the actual death toll is much less significant - nine worldwide, of which one was in the United States.
Though symptoms have remained consistent between this year's outbreak and that of 1976, the general public can expect to experience the entire ordeal very differently this time around.
While one can find more than 10 million Google results for swine flu the actual death toll is much less significant - nine worldwide, of which one was in the United States.
Though symptoms have remained consistent between this year's outbreak and that of 1976, the general public can expect to experience the entire ordeal very differently this time around.
While public service announcements and television news coverage remain a staple in epidemic coverage, the resources for tracking the outbreak are far more varied and effective in terms of keeping the public in the loop and at a healthy - or unhealthy - level of concern during the computer age.
From Google's own real-time, victim-tracking map to Microsoft's Vine Beta, a portable program intended to keep family members in check no matter where and when crisis may strike, there are plenty of inventive ways to integrate the swine flu into every aspect of life for those willing and fearful enough to do so.
However, options also exist for those seeking comfort in these swinish times.
First and foremost, one must background the illness in American history to better gage what it's meaning here and now. What better way is there to do this than YouTube? The1976 'Swine Flu' Public Service Announcements is a video more viral than its pig-related premise, and yet it also allows the panic-stricken public to have a laugh at the supposed threat that's making more front-page stories than it will ever make victims.
A serious alternative to this would be The Wall Street Journal's historic coverage, which also found its way onto YouTube. The viewership of the latter video lags far behind that of the former, however, and it is not surprising as it is much easier to take comfort in a laughably outdated PSA clip than yet another piece of startling information.
The same goes with CNN, Fox and the New York Times. Although each has been successful in tracking the epidemic case by case, some people still opt for the more comforting wisdom found on ShouldIBeWorriedAboutSwineFlu.com. Although the site's minimalistic format is not uncommon, one can find solace in the fact that, according to the Web site, the answer is still a big, fat NO!
And sometimes, the mainstream news sources do try to instill rationality in readers, as seen in Newsweek's swine flu article titled, Should We Panic? No. .... Among its five reasons for why the Americans should not freak out about the swine flu is the fact that they already are freaking out. Newsweek states that Americans' own terror may be protecting them from the illness, even if its presence is exaggerated.
The World Health Organization cranked its pandemic alert to level five, or a full-blown pandemic. This step, even if seemingly over-the-top considering there have only been 109 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of the day this is being written, intends to play border control with the immigrating illness by putting the public in the type of hand-washing, sneeze-covering frenzy that could very well be keeping the beast at bay.
So perhaps a little fear can go a long way when one is trying to convince an entire country to stop sharing drinks and coughing on one another. But for those who find themselves terrified of visiting friends or family because of this little epidemic here are a few words of wisdom: The probability of a swine-flu death still remains lower than the probability of literally being scared to death.
Olga Kharitonova is a junior studying journalism and a reporter for The Post's campus staff. E-mail her at ok137308@ohiou.edu.
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Opinion
Olga Kharitonova
