Pig sick of panic

May 3 2009 by Ken Oxley, Sunday Sun

JUDGING by the hype surrounding swine flu anyone would think we’re on the brink of Armageddon. Or should that be Ham-ageddon?

Sorry. I know I shouldn’t make light of the situation, but haven’t we been here before?

Sars, avian flu, CJD . . . they all threatened to signal the end of civilisation as we knew it. Or so it seemed at the time.

Then someone pointed out that more people die on the roads and we all nodded sagely, stopped panicking and got on with our lives.

Perhaps that’s why, despite the hysteria, swine flu has given me nothing but an acute attack of complacency.

I suppose when the World Health Organisation declares the outbreak a “phase 5 alert” – the second highest level – the time for scepticism ought to have passed.

Especially when its chief, Margaret Chan, warns: “It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic.”

But somehow – even though most of the prophets of doom are far more qualified than me to comment on the risk posed by this virus – I remain unconvinced.

I’m not disputing for a moment that swine flu has the potential to claim many lives. However, according to one report I read this week – which I have no reason to doubt – the number of recorded deaths, even in Mexico, are on a par with the mortality rate from other strains of flu.

As of yesterday afternoon, the official death toll according to the World Health Organisation was 16 in Mexico and one in the US.

Which suggests we’re getting the risk way out of proportion. And the cynic in me can’t help but note how convenient all this overblown coverage has been for the Government.

Gordon Brown has had a torrid time of late what with his handling of the economy, the scandal over MPs’ expenses and now an embarrassing revolt over the settlement of Ghurkas in Britain.

A good old-fashioned scare story is just what the doctor ordered to take the focus away from his shortcomings. After all, it’s not as if we can pin the blame for this outbreak on New Labour is it?

So far, there have only been a handful of confirmed cases of swine flu in all of the UK. What’s more, two commonly used drugs – Tamiflu and Relenza – appear to be effective so long as they are administered early enough. So dire warnings of a pandemic that could kill millions worldwide strikes me as somewhat OTT.

What this story ought to raise our awareness of, however, is the appalling conditions many farm animals are kept in, which creates the perfect environment for viruses to mutate.

One commentator this week described intensive pig farms as “vast excremental hells” containing tens of thousands of animals with weakened immune systems.

In such circumstances it’s hardly surprising that new, ever-more virulent forms of viruses develop.

Once the hype surrounding swine flu diminishes, which it undoubtedly will, perhaps we should turn our attention to how animal husbandry can be improved to minimise future risks.

Otherwise we’ll just be hanging around – like pigs waiting to be slaughtered – for the next big health scare to send us all into a frenzy.