In April of 2009 a we heard about a new virus in the news. They called it H1N1 some also called it as H1N1/09. What is this all about?
Mankind first met the virus in 1918 Spain - Europe. The deadliest pandemic of our history spread around and killed 50-100 million people between 1918 and 1920!
After these few sentences I believe it is clear that we shouldn't underestimate the danger that these viruses mean. Our advantage in these days is not only the rapid development of the medicine but also the incomparably faster spread of information around.
It is interesting to hear/see how public and professionals react.
Professionals got scared in the first time and still warn to be careful, avoid physical contact with the others as much as it is possible. What has changed on their side, that they do not try to locate individual focuses of infection anymore – since there are too many of them and because it is meaningless after a certain number of infected individuals. Now they state that any flu like symptom should be treated as “ordinary” flu and only if the treatment is unsuccessful should special care taken.
What my impression is about public and public reaction is that they reacted similarly like nowadays the do to the news. In the first weeks there was a kind of hysteria and all were hell scared. As the days gone people got used to the idea of H1N1 virus and they didn’t care it that much.
Honestly in my opinion this extremely dangerous! At the time when the pandemy is raising its wings people care less and less that opens the doors for easier spreading around the world. It is very important to keep people’s attention even if it is not “well selling news” anymore to talk about the new flu.
The rule we were taught at the medical university applies in this case again: in medicine prevention is a lot more important than the efforts for the treatment!
Or what people tell: “It’s better to be safe than sorry!”