Whom can we count on?
We have all probably wondered what WE would do if a flu pandemic hit — hot-foot it to a deserted island? Pop whatever anti-viral pills we could scrounge from our medicine cabinets and local drug stores?Researchers recently asked health care professionals — the people we need most at such a time — what they would do during a pandemic. Apparently, over 40 percent of them said they would not show up to help out at all, according to a study released today by scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and Ben-Gurion University in Israel.
"The public health workforce will play a critical role in managing an influenza pandemic, but the workforce is not yet prepared for this crisis. We need more training for public health workers, particularly for those in technical and support roles, so they clearly understand the importance of their work in the event of a pandemic," said Johns Hopkins researcher Daniel J. Barnett in a prepared statement.
Until then, be ready to take care of yourself, I guess. ☼
posted by Melinda Wenner at 9:13 PM
2 Comments:
Well, as I understand it, one of the big problems with a pandemic is that the best thing to do is to stay indoors and avoid most if not all contact with other beings (human and otherwise) that are susceptible to it. But the problem is, in disarray, the opposite happens and people go out of their homes to the stores, doctors offices, or simply to work, greatly accelerating the spread of the virus. So in that sense, the Public Health officials have the right idea... Of course, it's not that simple, and you'd hope that the ones who CAN help us would actually do so. But, it would probably help if the "key" that will be used to determine who gets a vaccine and who doesn't (in other words, who's life is more valuable) puts great stock in being a healthcare professional. I'm not one so it's not like I'm rooting for myself (though I'm young, in good shape, and strikingly handsome, so I think I should get one anyway!).
But, when (not if!) the pandemic, any kind of pandemic, hits, you can be sure i'll be taking a leave from work and eating canned foods in my basement. Until that time, there's not much to do but drink my orange juice, eat my fruit and veggies like grandma taught me, and cross my fingers that those in charge of our country will wise up and encourage R&D of useable drugs to fight the virus (so that more than just the one company in the US can produce vaccines)... Right now, all they seem to be doing is producing millions of vaccines that most likely won't even work when we get hit by some strand of H5N1. I guess it's great PR, but if you ask me, it's kind of a waste of money. The production capacity should be increased so that it's able to respond to a public health threat in a snap. That's where the government should spend its money (well, that, and R&D of course, otherwise we still wouldn't know what to produce!), because there's less money in it for pharmaceutical companies than there is in, say, Cialis or Viagra... Oh well, at least we'll all be able to have some great sex before we go......
Well, as I understand it, one of the big problems with a pandemic is that the best thing to do is to stay indoors and avoid most if not all contact with other beings (human and otherwise) that are susceptible to it. But the problem is, in disarray, the opposite happens and people go out of their homes to the stores, doctors offices, or simply to work, greatly accelerating the spread of the virus. So in that sense, the Public Health officials have the right idea... Of course, it's not that simple, and you'd hope that the ones who CAN help us would actually do so. But, it would probably help if the "key" that will be used to determine who gets a vaccine and who doesn't (in other words, who's life is more valuable) puts great stock in being a healthcare professional. I'm not one so it's not like I'm rooting for myself (though I'm young, in good shape, and strikingly handsome, so I think I should get one anyway!).
But, when (not if!) the pandemic, any kind of pandemic, hits, you can be sure i'll be taking a leave from work and eating canned foods in my basement. Until that time, there's not much to do but drink my orange juice, eat my fruit and veggies like grandma taught me, and cross my fingers that those in charge of our country will wise up and encourage R&D of useable drugs to fight the virus (so that more than just the one company in the US can produce vaccines)... Right now, all they seem to be doing is producing millions of vaccines that most likely won't even work when we get hit by some strand of H5N1. I guess it's great PR, but if you ask me, it's kind of a waste of money. The production capacity should be increased so that it's able to respond to a public health threat in a snap. That's where the government should spend its money (well, that, and R&D of course, otherwise we still wouldn't know what to produce!), because there's less money in it for pharmaceutical companies than there is in, say, Cialis or Viagra... Oh well, at least we'll all be able to have some great sex before we go......
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