The Swine Flu Epidemic

(...or the Crisis of illness in the west)

Influenza A(H1N1) also known as the "Swine Flu" has hit over 3 continents with 7 deaths in countries including Mexico, the US, Britain, Germany, Austria and Spain. According to the CDC in the US alone there have been 109 cases in 11 states with one death.

There was an 18 day delay in announcing the Swine Flu issue, which I am convinced is at least in part because it was in Mexico and not the US or Britain. People are talking about schools and care facilities being shut down. As Katie Sherrod, a resident of Texas pointed out:

"Cleburne, just south of FW, has closed its schoools. The state UIL competitions have been cancelled. any day care centers and private schools also are closing or are considering closing.

Parents all over Tarrant County are scrambling to make arrangements to take care of their children as the ripple effect of this spreads.

Employers will be affected as frantic parents try to cobble together ways to take care of their kids AND meet their work responsibilities.

The bulk of this burden is falling on mothers, and it is hitting single mothers particularly hard. And as usual, the working poor are the hardest hit.

With no school, many children whose families depend on school breakfast and lunch programs will get less food or no food at all."

Just one more case of hurting the least of these to help the most of these.

And really: In Africa Malaria kills over 2700 people per DAY and THIS is an epidemic?

People and the news just want the world to end and people to panic. Please don't think I do not take illness seriously, but in truth, I take all illness seriously.