UAE | Health

Health specialists debate if flu panic is justified

As of June 15, 167 deaths from influenza A (H1N1) have been recorded globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). But does this figure justify the panic that the disease has caused around the globe?

  • By Rabab Khan, Community Interactivity Editor
  • Published: 23:03 June 18, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit:
  • There have been some consistent influenza variants in the past few years and H1N1 is just one of them, says Dr Alya Ahmad.
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Dubai: As of June 15, 167 deaths from influenza A (H1N1) have been recorded globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). But does this figure justify the panic that the disease has caused around the globe? Gulf News readers debate.

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Dr Hasrat Parkar, a specialist in family medicine, believes that several people are more worried than they need to be.

He said: "According to statistics, the mortality rate is very low as compared to the people affected. It is a relatively mild version of the influenza virus. However, if the virus mutates over time, then it would be a major health concern."

In his capacity as a health expert, Dr Parkar has had to answer several queries from his patients regarding Tamiflu.

He said: "Patients have started asking questions, particularly the ones who are travelling in the summer. They all wonder whether it is advisable to take the vaccine before they leave the country. The concept of an influenza virus is new to most of them."

Dr Gabriel Ionescu, a senior medical consultant, is convinced that the issue has been blown out of proportion.

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He said: "When people see the term 'pandemic', they do not know what its exact definition is. They assume that it has spread around the world and everyone will be affected. A lot of time is being spent on the media coverage, which seems unnecessary. Everyone will forget about it in a few months, similar to the bird flu."

Dr Ionescu was in the US recently, and witnessed very mild reactions from US citizens related to swine flu.

He said: "It seemed like this illness does not even exist. I just noticed a small label at the airport, warning passengers of the symptoms. I do not think the world needs the extra stress that is generated by extensive coverage."

There are also those who think it is necessary to raise awareness.

Dr Alya Ahmad, a paediatrician, believes that "awareness is the key".

She said: "There have been some consistent influenza variants in the past few years and H1N1 is just one of them. General influenza causes several deaths in the world every year. Therefore, people need to be aware of this new type and its vaccines."

Do you think the H1N1 (swine flu) issue is overblown? Is it as serious as it is made out to be? Does it affect you?


Your comments


H1N1 is definitely a serious concern in the world. It has rather been taken lightly. Recently, I heard there were some additional cases in India, Far East, Europe, USA. There are around 2371 confirmed cases in over 24 countries, which is a huge score in this advanced world. If it multiplies with present pace, it shall be the biggest health related threat to the world. Fewer options to control/prevent it. When travelling â?? screening to take place even for outgoing passengers and not just the ones coming in to the country. Awareness of the disease and symptoms is required, which can be availed thanks to the detailed articles in Gulf News on a regular basis. People need to be aware of the vaccinations to prevent the flu. I read in a website that Moscow is making the vaccine for the prevention of H1N1 to be ready in 2 months time. Usage of preventive mask to avoid respiratory transmission particularly in public places /airports/ schools where the rapid spread is likely is necessary. Use of Tamiflu for both treatment and prevention with doctorâ??s advise is also advised. Awareness is highly important which many countries/people are lacking. It can play important role in preventing the spread of the disease. Collective measures are needed to kill this growing threat.
Anjali Ramchandani
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:54

With only one case so far reported in the UAE, we in this country are feeling rather complacent about it all. But for those in countries like the US, Canada and UK, who have to live with the fear of contracting the disease every time they step out of the house, I am sure it is not being covered as much as they would like. I remember when bird flu was rampant in India and other Asian countries, we were avid for news of where the disease had next been reported. The closer to home it was the more we took care with our hygiene. So I suppose it is good that the public is being made aware of the importance of hygiene in contracting any disease, if in the process the news is being sensationalised, that is something one should accept as part and parcel of news reporting. I for one am happy that swine flu has been talked about in such detail over the last few weeks. With the summer holidays coming up, this has given us all a good idea of which countries to avoid to go on holiday and what precautions one needs to take to avoid contracting the disease.
Gazala Raza
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:54

The swine flu issue is definitely NOT overblown. Nothing that relates to one's health is, especially when it is in epidemic proportions and is extremely harmful. One can never be too careful, simply because the other option may be fatal. Seeing as the world has reduced into a small village, and people travel across continents frequently, there is every chance for the swine flu virus to be picked up and transmitted very rapidly. I am not directly affected, but then, who knows? As careful as we may be, children are in danger mainly due to their ignorance and the possibility of exposure more than adults. The other danger comes from the many rumours, by spoken word, forwarded emails and text messages, which may be unfounded yet more effective in creating false scares in epidemic proportions. People must be conscious enough to deal with the matter in a wise and mature way.
D. J. Khalaf
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:52

As far as I am concerned any disease is a problem and people should take good care. However what I donâ??t understand is that as long as there is a cure for it why is taking so much attention world wide and why this horror spreading feeling everywhere. The world should gather and make the vaccine available in all countries and be alert not to the limit of paralyzing life.
Mohammad Al Attar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:47

Its nice to see that there are other people who believe the same as me and my friends do. The Swine flu is not as bigger a deal as it has been portrayed. I remember that there were bombing is several parts of the world, brutal killings, economical crisis, several people dead, and every where I looked on the internet, all I cud see is "Breaking News: Swine flu outbreak". Headlines on all the news related websites, " Swine flu kills one". I think it has been given too much attention than it deserved. Personally I am not affected by swine flu, nor do I know anyone who has been affected by it.
Rehan Khalid
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:45

Any malady which suddenly spreads globally must be taken seriously. When the WHO states that swine flu has reached the threshold established for a pandemic, then it is a signal that appropriate measures must be taken. At the same time there are media which thrive on a "scare of the day" policy, peddling to their readers or viewers a constant diet of fear. Swine flu lends itself to massive media overkill and the public must realize that this has more to do with the bottom lines of the media concerns perpetrating this kind of shabby journalism than it has to do with their wellbeing. Does swine flu affect me personally? Excuse me while I reach for a tissue.
Malcolm Thomson
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:45

This issue is definitely overblown! Especially since health officials globally have confirmed that this type of flu is treatable and is not as serious as the bird flu was. In fact, more people die every year from conventional flu than they have from the swine flu! But I do think that the UAE needs to stock up medications which help fight these kinds of flu, such as Tamiflu. And these medications should not be sold over-the-counters by pharmacies, instead, they should provide attested prescriptions for them, because in that situation, people will buy them for no reason and stock them at home. And when a person who is really infected with the virus needs it, there are no stocks left in the pharmacies!
Behin A.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:45

I am not sure whether it is really as serious as it is made out to be, though I donâ??t see any harm in spreading the awareness about it. The precautions that people are advised to take, i.e., no physical exchange of greetings like hugging and kissing, washing or sanitizing hands, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, are general precautions, to avoid germ transfer in any case to a healthy person. So I think it is unnecessary and is somewhere creating panic among people. It doesnâ??t affect me, because I anyways take all these precautions, as much as possible.
Ritu Chawla-Ray
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:44

My feelings are that for those directly affected by it, it's obviously serious. Governments clearly must take precautions to safeguard citizens. The WHO are being responsible by giving out warnings and it's then up to each country to put in place its own safeguards. In cases like this if there are no warnings and people get sick or die, the WHO or individual governments are to blame but if the organisations do take action, limit the spread of subsequent cases, WHO is accused of crying wolf. It seems a no win situation for WHO etc. Personally I'm happy to see everyone err on the side of caution.
Terry Vaughan
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:44

I donâ??t think this issue is overblown. People should be made aware of the consequences and precautions must be taken. Many families will be traveling this summer and interacting with different passengers at leading airports. All countries should remain on â??alertâ?? so that proper precautions are carried out.
Priti MacKinnon
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:43

I believe in prevention rather than cure! And I believe the media and government just want to tell us that there is something coming and it is coming big! In my part, I am working in a company where most people travel for business, it freaks me out. My boss just arrived from his Europe trip and I cannot even extend my handshake to him. Bad enough he sneezes! It is really freaking me out. We will be traveling to Asia next week and I am so afraid. This thing really freaks me out! And I really believe this is a serious threat to everybody.
J. S.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:43

I personally think that this issue is being hyped and in fact creates more scare than public awareness. If at all precaution is to be taken - it has to be done strictly from countries like USA where it is emerging from. Most of the cases reported are persons who have gone to these affected countries. Dubai/ UAE can prevent such entrants coming in - right at the airport.
E. Fernandes
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:42

There yet seems to be a lot of misinformation regarding swine flu. And this is what gives a basis to the over reaction and hysteria. While precautions are necessary, I think some of the travel advisories are somewhat an over reaction and will hamper business and productivity at this time in the economy when no one can afford to slacken.
Pradeep Luthria
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:42

There is no exaggeration in swine flu pandemic, however it is startlingly unabated the spread since its out break. On daily basis thereâ??s news hitting the headline of flu elsewhere in the world. Meanwhile the hoax news of swine flu carriers visiting public places are rattling in community, yet another scary situation. If these rumors turn to be true then it is indeed a serious issue haunting everybody and unwillingly restrict free movement.
Salem Panthodi
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:41

I can't say that the issue is overblown - as it has caused few numbers of deaths (in ratio of the total affected) particularly from the origin of the virus. But even though this can be addressed as 'mild' - it still spreads quickly and it's becoming unpredictable at this stage. There are countries like Hong Kong and the Philippines whose cases have grown into hundreds but have not had any deaths from those numbers. Yes it should still be treated as a serious matter as the effect of this virus could change anytime.
Lionel Gonzaga
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:40

Within a short time, 74 countries have reported nearly 30,000 cases including over 145 deaths. The absence of a vaccine to protect those affected is the cause of this global fear and anxiety. It is a serious matter and I do not see anything wrong in this wide global publicity, as long as that would help people to take suitable precautions from contracting and spreading of the infection and early development and distribution of the vaccine globally at affordable price. Until then, the anxiety and precautions such as avoiding crowded places and travel would continue and I am no exception.
Balakrishnan R.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:40

Yes for sure swine flu is an overblown issue. Has malnutrition in Africa, which kills scores of children every week, ever raised such a concern? I agree that it has killed over 160 people across the globe but there is nothing to panic about. If proper precautions as prescribed by WHO are taken then I donâ??t think it has the capability to affect anyone.
Tripti Pathak
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:39

Personally, I know that swine flu does exist but at the same time I feel that it is overblown. By saying such, people started to panic and there is no proper intervention at hand on how to deal with it. I think pharmaceutical industry has played a big role in making this whole issue about swine to be so controversial. Somehow, I cannot avoid thinking that in order to have major sales globally, swine flu was created. Where will these diseases come from unless there is some manipulation in order to create an anti-medication for it? I am not affected by the controversy. I just hope that the agency responsible to help the public create awareness and provide treatment is as efficient as should be.
Lim N.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:39

I think the issue of H1N1 has been an overblown issue by media. Even if one person was found to be affected by swine flu, then media highlights it like whole country is infected with this. They highlight it on first page like the country won a gold medal in olympics. But yes everyone should stay conscious regarding getting affected by this. General flu if not treated properly can lead to pneumonia also ( as my doctor says), so in my view if one is sick either by a general flu or swine flu should take proper treatment.
Tarun Agarwal
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:39

I consider swine flu as a serious issue that people worried about as it affects the economy of each country in general. Nothing scares people more than the spread of a virus, especially new and deadly viruses like Bird Flu or Swine Flu. This fear factor can adversely hurt economies, already reeling from the economic downturn. And perhaps add to the economic woes, already being felt across the globe and might turn into pandemic to epidemic. This naturally affects tourism, entertainment and the travel industry, which we can see already suffering from problems created by the current economic crisis. It indeed affects me at the same time helps to become more aware of taking care more of my health properly.
Anne Elizabeth Angeles
,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:38

Swine flu, literally may seem as a relatively weird nasal congestion phenomenon seen in pigs but factually turned out to be more gloomy and serious than that - Yes, it is VERY serious keeping in amount the resultant death toll and YES it needs to be managed in an authoritative manner. Itâ??s better to over blow a prospective health situation and create awareness and predisposition regarding it rather than waiting for it to become a health catastrophe and then doing damage control.
Zainab Mansoor
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:36

I personally feel it has been blown out of proportion. When we come into this life we are bound to be surrounded by germs and viruses. A point to ponder, how come when we were small kids we had our hands, face and sometimes even mouth filled with the mud on which we played but never caught any disease from it? Today we are trying to maintain excess hygiene in everything and as a result we end up getting more and more psyched with the repercussions! I do strongly follow the mantra â??prevention is better than cureâ?? but making an issue blown out of proportion, sorry I donâ??t buy that!!
Sandhya Shetty
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:36

The issue of Swine Flu is not overblown and the media is taking good measures in making people aware of the consequences of such pandemic outbreaks. When a health hazard that is as contagious as the swine flu outbreaks, awareness is one major step in preventing a wide spread. The issue cannot be taken lightly as history tells us about grave flu disasters in the world. The health hazard is not something that can be stopped by airports or government authorities alone. The precautions have to be taken by every individual and the prevention starts from every home first. A major awareness campaign is necessary so that it not only educates people but also helps them become responsible when they or their family member has contracted the flu.
Swathy Kishore
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:35

As a layman, I feel the issue is overblown. Maybe it is my ignorance but I feel that lots of paper is being wasted on the subject. Unfortunately the coverage is mainly restricted to the number of cases across the globe, minimal effort is being made to educate the general public on the recourse to be taken. H1N1 will move to the inside pages once something else crops up. I feel that there are numerous other health related issues that have to be addressed more seriously than H1N1.
C. Sunil Roy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:35

A couple of years back there was a terrible bird flu that killed so many people (according to media reports) - hundreds if not millions of birds were killed in order to eradicate this problem. What happened to this problem? Some years back the world had problems with cows and thus the same approach of solving the problem was used. What happened to this? We forgot about it. May be the world needs a distraction or may be someone needs to get rich! Who knows? I don't believe it is that serious as it seems to be or as we are told. Whom can we trust these days?
Shavakat Mamajonov
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:34

Since I travel a lot, it constitutes a threat, so I have to be extra careful with washing my hands with sanitizers and not breathing without protection when I am between the masses in the airports. What consoles me in some countries are the thermal detectors installed which reassures a lot.
Camil Al Khoury
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:34

Well as important as it is to know about potentially deadly viruses and other infectious diseases, it is equally important to know the true and real facts about these diseases rather than fretting about whether it kills and taking over-the-top measures to make sure your family is protected. The assurance of the UAE government is a big relief as it shows their competency to handle the H1N1 virus and as long as we have their assurance we need not worry about the virus making its way to the UAE.
Eisha Gupta
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 19, 2009, 10:33

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