Swine flu medics in dash to dead victim's WA township
AN emergency medical response crew is rushing to the isolated WA indigenous community that was home to the first swine flu sufferer to die in Australia.
The team will land at Kiwirrkurra, more than 600km west of Alice Springs in the Gibson Desert, as doctors and health services warn of the extra risk posed to indigenous communities by the virus.
Public health experts are worried that swine flu is likely to hit Aboriginal communities hard, because many people suffer health conditions that make them vulnerable to the virus.
There has been a lot of criticism here in Australia about the over-reaction to the Swine Flu pandemic. Although the influenza strain may well be "mild" in comparison to other strains of the flu, and indeed other conditions and diseases, it still poses a great risk.
It is new! There is little natural immunity. And, as has been seen here in Australia, poses a real health threat to some members of our community (the young, elderly, infirmed, respiratory illness sufferers etc).
An outbreak of H1N1 A in a remote indigenous community would be disastrous. How it got there, when, why - it really doesn't matter now. Protecting the people of that community and ensuring it doesn't spread is vital. I don't think we have seen the last death.
Whether or not you believe in this global pandemic, or its seriousness, is not the point now. I certainly hope that it doesn't get worse, particularly in these remote areas.
Sylvestor
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