Infecting health authorities in our government, the politically-correct flu:
U.S. officials want ‘swine’ out of flu name
What’s in a name? U.S. pork producers are finding that the name of the virus spreading from Mexico is affecting their business, prompting U.S. officials to argue for changing the name from swine flu.
At a news briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack took pains to repeatedly refer to the flu as the “H1N1 virus.”
“This is not a food-borne illness, virus. It is not correct to refer to it as swine flu because really that’s not what this is about,” Vilsack said.
Israeli authorities are not victims of PC-flu-ness, however, calling it the Mexico flu,
Israel has already rejected the name swine flu, and opted to call it “Mexico flu.” Jewish dietary laws forbid eating pork.
But the French don’t want to blame the pigs,
The Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health also objected to the name, saying the virus contains avian and human components and no pig so far has been found ill with the disease.
But hey, some farmers want to call it the North American flu. That way Mexicans, Americans and Canadians (hey!) deflect blame from the piggies.
Clearly one can not catch the flu from eating bacon, which is exactly what I had for breakfast. M’m bacon!
But I digress.
Any variety of flu is a serious illness. Severe cases attack organs of the body and can lead to death. I found out the hard way twelve years ago when I came thisclose to buying the farm from a very severe flu. If you have the flu, this is what you must do:
1. stay home, get in bed and stay there.
2. Continue to take fluids.
3. If you have a high fever, go to the doctor. Insist on Tamiflu.
4. Get back in bed. If you live alone make sure to have a friend or relative drop by every day and check you out in person (Skype phone calls won’t do, thank you).
5. Don’t expect that, no matter how lousy you feel, the flu “will run its course.” You must seek medical attention.
Again, no need to panic over swine flu, H1N1 or whatever name you want to call it. Just know that any kind of flu must be cared for.
UPDATE
More government spending coming up:
In case anyone missed the implication, the announcement then decreed: “The spending bill currently traveling through Congress should again ensure the CDC has the resources it needs.”
UPDATE 2
As always, Scott is only a day or two ahead of the headlines.
