Okay im not really the guy to post about news related stuff as James' Blog is not a news blog, (thats what BBC news is for!) but I have been partial to post about events such as when everyone thought the world was going to end, you know that big Hadron Collider (Which somehow my post got onto Indian Television!) But anyway the latest news recently thats breaking headlines and always on the frontpage is the Swine Flu pandemic. Yes it's now a pandemic (Im not too sure it should of been raised to one) but thats just me. The flu mainly harvested by pigs and orginating from mexico, anyone unlucky to be a tourist there at this time has a chance of contracting the flu, but I really think the media should tone down on how there going about reporting on Swine Flu.

We can't ignore that the flu has got into countries like America and the UK too, but so far all cases in the UK are mild and each person thats infected is being treated and is isolated, I think this is similar with others too. Just recently the first person in the UK was victim to human to human transfer of the flu disease, but like everyone else, he is being treated with anti viral medication and is on the road to recovery. Despite how serious it is in Mexico where over 100 people have died, we need to remember that in most cases the orgin of the disease is usually the worst affected.

I can't help but remembering when Bird Flu and SARS we're a threat years ago, similar to Swine Flu, there we're talks about face masks for everyone etc. But really nothing happened, well I think one/two cases we're reported in the UK but thats about it. Not really something to constitute 33 million face masks, but I would agree that Swine Flu is more serious than other threats we've had in the past but like always the media are taking a front row seat and pumping so much bullshit into the whole Swine Flu pandemic that it's almost as if the media want to cause national or even global panic. Yes they have the right to update us on the situation, and there job is to report the latest happenings in the world but I think the word tone down really needs to be drilled into some reporters and news bloggers heads.

I mean Just recently, on a news website I saw a article entitled "Swine Flu pandemic could kill up to 750,000" while someone may have sat in a dark room and done that calculation, the public don't need to be reading that, especially if there already panicing. It's bad enough hearing one person die of a treatable disease, let alone a projection of 750,000 people. Stupid Statistics in my opinion, but seriously should news websites really publish articles that aren't certain. Come on. Britian has a tendancy to panic over very small things like the weather, when it snows just the tiny bit the media are there bigging it up, saying stay in your homes etc, and thats coming from someone who lives in England. Im really unsure if we could cope with (god forbid) a epidemic, the NHS is strained enough and hospitals waiting lists are very long. Not that im bashing the NHS, I believe it's probably one of Britians best creations but anyway back on story (I think I would suck at being a new blogger! Going off topic and all!)

I think the other implication of the media slightly over emphasing the whole story and what with all the Swine Flu leaflets and the NHS Flu adverts thats suddenly appeared is people are going to exaggerate when they have a cold and think they have the Swine Flu. Like the people that say they had Flu when they damn well know they had a freaking cold, and they took off 3 days off work for bugger all. Sometimes you'll see these people with "flu" on facebook updating status to "I have flu off work today someone talk" to there suprise they'll get no response, why? Because everyones at work!

I don't quite know why I decided to pick up my laptop this morning and decided to make a post about Swine Flu, but I really think that other people will have similar views to myself and while it is very tragic that people have died from this disease (and rest in peace to anyone who has) but reporting death tolls each day isn't something that people want to read over and over again, it's bad enough that the economy is still tits up and next from that we have death tolls being updated daily what a fantastic place Earth is. Tommorow I think I shall look for houses on Mars.

Some random update:

Whats the deal with everyone selling there story about how they contracted Swine Flu... So far the trend is:

"I went to Mexico, I came back, I suddenly felt in and found out I had Swine Flu, now shut up and give me my money"

Why are newspapers paying people to tell there 'story' it's a freaking form of flu, while it's not the average flu it's still a virus. How about I tell a newpaper reporter a time when i got a cold. Thats how lame it is.

If you want information on Swine Flue and you are a resident of the UK click below:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Swineflu/DG_177831?CID=SFlu&TYPE=sponsoredsearch&CRE=2

Remember! If you sneeze catch it in a tissue, bin it and wash your hands. The power of the NHS Adverts! You can tell that im not taking this seriously. And probably good old Karma will knock on my front door and give me what I deserve.