Swine flu is here!!! Everybody panic!!! No, I’m just kidding. Please don’t.
This week, the panic is evident everywhere you look. On the train, everyone is wearing masks. Schools are cancelled. Normally busy places are abnormally quiet.
Swine flu, a relatively minor virus, has put fear in the hearts of many Japanese people, similar to bird flu (Avian Influenza) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Sickness) before it. Both bird flu and SARS proved to be quite harmless though. So, why is everyone panicking over swine flu? My answer: the irresponsibility of the media.
Very simply, the news tells us to panic and we panic. People who don’t panic are seen as foolish. But is there really any reason to panic? Probably not.
Let's take a look at the numbers! -->
The number of people affected by swine flu this year: 9830 (May 19, 2009)
The number of people affected by swine flu in Japan: 200 (May, 20 2009)
The number of people who have died from swine flu this year: 80 (May 19, 2009)
The number of people who have died from swine flu this year in Japan: 0 (May 19, 2009)
The number of people who die from regular flu every year: 350,000-500,000
The number of people that get struck by lightning ever year in the world: 6000
The number of people that get struck by lightning ever year in Japan: 130
Chances of dying from swine flu: 80:6,000,000,000 = 1:75,000,000
Chances of winning the lottery: 1:13,000,000
So, statistically speaking, swine flu is much less dangerous and prevalent than the average annual flu and you have about a five times better chance of winning the lottery than dying from swine flu.
This recent panic is bad for Japan as a country. It is hurting productivity at companies (wasted time to check body temperatures, cancelled conferences, mask changing, etc.) it is costing huge amounts of money to the Japanese government and it is keeping people in their houses which is bad for the economy.
So, my take is simple. Wash your hands. Drink orange juice to keep your immune system strong. But overall, as Bobby McFerrin said, “don’t worry, be happy.” A stress-free mind leads to a strong body, which is a strong defense against sickness. :o)
Vocabulary List
frenzy＝狂乱
just kidding＝冗談
evident＝明らかに
abnormally＝異常に
relatively minor＝比較的弱い
put fear ＝恐ろしさを植えつける
prove＝証明する
harmless＝無害の
irresponsibility=無責任な行為
seen as＝見られる
foolish＝馬鹿げた、思慮のない
affected＝影響を受けた
get struck by lightning＝雷に打たれる
lottery＝宝くじ
statistically speaking＝統計的に言うと
prevalent= 流行する・蔓延する
annual=毎年の
productivity＝生産性
temperature＝温度
conference＝会議
amounts＝量・額
government=政府
economy＝経済
my take＝解釈・見方
immune system＝免疫力
overall＝総合的に・全体的には
stress-free＝ストレスの無い
lead to=～をもたらす
defense＝防御
sickness＝病気
