I'm concerned about the H1N1 flu.

Maybe it's because my job – ensuring that people withchronic and progressive diseases receive nutritious food – makes me sentient ofissues that could affect those with compromised immune systems. Or maybe it'sbecause in my decades-long involvement with HIV/AIDS I have seen how complacencycompounds a public health crisis. No matter the reason, I see this off-seasonoutbreak of influenza as similar to a test of the Emergency Alert System whichexists to inform the public of approaching bad weather or national emergencies.It's an advance warming of something we should be aware of.

As a lay person, I don't understand the science of influenza,but I do believe that when the World Health Organization (WHO) declares aglobal pandemic, as they did with H1N1 on June 11 – the first flu pandemic tobe declared in 41 years – we need to pay attention. Although the word"pandemic" indicates the global spread and not the severity of the disease, themild nature of this flu (for most people) is no reason to take the WHO'sdeclaration lightly.

In the past week, the number of confirmed cases of H1N1 in Minnesotahas doubled. This at a time of year – as Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of theCenter for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University ofMinnesota, reminds us – that we should not be seeing any cases of flu. Thepossibility that the flu we are seeing now could strengthen into a morevirulent flu later in the year is what I find troubling. But even this is lessworrisome than the complacent and sometimes cavalier attitude that someindividuals are expressing about H1N1

There are those who seem to believe that a return of adeadly influenza like the Spanish flu of 1918 that killed between 20 and 50million people will never again happen. I would remind these naysayers that atthe start of what has become the AIDS pandemic few people predicted that 25million people would already have died from the disease and another 33 millionwould be living with HIV. Although these two pandemics – HIV/AIDS and H1N1 –are entirely different, it is in all of our best interests to address publichealth issues sooner, rather than later.

Now is the time for governments and pharmaceutical companiesto be producing vaccines and developing plans for the containment of awidespread flu. Now is the time for individuals to commit to following basichealth precautions such as covering coughs, staying home when sick, and seeinga doctor if exhibiting symptoms of H1N1 (fever of 100.4 or higher with a coughor sore throat, combined with a health condition such as asthma or pregnancy).And it's not too early to be planning for flu season this fall. (Here's aresource to get started: http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html.)

Summer is when Minnesotans pay attention to the EmergencyAlert System for advance notice of potential tornados. If we can be prepared totake cover on a moment's notice during tornado season; we can use the next fewmonths to become better prepared to deal with a more serious and widespread fluthis fall and winter.