Very well put - swine flu.
I'm so annoyed by the news coverage....
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Just wash your hands.
Every year, hundreds of viruses pass through the pediatric and adult
community. Many of the bugs are disruptive and keep kids out of
school and adults away from work. Some of the viruses have unique
signs and symptoms, but most just cause amorphous aches, sneezing,
coughing or intestinal upset.
Influenza viruses, especially new ones, trigger more news stories and
can be made to seem much more frightening and dangerous than they
really are. Government agencies and media don't supply statistical
context and make it sound like you've got a "fifty-fifty" chance of
contracting this new virus. They then make it sound like a lot of
people who get this influenza end up in the hospital and may die.
Statistically, nothing could be further from the truth: The chance
that the new virus is really dangerous is small. The chance that
you'll get it is much, much smaller, and the possibility that you or
a family member will be harmed by the virus is so slim that the news
should be on page twenty, not page one.
Swine Flu is a virus for which there is no vaccine, no threat to your
family and there are undoubtedly tens of thousands of harmless
undiagnosed cases throughout the world. The news stories are probably
taking a hundred questionable respiratory deaths in Mexico and guessing.
There actually is a very, very small chance that this virus could
cause severe illness and whenever this occurs hospitalization and
even fatalities are reported. The likelihood of a pandemic is
miniscule, but newspapers, governments agencies and the manufacturers
of pharmaceuticals do their best work and make their biggest sales
when people are scared.
Tamiflu is recommended for treatment and prevention of this influenza
virus. The company which gets the drug's royalties (Gilead) has as a
major stockholder--previously Chairman--one Donald Rumsfeld.
Local pharmacies are already running low on Tamiflu.
Connect these dots.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/
idUKN2445216420090424
http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/tamiflu.asp
http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/news/newsmakers/fortune_rumsfeld/
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE53O17O20090425
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?
storyid=200904251215dowjonesdjonline000319&title=who-says-initial-
findings-show-swine-flu-responds-to-tamiflu
The usual boring admonitions apply: wash your hands, stay well-rested
and well-hydrated. You do not need to buy Tamiflu. It is an effective
antiviral drug but has possible side effects.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/health-illness/treatment/medicine/
medications/tamiflu-psych.htm
As far as our office prescribing Tamiflu, we would rather not, but we
will if you insist. I promise you that I personally am purchasing
none for my family and would recommend the same to you.
Best,
Jay
JNG, MD FAAP
http://www.drjaygordon.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
Just wash your hands.
Every year, hundreds of viruses pass through the pediatric and adult
community. Many of the bugs are disruptive and keep kids out of
school and adults away from work. Some of the viruses have unique
signs and symptoms, but most just cause amorphous aches, sneezing,
coughing or intestinal upset.
Influenza viruses, especially new ones, trigger more news stories and
can be made to seem much more frightening and dangerous than they
really are. Government agencies and media don't supply statistical
context and make it sound like you've got a "fifty-fifty" chance of
contracting this new virus. They then make it sound like a lot of
people who get this influenza end up in the hospital and may die.
Statistically, nothing could be further from the truth: The chance
that the new virus is really dangerous is small. The chance that
you'll get it is much, much smaller, and the possibility that you or
a family member will be harmed by the virus is so slim that the news
should be on page twenty, not page one.
Swine Flu is a virus for which there is no vaccine, no threat to your
family and there are undoubtedly tens of thousands of harmless
undiagnosed cases throughout the world. The news stories are probably
taking a hundred questionable respiratory deaths in Mexico and guessing.
There actually is a very, very small chance that this virus could
cause severe illness and whenever this occurs hospitalization and
even fatalities are reported. The likelihood of a pandemic is
miniscule, but newspapers, governments agencies and the manufacturers
of pharmaceuticals do their best work and make their biggest sales
when people are scared.
Tamiflu is recommended for treatment and prevention of this influenza
virus. The company which gets the drug's royalties (Gilead) has as a
major stockholder--previously Chairman--one Donald Rumsfeld.
Local pharmacies are already running low on Tamiflu.
Connect these dots.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/
idUKN2445216420090424
http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/tamiflu.asp
http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/news/newsmakers/fortune_rumsfeld/
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE53O17O20090425
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?
storyid=200904251215dowjonesdjonline000319&title=who-says-initial-
findings-show-swine-flu-responds-to-tamiflu
The usual boring admonitions apply: wash your hands, stay well-rested
and well-hydrated. You do not need to buy Tamiflu. It is an effective
antiviral drug but has possible side effects.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/health-illness/treatment/medicine/
medications/tamiflu-psych.htm
As far as our office prescribing Tamiflu, we would rather not, but we
will if you insist. I promise you that I personally am purchasing
none for my family and would recommend the same to you.
Best,
Jay
JNG, MD FAAP
http://www.drjaygordon.com