Is it over yet?

No, it isn’t!

Media coverage has died WAY down. In fact, the word “flu” does not appear on the front web page for the New York Times, Washington Post, or LA Times today.

But it is still spreading. The CDC reports that there are 2600 confirmed cases in the US now.

So why does it no longer seem to be a big deal? Why have the papers stopped covering it? Was our big panic and response an overreaction? (It seemed like a flip-flop, especially for those of you who volunteered to come help and then got “canceled.”)

First of all, the flu has (so far) turned out to be far less deadly than we had feared. Its early behavior in Mexico, especially among young adults, was alarming, but that didn’t carry through to its behavior worldwide. What we’re seeing now looks more or less like the regular flu. In other words, not news.

So should we stop worrying about it? NO! Continue to be extra-careful to wash your hands. Stay home if you’re sick. Avoid others who appear to be sick.  This is always good advice, but the virus is still spreading (and Arizona comes in third for most cases, after New York and California!)

We also need to continue to pay careful attention at the opening of next winter’s flu season — we could get a dose of 1918 syndrome, where the virus comes back with a vengance in the fall.

Did we overreact? Nope. Don’t think so. For two reasons: First, the strong reaction (closing down Mexico City, drastically warning the American public, closing schools) may very well have helped to contain the spread of the disease and prevented it from becoming the catastrophe we’d feared. Second, it’s always better to jump all over it and be super-ready when the situation is unpredictable. Wouldn’t it have been better to build crazy-tall, strong levees in New Orleans and evacuate the whole city only to have a mild storm than to have what did happen?

Do I blame the media for ignoring what I still consider to be news? No, not really. There are other things going on that have to compete for our attention. There’s a fire burning in Santa Barbara. The economy is still in turmoil.  But this is still important. I’m not suggesting you spend all your time tracking this thing. But keep it in the back of your mind.

~ by Amy on May 11, 2009.