Conservative Wanderer

“A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill.” — Ronald Wilson Reagan

Daily Archives: 1 May 2009

Common Sense on Swine Flu

Michael Fumento delivers some much-needed sober analysis of the swine flu:

There’s panic in the streets over a flu outbreak. “Projections are that this virus will kill 1 million Americans,” the nation’s top health official has warned.

The virus is swine flu. But the date is 1976. And the projection, it turns out, is off by 999,999 deaths. Direct ones, that is. The hastily developed vaccine killed or crippled hundreds. Sadly, the current hysteria outbreak threatens devastation on a worldwide scale.

A calm perspective of the current outbreak of the virus now known as influenza A (H1N1) would compare it to seasonal flu. According to the CDC, the seasonal flu infects between 15 to 60 million Americans each year (5% to 20%), hospitalizes about 200,000 and kills about 36,000. That comes out to over 800 hospitalizations and over 250 deaths each day during flu season.

And then he systematically refutes many of the claims of the panic salesmen:

No, influenza A (H1N1) doesn’t threaten to become “another Spanish Flu of 1918-19,” as pig flu panic purveyors claim. Nothing does. Check your calendar; that was 90 years ago. We’re not hobbled by a world war, and since then, we’ve developed things called “antibiotics,” as well as antivirals, pneumonia vaccines and other medical tools. In all flu outbreaks, including the Spanish one, the vast majority of deaths come from secondary bacterial infections.

Not incidentally, one of the “worrisome” similarities between Spanish flu and swine flu is that both strains are of the H1N1 subtype. But — ahem! — So is one of the major subtypes of the latest seasonal flu.

Another panic prompter is that so far influenza A (H1N1) appears to disproportionately affect younger people. Assuming this holds up, one explanation would be that older persons have received some immunity from previous exposure to a similar strain. Cause for alarm? In any case, the stronger immune systems of younger people could explain the apparent mildness of symptoms outside of Mexico.

It’s indeed true we have no vaccine for this flu. But two years ago, it turned out that the seasonal flu shot was ineffective against the primary strain and one of the two secondary strains. There was no appreciable increase in cases or deaths. That said, it would be insurance to make swine flu one of the three strains in this fall’s seasonal flu vaccine.

The whole thing is worth reading.

The Heat Is On Pelosi

Uh-oh… looks like Her Speakerness Nancy Pelosi’s “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” policy towards Democrats involved in ethical problems isn’t working any more:

House Democratic leaders face new pressure from four watchdog groups usually allied with them to open an investigation into the ties between three powerful Democrats and the now-defunct lobbying firm The PMA Group.

Democracy 21, Common Cause, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG on Thursday called on the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to probe the relationship PMA had with Democratic Reps. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana and James P. Moran of Virginia. The lawmakers secured lucrative earmarks for defense contractors represented by The PMA Group and received political donations from family members of the lobbying firm’s founder.

The groups made the request in a letter sent Thursday and also notified the recently created Office of Congressional Ethics.

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Holman said he was hopeful the move will “contribute to lighting a fire under Democrats to act on this,” noting that Pelosi had campaigned on ethics issues.

Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen, said Thursday the groups’ request was meant to send a message to Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., to do something.

“She can’t just pretend it is Republicans trying to embarrass the Democrats. She has got to deal with this issue,” Holman said.

Note, these groups are–as the article points out–usually allied with the Democrats, so their pushing Pelosi has got to mean that even they are dismayed at the level of corruption in the Democrat-led Congress.

Me, I am just gonna sit back and watch the fireworks.