Reply #55: "Thinking the Unthinkable: Six (Uncomfortable) Questions about the Swine Flu Outbreak" LINK

[Blackhatjack]

This excellent article addresses the concerns I raised in the OP and examines other issues which we all need to consider. Sobering as to the logistics of addressing a pandemic with the present level of preparedness.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-sherwood/thinking-the-unthinkable_b_192055.html

Thinking the Unthinkable: Six (Uncomfortable) Questions about the Swine Flu Outbreak

"The word pandemic comes from Greek roots meaning "all the people." Not surprisingly, the first known medical reporter to file a story about a flu epidemic was Hippocrates around 412 BC. For centuries, flu disasters have struck just as naturally and inevitably as tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Indeed, over the past 300 years, there have been 10 major flu pandemics (an average of 22 years apart), according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota. Experts believe we're well overdue for another pandemic."

SKIP

"No one in the world wishes or wants this swine flu outbreak to morph into a full-fledged pandemic with mass casualties. But it's absolutely essential to think the unthinkable and, given the nature of a pandemic threat, to be as well prepared and self-reliant as possible.

From The Washington Post online, Dr. Osterholm gets the last words: "The potential for pandemic influenza to be a catastrophic event in our human history is just too great of a risk for us to wait until the night before to get prepared. While this may all sounds scary to those reading this, our job in public health today is not to scare you out of your wits, but to scare you into your wits. We need you to let your federal, state, and local leaders, including those both elected and in the private sector, know that planning at the international, national and local level must be one of our highest priorities."