Media or bio engineered

Posted by RRunner on May 10th, 2009 in Editorials | 3 comments

: Image by be_khe via Flickr

Recently a friend of mine visited a doctor. In the waiting room he found waiting patients willing to share thoughts to pass the time. By coincidence the talk stumbled upon the latest flu outbreak. Exact course of discussion alludes me. But since he pointed out the problem I was willing to write a thought or two about it and share it with you.

The outbreak of presumed swine influenza virus in Mexico had a lasting effect on the media and on the inhabitants of this beautiful planet. Media somehow sniffed out the news. Started to report about it. People who were not directly affected by it did not react – at first. But the day after – news was still there. Even in bolder and wider font, so that even the visually impaired people knew about it. And what happened the day after?

Talk on the bus, train, while eating, at home, at work, everywhere. We almost have a pandemic of news. News spread. And fast. It was multiplied by its potent and doom shaping fear. Although, I do not believe that this was intention of media houses, they still continued to ride the wave. Selling news for profit. And the people? Probably they started to think about it. Start to fear it. Start to discuss crazy ideas about how the flu was bio engineered and some boo-boo corporation was trying to make profit from it. Profit by infecting thousands of people and then selling them the vaccine for it?

I do not believe that. I believe that bio corporations are capable of that, but I think something like this would be done in more controlled environment. Maybe this flu is a part of normal and natural process of selection? Well of curse not. It is stupid to think like that. We are the masters of our own destiny. Nothing controls us. Nothing can beat us.

Thinking carelessly like that can get someone killed. A tiny – sub-microscopic infectious agent called Influenza A(H1N1) killed at the time of writing this post 48 people. There are currently 3440 documented cases of the Influenza A virus. Flu started in Mexico and moved all over the world. Most deaths were reported from Mexico 45, 2 from US and 1 from Canada. Death to documented cases ratio is high in Mexico 3.29% in Canada 0,41% and US 0,012%. Other countries don’t report any deaths at the moment. And those ratios are diminishing. Another win?

Did we really win or were we only lucky? Were we sufficiently prepared? Is 48 deaths enough or will nature require more? Media will be thrilled to have more. What will happen if the virus will mutate? Maybe results will be the same as 1918 flu pandemic? Well let me keep the fire burning. 1918 flu pandemic was a A(H1N1) virus.

Let’s be realistic. We are certainly not prepared for everything that nature can throw at us. We can not be. We do not understand the nature that well. But we are better prepared than we were in 1918. We are certainly not masters of our own destiny. Is nature? Is media? Who do we believe? And what to make of all this media fuss?

We are a part of nature. That is a fact. Maybe we have overpopulated the planet and this is the way to keep us – as a species – under control. Maybe even media can find correct place in this story. Correct reporting of facts. Do not over speculate. That should be left to conspiracy theorists and people that do not have anything to do, but gossip all day long.

Until the next time when the pandemic hits …