Are You At Risk? Other Than No, We Mean?
Perhaps the Doc would like to comment, but when seven people die from a form of meningitis allegedly linked to contaminated steroids, you really cannot promote that as an outbreak.
Yet the Media is all excited, and wants you to be a little panicky, too—just like you were with H1N1 Swine Flu and SARS and bird flu and West Nile virus and flesh-eating necrosis and whatever kills people slightly less frequently than accidental sex-related strangulation.
The Czar has always been baffled by the media’s obsession with incredibly rare disease, as if you could suddenly open your cereal box, pour a little into your bowl, and violently explode from the fungal meningitis lurking inside.
Let us look at this meningitis panic. And yes, we know you are not panicking; the media are. A total of 64 people have apparently contracted this odd form of meningitis that is linked to a single Massachusetts pharmacy. In order to even be at risk, you have to be using a specific form of steroidal treatment made for a brief period at this one specific pharamcy.
Yet breathlessly the media stare at the rapidly climbing death toll. For perspective, about 7 people every six hours from seasonal flu. Yeah, that sniffles thing you get or that stupid 24-hour fever? Kills 1.3 people per hour on average.
What until the media find out how many people die each year from slipping in bathtubs. Something has got to be done about all that bathing.
Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.