Well, I've calmed down a little bit since my Monday blog about swine flu. Yes, I know that World Health Organization director-general Dr. Margaret Chan raised the pandemic threat awareness level today to 5 out of 6. However, I feel like governments around the world are taking this potential pandemic seriously (but what about Egypt slaughtering all its pigs?!), and for a change, health agencies are actually prepared for this.
Still, on an individual level, I predict panic will soon set in. I saw the first sign of said panic this afternoon, in the form of a woman wearing a blue face mask as she did her grocery shopping.
Yes, it's possible she was wearing that mask for another reason, given that Whole Foods is below a bunch of doctors' offices. But something tells me she's got swine flu phobia. It's just a hunch, but I predict we'll start seeing more signs of hysteria coming soon.
Who's with me? Have you seen anyone freaking out, canceling vacations, furiously washing their hands or wearing masks in public? And if you haven't, predict when you will. Use the Talkback feature below to weigh in ...
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
