Streetvoice |
Hysteria or Health Issue?by Peter Koch |
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If there’s anything the media loves, it’s a story about the end of the world. The “bird flu” that has killed dozens in Asia is spurring widespread worry about its potential migration across the Atlantic. Memories of the “killer bees” blunder and the North American SARS epidemic, (which killed little more than Toronto’s tourist industry), are grounds to declare the avian influenza nonsense. However, we’re overdue for a pandemic, and a new awareness of the 1918 Spanish Flu virus, which killed between 25-50 million people, raises legitimate concerns that this bird flu could be a disease ready to take off. Should we fall into a pandemic of panic, should the media be inoculating Americans with an unhealthy dosage of fear, or should we just give the over-hyped bird ballyhoo a bogus diagnosis?
Name: Meghan Groth
Residence: Amherst
Occupation: Student
Are we vulnerable to foreign epidemics here in the United States? The avian flu now circulating around Asia has been going around since 1997. Sure we’re vulnerable to an outbreak, but only if we don’t take precautions, like monitoring the strain for mutation.
How should the government take precautionary measures to prevent a potential epidemic? With recent bad publicity that drug companies have received from movies like The Constant Gardener and skyrocketing medication costs, the pharmaceutical industry could use this opportunity to give back a little by investing in research for an avian flu vaccine. The government just needs to communicate with other countries to keep close tabs on what the vaccine is doing at the moment and what it has potential to do in the future.
How would you describe the media’s coverage? The media has predictably sensationalized the story to question the Bush administration’s handling of a potential national crisis. This scrutiny is needed though, after FEMA’s fumbling response to Hurricane Katrina.
Name: Janet Ogiba
Residence: Wheatfield
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Are we vulnerable to foreign epidemics here in the United States? I believe we are. Recently there’s been a lot of coverage in the news on the flu, and whether it’s because of flu season or the bird flu, it’s irrelevant. I think that older people and children, as with any flu, are especially vulnerable. What’s interesting is that before the hockey strike last year, the only previous season that was cancelled was in 1918 when the Spanish Flu virus was so rampant on our side of the world that they had to cancel the Stanley Cup Series.
How should the government take precautionary measures to prevent a potential epidemic? There should be more information on the T.V, the radio, and in hospitals concerning preventive measures that we can all take. Schools should alert parents as to what could happen and information needs to be distributed.
How would you describe the media’s coverage? I’ve only seen a little of it on TV. I would have to say that I don’t think there has been that much coverage about it. But in the fall it always seems like we’re hearing about flu shots and diseases. I don’t think that it will become widespread in the news when the disease becomes widespread among people.
Name: Michael Landon
Residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Pizzeria shop employee
Are we vulnerable to foreign epidemics here in the United States? I do think that we’re vulnerable to foreign epidemics. People are coming from overseas all the time. It’s easy to get passports and the disease could easily spread this way from country to country.
How should the government take precautionary measures to prevent a potential epidemic? They should educate themselves on all the possible ways to do so. They have the money. They should limit the types of cargo, and transported items and even people that might increase the chance. But I’m happy to be American and I think they’ll take the right precautionary measures.
How would you describe the media’s coverage? I haven’t really been paying much attention to it, but it’s pretty intense. I think that’s why I haven’t been watching it. I don’t know the best way to observe the media. I think they’re pretty quick to divulge information on epidemics and such. It sounds like more of a media scare so I don’t know if there’s any reality to the worry. The media always pops up with things like this like the killer bees and gets the hype going.
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