Calm Down! It’s a Storm in a Pig’s Sty…
April 29, 2009
‘We need 32 million face masks NOW!’ scream today’s headlines, in a typically measured response to the swine flu crisis.
To which my response is: ‘Why?’
Does anybody truly imagine that 32 million of us in Britain are actually going to be inflicted with this bug? I mean, seriously?
I have no desire to downplay the importance of this latest health scare, but nor do I wish to join the hysterical ranks currently heading for their germ-free nuclear bunkers.
I suspect that when swine flu has eventually passed through our country it will have killed considerably less people than normal flu kills every winter.
So why don’t we all just CALM DOWN.
© Piers Morgan 2009
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Susan Boyle
Chris Moyles
Russell Crowe
Alastair Darling
Lazy MPs
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Heather Mills
Piers’ Daily Rants contain the personal opinion of Piers Morgan and are likely to offend, upset and annoy virtually everyone. The opinions belong solely to Piers and do not reflect those of iViva.com, The Daily Mail, ITV or indeed anyone who pays him money for being nice.
April 29, 2009 at 10:15 am
Marc Jarrett says
Too right Piers! I can see the Mirror headline now, Just calm Down!
April 29, 2009 at 11:21 am
Maria says
its a scare tactic to take control.Of course there will be deaths and it could be that many will be ill but the way to keep us in check is to instil fear into people like 9/11
April 29, 2009 at 11:41 am
AW says
Well, come on, face it. The media was all hyped up about the potential pandemic of bird flu. All dressed up for a big party with no where to go. Why not use those finely honed skills for this emergency?
BTW - face masks are better at keeping people from spreading the virus than for people preventing themselves from catching it.
April 29, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Tracey says
Great stuff Piers. Especially your pieces on swine flu, Chris Moyles and the atrocious Heather Mills. Can’t wait to read more, so keep upthe good work! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your books too.
April 29, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Missteek says
There seems to be a mixed notion that masks actually work. Better put them on the INFECTED so they don’t breathe over the non-infected !
They were long abandoned for general use in hospitals, restricting to specific use.
How many of these masks are going to be issued per person ?
Best to advise of best & senesible practice.
If you feel ill, avoid contact with others particularly in crowded places. DONT GO TO WORK. etc.
But one thing this has done, as it’s diverted the headlines away from our economic doom.
April 29, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Ursaline says
I didn’t think much of this flu hullabaloo until I went on a casual run to the drugstore last night. While standing in line to pay for my items, I overheard that the Board of Public Health had discovered cases of the flu in 3 students and a teacher in our town and had suddenly closed all of the schools in ours and the surrounding school districts for the next two weeks. I had to call the owner of the private school where my kids go in order to spread the word so that she could close her own campus.
All of the face masks and hand sanitizer were sold out as of yesterday afternoon and the bleach wipes were selling out too. They closed our Wine Festival that was supposed to happen this coming weekend and told people to stay home.
And no one that I know has either gone to Mexico nor do they have anything to do with going near farm animals. So it was very strange for the flu outbreak to make it to my quiet little suburban community, but we hope that we can keep it from ballooning into something really hysterical. The one good thing I see out of this is that there was a very fast reaction time and it seems like the last minute notification was successful. No one wants their kids to get sick.
Hopefully things get sorted out with the vaccines and that idiot Rick Perry gets the medicine that the sick people need before he and the other teabaggers try to secede Texas from the union. We’ll see your Alastair Darling and up the ante with this joker.
Ursaline in New Braunfels, TX
April 29, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Laura says
Piers,
What newspapers are you reading?
Switch to another.
Always sensical,
Laura
April 29, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Sandi from the States says
I agree, Piers. Everything today is always blown out of proportion. Do we need to be aware and cautious? Yes, definitely. Do we need to be in a state of pandemonium? Of course not. We need to take the proper precautions when necessary and get on with our lives. This, too, shall pass.
April 30, 2009 at 2:21 am
Marjorie says
Rants are good. They give us a chance to look back at our selves and our values.
Hey, America is North, Central and South. How absolutely rude to refer to the United States as “the” America to the exclusion of other parts. Enlighten people know.
April 30, 2009 at 3:08 am
Marian says
Newspapers should not create panic among the citizens, but we should NEITHER be frivolous about the consequences this flu may have if spreading around the world. The danger of the swine flu is not its killing potential but the speed at which flu can spread around.
We are damn lucky for living in developed countries; so by all means we can beat any influenza striking us. But the main issue on this subject should not be ‘how close’ the flu can get to us and the small effects it will have in our countries, but ‘how fast and far’ it could spread towards underdeveloped countries where a high percentage of people could then be facing death.
To have millions of doses of Tamiflu and Relenza in stock doesn’t mean we should waste them unnecessarily. If we move in areas where the Health Authorities recommend the use of masks, then we should use them. Prevention is better than cure; so please, let’s all us try not to waste our resources, so we can offer a part of the doses to those countries who may need them but can’t afford to buy them.
As a labour risk preventionist, I will like to tell you that face masks are very effective if we move in areas where risk could be deemed to be high. They are good for people not spreading the bugs when sneezing or coughing, and also for the rest of us by filtering the air we breath in.
BUT, most of these standard masks have effectiveness lasting for an average of 6-8 hours, so if anyone would need to use them, please remember to put on a clean fresh one every that time. And the most important thing: please do NOT dispose the used masks with the rest of your rubbish; just place them in a closed plastic bag and ask your nearest hospital or medical centre to get rid of them.
Kind regards
April 30, 2009 at 11:22 am
Cathy says
I think we need to be cautious and make sure our families are aware to also be cautious by washing their hands many times a day, not going around sick people and if they are sick themselves to stay away from others.
The one thing that does stand out for me is that it has been reported the majority of deaths from this flu, in Mexico, are from young healthy people who did not have chronic illnesses prior to getting this flu. This is worrisome. When it is older people who have a compromised immune system or those who have serious chronic illnesses then the rest of us seem to feel some what safe, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this time.
Also here in America we had a small child who died yesterday from this flu.
April 30, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Melody Brown says
Piers
Its just a media frenzy. They dont have anything else to harp on so they have gotten out of control over the swine flue. Here in the U.S. you cant change the channel with out the Swine Flue Headline scare hitting you in the face.
Disgusting behavior by Journalist!
May 1, 2009 at 1:30 am
Beth says
I’m just glad I’m not an Egyptian pig. Talk about over-reacting!
May 1, 2009 at 3:31 pm
john says
piers - will you ever wear those face mask things if you had to?
May 2, 2009 at 9:59 pm
amanda says
Do the masks actually work? They only catch the germs on them, so can still be passed on…waste of money, if you are going to get it you will, if not then think yourself lucky. Don’t panic people. Luv Ya
May 4, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Tenchy says
The press wouldnt be the press if it was’nt getting hysterical over something. If you oink when you sneeze or come up in a rasher thens the time to worry.
May 5, 2009 at 5:55 pm
fossilbarb says
Just change of season colds?
May 11, 2009 at 12:36 am
cimberly says
HELLO PIERS.ITS CIMBERLY .WELL ON A LIGHTER NOTE,WITH ALL THE TRAVELING AROUND PEOPLE DO FOR BGT,AND YOU DO ETC. YES STAY CALM. SOME CAN BE CARRIERS OF THE FLU AND NOT GET IT.WHILE LATER POW,PEOPLE COME DOWN WITH IT.MAYBE JUST SOME WAVING,NO HAND SHAKING,WATCH WHERE AND WHAT YOU EAT.I MEAN REALLY,REALLY,PEOPLE IN RESTAURANTS AND STUFF,HOTELS.HANDS,SNOT YUCK.CAUTION IS GOOD.MAYBE A LITTLE HAND SANITISER IN YOUR POCKET WILL EASE MY ANXIETY.NO WAIT,GIVE IT TO SIMON. JUST MESSING WITH YOU. CIMBERLY. PRECAUTIONS =UNIVERSAL ARE GOOD.
May 16, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Kristabel says
Agreed!!!! Nobody gets in such a big flapadoodle about normal flu, which on average knocks off more people every year than this swine flu. If youre fit and healthy, you’ll be fine. My first reaction to this news was, ’someone call the Waaaah-mulance!’
May 21, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Kristabel says
Also, this is just a ruse to take one’s mind of a recession, no? Well, duh, a bit late, huh? Haha. They should have tried that when the recession began
September 26, 2009 at 7:37 am
Ms. Lee says
I work in an Operating Room. A mask’s filter lasts 20 mins and then it is full and no longer trapping germs. I was laughing last spring with all the masks everyone was waring thinking to myself “and how long has that mask been in place on your face?, I doubt it’s helping you now” And to think, in a month or two it’s going to start all over again!