When pigs fly
posted in Illnesses, News, Pop Culture, Science |We spent the weekend doing weekend-ish types of things, including OmegaDad replacing the tree swing out front (it had an untimely demise due to rotting rope, which resulted in OmegaDotter being dumped and getting a small rope burn on her fingers). And while this was going on (and laundry and cleaning and luvvin’ on chickens and stuff like that), I was watching the flood of information on swine flu on the Internet blossom and spread like fungus spores.
Watching the Twitter feed on the search term “swine flu” has been fascinating.
Some utterly baseless rumors and misunderstandings (these are all things I have personally read on Twitter):
- Since this new version contains elements of avian influenza, swine influenza, and human influenza, it can’t possibly be natural; it’s been cooked up as a biowarfare weapon. (Flu viruses swap DNA all the time, it’s why they mutate and we need new vaccines every year.)
- It’s a plot by Barack Obama to take attention off of the economy.
- It’s a plot by Barack Obama to force through his national health care agenda.
- It’s a plot by the libruls and Barack Obama to extend government control.
- The meeting between Barack Obama and Felipe Solis, director of Mexico’s National Anthropology Museum (Solis died the next day) was an attempt to assassinate the President.
- Sasha Obama has the swine flu.
- The reason the swine flu has shown up in the U.S. is because of illegal immigrants. (Let’s just ignore the fact that the majority of the cases identified so far have been due to–eek, gasp!–tourists returning from Mexico.)
- It’s a plot by Big Pharma to drive up medicine sales.
- It’s the result of a slow news week and all media hype.
- It’s the END OF THE WORLD!!!!!!
- You can get swine flu by (eating/fucking/looking at/smelling) pork.
- The governments of the world are overreacting.
- The governments of the world are underreacting.
- It’s the fault of big, bad factory farms.
- I am sick–it must be swine flu!
- I am sick–I wish everyone would stop saying it’s swine flu!
- OMG, I am afraid to leave the house because of swine flu!
- Dudes, just chill out–x people die each year because of ordinary flu/because of car accidents/because of poorly prepared medications/choose your pet issue–so we don’t need to worry.
- Fifty kazillion riffs on the xkcd web comic related to swine flu and Twitter.
- Another fifty kazillion bad swine flu jokes (oinkment, kids kissing pigs, when pigs fly, etc.).
The psychology of the Internet rumor mill is just amazing to me.
Now, I have been reading the blogs of people who are actually involved with epidemiology (in particular, Effect Measure and H5N1), and they are confronted with two choices: Either react now, or react later. If they react later and the flu fizzles, hey, it’s okay. But if they react later, and the flu doesn’t fizzle but turns into a pandemic akin to the 1918 flu, we’re all in deep kimchee. If they react now, and the flu fizzles, well, it’s like the boy who cried wolf. Do it too many times, and the one time it’s needed is the time that everyone will yawn, go “Ho hum, another flu panic…” React now and the flu is a baddie? Then everything is in place to stage quarantines, border closings, flu meds, and more when and where it is needed.
Right now, it’s really too early to tell. The reports from Mexico are not good. What I’ve read is 1600+ sick, with 150-200 deaths so far. (Actually, what I’ve read in some places is 1600+ hospitalized, which is a major difference.) By the end of this week, there should be much better data, including how fast it is spreading outside Mexico.
And, of course, maybe by the end of the week, they can figure out just what the major differences are that are causing fatalities in Mexico, but mild cases elsewhere.
