Apr 30 2009
Confined spaces
Vice President Joe Biden appeared on NBC’s Today Show this morning and made a statement that was immediately attacked by the right wing noise machine.
This is from the Washington Post report of the “incident…”
In a “Today” show interview this morning, host Matt Lauer asked Biden what advice he would give a family member who wanted to jump on a commercial airliner to Mexico, ground zero of the swine flu outbreak.
“I would tell members of my family — and I have — I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” said Biden, adding that it’s not so much the destination as the means of getting there that concerns him.
“You’re in a confined aircraft when one person sneezes it goes all the way through the aircraft. That’s me. I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway,” Biden continued. “So from my perspective, what it relates to is mitigation.
“If you’re out in the middle of a field and someone sneezes, that’s one thing. If you’re in a closed aircraft or a closed container, a closed car, a closed classroom, it’s a different thing.”
Here’s video:
I wish somebody (preferably from the medical community) would explain to me how what the Vice President said does not make sense. If we are on the verge of a worldwide pandemic (and most reports seem to indicate that we are), how is it not common sense to avoid crowded and closed spaces? And while you’re at it, perhaps you can explain why we are closing schools and not offices and businesses. Are children of school age more susceptible to the H1N1 flu virus than are adults?
Think about this the next time you are sitting in a crowded airplane, subway car or office and the person sitting next to you lets go with a big old sneeze. Then come back and tell me all about how what the vice president said this morning was such a big old gaffe. Do that for me, won’t you? Thanks.
2 Responses to “Confined spaces”
According to the CDC, 36,000 people die of ordinary influenza every year — nationwide there have been 68 confirmed cases of swine flu. I’ll provide the link for you– http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30453688/. As you can see this is from MSNBC, this way you can’t claim that it comes from FoxNews.
Somehow it just seems like a lot of fear mongering. 68 cases of swine flu does not make for a worldwide pandemic when compared to 36,000 deaths from the ordinary influenza. Does any of this make since to you or are you so into the Democratic party that you can’t understand which number makes for a pandemic? To me, 36,000 deaths a year would make for a pandemic.
@jtltexan : Kind of preaching to the choir there, my friend. Now just tell the WHO, DHS, CDC, HHS and all those other initials. (Like FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, etc., etc.)
P.S. Here’s a website you may enjoy: http://doihaveswineflu.org/.