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.