Do you take heads or tails with the H1N1 pandemic?
The World Health Organization’s pandemic flu alert is very much like the homeland security threat level: At what point does everyone become desensitized to what the legitimate risk potential might be at any given moment?
I understand from an intellectual standpoint that the poop could really hit the rotating blades come the fall with H1N1, but will people have become so sick of hearing about it that they can’t ramp up any further? Ennui is the most powerful force in human nature sometimes.
Panic does not help this moving forward, but neither does indifference. And in this case, I suspect that they are two sides of the H1N1 coin.
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a consultant for The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro. He brings 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is contributing editor for Briefings on Hospital Safety. Contact Steve at 
