H1N1 worry

"abnormal" attendance for a Wedensday morning CME in UMMC !!
The increasing number of deaths due to the swine flu is worrying everybody out there. This is especially to young parents who fear for their children; reported deaths of children with mild symptoms certainly brought a lot of people back to the clinics. At one time the euphoria sizzled out and everybody thought it was ok.
Currently the situation is bad in the emergency department as well as out patient department. The healthcare workers must be praised for their tireless effort to entertain the uncontrollable stream of patients! My salute to them and a big BOO to those who does not understand the situation and condemn our healthcare workers! I am truly appalled by the self-importance attitude by these individuals.( refer to the readers column in the mainstream media)
It is a big concern to us; the bigger risk takers in the clinics/hospital to face the "potential" swine flu patients. We hold a better "chance" to get infected and our families are the immediate risk.Please think about that before saying we are not concerned or efficient about the matter. In fact , Dengue post a worse mortality risk compared to H1N1 but of course, old "diseases" are broing to be highlighted in the media.
The current risk is certainly happening and notsomething that we can stop immediately. A lot of public awareness is needed to heed it off as there are no direct drugs that can kill it off or any "apple" to make us doctors go away. A few of my colleagues have had contact with infected patients and that has cause a lot of anxiety. I am looking vey closely at this matter and i do hope that it will not cause more damage to what it already has done.