DISCUSS: Health alert or media hype?
EUGENE, Ore. -- Gov. Ted Kulongoski didn't shake hands Monday morning with Oregon National Guard soldiers bound for Iraq at the request of the military.
"In World War I, more American soldiers died of the influenza outbreak than they did in actual combat," the governor said. "You can prevent catching the influenza epidemic right now. So what I'm asking you to do is always have a bottle of this hand sanitizer with you."
Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday "we are by no means out of the woods" with the flu outbreak.
"In previous pandemics," he said, "there have been waves and you don't know what this virus is going to do."
And major news and information outlets had these headlines Monday morning:
- UPI: Swine flu-HIV could devastate human race
- BBC: News Swine flu hotel guests frustrated
- Web MD: H1N1 Swine Flu Widespread in US
So is the media hyping the flu danger -- or helping the public explore a complex issue? Join the discussion.
