What is Flu Patrol all about?
October 5, 2006 by Grace Ibay
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
When I took over writing for Flu Patrol three months back, world news was all about the bird flu. The dreaded H5N1 and it’s other nasty cousins. Most days, it’s all bird flu news. And it’s almost always not happy news I bring, because somewhere someone has been infected or died of the bird flu virus. Or some poor county’s economy has been affected by the massive culling and slaughter it’s government had to do to contain infected chickens.
The H5N1 virus is such a threat. Not just because it’s affecting the poultry industry, or even that it can infect people who come in close contact with sick birds. What’s scarier is the threat that H5N1 mutates into a form that can be passed easily from person to person, and uncontrolled flu pandemic begin to spring globally. By gathering information from different sources, linking to websites where experts and epidemiologists discuss trends and news, and pooling them into a blog you can go to, I hope to contribute to an early detection against this global threat.
But now it’s October and flu season has begun in the United States (elsewhere the season starts in April). So here, I also write about the seasonal flu. It’s not that global like the H5N1, but it’s still serious enough for families and individuals to be concerned about.
In the end, talking about the flu won’t do anyone good unless we use it to prepare for eventual threats to our health and wellbeing. So I share reminders from the government, offer ideas to prevent it or deal with getting sick. I’m also sharing posts, thoughts and tips on maintaining healthy lifestyle and habits so you don’t get sick with the flu… or with the common cold as I sometimes do.
So that’s what I’m here to write about. Although flu patrol is specifically about the influenza, the goal of this blog is to help YOU (… and really, us) be more aware of, prevent and prepare for dealing with the flu.
But now, I want to hear from you.
What do you like about Flu Patrol? What do you not like?
What can I do to improve?
How can I help you be more aware of and prepare for the flu? Any topics you want me to focus on or write more?
I would love to hear from you!
Tags: flu, seasonal flu, bird flu, H5N1, flu pandemic, emergency preparedness, public awareness, health
Other blogs in the Science and Health Channel have also posted their goals, vision and mission for their own blogs. Do check them out at Lively Women.
