Everyone else is talking about it so I may as well throw my two cents into the ring before I become infected myself. Yes Swine Flu is upon us and it is ready to strike a home near your. At least that is what the media would have you believe while the reality right now is that a fraction of a percent of the population of Mexico has been struck down and a small percentage of them have died from it. In America the percentages are eve n less, yet we are being lead to believe we are one step away from a severe outbreak on the levels not seen since that movie were the whole town gets infected by monkey’s I think it is, and are quarantined inside the town.

Seriously, I do not have the stats, but I would be willing to bet that more people have died in the last week from lightning strikes in the States than the one person who has been killed from this flu. Certainly more people have died worldwide in road traffic accidents than from the killer Swine yet we haven’t been driven to a state of emergency for that.

It is a classic case of over blowing a situation.

A shame indeed that some people have lost their lives, but Mexico’s tourist industry is going down the toilet thanks to this latest killer bug. Flights have been cancelled and tourists are staying away. How long will that last? Knowing the fear factor, probably long after we’re on top of Swine Flu.

First it was Mad Cow Disease, then Foot and Mouth, next SARS and recently Bird Flu. With the ability to keep causing fear by writing about them gone this new one has come along just in time. Answers on a post card to what will be next up next summer. Bird Flu hasn’t gone away apparently, it is still there, it is still infecting people . . . it has just got boring and people just stopped talking about it once they realized their chances of getting it. There is of course a chance this Swine Flu could really burst into the mainstream and infect a lot of people but I really believe it’s only a matter of time before a cure is found. Let’s just say it’ll be a while yet before I break out the face mask anytime I go outside my home.

Of course thinking back upon SARS one of the great things that came out of it after it struck Canada was the 30 July 2003 SARS benefit relief concert in front of 450,000 people at Downsview Park Toronto. I was one of the 450,000, the tickets only cost $10 and the concert was headlined by AC/DC and the Rolling Stones. Here is hoping we get a concert out of Swine Flu, we’ll call it Swine-Stock and hopefully it’ll feature Bruce Springsteen and Oasis at the top of the billing with $10 tickets again.

On the subject: SARS Stock, Swine Flu | ALL SUBJECTS |

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