U.S. Poll Shows Concern About Bird Flu

[ricardo]

U.S. Poll Shows Concern About Bird Flu

 

Feb. 23, 2006 -- A new poll shows that more than half of U.S. adults are concerned that bird flu might spread in the U.S.

 

However, most said they were "somewhat" concerned. Only 15% said they were "very" concerned about bird flu spreading in the U.S.

 

In addition, most people (78%) said they were "not concerned" that they or anyone in their immediate family would come down with bird flu in the next year.

 

The poll comes from the Harvard School of Public Health Project on the Public and Biological Security. More 1,000 adults participated in the poll, which was done by telephone in January 2006.

 

Global Concerns, Public's Predictions

 

Among the poll's findings:

 

62% were concerned about a bird flu pandemic (a severe outbreak in many countries at the same time).

 

69% knew that there had been human cases of bird flu in Asia.

 

15% incorrectly thought that people in the U.S. had come down with bird flu.

 

Several questions asked about the possibility of bird flu coming to the U.S. in the next year. Here are participants' responses:

 

59% thought that wild birds in the U.S. would get bird flu in the next year.

 

44% thought that chicken or other farm-raised U.S. poultry would get bird flu in the next year.

 

34% thought that people in the U.S. would get bird flu in the next year.

 

What Would You Do?

 

The poll also asked people how they would respond if bird flu came to the U.S.

 

Nearly half (46%) said that if there was a case of bird flu among U.S. chicken or other poultry, they would stop eating that type of poultry. However, bird flubird flu hasn't been linked to poultry that's been properly handled or thoroughly cooked.

 

If there was a human case of bird flu in their state, participants said they would:

 

Wash their hands more often (90%)

Talk with their doctor about bird flu (84%)

Consult a web site for information on protecting themselves from bird flu (79%)

Reduce or avoid travel (75%)

Avoid public events or events with lots of people (71%)

Stay home and keep their kids home during the outbreak (68%)

Try to get a prescription for the flu drug Tamiflu or other antiviral drugs (68%)

Most people (96%) said they hadn't talked to their doctor about using Tamiflu or other antiviral drugs to treat bird flu.

 

The poll shows that most people would be willing to wait behind certain groups for Tamiflu and other antiviral drugs if there weren't enough doses during a major outbreak of bird flu in the U.S.

 

80% said they would be willing to wait until doctors and nurses had gotten the drugs.

81% said they would be willing to wait until patients hospitalized with the flu had gotten the drugs.

74% said they would be willing to wait until police and firefighters had gotten the drugs.

 

Two-thirds said that if there was an outbreak of bird flu in several countries and supplies of Tamiflu and other antiviral drugs were limited, the U.S. should share some of its supply.

 

The poll shows strong support for quarantining people with bird flu. Quarantines were defined as being ordered by health officials to stay at home, away from other people, for two or three weeks.

 

78% said that they thought people with bird flu should be quarantined.

Almost all (96%) said they would be willing to be quarantined if they had bird flu.

Most (83%) also said they would agree to be quarantined if they had been near someone with bird flu but didn't yet have any symptoms.

 

However, many participants had concerns about how bird flu would affect their jobs.

 

Of the 649 participants who were employed, nearly 60% were concerned that they wouldn't get paid if they had to stay away from work during a bird flu outbreak in their state. Almost 40% were concerned that their employers would make them go to work even if they were sick and there was an outbreak of bird flu in their state.

 

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/119/1...tm?pagenumber=2

 

[gardnmom]

At least a lot of them are aware there could be a problem, unfortunately that won't help them with the water, food, and meds that they need and won't be available to them.

[MoonGoddess]

 

Quote: More (than) 1,000 adults participated in the poll...

Quote: Of the 649 participants who were employed....

 

In an instant poll done by UKGUY during his lunch break, where he pulled figures out of a hat until they looked right, it was conclusive proof that unemployment in America is off the scale.

 

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There are three types of people who take part in polls - those who can count, and those who can't.