Cue the Ominous Music!

Texas confirmed the first U.S. resident flu death Tuesday, a new mother and teacher who worked with disabled students. She lived near the border with Mexico and was suffering from "chronic underlying health conditions" but recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl through C-section. However, health officials have not said the H1N1 was the sole or main cause of death.

On the other hand, just across the river, Mexican officials have seemingly resumed life throughout its cities because of the decrease in deaths. The tension might have eased within the country, but international tension has risen instead between Mexico and China.

A jet from Mexico arrived in China on Tuesday on a mission that includes stops in four Chinese cities to bring home dozens of Mexicans quarantined under strict swine flu measures. The trip, which takes in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou in the south, and Hong Kong, comes after China at the weekend suspended flights to and from Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak, leaving tourists at both ends stranded.

The real crisis is the reality that many of those quarantined in mainland did not show any symptoms of H1N1 but were isolated seemingly because of their nationality. If that was not the kicker, the Mexican quarantined in Hong Kong who has the virus is not allowed to get on the same plane to go back to Mexico! While the Chinese officials were quick to point out their actions were not discriminatory, the international audience have said otherwise. It is as if the Chinese stereotyping of others is a new concept.

Underneath that crisis, the real surprise, personally, is not that the Mexicans without H1N1 were quarantined, but Canadians without the piggie flu were quarantined as well. Who knew Canada has the highest number of cases of H1N1? Either the press didn't catch a hold of such news earlier this week, or it flew between my eyes and I still missed it.

I do understand China's strict handling of the situation. If H1N1 were to hit mainland, because of the communist nation's high population density, the virus would spread quicker than a wildfire in California under windy and dry conditions. The Chinese government does not need this piggie flu to add onto their endless checking of things to suppress (does democracy ring a bell? ...Anyone?).

While governments are still barricading their borders from possible H1N1 invasions, Mexico is on a roll in terms of relaxing their entire country. While Mexico is doing that, virologists and other scientists have warned the flu has a possibility of coming back with a vengeance later this year. They have drawn comparisons between the current H1N1 strain with the Spanish Flu of 1918 and other pandemics.

Another uncomfortable parallel between past and present is the profile of the victims. While relatively few in number, many of the deaths in Mexico were among young adults, as was true in 1918. Most seasonal flu fatalities -- which number 250,000 to 500,000 per year -- occur mainly among the very young and very old.

Even my physical geology professor believes the media has blown this near-pandemic piggie flu out of proportions. Hundreds of thousands of people die from regular ol' flu every year world wide and yet we're getting worked up over something like this? Despite my professor's rantings, the mere thought of people around my age around me dying is still a scary thought. People usually think the late teenage and early adult years are the healthiest times human beings will have, and yet the H1N1 kills more of that age group? This flu continues to truly baffle even the educated (let's not even talk about the uninformed *ahemBidencough*).

Myy geology professor and Mexico believes we should calm down a bit, and the entertainment industry seems to agree. Models, fashion designers and entertainers were partying in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala despite the swine flu crisis worldwide. The star-studded event paved way for high-rollers in couture dresses and elegant ball gowns. Who said the flu had to dampen the mood of entertainment industry elitists? Forget the contagious virus; it must definitely be worth it for celebrities to risk catching the flu in order to see Rihanna's debut post-domestic violence case.

Summer Vacation Goes to the Pigs

The World Health Organization is likely to raise the flu alert to full-blown pandemic soon, according to its chief Margaret Chan. Chan also tackled avian flu and SARS in Hong Kong prior to taking on her role as the WHO chief.

"Level 6 does not mean, in any way, that we are facing the end of the world. It is important to make this clear because (otherwise) when we announce level 6 it will cause an unnecessary panic," she told Spanish newspaper El Pais. "Flu viruses are very unpredictable, very deceptive ... We should not be over-confident. One must not give H1N1 the opportunity to mix with other viruses. That is why we are on alert."

This announcement comes after Mexico lowers the alert level, allowing the reopening of cafes, museums, and libraries. However, this has caused the international audience to be worried of the country lowering its guard and then becoming susceptible to an even worse outbreak. Such a contradiction between WHO and Mexico's government worries me; how can we fight this disease when we have such inconsistencies between the 'head' health organization here on Earth and the country that has suffered the most deaths as a result of H1N1?

The WHO has also officially stopped using the term "swine flu" to refer to the illness. The organization has chosen the technical scientific name H1N1 influenza type A when referring the to this flu. This sudden name change came amidst fears of slaughtering of pigs for no good reason worldwide. It is apparent most people, especially farmers, are still ignorant as to how this flu is transmitted. The name change seems a little late; many pigs have already been killed off. How would that impact their local community and economy? With the economy a little rough these days, farmers will have to take an extra blow because of the WHO's slow actions in combating the name change issue. At least the pigs will know who to take revenge on if they ever plot their revenge in piggie heaven/hell.


Prior to the name change, Vice President Joe Biden told NBC's "Today" show last week he will not go anywhere in confined spaces because of the formerly-named swine flu, a different statement from what the White House Press has been endorsing.

“It’s not that it’s going to Mexico. It’s [that] you’re in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft. That’s me. … So, from my perspective, what it relates to is mitigation. If you’re out in the middle of a field when someone sneezes, that’s one thing. If you’re in a closed aircraft or closed container or closed car or closed classroom, it’s a different thing.”

Biden quickly released a statement through a spokesperson after the interview. Taking the White House stance once more, Biden clarified that he meant Americans should avoid unnecessary travel to Mexico and to stay home if they are sick. If Biden had not released the clarification statement, Americans would take the advice to mean all mass transportation should be avoided, from airplanes to subways and buses.

Mass transit is almost impossible to avoid for residents of major metropolitan areas such as New York City and especially for the working class from coast to coast. Houstonians will know: it's nearly impossible to avoid the Metro if you have to go downtown. Who wants to be stuck in traffic on Highway 59 when you can take the Metro Park and Ride? Some Houstonians might be willing to risk the H1N1 just to avoid Texas traffic jams.

If airplanes should be avoided as well, where does that leave students who are about to go on summer vacation? Many students have already purchased their airfare for late May or early June to go overseas. More than ever, this seems like the perfect time to leave the country; after all, who would like to be exposed to the swine flu after it has hit so close to home?

Despite that, with border patrols in various countries setting up precautions against the potential of swine flu invading into their respective countries, many governments are taking extra restrictions against American and Mexican travelers already. Biden's comments remind me how annoying it already is to go through at least three to four checkpoints at every airport I lay over. On top of that, I now must also prepare myself for questioning going through customs in Hong Kong. For once, I will be slightly uneasy exclaiming where I began my trip: Houston, Texas. About a week ago, a toddler passed away from the swine flu at Texas Children's Hospital in downtown Houston. The toddler actually could not receive any more Brownsville and is not even from Houston, and yet that death will still attach itself to the Bayou City.

Going back to the mass transit avoidance proposed by Biden, Houston is the headquarters for Continental Airlines, which is located at Bush Intercontinental Airport. If citizens all over the country refrain from air travel due to the swine flu, where does that leave the airline industry? Airlines across the board have already suffered shares losses due to swine flu fears. Continental Airline recently reported a poor first quarter due to the economic recession and air travelers opting out of first class services to save a few bucks. Many analysts are worried the swine flu will already hinder the nation's efforts to pull out of the ongoing recession. To discourage air travel and mass transit will deal a further blow to the economic ordeal. For a public figure to say such things is counterproductive. The media already nitpicks at every word our public figures say. Vice President Biden should be more careful with his words.

I must admit: for a second, I got excited over Biden's comments. Is our vice president encouraging us to not go to class when final exams are right around the corner? That is, until I realized something: if final exams are then pushed as a result of some crazy government interference (after all, I AM at a public university), I have a possibility of missing my flight to Asia. I wouldn't want to miss being questioned by customs, right? They're oh so pleasant as always...

Let's Eat Pork Chops!

For those who have been living under a rock, the swine flu has pandemic potential. This particular strain has spread throughout the United States and is popping up in countries worldwide. It also claimed its first death in the United States here in Texas. This was found in one of the articles regarding that flu:

The worst case scenario, according to U.S. government planners: Two million dead. Hospitals overwhelmed. Schools closed. Swaths of empty seats at baseball stadiums and houses of worship. An economic recovery snuffed out.

We're nowhere close to that. But government leaders at all levels, and major employers, have spent nearly four years planning for the worst in a series of exercises. Their reports, as well as interviews with policymakers, paint a grim picture of what could happen if the swine flu gets severely out of control.

A full-scale pandemic — like the 1918 Spanish flu — would sicken 90 million Americans, or about 30 percent of the population. It could claim the lives of about 2 percent of those infected, about 2 million people, according to government experts.

The most puzzling issue I've confronted in terms of this flu is not how to prevent it but rather why nobody has talked about it.

After going to classes for the past three days, I've come to realize most people have not read the news or do not think it's a big issue. I initially thought it was because of lab final exams, but most of my acquaintances seem to not think it's a big deal. They readily assume eating contaminated pork or touching pigs with that strain will cause them to catch that flu. However, such assumption is not tied to any research on the students' part.

People worldwide are already stocking up on Tamiflu (although the strain can easily mutate again and become immune to this drug) and on masks. What are the other people doing here in Texas? They're all sitting comfortably in their couch, worrying about flooding from torrential rains, and watching American Idol.

I came from Hong Kong, where avian flu of all strains are common and SARS shut down the city just six years ago. All homes in Hong Kong have surgical masks and disinfectants stocked in their cabinets like a Wal-Mart aisle and as if their lives depended on it (and it's partially true). Although SARS seemed to have spread easier due to Hong Kong's population density, residents of major metropolitan areas in the United States do not seem to be under high alert yet despite the blaring headlines on CNN.

What will it take for Texans to prepare for the possible onslaught of disease? Will it take deaths on your college campus or on your street? Or will it take more warnings from the government and from other public institutions to get through some of our thick skulls?

Just as I did pre-swine flu, I will continue to wash my hands diligently, I will cover my mouth when I sneeze and cough, and I will continue to eat my pork chops.

While I have yet to done a mask to classes, if test results show some Huntsville residents are infected, I will be more than happy to put that mask on. Sure, the masks aren't 100% effective and people say you're then more likely to put yourself in populated locations. But personally, I only go to school so not being able to breathe properly for an hour or two at a time is not a big deal compared to the medical costs swine flu entails. The mask will fog up my glasses, which will make slipping down hills an even bigger hazard, but I will also be willing to sacrifice my image for my personal well-being.

At this point, I am just hoping my fellow acquaintances on campus will realize the extent of this disease before it hits close to home. Until then, I'll pray for quicker and more efficient government prevention of this flu from spreading.