In a recent "All Things Considered" program on NPR, the topic of discussion was none other than Swine Flu. More specifically, the plans, or lack thereof, to deal with such a situation. President Obama has just asked for 1.5 billion dollars to combat it, the CDC. WHO and HHS are all scrambling to figure out where it is headed next. Citizens across the country, and the world are in a state of panic.
Richard Besser of the CDC was interviewed, and he explained the new emergency kits that are being send across the country. One component of these kits are paper masks, which have been said to be useless in Mexico. So is this "forward leaning step" (according to the CDC) just a placebo to prevent mass panic?
The top minds in America's health organizations are also trying to decipher the what ifs...what if the swine flue disappears only to return in the winter months? What if it reaches other poor countries? What if it never goes away? As these experts scramble to find the answers to these questions, the spread of the flu continues worldwide.
Even worse, none of these questions have been or will be answered for some time. We'll just have to strap on our paper masks and wait.
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