Epidemic

Eric Lobbecke in last week's Daily Telegraph

PIGS might fly. At least that’s what many Australians believe their chances are of being struck down by swine flu.

Epidemics have a habit of incubating fear and panic. But in cyberspace many people are just getting sick of what they perceive as excessive hype over the swine flu.

While health authorities have been issuing warnings about health and hygiene practices, quarantining suspected flu carriers and closing schools, the measures have been met with skepticism by bloggers to major Australian news forums.

There is a widely-held belief coming through online comments that Australian authorities are over-reacting to the seriousness of the influenza.

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  • Paddy says:

    08:58am | 07/06/09

    The panic seems to have subsided here in Japan now that people realise the symptoms are no more serious than your average non-porcine flu. It is called “shingatai infruenza” (new type flu) here. I think the authorities don`t want to associate it with pigs in order to avoid a widespread… Read more »

  • Robert says:

    10:33am | 02/06/09

    There seems to be a compelling political convenience in hyping up swine flu, which currently has a lower than average seasonal virulence and morbidity, at a time where state and federal governments have spent the family fortune and plunged their respective constituencies into serious long term debt. Read more »

 

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