Preparedness and a Flu Epidemic

RE: “Face Facts,” by Lawrence M. Wein (Op-Ed, Oct. 25)

To the Editor:

I strongly disagree with Lawrence M. Wein’s article.

First, there is no conclusive evidence that a human flu pandemic is looming. Pandemics don’t follow a timetable.

Waking society up to the long-term risks of flu pandemics means upgrading how vaccines are made using the latest technology, improving hospital surge capacity and potential responsiveness to any catastrophe, not just flu, and developing ways to preserve supply lines of staple products like food, energy and medications, which often come from overseas.

In the event of a mild flu pandemic, premature closings of schools and businesses may spread panic, whereas careful isolation of sick patients and their contacts can slow the spread.

Paper surgical masks have never been well studied against flu during pandemic conditions. N95 respirator masks, mentioned by Mr. Wein, are useful in the intensive-care setting to prevent spread of respiratory viruses, but this is a far cry from advocating their use in the general population, where they are not likely to be worn or used properly.

Paper surgical masks are much more likely to spread fear and alienate people from one another than to contain an emerging virus. This is the macabre scene we witnessed from afar with SARS.

Marc Siegel, M.D.
New York, Oct. 26, 2006

The writer, an internist and associate professor of medicine at N.Y.U. School of Medicine, is the author of a book about bird flu.

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Copyright © 1990-2007 Marc K. Siegel, M.D.