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Swine flu: a practice pandemic
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Swine flu is likely in Maryland. If you start coughing or looking feverish, your coworkers may avoid you and your boss will likely send you home. One U.S. child, tragically, died of this strange new virus, but many others have simply spent an achy week in bed.
Most of us are interested, but not terrified.
This pandemic-in-the-making is a practice. With the media's encouragement we track every new case and drink up details of Mexico's school and business closings. Yet we aren't really all that afraid. We may worry as the CDC elevates the threat level to 5 yet feel reassured that even if we caught it, swine flu is unlikely to kill us.
As I view the maps and reports by WHO experts, I am filled with "what ifs." What if this infection had a 50% mortality rate? What if it caused permanent disability, disfigurement or terrible pain? At the moment we have the luxury of blase quasi-anxiety. We gossip about swine flu, then we go out to a crowded restaurant for lunch. But can you imagine what we'd all be feeling if a truly dangerous infection were rapidly marching around the globe?
Aside from a few school closings and cruise itinierary changes, this virus hasn't changed most Americans' lives all that much. But how would we take to being confined to our homes? What if we wanted to travel home for Christmas but the government wouldn't let us? What if all the restaurants, schools, movie theatres and grocery stores were closed? This is an inconceivable situation.
The swine flu is a problem but it is not a catastrophe. It isn't the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control that have kept us from an infectious nightmare. An aggressive, angry virus or bacteria would have us quaking in our face masks. Lucky for us, swine flu is a bit of a wimp.
Dr. Chiaramonte
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