IOL Swine Flu poll shows South Africans say: "Snore, it's no big deal"

SHOOT: Must admit I am contemplating a trip to Cape Town in 2 weeks and am considering wearing a face mask on the plane. I'm also a little bit doubtful of going, but I probably will go.

When I lived in South Korea and H5N1 came out I remember people reacted in the same way. AIDS/TB/Malaria is 'much worse'. Of course, none of those sicknesses spread as effortlessly as flu. And while death tolls are low now, and virulence low, that can change. It might, it might not. Here's the common sense takeout: historically the greatest killer of our species isn't war - it is pandemic flu. It is the POTENTIAL that this flu has to kill millions that should keep us vigilant, and concerned. Our standards to health and fitness around the world are poor, and each person needs to re-examine their diets and activities, or lack of.

clipped from www.iol.co.za IOL asked its readers: What are you doing about swine flu? Of the 1 012 people who participated in the poll, 84 percent (854 votes) said "Nothing"; 11 percent (107 votes) said "Fretting" and 5 percent (52 votes) said "Staying in". Here are some of the comments posted online...: Infected: Nothing can be done by the government. the best advise is for poeple displaying the symptoms to stay at home , this is the only way the spread can be stopped. No country has managed to contain the spread so far James People are still more likely to die in a car crash, or by being murdered or from something like TB/AIDS related illnesses than from H1N1 at this stage. If you live healthily and if you go for your checkup if you get flu like symptoms then what more can you do? If you get the flu then you get it, and no amount of stressing beforehand is going to help you.