punditman says...
Punditman has noticed that once again, punditman's "blog about anything" has strayed into swine flu territory. C'est la vie...
Punditman remains confused (and skepticial) on several fronts. One such example is the apparent contradiction he keeps hearing in media reports about who is most vulnerable to this virus. On the one hand, Punditman heard again last night from a medical official on the news, that underlying medical conditions are the prime reason for severe sickness or death after exposure to swine flu. But on the other hand, Punditman has heard time and again that a healthy young person's auto immune response is causing sever complications and even death. Hmmm...that about covers the population, right? So why not just say, everyone is susceptible? Or are they? There is the whole idea that those born before 1976, may have already been exposed to swine flu because of the outbreak that year. Punditman awaits reasonable explanations to these and other questions because to paraphrase Doctor Leonard McCoy, "Damn it, Jim, I'm an editor, not a doctor."
***
Further to Peacenik's post, Punditman says there is similarly a sick child in Punditman's house. She was told by her doctor yesterday that she must stay home from school for the entire week. Her doctor told her mother that it could be swine flu, but that they don't test every child or adult who complains of fever, cough and aches and pains.
Importantly, the doc said that where people get into trouble with this, is that that they don't take care of themselves at the first signs of trouble. They don't drink lots of fluids and they get dehydrated. They don't take their vitamins, they don't get their rest and they don't keep their fever down; in other words, they leave it too late. Then along come the secondary infections. These are the people who become hospitalized. Punditman thought this was an interesting and useful take on things. Punditman started to think about some of the economic, social and environmental conditions of people's lives and why some may end up being more vulnerable than others. With all the conflicting information out there, it is no wonder people are confused. People want useful information, which is what this is. Take care of yourselves, people...and sheeple.
Punditman has noticed that once again, punditman's "blog about anything" has strayed into swine flu territory. C'est la vie...
Punditman remains confused (and skepticial) on several fronts. One such example is the apparent contradiction he keeps hearing in media reports about who is most vulnerable to this virus. On the one hand, Punditman heard again last night from a medical official on the news, that underlying medical conditions are the prime reason for severe sickness or death after exposure to swine flu. But on the other hand, Punditman has heard time and again that a healthy young person's auto immune response is causing sever complications and even death. Hmmm...that about covers the population, right? So why not just say, everyone is susceptible? Or are they? There is the whole idea that those born before 1976, may have already been exposed to swine flu because of the outbreak that year. Punditman awaits reasonable explanations to these and other questions because to paraphrase Doctor Leonard McCoy, "Damn it, Jim, I'm an editor, not a doctor."
***
Further to Peacenik's post, Punditman says there is similarly a sick child in Punditman's house. She was told by her doctor yesterday that she must stay home from school for the entire week. Her doctor told her mother that it could be swine flu, but that they don't test every child or adult who complains of fever, cough and aches and pains.
Importantly, the doc said that where people get into trouble with this, is that that they don't take care of themselves at the first signs of trouble. They don't drink lots of fluids and they get dehydrated. They don't take their vitamins, they don't get their rest and they don't keep their fever down; in other words, they leave it too late. Then along come the secondary infections. These are the people who become hospitalized. Punditman thought this was an interesting and useful take on things. Punditman started to think about some of the economic, social and environmental conditions of people's lives and why some may end up being more vulnerable than others. With all the conflicting information out there, it is no wonder people are confused. People want useful information, which is what this is. Take care of yourselves, people...and sheeple.
