We’ve all seen them. Stupid, poorly written headlines. Bungled facts by uninitiated reporters. Outdated reports haphazardly recycled by trade mags and newsletters. Out and out mis/disinformation being circulated by supposedly credible news outlets.
Some are bad. Some are ludicrous. Some are infuriating. Let’s post ‘em here in the Pandemic Flu Misinformation Hall of Shame.
I’ll start…
Baltimore, MD
A Cure May Be Underway For The Spanish Flu
Posted tonight on the WJZ-TV Channel 13 site at http://tinyurl.com/y9onof
Scientists are looking for a vaccine against the Spanish flu, just in case it becomes the next great pandemic.
University of Maryland School of Medicine is racing to find a cure and they might not be so far off.
<snip>
Victims from the last century brought researchers to the verge of creating a vaccine for the Spanish flu.
Thank you, I just saw one today.
Floods or flu, we can cope, say planners from the North of England.
Published on 13/10/2006
CUMBRIA’S emergency planners say they are ready if large-scale flooding of the sort experienced in January 2005 returns this winter.
And they also have contingency plans for a flu pandemic and a nuclear incident at Sellafield.
Donald Norrie, the county’s emergency planning officer, briefed county councillors yesterday.
He said that a 28-point plan had been drawn up in the wake of the 2005 flood, which affected nearly 2,000 homes and businesses in Carlisle.
He added: “The vast majority of actions recommended in the plan are now complete.”
<snip?
Mr Norrie said that although the threat of a bird-flu outbreak appeared to be receding the health authorities were anticipating a global human flu pandemic – not necessarily related to bird flu – in the future.
The council held a training exercise on how to cope with a pandemic in April and plans another in March.
Well done, Cumbria!
I think the operative word here is ‘plan’ in its various incarnations: planners plan their plans, and when they are done, they are done.
If you know what I mean…
“half of the world population could die”
(Robert Webster)
they
still think birds would bring panflu to America.
James Averill, deputy coordinator of the pandemic influenza program
at the Michigan Department of Public Health, worries sick birds could
end up being smuggled into the United States from Asia or, eventually,
could take migration paths from South or Central America to Alaska.
He spoke to almost 70 local health officials, medical personnel and
others in a Tuesday influenza symposium at Saginaw Valley State University.
“It’s not a matter of if but when we’re going to have our next pandemic,” he said. “I will probably see a pandemic before I die.”
The Lexington (KY, US) paper’s most recent pandemic-related headline is “Study suggests way to kick-start protection against a flu pandemic.” It begins, “A unique study suggests there may be a way to kick-start people’s protection against bird flu just in case it triggers a worldwide outbreak years from now.”
the April fools day article by the Reunion newspaper
“The discovery of two corpses of penguins at the beginning of the week on isle of the Possession threw the disorder in the scientific community of the base Alfred-Faure. The first analyses carried out on the spot reveal a strong suspicion of aviary influenza……Traces of virus H5N1 were insulated in the low part of l’appareil digestive of these marine birds.”
A flu pandemic could happen at any time and kill between 5–150 million people, a UN health official has warned. David Nabarro, who is charged with co-ordinating responses to bird flu, said a mutation of the virus affecting Asia could trigger new outbreaks.
But the World Health Organisation has distanced itself from the figure.
The WHO spokesman on influenza, Dick Thompson, told a news conference in Geneva that the WHO’s official estimate of the number of people who could die was between two million and 7.4 million.
“There is obvious confusion, and I think that has to be straightened out. I don’t think you will hear Dr Nabarro say the same sort of thing again,” Mr Thompson said.
“Doctors warn against pandemic fear-mongering”
Wed. Oct. 18 2006 7:36 AM ET, Mary Nersessian, CTV.ca News
Headline selection needs improvement “Doctors Recommend You Prepare” would have been helpful, since who is going to bother otherwise getting to p2, where the article points out… “But the Public Health Agency of Canada says on its website that it could take 6 to 12 months — depending on the number of doses required — to produce enough vaccine to protect all Canadians.
Though the physicians warn against jumping to any conclusions, they recommend putting together an emergency preparedness kit with basic supplies that will include”… p2
At a recent pandemic preparedness meeting, a local health officer stated to the group that he would not want to close down schools and work places. He would not want to keep schools open when 70% of the staff were out sick, but if 30% were sick, they may need to double-up on their classes.
He felt there was more danger sending children home and getting injured there than getting sick at school – said schools really need to be kept open and that most children will get better and will just have flu symptoms anyway.
He does not plan to close the airports.
When asked about the likelihood of the virus mutating between waves, he said that the virus mutates every year and this is a once in a lifetime type of flu – he felt it would only mutate once or twice in total.
At this same session, a Red Cross representative stated that they planned to make food and bring it to each home, door to door, during a pandemic. This is totally unrealistic. I have no idea where they plan to get this food, how they are going to prepare and transport it, who will do this, and how they will logistically drop it off on every doorstep in my state. When I mentioned what was said to another speaker, he agreed that it is not a good thing because it will give people false expectations and they will be much less likely to prepare for themselves and their families. Since this message is being provided by the Red Cross in other states, I assume it is coming from the top down and not from just a single individual from my state.
I know that you started this thread wanting newspaper headlines and reports about misinformation, but issues like I described above are just as bad if not worse because people who are attending these meetings may come away with the thought that they do not need to do anything.
Town prepares for a flu pandemic seeks volunteers in case of outbreak
…”In preparing for a flu pandemic, the Medfield Board of Health has examined the risks and created emergency plans. Now it wants volunteers who can help out in case of an outbreak”…
…”Hoping to inform the community and get people interested in joining a citizens’ medical reserve corps, the board will host a forum Wednesday at Town Hall”…”such topics as how to transport the elderly and disabled to medical care and how to handle the emotional fallout of a pandemic”…
…”`We want you to know what would happen and what you can do so you’re not a liability,” Schapira said. `Our goal that night is to inform people where we are, get a buy-in from residents, and answer a lot of questions.”
Schapira is also hoping to recruit medical reserve corps members. Such corps are teams of local volunteers trained to help out in major public health emergencies. Medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are encouraged to join; residents with no medical experience are also needed to fill administrative and support roles.”…
…”In addition to public forums across the state, the public education efforts will include information cards distributed at all CVS pharmacies, a downloadable coloring book for children, and a public service announcement that will be shown at future New England Patriots home games.
Five things that state officials say can help protect individuals and families from the flu: wash your hands often with soap and water or a hand sanitizer; cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze; talk with your doctor about getting a yearly flu vaccine; make a family emergency plan; and volunteer to help in case of an outbreak “…
… “ Donna Rheaume, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health… Fifteen million people died worldwide during the flu pandemic of 1918, Rheaume said.”
“ We don’t expect that same scenario should there be another pandemic,” she said. `It’s a very different world in 2006 compared to 1918. “
…”Nancy Bennotti, administrative agent for the Medfield Board of Health. Hurricane Katrina showed that residents cannot rely on outside help in the event of a disaster, Bennotti added. Preparing citizens to help themselves by forming a medical reserve corps ahead of time ensures the best possible response, she said.”
…”School as a vaccine-dispensing site, collected 24-hour contact information for health and public safety officials, and created a continuity of operations plan, which takes effect in the event that 40 percent of town employees are unable to report to work because they are ill or caring for their loved ones.”…
(Has the public seen the pandemic guidance pdf for the MRC they’d be volunteering for? “Characteristics and Challenges of a Pandemic” is worth reading. “death rates may be high”. Telling the public Dr.Osterholm wanted them to start prepping for a 12-to 18-month blizzard would ensure the best possible response for a community. Where’s the prep?
This week there was a three part series on pandemic flu on a local radio station. I listened. All I heard was, “A pandemic is coming, we’re overdue, and we’re not ready.” No tips on what to do TO get ready.
From an article about pandemic flu planning in New Zealand…
“…there’s no need to panic because an awful lot of us won’t die.”
New Zealand Ministry of Education pandemic planning manager
This is one of my favorites. Annoyed Max posted this after he attended a conference, and heard this gem from a county health dept rep…
“We are too organized for bird flu to ever happen.”
Edna Mode @ 20:13
Our local paper picked up this stupid story. First “bird flu” related article in months. :(
Here’s another one, this time from The Scotsman…
Israel halts bird flu vaccines after three die
It isn’t bird flu vaccine. It’s seasonal flu vaccine. But the Scotsman even posted a link to other info on bird flu following the brief article. Is it possible the media is getting dumber?
Och aye!
(Anyone want to nicely show this one the starter Flu Wiki page for Journalists? Time for me to get offline.) Stephen Smith can be reached at stsmith@globe.com
“Bay State not ready for a flu epidemic “
…”Eight months after Governor Mitt Romney asked legislators to spend $36.5 million to rapidly prepare the state for an influenza epidemic, not a single additional hospital bed, breathing machine, or bottle of medicine has been purchased.”…
…” Lowell health department director Frank Singleton , a strident champion of flu preparations.” …
(I dare hope Mr.S is talking Pandemic Preparations, but, this reporter is getting this poor choice of words from somewhere)
…”Disease specialists warn that a global flu epidemic akin to the cataclysmic 1918 outbreak — which killed about 50 million people worldwide — could inflict difficult-to-treat respiratory infections on 90 million Americans. And the crisis, known as a pandemic,”
(Why wasn’t this the first sentence in the article, and why say the wrong word; “epidemic” so many times before and after this??)
“would be especially acute in Massachusetts because of the lack of excess capacity.”…
(A pandemic would be acute everywhere)
“Even a bad flu season, short of a pandemic, could paralyze the region’s healthcare system.
So, in February, Romney stood before hundreds of federal, state, and local health officials at a flu summit and delivered his plan to prepare the state for a pandemic.”…
…”approval won’t come soon enough to buy supplies for this year’s flu season, which begins in about a month. However, last year’s flu season began slowly, reaching its peak in March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which will begin tracking flu cases nationwide in two weeks.
`Further delay isn’t going to make the situation any better,” said Paul Wingle , spokesman for the Massachusetts Hospital Association . `We need to prepare to the best of our ability for a very bad scenario. We’ll pray that that scenario never comes to pass .”
(And why didn’t the reporter tell the public there are checklists with their names on them at pandemicflu.gov ? Households were supposed to be getting ready; no federal or state aid. The US Dept. of Ed now has a webcast for parents, too; Mr.Smith, see the Flu Wiki tips of the week on the front page.)
Overheard yesterday, during a pandemic “meeting”:
“We aren’t going to push for the use of masks and gloves because we don’t feel they will be effective in any way.”
and
“There is no way we’re going to ask the public schools in this state to close if there is a pandemic.”
Recently recieved in an email regarding plans for safeguarding the electric grid in the event of a pandemic:
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has done much work in this area since the federal government realizes the consequences that such a pandemic could have on the American public as well as the nation’s workforce and economy. DOE is working with DHS, HHS, and utility associations, such as EEI, NERC, NRECA, and APPA, to be better prepared in the event of such a pandemic.”
I feel SO much better now….NOT!
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has done much work in this area…
Uhm….what work? I’ve seen nothing…I’ve heard nothing…
BB. Trust me…they are all gambling it won’t happen…they have been gambling for two years that it won’t happen…the World Health Organization has been busy providing regulatory authorities and Governments with the background to gamble convince themselves it won’t happen…once this is started (Nov 2004)…it’s hard to say Oops! we were wrong because at that point many aren’t listening…they have got their marching orders and they are all marching in the wrong direction.
…they are wrong…it will happen and it will be a pandemic virus derived from H5N1…this virus will dominate influenza like H1N1 did in the last century…we just don’t know at this point…when and how bad…
Pandemic Flu Patients Should Stay Home, U.S. Officials May Say
By John Lauerman Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) — Health officials may propose a plan to prevent the spread of pandemic flu in the U.S. that includes treating sick patients at home, rather than in hospitals.
The home therapy option is based on computer models showing that limiting personal contact may slow growth of a pandemic. Advisers to the U.S. Institute of Medicine are meeting tomorrow in Washington to determine if scientific estimates are strong enough to make health policy decisions affecting the lives millions of Americans in a deadly flu outbreak. [snip]
A study by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque predicted that closing schools and keeping children at home during even a mild pandemic would cut the proportion of the population infected by more than 90 percent.
The public is intelligent and will behave in a way that it perceives to be in its own best interests, he said. You can shape that perception with information.
Thanks Ottawan.
Suggestion: since many people read this site, would you summarize WHY the article or posting is misinformation?
It may be obvious to regular readers, but it would help out newer readers or those who are not already semi-experts in the ins and outs of bf pandemicdom.
Thanks —
Times of India Headline: Tamiflu helped avert outbreak of bird flu Kounteya Sinha
(excerpts in quotes.)
29 Oct, 2006 Times of India
The H5N1 virus’s sensitivity to Tamiflu “helped India avert a possible transmission of the deadly H5N1 virus from birds to humans.”
The Indian scientists who studied the genetics of the Indian strain said that “timely administering of Tamiflu to those who were quarantined on suspicions of having been in contact with H5N1 virus infected birds, helped us avert the transmission of the virus to humans.”
[They can’t know that. The base rate of zoonotic transmission is too low.]
They stated that “a Tamiflu resistant virus would have resulted in people being infected by the bird flu virus easily… “
[Easily? If THAT were true — which it is not — THAT should have been the main headline of the story!]
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/51464.html
“Flu shot clinics offer chance to test preparedness “ (not really) By ASSOCIATED PRESS November 1, 2006
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Flu shot clinics at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Albuquerque and on the Navajo Nation this month will give officials a chance to figure out how to handle a flu pandemic.
Both clinics plan to tackle how to organize such a large number of people getting shots at once.
The Navajo Nation plans to inoculate at least 32,000 people on Nov. 9. A command center in Arizona will monitor clinics’ progress in complying with national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards, including the number of shots given per hour, said Patricia Olson, assistant to the director of the Navajo Indian Area Health Service in St. Michaels, Ariz.
“ If there were an emergency, this process that we’re setting up would begin, and we would be prepared to begin these vaccinations ,” she said. ( Not if the emergency were an influenza pandemic, according to HHS Sec Leavitt, or, not for 6 to 8 months anyway )
Parking and seating will be a challenge, as will getting lines moving quickly, she said. The organizers of the VA Medical Center clinic also will work on keeping things moving.
“ Our pandemic planning, as far as the flu season, is going to be limited to a traffic flow pattern ,” VA spokesman Bill Armstrong said. … ( need more than that for preparedness )
… the agency has no plans for a pandemic exercise, spokeswoman Deborah Busemeyer said. ( will they spend money instead on food and Rx meds, or what? did they already tell communities to stock up and cope at home on their own?)
As of Tuesday, the department had received 40,000 of the 198,000 doses it ordered. (This is in a pandemic alert period, when no one is sick and supply chains are not disrupted. We don’t even make our own seasonal vaccine, and are not ready for any pandemic vaccine production)
Are the folks who are doing public health planning under the misapprehension that this thread is a contest? This comes from Dallas Texas…
“Vaccines or anti-viral medications may be in limited quantities or not available if a pandemic were to occur in the near future. Therefore DCHHS is not stockpiling either medication.”
I think they do get points though for answering that you probably can’t get bird flu from your pillows or down comforter and that chicken soup doesn’t cure bird flu.
They are putting Pandemic Influenza in the title and then talking about avian influenza in poultry!
Someone is getting paid to write that? when better educated volunteers could do a better job for free, because this is a matter of life and death that will impact us all whether we want it to or not. Oy.
(And I thought the Concord MA handout was silly for using the title “avian influenza” on the handout really about Pandemic influenza prep…)
There seems to be a “disconnect from reality”
China’s news: No evidence of new bird flu strain found in China “China has cooperated closely with the WHO and the FAO and shares all information on bird flu and the virus with the international community,” said Liu. http://tinyurl.com/yyh5l3
WHO’s commnt on China: The World Health Organization said its efforts to track the spread of bird flu have been complicated by the failure of China’s Agriculture Ministry to share samples of a newly discovered strain of the virus. “There’s a stark contrast between what we’re hearing from the researchers and what the Ministry of Agriculture says,” Hall said in a telephone interview. “Unless the ministry tell us what’s going on and shares viruses on a regular basis, we will be doing diagnostics on strains that are old.” http://tinyurl.com/u6ujr
Influenza research at the human and animal interface - Report of a WHO working group - Geneva, Switzerland, 21–22 September 2006 - WHO/CDS/EPR/GIP/2006.3 - English [pdf 98kb]
WHO REPORT – Extracts
Introduction
The present severe crisis with H5N1 infections similarly brings a need for cohesion and urgency in collaborative research efforts.
Nonetheless, the group had little difficulty in agreeing on the most pressing research needs. It was further acknowledged that the seriousness of the present situation, including the risk that a pandemic virus might emerge, is not likely to diminish in the near future.
Executive summary
A simple, rapid, robust and reliable test, suitable for use in the field or at the patient’s bedside, is urgently needed.
A genetic predisposition for infection is suspected based on data from rare instances of human-to-human transmission in genetically-related persons.
The development of a pandemic vaccine has become more difficult following the divergence of circulating viruses into distinct genetic and antigenic groups. To date, results from clinical trials of candidate pandemic vaccines have not been promising
Although resistance to amantadine is now widespread, the possibility exists that these resistant strains may be replaced by fully susceptible strains as the virus continues to evolve.
Evidence was presented for a change in virus shedding patterns, with increased shedding from the respiratory tract rather than the cloaca. Thus, for surveillance purposes, a corresponding change in sampling strategies – including both cloacal and pharyngeal swabs – is called for to get a true picture of the situation.
Recently, studies have demonstrated that the virus is now moving both ways in relay transmission, from poultry to migratory birds and back again.
……………………………………………………………..
Why does this article deserve to be in the Pandemic Flu Misinformation Hall of Shame?
1) “The present severe crisis with H5N1 infections similarly brings a need for cohesion and urgency in collaborative research efforts.”
If you haven’t delivered effective leadership in nine years of this emerging catstrophe…it’s not likely you are going to
2) “A simple, rapid, robust and reliable test, suitable for use in the field or at the patient’s bedside, is urgently needed.”
The limiting factor in testing is the ability of influenza’s to mutate away from your test reagents…and you and I both know that there is nothing you can do to change it…so why are you even making this statement.
3)”A genetic predisposition for infection is suspected based on data from rare instances of human-to-human transmission in genetically-related persons.”
Good one..nice excuse…way to downplay the human to human transmission that has been occurring for nine years…where is the genetic susceptibility in your animal models.
This is pure speculation with no evidence at any time in history that anyone was ever genetically susceptible to any influenza, seasonal or otherwise.
4) “To date, results from clinical trials of candidate pandemic vaccines have not been promising”
The understatement of the century considering the fact that billions have and are being spent with little or no indication of success.
5) “Although resistance to amantadine is now widespread, the possibility exists that these resistant strains may be replaced by fully susceptible strains as the virus continues to evolve.”
Yes, and I am going to grow hair on my palms and run in the woods singing ‘Take me out to the ballgame’.
This isn’t speculation because there isn’t a shred of scientific evidence to base the statement on…this is pure ‘spin’..
…maybe its time to start checking the stock portfolios of World Health Organization upper management.
The title of the article should have been…’A New Low for the World Health Organization’…
…they had better do a ‘brain transplant’ on the patient.
Tom,
The Fujian strain does appear to be amantadine sensitive, so let’s withold judgment on that for now….
anon 22. I as always have respect and value your opinion…but the clear scientific evidence is that when you start using an ‘effective’ antiviral in an epidemic or pandemic situation…resistance will be selected immediately and the antivirals will quickly lose their effectiveness, probably in the first two weeks.
So far they have had double resistance to amantadine type antivirals because they have been around longer, because it is inevitable anyway and because China was, according to reports, putting antivirals in chicken feed.
Secondly, when treatments don’t work, three things happen 1) use multiple drugs (antivirals) at the same time in combination and 2) double or triple or quadruple the dose 3) and extend treatment period. The same thing happened in the SARS outbreak.
It took forty-years to develop resistance to antibiotics…it takes five minutes for antivirals.
When a plan was taken to the WHO and the UN to fund a modest program to develop new antivirals…they refused.
Let’e hope your statins give the potential for real benefit.
Tom,
I don’t disagree on your analysis. I just think it is important to be precise in sharing information. Quite a few of the new strains have been surprisingly sensitive to amantadine, so at least their statement is correct. I don’t want people to read what you’ve written and dismiss the possibility of using amantadine.
We need to be careful with what we say if we want others to share accurate information, that’s all I’m saying. :-)
There is depressingly no movement on the statins front. Now if there was 2 of me then I would go talk to …….
Machine-translation of a Dr.Henry Subiakto
the management krsisis communication very important to develop the image and the reputation, as well as gave the safe feeling, peace and pointed out the existence and the sincerity government.
Crisis communication should be explaining to people what is really going on and what rational actions they can take to minimize risk to themselves, mitigate loss of life, loss of essential skills, and distrust of govt in future, say, There’s never a good time to panic but instead, here’s what you could do that might help; get communities pulling together. Govt in the US, or anywhere in the world, can’t base its existence on sincerity, or they would have started better crisis communication to the public over a year ago.