Flu Trackers or Fluke Trackers?

The article in the Washington Post reads: Flu Trackers Encourage Patients to Blog About It

(Washington Post. Wednesday, September 2, 2009) begins like this: “Think you have the flu? In some places, you can now go directly to the Internet and report your symptoms to officials eager to spot outbreaks.”

Why should this worry me? Let me tell you a famous story. Some epidemiologists begin warning the community that an infectious disease is coming. “It’s coming, it’s coming, lots of people will be sick,” they report.

Suddenly doctors are reporting this disease in record numbers. Everyone is concerned. “It’s an epidemic.”

When the dust clears it is revealed that the initial reports were completely wrong. There was no epidemic. All the reports of illness were not laboratory confirmed AND the number of people getting sick during that period was no different than in prior years. Doctors just began to report what they were told to expect.

The above scenario has happened more than once!

With the FLU TRACKERS out in full force will we see more of this craziness? Absolutely! We’ll be inundated with it. Remember you heard it here. Don’t fall for the insanity.

Practice healthy practices as you would normally and you’ll be fine. If you get a fever welcome it – it’ll cleanse you and protect you from more serious illness such as cancer. And whatever you do – don’t take aspirin, tylenol or those other fever suppressors unless it is a life or death situation (which it almost always is not).