The title of a recently released CBS News article is "H1N! Flu Cases Rising; Now in 30 States". This is an alarming indicator.

The subtitle is "Officials Cautiously Optimistic Virus Isn't As Dangerous as First Feared; Mexican Official Says Flu Is In "Declining Phase". Here's a rare occurence: the title and subtitle contradict each other. The title suggests that the situation is getting worse: H1N1 flu is now "In 30 States". However, the subtitle says that "officials" are "Cautiously Optimistic". So which is true? Are these "Officials" 'cautious optimism' justified?

The first sentence of this article is "US health officials say (that) there are now 226 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States" and this is cause for alarm.

According to Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, "It's a rapidly evolving situation and it's still one that's cloaked in uncertainty. But each day we're getting more information...and we're starting to see encouraging signs". What "encouraging signs" are you seeing exactly Dr. Besser? OK, the cases SO FAR have been mild, but the number of infected people is increasing. That cannot be a positive development.

According to Al Lundeen, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health, "We've EXPECTED the numbers to go up ALL ALONG. SINCE WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY PURSUING SAMPLES, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THE NUMBERS WOULD INCREASE". Hang on, Mr. Lundeen. Just because you've been "pursuing samples" doesn't mean that you should EXPECT the rate or number of infections to increase. If we reword this statement, it seems like you want people to get sick, when in fact you are supposed to merely be keeping track of all the statistics involved in this evolving swine flu pandemic outbreak.

According to Dr. Tim Uyeki, anepidemiologist at the Centers For Disease Control & Prevention who has also worked on the SARS and H5N1 bird flu outbreaks, "Influenza is UNPREDICTABLE. There are so many UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. THIS IS A BRAND NEW VIRUS. THERE'S SO MUCH WE DON'T KNOW about the human infectious with this disease". Again, the word on the street as far as swine (H1N1) flu is concerned is: uncertainty or (perhaps more accurately) apprehension/fear.

Meanwhile, ordinary folks were clearly still edgy. According to Kevin Ireland, a 45-year-old on a business trip to India, "IT'S HIGHLY INCONVENIENT. That's what's affecting people BECAUSE IT TOOK US BY SURPRISE". No one expects to run smack into the middle of a pandemic and see pictures like the caption (i.e. people with their faces/smiles covered by surgical masks). It's 'surprising', frightening and annoying (if you happen to be someone in one of the hardest-hit areas locked/forced into house arrest, even though the person under house arrest may not have swine/H1N1 flu themselves).