Should You Fear Swine Flu?

Sullenburger has been a pilot for U.S. Airways for almost 30 years. Before that he graduated from the Air Force Academy and was an Air Force Fighter Pilot. He also owns his own company Safety Reliability Methods to help train people in high risk professions

A few weeks back, Chesley B. Sullenburger III calmly landed a plane on the Hudson River after his aircraft developed a malfunction, due to a “bird strike”, shortly after take-off. The lives of 155 terrified passengers could not have been in better hands. Sullenburger had been a fighter pilot and, in addition to being a commercial aviator, he was president of a consulting firm that focused on “ultra-safe” flying. He had trained for this type landing while being shot at by enemy aircraft, at night,in a hail storm. This landing was a “routine” emergency landing; analogous to a ”heart attack” when I was an ER doc(My biggest challenge was navigating the hysteria that surrounds that situation). As we say in Texas “Not this cowboy’s first rodeo”.

“ Captain Sully” had no fear of the situation because he had planned himself for it and had taught others to do likewise. The passengers feared for their lives, but obviously, it was misplaced fear. Validated fear would have been if Captain Roby Mitchell had his hands on the wheel. I’ve flown planes and “flown” in simulators to the amusement of my pilot friends,but you don’t want me at the helm of an aircraft in an emergency. An emergency is no time to be learning the behaviors that lead to survival.

The present “crisis” is no exception. You have reason to be afraid if you are in the hands of those who have mismanaged healthcare. Physicians such as myself have no fear of swine flu because we have trained ourselves and taught others how to handle this “emergency”.

I had a patient in my office who had developed swine flu after being exposed by Mexican nationals at work. He was recovering, but still had a persistent cough. I went through my regular evaluation of him with no concern of contracting the virus myself. I did wash my hands afterwards,however,to keep from exposing the next patient. Swine flu is not my first rodeo. I show people how to develop an immune system strong enough to defeat cancer. This swine flu hysteria is laughable to me. More people die from bee stings.

Your innate immune system is more than capable of defending you from swine flu and most other viruses,even cancer. Many human immune systems successfully defend against HIV and the Ebola virus. Adopt the protocols I have outlined for boosting your immune system. Then,regardless of the type of seasonal virus making its rounds,you should have no fear.