Who knows. I don't know. The world doesn't yet know. But it damn well pays to be prepared. Unfortunately, one Republican Senator is feeling the heat for her role in stripping hundreds of millions from the stimulus bill for just such preparedness. Already Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is being taken to task on you tube.
I can understand her questioning what it has to do with a stimulus but she should have waited for a reasonable answer. This money would have gone to the CDC to prepare for a flu pandemic. That could have meant jobs. Jobs for manufacturing the medicine to combat it, jobs in getting the word out. But even if it didn't mean jobs it meant security as in our national health security. Spending money for this type of event is not a frivolous endeavor. Obviously, someone, somewhere had an inkling we could be ripe for an event of this type. When people become ill many detrimental things can occur. They go to work and spread the virus. As more become ill workplace productivity declines which costs businesses money and can lessen our security by having those individuals tasked with that job out sick.
I also find it laughable that those Republican Governors that have been lambasting the Federal government about spending are now pleading for assistance. Yeah, I'm looking at YOU Rick Perry, Governor of Texas. For all his secession ramblings just a short time ago he was damn quick to ask for federal assistance. Gee, and here I thought he and some others in Texas were so big and bad-assed that they could be their own nation. Pffft to all of them.
Regardless, take precautions:
Wash your hands
Limit your social contacts
Try not to go to work and spread this disease
See your Doctor immediately if you think you're coming down with symptoms of the flu
Remember it could be 3 to 4 days before you become ill after exposure.
And last but not least USE YOUR COMMON SENSE!
CDC comments:
Take care and I hope everyone stays well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
From all I have heard and read, this does not meet the requirements for a pandemic. But precautions are always a good idea.
True, not yet. WHO has updated the phase.
Most workplaces that are vital to society have had a disaster plan in place for quite some time now. The lab where I worked has one, and Ken's company (energy) has one. I hope this will serve notice that a pandemic influenza is a very real threat, and we do need to be prepared for it, at least as much as anyone can prepare for it.
It does look like this strain has become less virulent as it begins to make the rounds, and that's good news.
The hospital I worked at also had a disaster plan. I think most medium to large businesses do as it is prudent to do so. However, a plan is useless if everyone is ill and replacements are unavailable. I just monitor WHO and the CDC for info. Much help can be given by people just using common sense to lessen the spread of disease. But we always need to be prepared regardless.
Post a Comment