Avian Flu Pandemic: Blogging from the Front Lines (Repost)

10 birds have been found dead of avian flu here in Denmark in the last week.  The Avian Flu story has been around so long, that I suspect many of us have started to tune it out. I know I have.

But that's exactly what we mustn't do if we are to make sure our governments are prepared if the flu mutates so that is easily transmitted to humans.

Below is a repost of a blog entry I made May 28, 2005.

May 28, 2005

Avian Flu Pandemic: Blogging From the Front Lines

"President George Bush has just addressed the press in the East Room of the White House. Here's the transcript: "At this hour, the World Health Organization has declared a full-scale pandemic influenza alert, with person-to-person spread lasting more than two weeks in Cambodia and Vietnam. During previous influenza pandemics in the United States, large numbers of people were ill, sought medical care, were hospitalized and died. On my orders, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services have today implemented the nation's draft Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan. It will serve as our road map, on how we as a nation, and as a member of the global health community, respond to the pandemic. We are ready. Thank you, and may God bless America."

So begins the first entry of a fictional blog in this week's issue of Nature. This is the first instance I've seen of using blog format to tell a story (though the estimable Samuel Pepys Diary Blog is a variation), but surely not the last. In fact, I suspect it will become a cliché within months.

Other examples, anyone?

Update: A discussion of if it was anti-American to start with the Bush quote over at Lanuage Log.

Posted by Allan Jenkins at 08:09am in Bloggers, Denmark, Fiction, Healthcare | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (3)

Avian Flu Pandemic: Blogging From the Front Lines

"President George Bush has just addressed the press in the East Room of the White House. Here's the transcript: "At this hour, the World Health Organization has declared a full-scale pandemic influenza alert, with person-to-person spread lasting more than two weeks in Cambodia and Vietnam. During previous influenza pandemics in the United States, large numbers of people were ill, sought medical care, were hospitalized and died. On my orders, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services have today implemented the nation's draft Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan. It will serve as our road map, on how we as a nation, and as a member of the global health community, respond to the pandemic. We are ready. Thank you, and may God bless America."

So begins the first entry of a fictional blog in this week's issue of Nature. This is the first instance I've seen of using blog format to tell a story (though the estimable Samuel Pepys Diary Blog is a variation), but surely not the last. In fact, I suspect it will become a cliché within months.

Other examples, anyone?

Update: A discussion of if it was anti-American to start with the Bush quote over at Lanuage Log.

Posted by Allan Jenkins at 07:49am in Bloggers, Fiction, Healthcare | Permalink | Comments Welcome! (0) | TrackBack (0)