Kansai kids returning to school... H1N1 looks to jump the pond (Or: swine whine)

To get an understanding of why South Korean health officials are very nervous about the spread of H1N1 (aka swine flu), take a look across the East Pond of Japan to see what's happened there. Last Wednesday, when the total number of infected had reached 193, officials were claiming that the disease was starting to fade, according to the Japan Times.

It had mostly hit schools in the Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, where 4400 schools had closed to stop the spread of the virus. This week, most of those kids are going back to school, but they might be sent back home if more cases emerge. Meanwhile, the same Japan Times is reporting that the total confirmed cases numbers 346, about one-tenth of the Mexico outbreak. 

Take a look at a map of Korea. Look where Japan is. Woo... kinda scary. Now look at a map of Asiana or Korean Air routes to Japan. Even scarier. Korean carriers Asiana and KAL fly to more cities in Japan than they do in Korea. 

South Korea is on the verge of an H1N1 outbreak coming from Japan. In fact, among the Quarantine-51 arrestees detainees quarantined, it is believed they might have become infected in transit at Tokyo's Narita Airport. But the quarantine of these folks associated with actual cases of H1N1 infection are being seen by some as xenophobia. It's all about keeping down the English teachers, isn't it? 

We all know this is a bunch of overreaction, just an excuse to keep the Americans behind locked doors, right? H1N1 is nothing to worry about. After all, 98% of those infected in Mexico didn't die. I like those odds!

Yeah, I'm being sarcastic. As I've said before, this is another case of public health officials being called chicken little when they're successful. This is not the run-of-the-mill flu (which itself is deadly enough), even though most of those infected will have regular flu-like symptoms. This has a significantly higher death rate, and we may be just witnessing the first round. This is scary sh¡t indeed if we decide it's no big deal, so just shut the fu¢k up already. 

If you really have to whine, contact ATEK and see if they'll run another human rights abuse campaign.