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Okay, as if we American drones aren't constantly being told to be afraid of EVERYTHING--foreigners, colleagues, germs, you name it-- now they're bringing it into the office too. I just went downstairs to the "common area" of my office, and much to my surprise discovered a rather sensationalistic poster about the West Nile Virus. I understand that this is a (moderately) serious threat, but is the melodrama really necessary?! There's a picture of a woman, and the quote says something like "the hardest part is hiding my sickness from my children" ICK!!! I can't help but wonder who's holding stock in DEET.

We are seriously living in 1984. War is peace. We have to protect ourselves from everything!

Scary.

(end of rant)

Meghan

~Levity~

When I first read this rant (and a good one it is!) I thought of the standard “the world is full of risks but I am still going to live my life” type reply. However, as I thought about things more, I started to consider how the world has changed over the past couple decades or so. And the thing that really stands out to me is how much smaller the globe has become because of the ease with which communication can occur now thanks to, amongst other technologies, the internet. As a result, we are now able to learn almost immediately what is happening in countries thousands of kilometres away. Of course controlling all of this flow of knowledge is the media. And this is where I now question how “distorted” our reality has become thanks to this institution. Although I don't mean to diminish the tragedy surrounding the death of a kidnap victim in Iraq, I would like to point out that this becomes headline news whereas nothing was said about the hundreds (or more) people who died that same day around the world from starvation, fires, murder, car accidents etc. Similarly, apparent epidemics like West Nile virus, SARS, Legionnaires disease quickly make the media headlines. But how much of these fears are really justified? Well, if you are one of the victims to these epidemics then the warnings are definitely warranted. However, relative to "everyday phenomena" such as car accidents, do the actual number of deaths really compare? If I am not mistaken, in Canada the number of deaths due to West Nile virus was significantly less than deaths due to car accidents. But how often do we get office warning notices advising us to take precautions when driving cars? The sad reality is that vehicular deaths are no longer headline news whereas deadly viruses are. This is not to say that the potential for extremely serious virus outbreaks does not exist, thereby requiring vigilance by everyone, but I believe we have to keep things in perspective.
So live your life and don’t let it ruled by paranoia!

I wouldn't worry about West Nile Virus. We've had a few cases of it here and there in TX, but mostly affects birds and horses. I've been bitten by pleny of mosquitos here and never got it. But yeah, they instill fear into us at a very early age!

Marisa

http://www.geocities.com/mumsawas

quote:

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Originally posted by meghanwithanh:
Okay, as if we American drones aren't constantly being told to be afraid of EVERYTHING--foreigners, colleagues, germs, you name it-- now they're bringing it into the office too. I just went downstairs to the "common area" of my office, and much to my surprise discovered a rather sensationalistic poster about the West Nile Virus. I understand that this is a (moderately) serious threat, but is the melodrama really necessary?! There's a picture of a woman, and the quote says something like "the hardest part is hiding my sickness from my children" ICK!!! I can't help but wonder who's holding stock in DEET.

We are seriously living in 1984. War is peace. We have to protect ourselves from everything!

Scary.

(end of rant)

Meghan

~Levity~

---

Safety/lossprevention departments, in most businesses. Need to justify their existence

BIG-TARGET>>>>"He can break wind at both ends simultaneously, which I'm willing to bet is better than any god can do".--Peachy Carnehan(The Man Who Would Be King)

There was an article in the Onion titled "Bush Sends Troops to West Nile" I'd link to it, but it's archived on their website (no looky unless you give money). Anyway, even just the headline pretty much sums it up. Classic.

~Levity~

I don't know if this matters, because I understand the rant was not about West Nile, but my point is: education of an 'epidemic' often yeilds little or no actual threat.
West Nile Virus is almost alway taken care of by your immune system. (unless your very young, old or have an immune disorder i.e.) If by chance something does react within your body you have about a 1% chance of it swelling your brain (that's how it kills) and even if it does most doctors can reverse that, hence people live through menningitis (sorry prob. spelled wrong). So basically if you're a healthy adult you chances of getting ill from West Nile is slim.

Let me guess, the woman in the poster is a normal looking adult huh?
You have a greater chance of getting pregnant while taking birth control pills correctly then dying from West Nile. I hope that can put things into perspective.

I agree though, America is a country of frightened consumers. I've tried to give up on most of my consuming and not care about material objects so much. (I think that's also a staple of good traveling, is not being worried about having an iron or hairdryer ect) But I digress,
You should tell your company that the poster is misleading...doubt they will listen. And not to mention how dangerous is DEET??? I read on my last misquito repelent box that I shouldn't have prolonged exposer to it...and then I hear it can melt plastic.

What the hell?

I know this is a little off topic from the initial post but given what that mosquito season is here and Prisa's last comment, I thought the following info on DEET may be of interest.

1. DEET is absorbed quickly through the skin - 48% of the dose applied within 6 hours
2. Usage over a 6 month period can result
in a cumulative dose of up to 400
grams. Neurotoxic effects have been found
in people exposed to 4 grams or more on a
weekly basis.
3. Rats and rabbits exposed to toxic levels
demonstrated CNS depression, respiratory
problems, coma and seizure.

[Source: http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/chemical/deet.htm#SectionTitle:2.1%20Main%20risks%20and%20target%20organs]

Interestingly, some websites indicate that DEET is not that bad (see http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/DEETgen.pdf).

However, from personal experience, I know that it does indeed melt plastic and is also a pretty good firestarter. Apparently, the strength of DEET containing products varies in different countries. In Canada, the strongest is 95% DEET.

With that said, I am a user and will definitely be applying once our bug season hits (should be soon...ugh!).

[This message was edited by aopaq on 25 June 2004 at 9:38.]

don't forget about...

Monkey Pox
&
The Bird Flu

and anything else that has been used to scare us into submission.

"It's a Lifestyle"
- me

[QUOTE]Originally posted by meghanwithanh:
rather sensationalistic poster about the West Nile Virus. I understand that this is a (moderately) serious threat, but is the melodrama really necessary?! There's a picture of a woman, and the quote says something like "the hardest part is hiding my sickness from my children" ICK!!!

I live on Bayou Boeuf in Louisiana. We are now in double digits OVER our normal rainfall for the year! The creep who made that poster ought to be staked out in my front yard for 24 hours! Our "air" is solid mosquitos now - and they are dangerous as all Billy Hell...and if you suspect that we are living in "1984," you are correct. We have warning commercials on tv daily... BUT - they never tell us how much danger we are actually in at any given time. We do not find out how many people have West Nile Virus - nor how many die from it - until AFTER the season is over! "They" (and I have no CLUE who "they" IS) even try to keep it a secret when someone with West Nile Virus is in a local hospital - so as not to start a panic. .... Now THAT's "scary"!!!

[This message was edited by Khaki Scott on 02 July 2004 at 21:03.]

Khaki, I grew up in the middle of rice country, so I know what you mean. Our skeeters were just annoying--not deadly. We did, however, have the odd farmer or too collapsing 'cause he forgot to leave a patch of skin uncoated with DEET.

I liked it better when bombs were dumb and the President was smart
bloggylicious

Whatever you grew up with you seem to take in stride, and what's going on in another country causes you more worry. I remember before going to L.A. I couldn't understand how anyone could live in earthquake country, but then I spent 5 years there, went through two quakes and some tremors and got used to it. Meanwhile all the guys there were going on about sharks, crocodiles, snakes, spiders etc, in Oz, which to me was all blah, blah. I used to go swimming in Cairns wearing a pair of lady's stocking as a kid - in case of box jellyfish :-)
And when I went to China to work I got rabies shots and everything else under the sun because I was so worried, but meanwhile back in Oz we had Ross River Fever, Dengue Fever...

The journey is my home

The fear over West Nile virus is very reminiscent of what we went through with SARS in Canada (especially here in Toronto.) Yes, it's a disease which can harm people. Yes, we should do our best to control it, but people blow/blew it entirely out of proportion.

Over the course of the SARS "epidemic" here, about 10 people died of the disease. Meanwhile about 7500 people a year die from influenza in Canada.

The reactions of people who stayed home from work, changed long-held travel plans or walked around wearing mouth/nose filters the whole time was so utterly disproportionate as to be almost funny.

Last june I was travelling at a time when there was panic over SARS, terrorist attacks and chemical warfare, and while friends from home were voicing their concerns about my plans to travel to the muslim country of Malaysia, thousands of people were dying in Europe due to the heatwave.

Statistically you're more likely to die within 1/2 mile of your home - which for me is good enough reason to stay 60,000 miles away for much of the year - and worrying about something like the Nile virus might mean you don't look both ways when crossing the road.

Also following the 1984 theme - are text messages are newspeak?

Reality is for people with no imagination

When I first moved to this area ion 1979(SW Arkansas/East TExas) in the evenings the city would send out the mosquito truck that ran up and down the streets spraying out god-knows-what and the kids used to follow on their bikes 'cause they said they liked the smell!!! AACCKK! Bet they didn't get West Nile though--HA!

Knowledge = Power

Someone said that about 10 people had SARS in a year in Canada. Can you imagine, in a town of only 45,000, finding out - at the end of the season - that 19 people in your town died from West Nile Virus? and that doesn't even count the ones left living with all manner of brain and nerve damage. Oh for the return of the mosquito trucks!!!

Me, I'm afraid of Ebola. I'm making up some educational posters today, as a matter of fact. I'll send you one for your office, if you like.