Fear-Mongers

A student I know wrote me today,

“Your not going to beleive this but my teacher told us to wear hospital mast (mask) to keep from getting swine flu! He freaked alot of people out!!”

I ask one question:

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

A very good friend and mentor of mine said that 2,500 people had died from Swine Flu.

WRONG!

Swine Flu death toll: 7*

Really? We have got to put a stop to this fear-mongering! Teachers telling students to go out and get hospital masks!?

Here are some facts for you to chew on:

There has been one death in the United States- a Mexican boy that was visiting the country.

As of 11 AM ET today, April 29, 2009, the CDC has reported only 91 laboratory confirmed cases of Swine Flu in the U.S.

Remember Bird Flu? In 2003-2004 the world went nuts and the sky was falling because thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people were going to die from Avian Influenza A (H5N1).

Here’s your WORLD totals to date:

Cases: 421

Deaths: 257^

Am I saying we shouldn’t be cautious? No. But this fear-mongering has to STOP!

What you can do:

-Write your local news station or newspaper and tell them to stop reporting hype, and just the facts. Or just kill your TV.

-Spread the truth. Tell everyone you know about the truth behind the hype. Talk with your family and friends especially.

-Laugh!

~NjS

* http://www.smh.com.au/world/only-7-swine-flu-deaths-not-152-says-who-20090429-aml1.html

^ http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2009_04_23/en/index.html