WHO warns of flu pandemic

It’s supposed to happen anywhere from next week to the next few years. And it will originate in Asia, as a mutant strain of bird flu that has found a way to be transmitted from human to human. Because it will be an entirely new strain, our immune systems won’t know how to fight it. Add to that the unlikely chance of a vaccine being discovered before March 2005, up to seven million people will die as a result, regardless of gender, race and age.

Great! As if it’s not enough that I am sitting on earthquake central, there is now another way for me to die young and childless. Ok, I was going to choose to die childless anyway, but not before I have finished doing everything on my mental “Things that I must do before I die” list. You think I can make it to Angkor Wat before the bird flue breaks out in Cambodia?

Sometimes don’t you just feel so small and helpless in the bigger scheme of things? I am not one to panic in situations where I have absolutely no control. I figure, what’s the use? What will happen, will happen, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it. I am, however, extremely annoyed at how these things affect our lives. Call me selfish for only focusing on petty things, but I don’t like it when I have to change travel plans to avoid certain areas or modify my lifestyle to cut out the so-called high-risk behavior such as eating out at a restaurant.
I hope WHO overestimated the severity of the situation, or someone made a mistake calculating the casualties. However, deep down I know it’s just my wishful thinking. I guess the only rational thing to do is to enjoy life to its fullest while it lasts, which I should do, by quitting my job first.