Why We Aren’t Covering Swine Flu

If you’ve been paying attention to the world, by now it’s likely you’ve seen the outbreak and subsequent public hysteria surrounding Influenza A virus subtype H1N1—or, more commonly, swine flu. As readers of our fine hyperlocal blog, you’ve probably also noticed that we’ve been mysteriously quiet about the whole situation. While many traditional news agencies have published dozens of article about swine flu, we’ve only published one. And that article was called “No Confirmed Cases of Swine Flu in Louisiana” and it served only one purpose: to tell you not to panic.

And now, I just wanted to say that until there is a confirmed case of swine flu in Louisiana, you won’t here anything about it from us. Why? Because there’s really no reason to worry or panic until it actually gets here. You can see from the swine flu map that reported cases are still several hundred miles away from our state. Sure, there have been suspected cases of swine flu, but there haven’t been any reported cases yet. The Governor’s press conference yesterday confirmed that he and the DHH are taking preemptive measures to ensure the safety of the public, so the closing of schools has nothing to do with any outbreak. In fact, since the human flu is a derivative of the same strain and we are in flu season, it’s very likely that these suspected cases are just that—suspects.

I really don’t think it’s expedient towards any cause to bring more attention to a matter that’ll likely subside than is necessary. Of course, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be prepared—you most definitely should be. Furthermore, we will update when we actually receive news of a confirmed case. That is all.