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The mortality rate is only part of the issue, how easily it can spread is the main one; if an infected person sneezes in some very stupid place at a train station then thousands of people can easily get affected. These thousands can then easily transfer it to thousands more, and by that time it's out of control and millions could have died. That's the reason why this isn't 'better' than either Ebola or cancer."
Ebola happen to be one of the deadliest deaseses known to man, if not the deadliest. And to die of it... I rather die of swine flue, to be honest. Would save me a lot of pain.
If I get infected by swine flu there is a very small risk that I die and a very large risk that I survive, and that is what matters. What you are talking about is a mass effect, basically if you take any deases one can die from (no matter how low mortality rate) and infect enough people, a lot of people will die. That does not make getting infected more lethal, it makes so more people are among the unfortunate few to belong to the group that does not survive. Which is why I do not fear swine flu, even if I get infected I will have all odds to survive.
If it becomes a pandemic, then of course we should fight it and all, just like one should fight all deaseses like that (or that has the potential to become that). But it is not something to fear.
Besides, I heard someone on the radio. She worked with things like this, and said she was amazed by our reaction to swine flu, because in her opinion it means we are ready to deal with it (and then I do not mean the media, I mean the people that deal with sickesses and epedemics). Ok, I know that I have not seen any proof that she is right, but I haven´t seen any proof of the oposite either. Do not trust the media, it has been wrong too many times about these things for that.
There is no greater virtue, then the ability to face oneself.
