I'm beginning to feel some optimism about Swine Flu outbreak-- I mean it.

[caseymoz]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27/swine.flu/index.html

Never before in history have people everywhere been so immediately informed about a possible epidemic, and the fact that countries and people are taking such swift action to stop it. I mean, previously, how long would it have taken Mexico City to close its schools and Universities, not to mention have one in five people wearing masks? Never, it would have never happened this early in an outbreak. It would have taken weeks.

If the Swine Flu doesn't amount to much, don't think it wouldn't have without information and action.

[B o d i]

1. That's a valid point, nicely said. We are living in the information age.

Sometimes it can feel like tmi, but it is what it is.

/would that fit in a tweet?

[eridani]

2. Reminds me of how people used to sneer at Rachel Carson for being such an "alarmist"

Jeebus. If the alarm results in effective action taken to prevent the predicted harm, it was most certainly NOT a false alarm.

[glitch]

5. It's the whole black/white mindset, the inability to process time.

Like with Y2k, when nothing happened people sneered that it was all alarmist bullshit all along, all the while being quite unaware of the huge numbers of people working to make sure their computer systems made the transition smoothly.

K & R

[Psychic Consortium]

3. Imagine how McCain/Palin would have handled it..... :( nt

[Arugula Latte]

6. "Swine flu is God's plan! This is not something for the government to be involved in!"

Something like that ...

[endarkenment]

4. I'm not so sure that we are doing much of anything.

Then again at this point perhaps there is not a lot that can be done.

[Psychic Consortium]

7. Making preparations, reassuring the public, communication, is all very important.

It is what good public servants do when facing a potential
crisis.

[Echo In Light]

8. Re M$M, it's a fine line to walk between "reassuring" and scaring-the-shit-out-of