Reply #19: I plan to stay informed, but I also am not in a panic yet.

[davsand]

Fear really does lead people to make bad decisions, and so does a lack of information. I try and avoid both whenever possible.

I think the media is probably gonna keep this in front of us all for a long time to come--irrespective of how it all plays out--because they sell advertising by keeping people watching. I also think that if we pay attention to what the scientists tell us we can probably navigate this with a lot better outcome than the doom criers are projecting.

In a worst case setting it is possible that we will have widespread illness, and some loss of life--especially given the lack of access to health care that so many Americans are dealing with. I also think that if we have a serious widespread epidemic, you will see the ERs become the place where flu treatment is sought with most other non-critical ER visits seriously reduced. There WILL be long wait times--but there currently are already...

Having said that, I also think that our advances in medicine in the last 25 years are such that we can provide a lot better supportive care while the flu virus runs its course. There were a LOT of people who died in prior epidemics due to secondary causes rather than the actual flu virus itself, and I do think those secondary infections and cases of dehydration can and will be reduced in any pandemic that erupts in today's world.

For me, it isn't a Red Alert state. It is more of a yellow.

YMMV.


Laura