A Disease a Day Doesn't Keep Panic Away

Do you know what infectious disease you're supposed to be the most worried about today? Is it the "superbug" that broke out in an LA hospital last month, possibly exposing over a hundred patients? Or is it the early seasonal uptick in cases of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia that has the global epidemiological community buzzing? Or maybe it's the continuation of measles outbreaks all over the country due to spotty immunization coverage. You might also still be reasonably concerned about Ebola (and no, it's not over yet, despite a downturn in news coverage and an encouraging slowdown in new cases in some affected areas). It's hard to keep track of the latest terrifying deadly disease. And that's a problem in more ways than one. When attention is cast upon a specific disease threat, usually as a result of media reports of a new outbreak happening somewhere, a lot gets set in motion. The more deadly or horrifying the disease, the swifter public reaction seems to be. The resulting social media commentary, news stories, hot takes by leading public figures and government officials, and public outcry over the speed or effectiveness of the response can - and often does - help to generate an influx of additional public health funding and collaboration around a particular disease threat. Public attention often spurs a renewed governmental interest in sponsoring more scientific research on new or more effective treatment and prevention measures. So far, all...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news