Flu Wreaks Havoc: U.S. Media Pretends Not to See It

The H1N1 flu is infecting the world. Western media devoted special attention to the 2003 SARS epidemic and tracked this news story on a large-scale, long-term basis. But today, as Asian countries successively adopt firm, preventive measures against the H1N1 flu, the United States, this flu-ridden country, is acting like nothing has happened.

H1N1 can be transmitted more easily than SARS, and H1N1 can also be transmitted among people through the air, especially in tight spaces like airplanes or other modes of transportation. However, until now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have not advised travelers to wear face masks and have not adopted any quarantine measures. In Pennsylvania, where the author is, at the present, there have been 22 confirmed cases, but aside from listing “Pennsylvania, 22 cases” on the CDC website, there is no specific information. Local media have also not given specific reports. This can give people the wrong impression and make it seem as though H1N1 does not exist. On metro trains, fully packed with people going to and from work, the author has not seen any people wearing face masks. And the U.S. media, which have always bragged about making information public, seem to have gone mute on this topic. It is hard to find any news about the flu on television. In the special section for H1N1 on the CNN website, such information cannot be found. Among CNN’s “Hot Topics,” the first article surprisingly is “China Confirms First Case of H1N1,” which is both funny and annoying.

The U.S. media followed SARS very closely that year, as if SARS had broken out in the U.S., itself. But now, as H1N1 breaks out on U.S. soil, U.S. media are acting as though it were happening in a faraway land and do not report on it. This distinct contrast brings one to conclude that, although U.S. media are owned by private corporations, they have always remained in unison with U.S. national interests and have not hesitated to enact a double standard. If many reports were made on H1N1, the fears of other countries regarding the U.S.epidemic would be exacerbated, thus decreasing business and leisure trips to the U.S, inciting mass panic, and negatively affecting U.S. commerce. The combined effects would have an even more negative effect on the U.S., which is already undergoing a serious economic crisis.

The inaction of the U.S. government and media will inevitably worsen the spread of the H1N1 flu. This seems clear, because of the continuing, rapid increase in the number of H1N1 cases. At the same time, this will make it more difficult for other countries to combat this epidemic. Countries with a more developed health care system can passively wait for H1N1 patients to be discovered and then treat each situation case-by-case. However, the U.S. government and media are putting this situation on the back burner, and this will increase the risk of people getting infected, especially those people who are not fully aware of the H1N1 situation. In the end, H1N1 will spread more quickly throughout the world.