Swine Flu Panic

Date Published: 09/30/2009

The Center for Disease Control (CDC), estimates that an average of 200,000 people are hospitalized for the flu every year in the United States, and an average of 36,000 people die of flu related causes. This gets very little attention because it happens every year. This year we are concerned about the H1N1 (swine) flu strain because it is different and seems to be earlier than the usual seasonal flu. The serious complications and fatalities with seasonal flu tend to be concentrated in those over 65 years old, while H1N1 seems to be hitting younger people harder, perhaps because they don’t have immunity from exposure to something similar in past years.

I would not want for a moment to diminish the untimely death of anyone, especially a child, with or without underlying health issues. However, I do think we need to be careful not to respond with panic and fear because the news is covering the early H1N1 season and a handful of deaths. What if every flu death every year made the news? Not having uniform, centralized record keeping for something as common and frequent as the flu, from which most people recover without complication, means that the CDC estimates its numbers, which are then open to criticism and used to feed fear that either seasonal or H1N1 flues are worse than we’re being told.

I have no intention of either defending or attacking the CDC, but I do think that fear is a totally inappropriate and harmful response. Practical common sense (wash your hands! wash your hands! wash your hands! wash your hands!) is appropriate. But underneath that comes the resource of faith that looks for God in the midst of whatever life brings. I’m not suggesting God sent H1N1 as punishment for something (with the early connection to Mexico, some might suggest lax immigration enforcement) or that people of faith should expect to be immune or healed without complication. Rather, that by looking for God, we will find the resources to address even the most unpleasant challenges with hope and even joy. Romans 14:17; 2 Corinthians 8:2; Hebrews 12:2; James 1:2.