Costa Rica Swine Flu – Paris Hilton

Getting Swine Flu is not from kissing pigs as some people believe

When Paris Hilton was asked, “If she was afraid of contracting the Swine Flu (now called H1N1 among politicians and medical because the Pork Industry cried, discrimination), ” her responds was something like this, “No, I don’t eat [pork] that.”

Hummm … great thumb in the cheek answer Paris! Glad to see you keeping on top of world events.  Or is it, “You’ve learned to shrug at tabloid media?

This week the World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to raise the alert level to 6, the highest, would mean that a global outbreak of swine flu is under way. WHO uses the term pandemic to refer to geographic spread rather than severity.  And just to make it clear, pandemics aren’t necessarily deadly, but unfortunately, when that word is heard, it causes biblical panic.  The H1N1 form of swine flu is one of the descendants of the strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic in Europe during World-War 1, which killed millions and prolonged the war for an extra 2 years.  In reality, the past two pandemics WHO declared, were in 1957 and 1968 and most of the world never knew a pandemic was going on.  We can thank the press and politicians outcry for this one.

As of this posting, Costa Rica has ONLY had two confirmed reports of the Swine flu, as for the rest of the country – only a few hundred have been rushed to hospitals with similar symptoms. I guess you can chalk that up to a mad rush of hypochondriacs.

Cost Rica is ONLY seeing a 1% rise in flu like symptoms. Could this be, maybe Costa Rica is entering their winter (rainy season) and like the rest of the world, a time when “the flu” generally hits at its hardest?

Gee, never really thought of that!

When Costa Rica’s assembly president Francisco Antonio Pacheco asked the general public to be more cautions in their hygienic measures and avoid body contact and kissing, Costa Ricans seemed to shrug their shoulders and move about in their regular culture ways.

The real epidemic is the media/politicians/health officials who have pounded the story into a paparazzi frenzy,  making everyone believe that there is a Perfect Storm pandemic brewing.

Thank God, Costa Ricans do not listen to their government  and are not walking around wearing masts and surgical gloves like the State of California’s employees are doing.

Last Friday I had to go to the DMV in California, to my surprise ALL the DMV employees were wearing rubber gloves, some has masts on, and about 4-6% of all those waiting in lines had masts on also.

Meanwhile, Mexico is still suffering the economical effects, (Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said the impact of A(H1N1) influenza had been devastating for tourism and put the cost at “close to 0.3 percent” of GDP or 2.3 billion dollars (1.7 billion euros) ) of being the HOST of this “soon to be pandemic” even if their outbreak level has been lowered and they have reopened schools and public buildings.  However,  China could care less, and had 350 people  in isolation in a hotel after ONE Mexican traveler there was “determined” (by WHOSE WHO medical team)  to have swine flu.

Obviously, the Foreign Ministry of China, travelers, and US- Mexico cruise ships (who changed destination to wherever) denied it has anything discriminating against Mexicans or is that just an oversight of the Latin Americans in general with Columbia and Argentina now claiming Swine flu victims.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon got pissed  and sent a chartered plane to pick up the Mexican citizens who only wanted to go home. “I think it’s unfair that because we have been honest and transparent with the world some countries and places are taking repressive and discriminatory measures because of ignorance and disinformation,” Calderon said.

Thumbs up to you Mr. President!

All in all there has ONLY been 1200 reported cases of Swine flu [excuse me H1N1] world-wide and less then 300 deaths. And right now, many in the medical field and some politicians are saying, “Gee, I guess we may have jumped the gun on this,” sort’a like the fable of the, “Boy Crying Wolf.”

Okay Paris, maybe your answer was on target …  don’t get trapped into believing everything you hear and read!

Calypso Cruises