What is worse, the fact that this flu-that-shall-remain-nameless-because-H1N1- is-a-ridiculous-name has become such a media frenzy, causing seemingly otherwise rational people to not want to leave their homes or if they must, to wear a surgical mask OR that the W.H.O. (who?) has gotten in on this flu-naming act and says no to swine and yes to H1N1? They could have at least made it into a acronym that can be easily pronounced by the mask wearers (mentioned above.) Like, high-nigh or perhaps high-nee. These are terrible suggestions of course, but what of the alternative?
My favorite highlight from yesterday, besides Joe Biden confessing he wants to tunnel down into a bunker until this flu clears, was also from The Today Show. Dr. Nancy Snyderman, the doctor who is on that show every day for so many segments a day, that it makes me wonder when she actually, well, treats patients? In an effort to show viewers that they cannot get the-virus-formerly-known-as-swine-flu from eating pork, she went up to a street vendor and ordered a gyro or some such pork sandwich. I don't know about you, but it is not the flu that I'm afraid of contracting when I dine at such establishments. Hopefully the street meat lobby did not hear that.
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3 comments:
If one of the outcomes of this possible pandemic is closer scrutiny of street meat vendor practices than that's pretty good. A co-worker was harassed this week for eating street meat and I found him eating his lunch alone in the kitchen because no one wanted to be near his sandwich. I felt bad but then considered that his lunch options could be better and maybe this flu will make him reconsider.
Yes. There are 76 million cases of foodborne illness in the U.S. each year and 325,000 hospitalizations. Five thousand people die each year from it, which seems like a lot for a developed country. But of course, it only gets the media's radar when there is an outbreak: tomato, spinach, peanut, pistachio, etc. Sometimes misinformation (swine flu coming from eating hot dogs) can lead to better eating habits (less street meat). We shall see!
Joe Biden should consider doing stand-up...
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