Now that Obama has left the country, I can get back to my other Egyptian media obsession: the swine flu hysteria. About two weeks ago the Egyptian Health Ministry proudly announced that all of the pigs in Cairo had been slaughter ahead of schedule. Much local and international media attention was given to the completely unnecessary and ill-advised pig slaughter. It turned into a fiasco. For weeks we saw new reports of the slaughter and the protests by farmers and animal rights activists on the front page of all of our papers. It was supposed to be done by veterinarians and the farmers were supposed to be reimbursed for their losses and able to sell the pork meat. There were some reports of farmers being paid a small amount, but then others retorted, if they could sell the meat they shouldn’t be paid twice. In the end, we saw appalling video on youtube and news stations of pigs being corralled into dump trucks and massive graves and being buried alive. It was horrendous. Eventually, even the Muslim clerics, who despise pigs as unclean animals, spoke out against the unholy way the poor beasts were being slaughtered.
Of the few restaurants in town that served pork products, almost all have taken it off the menu. Despite the fact that all international health organizations say cooked pork is perfectly safe. I have also heard rumors that restaurants will be fined if they are caught serving pork. How can a farmer sell the pork if the restaurants aren’t allowed to serve it?!?!
At the same time, there was a newspaper article educating consumers about how to tell the difference between pork and other meat products to address the fears that butchers or restaurants might be trying to trick you into eating the unsafe and unclean pork, supposedly to save money.
It’s a moot point now however as there is no pork meat available, anyway. It was all buried alive you morons.
There seems to be no end to the insanity!
Unfortunately it goes on. We hear news reports about all the safety measures that the Egyptian airport security is undertaking to keep swine flu out of the country, and to keep us all safe. Stories of the masked and gloved health workers standing next to unmasked ungloved immigration officers abound. All passengers from countries with confirmed cases of swine flu are subject to health screenings. Who could ever keep that list straight and up-to-date? We hear reports of disposable thermometers being re-used on multiple people at airport check points; and thermal-image scanning employed to detect anyone who may have a fever. Passengers with a Mexican visa stamp were to be detained without question.
Of the few restaurants in town that served pork products, almost all have taken it off the menu. Despite the fact that all international health organizations say cooked pork is perfectly safe. I have also heard rumors that restaurants will be fined if they are caught serving pork. How can a farmer sell the pork if the restaurants aren’t allowed to serve it?!?!
At the same time, there was a newspaper article educating consumers about how to tell the difference between pork and other meat products to address the fears that butchers or restaurants might be trying to trick you into eating the unsafe and unclean pork, supposedly to save money.
It’s a moot point now however as there is no pork meat available, anyway. It was all buried alive you morons.
There seems to be no end to the insanity!
Unfortunately it goes on. We hear news reports about all the safety measures that the Egyptian airport security is undertaking to keep swine flu out of the country, and to keep us all safe. Stories of the masked and gloved health workers standing next to unmasked ungloved immigration officers abound. All passengers from countries with confirmed cases of swine flu are subject to health screenings. Who could ever keep that list straight and up-to-date? We hear reports of disposable thermometers being re-used on multiple people at airport check points; and thermal-image scanning employed to detect anyone who may have a fever. Passengers with a Mexican visa stamp were to be detained without question.
It gets worse! There were newspaper story of a British family (husband, pregnant wife and four young children ages 2 – 8 yrs) being ushered out of the airport by gunpoint – yes I said gunpoint – and quarantined in one hospital room for 48 hours as they were all tested and then cleared for swine flu. This family was singled out because they had been in Mexico six months ago. I have read at least three other horrendous stories just like this, tourists or business people being escorted out of the airport by armed guards because they are suspected to have the flu.
The whole thing is a bit of over kill in humble my opinion. I am not trying to minimize the swine flu at all. Really I am not. But by all accounts it is just the flu for most people. Yes, I know lots of people have died from this flu worldwide. And Massachusetts has been hit hard with several school closing and lots of fear. However, all the world health experts advise if people just used common and universal health precautions (like washing hands regularly, etc) you greatly reduce your risk.
Despite all of Egypt’s efforts including the thermal imaging and masks and gloves at the airport and the extermination of pigs, it looks like the virus has entered the cityanyway.
Egypt has finally admitted they have identified their first cases of swine flu in the country. (I personally believe there were more and earlier cases of swine flu due to the fact that newspapers were increasingly reporting new cases of bird flu in the Egyptian countryside. But that’s my own conspiracy theory. Let’s get back to “facts” as reported in the local newspapers.)
Blame the Americans!
No, they did not accuse Obama of bringing the swine flu. But the day before he arrived they identified the first case of the flu in a young Egyptian-American child who had just returned from a vacation in America. And just today, two American college students at AUC were diagnosed and the whole dorm of 140 students has been quarantined.
I truly fear what will come next in this country regarding this flu outbreak. Good thing I am leaving in 20 days.
Blame the Americans!
No, they did not accuse Obama of bringing the swine flu. But the day before he arrived they identified the first case of the flu in a young Egyptian-American child who had just returned from a vacation in America. And just today, two American college students at AUC were diagnosed and the whole dorm of 140 students has been quarantined.
I truly fear what will come next in this country regarding this flu outbreak. Good thing I am leaving in 20 days.
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