Monday, November 28, 2005

Just how hyped is the "Bird Flu"?

This from here
China this month confirmed its first three human cases of bird flu, two of which were fatal. The disease has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003.
But on further review:
Updated Sep 22, 2004
How many people get sick or die from the flu every year?
Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and more than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu. (emphasis mine)
Well, maybe I'm missing something, but at this time, I'm really wondering if we're spending too much emotion focusing on the "bird flu". Perhaps my skepticism stems from previous scares like this. I suppose I'll keep a cursory watch on this out of the corner of my eye, but I definitely won't lose any sleep over it.