Straight Talk About Swine Flu

The South Korean "government yesterday estimated that up to 20,000 people will die if the H1N1 flu virus causes a pandemic," and a conservative daily has issued a call for calm — Prevention, Not Overreaction, of H1N1 Virus.

The editorialist reminds us that the disease "is highly contagious but the fatality rate is lower than that of ordinary flu." With "3,500 to 4,000 patients infected... only three have died," meaning "[t]he fatality rate of the virus is just 0.05 percent in Korea, much lower than 1-1.5 percent in Mexico and 0.2 percent in the United States." (Must be all that kimchi*.)

The article reports that "schools overreacted yesterday by taking students’ temperatures outside of school gates before classes began" and that "the flu caused 48 schools to close as of yesterday." The editorialist acknowledges "the country’s insufficient supply of both Tamiflu and vaccines" but notes that "drugs are not a cure-all for patients" and "that the drug can trigger abnormal teenage behavior." Rather than panic, the editorialist advises readers to "wash hands when returning home to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus."

*Much mockery was made of this story five years ago — "Kimchi Prevents SARS in Korea"; however, I'd sooner place my faith in pickled cabbage than in a state-mandated shot. (Cf. Exposed: The Swine Flu Hoax.)