There have been many scares and events in the past decade that we have survived. In lieu of H1N1, lets look back at all the weird things we've gone through...
1. 9/11/2001 - The terrorist attacks
If there was any one event that shaped our lives in the past 10 years, it was 9/11. The shocking terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, Stonycreek and Flight 93 were a slap in the face to the US government and the world. I can tell you for one thing, 9/11 changed my life. Tight airport security, the Bush Administration, and Barack Obama probably wouldn't have happened without 9/11. So let's take something away from this decade, and make sure this never happens again.
2. HIV/AIDS - Human Immunodefiency Virus/Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome
AIDS, which stems from HIV is a disease spread through blood and as an STD. The disease really came into the spotlight in the 2000 decade, with Project (RED) and other organizations emerging with a global effort to fight AIDS. Currently one of the biggest worldwide killers, AIDS basically creates white blood cells that attacks your own immune system and make it possible to die from simple viruses like colds. AIDS is coming close to a cure though, so lets keep our finges crossed in 2010.
3. H1N1 - The Swine!
Its a worldwide phenomenon. Swine flu has taken the world by storm with 15 million cases in the US alone over the past 3 months. Although not virulent, H1N1 spreads like wildfire, and people are scared to death by it. Like the Henshaws in Texas, bus riders in Chile, and Egyptian pigs. And we're just getting started...
4. 12/20/2012 - Apocalypse?
Will the world end in 2012? Oh, paranoia crap. Absolutely not! The legend, apparently predetermined by the Mayans and the Hindus, was actually that 2012 would bring the end of anera. So what exactly is ending? Definitely not the world. Both cultures specifically say that a new era begins in 2012 as the old one ends. This apocalypse stuff is balderdash procured by uneducated British and European explorers unarchiving the remains of Hindu and Mayan spiritual and cultural artifacts. So rest assured, class of '12. You will go to college. (I hope)
5. Y2K - Year 2000 problem
We knew this decade was gonna be crazy when at the minute 2000 started, we had a problem. A large scale data informatics event was to occur right when the clocks turned 2000. All data systems were built to store info coded with 2 digits (94, 99, etc). Computer experts believed that when system clocks turned to 00 for 2000, all data would be wiped out. So at the turn of the millenium, data and computer experts around the world encoded new programs and saved our data. Whew!
6. HPAI - Avian/bird flu
While H1N1 is known to spread rapidly, bird flu was known for its virulence. 60% of the few bird flu cases became fatal. The disease basically starts as influenza then progresses to destroy the lungs and cause respiratory arrest, resulting in death. Although there were no confirmed cases of HPAI in the US, paranoia gripped the world after many human cases emerged in 2006. The first cases started in China as early as 1995, then spread to nearby East Asian countries. Birds, pigs, cows...thank god I'm vegetarian.
7. WNND - West Nile Virus
Mosquitos are everywhere. Mosquitos spread West Nile. So is West Nile everywhere? For the record, only the Asian Tiger Mosquito spreads the disease, and this type of mosquito is only found in Sub Saharan Africa and West Asia. However, its the migration that kills us. Mosquitos bite birds, which migrate. The virus starts undetectable, then becomes a strong fever, then becomes neuro-degenerative. But, only 1:110 infected people progress to the third stage. At one point, people were calling the CDC every time a dead bird appeared in their yard, for fear of a bird killed by West Nile!
8. BSE/vCJD - Mad Cow disease
Not virulent, not highly transmissible. But the nature of Mad Cow was just too scary and ugly to avoid. The disease (BSE), which spread mainly in the UK, degenerates the brains of cows, making them go "mad." It spread from unsanitary meat feed for the cows. The disease is highly unlikely to get to humans, but the fact that beef was such a large meat product and that the disease was so scary was enough to sell the paranoid American public. The disease in humans (vCJD) basically incubates for 4-5 years, then strikes and degenerates the spine and brain. Ugh.
Recently, yet another baseball player clouded with suspicion confirmed our greatest fears by admitting to steroid use. Yes, we all knew Mark McGwire was guilty, but its difficult to hear it from his own dejected mouth. Its so sad that baseball players go out in shame like this. Seriously? Are you too lazy to work out with the rest of the team? Not satisfied with 39 homers when your pal got 40? Greed is getting the better of these people and I am losing respect for the sport as a whole. I really feel that professional sports players that are unconfident about keeping up fitness should take some examples from us high school students. High school athletes are ripped and ready to play while balancing school, athletics, and even work. Granted, we have growth on our side, but for men who got into the majors because of their fitness should really be able to keep up fitness during team practices. They even have the advantage of trainers, private gyms, and team regiments to keep them up. And if this doesn't help, then you are obviously not fit for the MLB, so get out.