Sending Messages in Bottles

Here on the high seas, hearing about closing borders is a little encouraging. What if I'm condemned to stay here in the Med for a few months whilst the flu gets 'contained'? Okay, the potential isn't scary for me. But does anyone volunteer to take on my cats for a bit?

Of course, my N. TX. hometown isn't right next to Mexico, which has the worst of it, but we have a lot of through traffic from that country. Perhaps I could apply for asylum. I will send in my posts in a bottle overboard, then.

From W.H.O. assistant Director General Fukuda, a longterm plan appears to be the best we can do at this point in the spread of swine flu.

"In other words, at this time we think we have taken a step in that direction, but a pandemic is not considered inevitable."

He said the virus had become too widespread to make containment a feasible option, and said countries must focus on trying to put measures in place to protect the population.

He also stressed that the experts did not recommend closing borders or restricting travel. "With the virus being widespread... closing borders or restricting travel really has very little effects in stopping the movement of this virus," he said.

The first batches of a swine flu vaccine could be ready between four to six months, but it will take several more months to produce large quantities of it, Mr Fukuda said.

Health experts say the virus comes from the same strain that causes seasonal outbreaks in humans. But they say this newly-detected version contains genetic material from versions of flu which usually affect pigs and birds.
(snip)
Dr Richard Besser, acting director of the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has warned that a new US travel advisory is being prepared suggesting "non-essential travel to Mexico be avoided".

This is pretty terrible for a tourist industry already afflicted with gang warfare, which prompted warnings not to visit Mexico during spring break. With economic meltdown all around us, the potential for real suffering in Mexico is pretty disheartening.

Don't you wonder why we aren't hearing more about helping sustain their economy in the face of these blows to industries of all sorts? I susect that our officialdom is not so concerned with the prospect of hunger in Mexico as with the prospect of blowback if they start addressing that coming problem while our media is concentrated on tracking down the perpetrators of the health crisis. I just watched BBC reporters in the small town where the first victim was located, and their questions did not include what damage to the family has been suffered by their loved one's sickness and death.

As for my concern, I'll be volunteering to help out by staying here on the ship. Just think! I can help keep swine flu from spreading, and conquer the disease by staying away from any source of infection... okay, yes, with shipmates going ashore all over the tourist areas here we probably have already had contact and just don't know it yet. Today, in Malta, I will probably touch something that's been touched by a recent visitor to Mexico, New York, even San Antonio.

We're going to need to use that hand sanitizer a lot more. We also are going to need to think about what we can do to assist those suffering from the effects of crippled industries.