Tuesday, May 19, 2009

You'd Better Be Careful...

...Who You Kiss

Or it can have devastating consequences!

Never kiss the pigs!

As swine flu spreads around the world, China has acted with an aggressiveness that can only come from unpleasant firsthand experience with epidemics. Official cover-ups allowed SARS to spread in 2002 and 2003, eventually killing 349 on the mainland and leading to the sacking of both the Health Minister and the mayor of Beijing. In recent years, the country has waged a steady battle against avian influenza, which has killed two dozen people in China and prompted fears that it could mutate into a deadlier plague.
So when swine flu finally arrived on Chinese soil last week, the country's response was forceful, but also tinged with panic. And it has prompted complaints that the aggressive precautionary measures have unfairly singled out Mexicans. (Time)

Don't take enough measures, you’re criticized. Take too much and you’re also criticized. Can one wins?