UK and U.S. on guard for swine flu (barely)

Swine flu? Nothing to worry about...

This surprisingly lax message greeted me on both ends of a recent trip to London. While nobody stated that swine flu (H1N1) is a minor concern, the dearth of signage and other flu-fighting precautions in both the Heathrow and LAX airports suggested nonchalance. This casual approach contrasts with treatment of international travelers in other airports and seems a mistake just before flu season during the ongoing pandemic.

The trip to London was my first outside the U.S. following the WHO's June 11 pandemic declaration. After reading about intense screening precautions for international travelers following the announcement I nervously anticipated careful once-overs (or twice-overs) by officials in haz-mat suits. A friend's story about his recent trip to Korea and Japan added to my apprehension. He noticed that, "you have to fill out a health questionnaire and pass by a thermal imaging camera (to see if you're exhibiting fever) before going through passport control." He also mentioned receiving a scare when Korean health officials detained him after initial test showed positive for swine flu. With worries of airport quarantine in mind I packed a toothbrush and an extra pair of underwear in my carry-on.

My precautions ultimately proved unnecessary. Despite wandering through Heathrow's terminals for some time during my first visit to the maze-like London airport, I failed to notice any significant swine flu precautions. This became even more surprising after I exited the airport and found that the city's public health officials seem to have warnings for almost everything else. A similarly indifferent approach greeted my return to LAX. I noticed a few almost unreadable signs posted in low-traffic areas of the customs clearance area and almost ran over the single, hidden hand sanitizer dispenser with my luggage trolley.

This lax approach to swine flu in the UK and U.S. is worrisome. Although the good people at Wikipedia point out that swine flu mortality is comparable to other forms of influenza, global health officers remain worried about an uncontrollable outbreak during the upcoming flu season. American health leaders for example wonder what early signs that swine flu takes a higher toll on chronically ill children might foretell. I can't predict the future but I would rather err on the side of caution. Korean and Japanese health officials seem to share this mentality, why not their counterparts in England and the United States?

Photo credit: blog.nj.com