NIAID Director Anthony Fauci: How Should We Communicate About Crises?

Source: Armstrong Economics

The news capitalizes off of spreading fear -- which gathers 'eyeballs' and clicks.  A few years ago, Author David Altheide wrote a book titled "Creating Fear" - about the news and the control which is created by the atmosphere of fear surrounding society.  With that being known, how does the public receive a 'fear' or 'crisis'?  What is the correct course of action (for the public) given that the media (news) organizations are living off of perpetuating the notion of 'fear' or 'crisis'?  These are all credible questions.


There are more than a single side to each issue.  In the current issue of perpetuating "fear" or "crisis," those in positions (government, state, and local officials) can actually make a large difference by being more open and transparent into the state of a situation.  An 'disease' or 'outbreak' is a perfect example to use as shown below.  A few years ago, Director Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) wrote a short piece 'Op-Ed' titled : Zika and Beyond: Communicating about Crises  for the NIH website.  The piece is shown below in full:

During the Ebola outbreak, we admitted two patients infected with the virus to the NIH Clinical Center. People would ask me, “My goodness, are you putting us at great risk?” So I would ask them, “How did you get to work this morning?” They would answer by saying something to the effect of, “Well, I got on the Beltway and drove to the NIH.” This is a high-speed road that encircles Washington, DC, and carries more than 200,000 vehicles per day. I would point out, “Well, your commute posed a greater risk to you than an Ebola patient at the Clinical Center.”

We live in a world where we take risks every day. When you have been taking a risk every day, for the last 20 or 30 years, you may be fully aware of the risk, but you have learned to live with it and it does not bother you.

However, it is very interesting to me how people react when they are confronted with a new risk. When a new risk emerges, especially if it is highly publicized, people often start to consider the new risk to be more significant than others that, in reality, pose a greater threat. This is human nature. We saw it with Ebola, we saw it here in Washington, D.C., with the anthrax attacks, and we are starting to see it now with Zika.

Zika virus is not actually new. It was first recognized in 1947 in a monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda. It was not known to infect humans until 1952, and it stayed under the radar screen for a long time. That was understandable. The virus circulated relatively unnoticed in areas of Africa and Southeast Asia until 2007, when it caused an outbreak on the Yap Islands in Micronesia. In 2013, the virus caused a much larger outbreak in French Polynesia. Despite this spread, few people paid much attention to the virus because the disease it caused was thought to be mild.

Now, of course, the situation has changed. The current outbreak that started in Brazil last year has provided new evidence that Zika virus can also cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers. Zika virus also has now been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Now, Zika has our attention.

Many people are now hearing or reading that Zika is in their state. By the end of April, the CDC had identified Zika cases in 43 states. Some people are starting to ask whether they should travel to certain states that have reported cases of Zika. In that regard, it is important to note that none of these infections was acquired locally through infected mosquitoes.* So far, all of these cases have been acquired through travel (or sexual contact with someone who has traveled) to countries or territories where Zika is circulating locally.

While we have not yet seen locally acquired cases of Zika in the continental United States, this almost certainly will occur. It is unlikely that these locally acquired cases will become sustained and widespread. However, we must be prepared to deal with them. Certainly, there is no reason to panic. We are going to have to do a lot to educate the public about what the risk is and what the risk is not, and to help people keep the risk in perspective. We should all recall what happened in the United States not so long ago, when an individual came from Liberia and was hospitalized with Ebola in Texas, and then two nurses became infected when caring for him. This sad situation sparked a panic that there was going to be a major outbreak of Ebola in the United States. In reality, there was virtually no chance that would happen.

As concerning as the Zika virus is, we must remember and remind people that it is just the latest disease in a perpetual series of emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. The timeless threat of new diseases—or old diseases that start to appear in new places or new ways—is now amplified by factors such as urban crowding, international travel, and other human behaviors.

An evolving situation such as the current Zika outbreak, in which there are still unknowns, will create a lot of concern and even panic on the part of some people. We in the public health sector must be crystal clear in articulating exactly what we know and what we still need to know about the threat, and in helping people understand how this new risk compares to risks they willingly assume every day. With that perspective, people will be better able to understand what rational steps they can take to protect themselves.

For more information about Zika Virus, please visit: http://syndication.nih.gov/zika.htm


As I mentioned above, there are more than a single side to every story.  Further, in the introductory paragraph, I asked the question regarding what the public could do to receive a 'fear' or 'crisis' story.  Yes, I am asking what the responsibility is of the public.  That might seem counter intuitive to the normal flow of information.  Although, to a sizable percentage of the U.S. citizens, the question is not out of the ordinary.



We, as Americans need to to change -- when reading or hearing news from either media organizations or government (including state, regional, and local) -- the way that the news permeates our minds and further travels into our lives.  Fact checking on all of our parts could clarify a large amount of controversy and lead to less emotion and more logical conclusions.  Last but not least, reading can serve as a wonderful conduit through which to educate ourselves about issues.  Too few of us read.  Which is concerning.  I understand that not all of American citizens' are 'readers', but reading different forms of news could help clarify misunderstandings.  Additionally, coherent discussions can go a long way to resolve differences.  Mediation is an important field which is fueled by our inability to sit or stand in each others' presence and have coherent discussions.



Regardless of where any one of us stand on an issue, each of us could be served well to put 'crisis' or 'fear' in society into perspective.  In the future, watch to see how these organizations create 'fear' or 'crisis' and come up with your own solutions.  Feel free to share those solutions below.  Have a great day!





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What Happened To Being Yourself Instead Of Ivanka Trump?

Living just outside Los Angeles (California), I am well aware of the cost of image.  Hollywood is adjacent to my community and I get a full 'whiff' of the need to conform to an unattainable image.  Furthermore, a majority of residents in my city drive to the mall just over a mile away (sometimes just a block away).  I ride my bicycle to the train station and take the train to work.  This lifestyle is counter intuitive to the majority of residents surrounding me.  Enough said.



What ever happened to being yourself?



In the brief post below, I talk about one of the most strangest revelations of the current election cycle.  The revelation revolves around a growing trend of women seeking out to look like one of the Presidential Candidate's Daughter.  A few women have been spending quite a bit of money to look like Ivanka Trump.  First, I will start with an experience close to home and then move onto Ivanka.

Face Lift?

I use the scientific term "against entropy" for a good reason.  Over the course of our lives, the shape of the human face becomes round.  For this reason, many people consult a plastic surgeon to alter the shape for a few years at most.



How do I know this?


A few years ago, my mother decided to get a face lift.  All of her life, she has wanted to get a face lift to remove the "turkey neck" -- the excess skin underneath a person's neck along with the sagging skin in her cheeks.  At least that is the reasoning that she gave me to have the procedure done.  On top of these reasons, my parents are divorced and both happily remarried.  My father is a surgeon -- who is very opposed to cosmetic surgery -- unless certain circumstances arise (burn victim, disfigurement, etc.).  Given his opinion on the matter, I could see why she had never had the procedure done before.



Upon getting the procedure done, there is a process of healing from having the muscles cut and stretched to be sewn back together.  The healing process requires lots of rest and recovery checkups with the plastic surgeon to ensure the healing process is going well.  Watching my mother go through this process left a sour taste in my mouth toward the procedure.   Overall, the process appears to be extremely painful for results that are eventually going to be reversed.  What?



Yes, eventually, the process will be reversed.  On top of the direction of aging dictated by the genes that each of us are given, I mentioned that each of our faces turn round -- as we age.  Remember, the first paragraph?  Therefore, the process is not good forever.  That is why plastic surgeons are wealthy on top of first time clients.   The length of time is years in between though -- not to worry.



Ironically, before finishing up this section, I must tell a short story.  During one of the follow-up check ups with my mother's plastic surgeon, I learned quite a bit.  First, that as we age our faces turn round.  Second, that my mother's plastic surgeon was trained by my father -- what?  Yes, after my mother's check up was finished, the physician, Dr. Robert Hardesty asked me how my father was doing?  I was taken back.



Turns out that my father trained him how to operate to perfection while working at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Loma Linda, California.  That was the reason why my mother trusted him so much.  He was trained by the best.  I guess he went onto do what my father did not want to do.  A year after my mother's surgery, I was engaged and had an engagement party.  Time had past since my parents divorce.  The party was at my mother's house.



Late to arrive as usual, my father greeted my mother -- but before my mother said to him "Hello, I am Mike's Mother, How do you know Mike?"  He replied, "Hello, I am Mike's father..." and suddenly, they both broke into laughter -- embarrassing to say the least.  My father had gained a few pounds along with obtaining a "rounded face" while my mother had had the "face lift".  They were married for 25 years before divorcing.



What does this have to do with women seeking to look like Ivanka Trump?



Hang on, I am getting to that part of the post.

I Want To Look Like Ivanka Trump!

Out of all of the outrageous news bites that have surfaced during this current election cycle, none is more strange than the following piece of news.  In a recent video, I found while surfing social media, a story on the YouTube channel for 'ABC News' titled "Women Get Surgery To Look Like Ivanka Trump" -- introducing the new trend of a few women seeking to look like Ivanka Trump.  Here is the video below (which is less than 7 minutes in length and definitely worth watching):

While watching the video in amazement, I am dumbfounded that the look these women are seeking is of Donald Trump's daughter.  She has a "rounded face" which is one of the most sought after 'attributes' after her breasts and lips.  Amazing.  If that is what makes them happy then so be it.



Why can't we be happy with ourselves?


Our genes are programmed to deliver what our ancestors had?


These are your origins?


Would you want to look like someone else's daughter?



Strange to say the least.  In fact, each of the women above will have the same features as Ivanka in a few years as they age -- according the advice from my mother's plastic surgeon.  Why speed up the process? 



I am amazed at the length that a person will go to seek the approval and looks of another person.  After seeing the video, I thought of another amazing story of a husband who sued his wife for $100,000 dollars for deceiving him and having ugly children.  What?  Yes, you heard it correctly.  The man then filed for divorce and won everything after the wife admitted to undergoing over a $120,000 worth of plastic surgery.  Here is the video below:

What a terrible man he is.  Although, one must ask themselves if they would have been honest with their husband in the same situation.



Should a male or female feel compelled to reveal any plastic surgery done prior to marriage?



One would think that each of them would have seen childhood pictures or high school pictures prior to marriage.  Maybe not.  Maybe they just rushed into marriage without inquiry.  Who knows?  Strange, isn't it?

Conclusion...

What can be learned from the stories so far?



How about following the advice of my father (a surgeon who trained a plastic surgeon):



Just be yourself and let your genes lead you to a happy life!



Being yourself will be cheaper, last longer because you are not fighting your genetic code and more refreshing.  Why?  Because being yourself is like being no other person.  You are unique -- promise!



Until next time, Have a great day!