UPDATE: the word “swine” is being dropped for a more preferable term, H1N1 flu. See this report. It’s only logical since it’s not a food-borne illness and you don’t get the flu from eating pork.
So far, over 150 people died from swine H1N1 flu and there may be more to come out of this swine flu pandemic eventually. From this point, we should all say a prayer to the swine H1N1 flu victims as more people are suffering and dying unexpectedly from it, especially in the more severe cases. Your relatives, your friends, someone you know by association, and all other people will be affected by this. All we truly needed are prayer, courage and hope to get through this difficult time and to help others. Fear is a powerful manifesting emotion within us, as uncertainty and confusion gradually creep into our minds, the greatest of all is the fear of the unknown. Insofar, the media isn’t making a fear-engulfing issue out of this and that’s a good thing. People are hopefully that the outbreak would be contained thoroughly, expectations from the governments and health organizations to deal with this pandemic are extremely high. Any slip-up would mean serious repercussions and people would take matters into their own hands.
That being said, CDC think we’re in a pre-pandemic phase. This is a reasonable presumption, as we haven’t seen the extents of a fast-spreading pandemic all over, like hospitals being overwhelmed and crowded with sick people needing assistance, police/military patrolling about and enforcing curfews, stores and public events closed, etc. in America. These things are already happening in Mexico but not yet, insofar, in the US.
It would be a serious blow to the U.S. economy already reeling with unemployment, lay-offs, companies losing money and so forth, the specter of a major economic collapse is around the corner. A very bad thing.
All you needed are prayer for the victims, courage for yourself, hope for your loved ones and friends, and help everyone to get through this difficult time. The Golden Rule always applies in any case.
Can you read lips covered by face masks?
To DeafReaders, as you will notice that more people are buying and using face masks to protect themselves from the flu. If communication is important to you by understanding what hearing people are saying to you during a crisis event, immediately let them know you’re deaf, since you cannot understand or read lips from people wearing face masks while talking. If necessary, have a small notepad and a pen with you in handy when you’re out and about. Some hearing people may be reluctant to remove face masks as you would wanted to understand what they’re saying to you, so keep that in mind.
Also, in the event of national emergency (i.e. martial law), if you’re out in public, not aware of curfew restrictions in some places, and there is police/military patrolling about, seeing YOU, do not do anything stupid or make sudden move as if you’re trying to indicate to them you’re deaf. Frankly, it is preferable for you to be quiet, be still, have your hands up and be arrested on the spot than be shot first and questions asked later. The police/military are very strict with their orders in a national emergency and they would not take any chance with you regardless of any indication that you’re deaf. They don’t know and don’t care who you are and what you are. In a nutshell: shut up, be still, hands up and follow their cues to be arrested on the spot. It is for your own and their safety, even though you haven’t done anything wrong.
Eventually, the police/military would find out that you are really deaf and you may have not know about curfew restrictions in some places if these were recently communicated over the radio, TV or the Internet. Curfew restrictions can be made on the fly without a warning in some cases. The police/military would probably escort you home (or a jail center or a FEMA camp) for your own safety.
If I were you, I would go out and buy a box of high-filtration maximum protection face masks right away. I already did some months ago.
