swine flu

here we go again. dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria. a rather nasty and contagious flu has again broken out in a foreign country causing international panic and excessive gloating by big pharma and big brother. rumors of potential millions dead, entire cities shut down, and the entire world at risk are pushing media into a swooning frenzy. does it not seem odd that nobody has brought up the debacle of the 1976 swine flu vaccine, which killed more people than the flu? or that the fatalities of the flu pandemic (a real one!) of 1918 were actually caused by strep? and that they did not have an effective treatment for it at that point? before you buy yourself stock in surgical masks, my suggestion is that you step back, take a breath, and get a little perspective. the bird flu? not a pandemic. west nile? not a pandemic. the original swine flu? not a pandemic. panics, yes. excuses for border closures, surveillance, and expensive vaccination programs, yes. but dangerous? no. not to your health, anyway.
here are a few numbers on the current mania.
* 64 laboratory confirmed cases in U.S. -- 0 deaths
* 26 confirmed cases in Mexico -- 7 deaths
* 6 confirmed cases in Canada -- 0 deaths
* 1 confirmed case in Spain -- 0 deaths
somehow this doesn't look like ebola, y'all. so...
wash your hands. don't smooch people you don't know who have runny noses who just got off the plane from Mexico. go see a doctor if you get sick. but... don't let them give you a flu shot.
(here are the common side effects of Tamiflu:
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Headache
* Dizziness
* Fatigue
* Cough
they can include convulsions, delerium, delusions, and death. somehow, i think that i'd rather brave the flu.)
at any rate! be well! drink lots of fluids and get some rest!
lovepeace
heather

april 4, snow.

hopefully the last snow of the season, but it sure was beautiful.
love
heather