What To Do?
The H5N1 virus is still on my mind, as it is on the collective public mind at the moment, but that could change - will change, if the virus doesn't mutate and explode into the human population soon. That's a scary thought, because it may disappear from our minds, from the front pages of the newspapers, but it's not going to disappear. Whether it's this year, next year, or a few years down the line, we WILL have to face this, as individuals and as a society, as a WORLD.
I hear that Madonna's new album is now freely available on the internet, and I thought that to be quite a good illustration of the way this virus could spread - it took just one person to get hold of the CD and put it on the net - within days, even hours, it's around the world. No laws or borders can stop it, and from that one copy many thousands, millions are made. I suppose a better illustration of this would be an (aptly named) computer virus which actively spreads itself. It would be the same with the H5N1 derived virus: nothing could stop it, at best it could only be slowed, which may allow it to weaken naturally and allow any available vaccines to be produced and administered. This "slowing down" of the virus is something that governments may try to do, but it is doubtful that any measures would work, with influenza being so contagious and producing no symptoms during the first few days of contagion.
In a way, there's nothing we can do - yet. Even when it happens, there probably won't be much we can do. At least when it happens, we'll know what we're dealing with. We'll know how lethal it is - what the "excess mortality" is in its path - and whether it takes young and old, or targets healthy young adults particularly, as in 1918 ( it was the victims own immune systems that were killing these healthy young adults, immune systems that were too good at their job - like a heavily armed but too heavy handed army going in to rescue hostages and killing all the hostages along with the hostage takers). We can only prepare ourselves mentally I think, and decide whether we will let this evil make better or worse people out of us, as people or as memories in other peoples minds - and hopefully God's. Will we fearfully retreat from our neighbours in their hour of need, or will we brave death (which is after all certain for all of us eventually) to help others who need us? A huge problem in 1918 was the shortage of doctors and nurses and civilian volunteers, not just due to the war, but due to the fear that most had of contracting the disease. Yet those who did volunteer helped save thousands of lives, as a majority of victims who contracted secondary infections (pneumonias) could be helped with care and (sadly scarce) medication.
Better to die in acts of courage, as thousands of these doctors, nurses and volunteers did, than to die in sequestered fear. I think the Romans would call it a "good death".
I hear that Madonna's new album is now freely available on the internet, and I thought that to be quite a good illustration of the way this virus could spread - it took just one person to get hold of the CD and put it on the net - within days, even hours, it's around the world. No laws or borders can stop it, and from that one copy many thousands, millions are made. I suppose a better illustration of this would be an (aptly named) computer virus which actively spreads itself. It would be the same with the H5N1 derived virus: nothing could stop it, at best it could only be slowed, which may allow it to weaken naturally and allow any available vaccines to be produced and administered. This "slowing down" of the virus is something that governments may try to do, but it is doubtful that any measures would work, with influenza being so contagious and producing no symptoms during the first few days of contagion.
In a way, there's nothing we can do - yet. Even when it happens, there probably won't be much we can do. At least when it happens, we'll know what we're dealing with. We'll know how lethal it is - what the "excess mortality" is in its path - and whether it takes young and old, or targets healthy young adults particularly, as in 1918 ( it was the victims own immune systems that were killing these healthy young adults, immune systems that were too good at their job - like a heavily armed but too heavy handed army going in to rescue hostages and killing all the hostages along with the hostage takers). We can only prepare ourselves mentally I think, and decide whether we will let this evil make better or worse people out of us, as people or as memories in other peoples minds - and hopefully God's. Will we fearfully retreat from our neighbours in their hour of need, or will we brave death (which is after all certain for all of us eventually) to help others who need us? A huge problem in 1918 was the shortage of doctors and nurses and civilian volunteers, not just due to the war, but due to the fear that most had of contracting the disease. Yet those who did volunteer helped save thousands of lives, as a majority of victims who contracted secondary infections (pneumonias) could be helped with care and (sadly scarce) medication.
Better to die in acts of courage, as thousands of these doctors, nurses and volunteers did, than to die in sequestered fear. I think the Romans would call it a "good death".
posted by John Doran-Armstrong at 11:12 AM
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