Mill Thai People have serious healt problem.I mean serious.This mean all this people must die???. What is better if I see every day in TV worning how many people its infected and I take care or see nothing and I will by thing all it's OK and normal. Now is cancel daily report about virus in Media. And I thing it's wrong. I not care what expert say I care about life.

[pierre]

Agree with you that those in real need should be looked after and again the media needs to support the disenfranchised, and unrepresented in any country. Bring these issues to the forefront and encouraging those of us who are able to contribute, i.e. individuals and the state to do so.

But how the press were reacting over the last week was really not helping those in need, but actually doing the opposite, case in point. A bus turning up a hospital this week with nearly the hole population of a small village, demanding that they be test for H1N1 none had symptoms it was purely because they were scared because of what they had read in the media. do you not think the doctors of this small hospital had better and more deserving cases to see rather than sit down with a bus load of people and convince them to go home.

All i am trying to say is yes fight for better healthcare, fight for the needy, but do not over react and actual cause more harm than good. fined the true issues as you have mention those already in real need bring this to the forefront, encourage better funding but don't cause panic, that will actually cost the hospitals time and money that they, like you say need really badly to treat those who truly need the help.

[puzzled]

I notice that fewer people are wearing the masks now. Unfortunately, the virus is not expected to be at its worst this year until around December. My daughter sent me this link about a new vaccine and I thought I would share.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... -Year.aspx