Responding to swine flu

Yes

Dr. Ron Paul

congressman from Texas, on CNN

“It’s overblown, grossly so, and I just wish people would back off a little bit. Stop and think for a minute and not panic people. There’s too much hysteria in the country and so far there has not been that great a danger. … This idea that government has to come to the rescue, I think it’s more or less a reflection that we have too many people in government that … have to justify their existence. So whether it is foreign policy, scare the people to death, great fear and then you can do what you want. If it’s the economy, scare the people to death and then you can socialize the economy. If it’s in health care, scare the people to death and then you’ll say only the government can take care of us. … And I don’t downplay the seriousness. As a physician I don’t say, ‘There’s no danger at all whatsoever.’ But you’ve got to put it in perspective. Put it in perspective of HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis and all these things. It really is a total non-event.”

Paul was a 2008 candidate for the Republican presidential nomination

No

Dr. James W. Curran

Dean of the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health

“Over the last few weeks, health officials at the CDC have been faced with the tremendous task of keeping the public up to speed on developments with the H1N1 virus. The CDC’s efforts to communicate with the public through regular news briefings and the extensive media coverage have led to criticism of ‘overhyping’ the public health threat. I believe the CDC and their colleagues in the administration have acted prudently in our best interest for the following reasons: First, past flu pandemics (e.g., 1981, 1957, 1968) have shown the devastating effect of new influenza strains as well as the importance of early communication to allow us to protect ourselves. Second, the discovery of this novel H1N1 virus was accompanied by considerable uncertainty about the severity of illness and rapidity of its spread. It is the public health official’s first responsibility to honestly and openly provide updated information, especially when there is uncertainty. Finally, our recent global experiences with SARS and avian influenza have not only heightened our sensitivity to the potential of global epidemics, they also have resulted in governments and communities developing pandemic flu plans. We are better prepared than ever.”

Curran is co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and former assistant surgeon general.

Compiled by external content editor Tim Ellerbee and Sunday A-section editor Bill Steiden