|
H5N1 has already jumped species (ie it *has* mutated, multiple times). It is an especially virulent strain, and mortalities from some of the studies I've heard will likely be across the board, not just the young, old and immune-impaired. If it manages to become easily human transmissible, have a nice life...and hope you're lucky because odds are it will also evade tamiflu.
I for one am glad that there is "hype" about this. It has been showed over and over that we as a nation are woefully underprepared for any disaster, and in fact have very little understanding of the dynamics involved in such events. Hurricane, earthquake, pandemic, terrorist attack. Take your pick. If citizens are *not* informed and *not* prepared, and likewise if government is similarly in the dark, the ***** will hit the fan. Katrina was merely a prelude. And that was a localized event. Imagine 25% of the US workforce out. Across the country. Our healthcare system is near collapse as it is right now on a good day.
I'm not going to go crawl in a cave or something, but I'm fairly prepared for whatever comes, and I'm going to keep my eyes wide open.
|