Breakingviews Looks at the Swine Flu

The swine flue comes at a time when the global economy is already unhealthy. Reading this entire consideration by Breakingviews.com is worthwhile.

Here's a part:

This time could be different. Even assuming the Mexican flu strain is no more deadly than SARS, it comes at a fragile moment. The financial crisis and resultant economic contraction is already taking heavy casualties on the businesses and economies most dependent on trade, transportation, tourism and lodging, which are most susceptible to the flu bug.

Moreover, governments everywhere are managerially challenged, what with bank bailouts and huge stimulus packages to fund. A severe flu epidemic would open a fourth or fifth front. One of the good things about SARS was that Asia, at least, learnt a lot about epidemic control. Hong Kong, for example, has passenger temperature sensors at its airport that can be used to screen for people who might be carriers of such bugs.

For the sake of the global economy – and the human race – this had better be a flu that can be easily contained.

Amen to that.

Comments

[Mehul]

yup, Amen to that!

not a very good time for an epidemic...but really is it ever?

[John]

Mehul: Well, no, it's never a good time for an epidemic. But something worse than an epidemic is an epidemic crippling the global economy as well as killing people.