Clear Facts to Melt Fear

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just declared the swine flu to be a pandemic. In the Philippines, on-going classes have been suspended and higher education's (university level) has been postponed.

I was talking to my sister in California who's bound for P.I. later this month, and I told her, it was a good thing that those who got ill in Manila are at least from the upper crust of society. This is not wishing them evil; it is a fact that being wealthy, they could afford the best health care, and thus, further contagion could be deterred.

I was thinking that if the swine flu cases started at the lower rung, more people could get infected right away at a rapid pace, because these people would not have easy access to medical treatment.

The picture here in Toronto and overall, in Canada, is subdued. There are no new incidences of the flu. In the US, the government has been readying flu vaccines at a rapid pace.

What the Philippine government should be doing, aside from educating the people as to proper prevention and sanitation, would be to get the medical interventions, especially for the very poor, ready - the vaccine, its delivery/distribution network, and a network of health care providers nationwide (e.g, baranggay health centres, and ad hoc and mobile care units).

Money to be spent for the con ass should be channeled for these purposes.

Now back to other clear facts to melt fear. When it comes to relationships (spouses, lovers, siblings, parent-children, office relationships) there's nothing better than laying the cards on the table.