Many American citizens are buying into the anthrax scare gripping the country - and by their reactions, they are only making it worse.
At present count, the number of Americans being urged by the government to take antibiotics to combat the deadly bacteria nears 10,000. Mostly, these were postal workers and government employees on Capitol Hill where the virus was recently discovered.
On top of this large and increasing figure, there are the unknown numbers of citizens across the country who have been obtaining anti-anthrax drugs such as Cipro and practicing self-medication.
Despite health officials’ urgings to exercise caution, private physicians have been handing out prescriptions for the drug, and some have even purchased it over the Internet. For some Americans, these antibiotics have become just another pill to pop. The side effects unfortunately, have had little bearing in persuading people.
On Thursday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to illustrate that inhaled anthrax - the most deadly form of the disease - is treatable with common antibiotics.
And the case with antibiotics is that strains of bacteria can, over time, develop immunities to a particular antibiotic after it’s been used heavily. If too many people use these antibiotics for no reason, then there is a chance - however remote, that we may not have any medical defenses when we truly need them.
Too many people are overreacting to the anthrax scares occurring throughout the country. While those on Capitol Hill and in the postal service have more of a reason to feel trepidation, others throughout the country need exercise nothing more than a little caution.
Since the mailed anthrax scares began appearing, only six cases of inhaled anthrax have been reported. There are 15 patients in Washington, D.C., with symptoms of the disease, and only a small number have been reported in New York City.
There may come a time when the general population may have to rely on antibiotics and other ways to prevent the spread of bioterrorism-wrought disease. House Democrats recently called for a $7 billion bioterrorism bill, which is designed to increase surveillance on public health and to create a national stockpile of vaccines and antibiotics. The money would also be spent on protecting our food and water supplies, improving mail technology and border law enforcement.
Only 1 percent of our imported food is inspected, according to Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a surgeon. And while he argues that we need to do more for prevention and preparedness, it’s still only a precaution.
These food inspections and crackdowns on border laws and health surveillance might be inconvenient. But they are only comparable to things such as longer lines at the airport - during a time of war, we are going to have to deal with things that might not be as convenient or welcome. Sacrifices will have to be made, and there will be no simple source of protection in a little pill.
Caution is always important, but it can also be taken too far. People should keep an eye on the mail and heed the warnings of government health officials. But there is no reason for any medication without proper diagnosis.
