麻豆传媒

Just do the swine flu tests

Doctors and flu scientists are saying what 麻豆传媒 revealed two weeks ago: swine flu could be spreading round Europe undetected because many ill people aren't being tested

GREEK doctors and flu scientists are saying what 麻豆传媒 revealed two weeks ago: swine flu could be spreading round Europe undetected because people without known links to flu aren鈥檛 being tested (see 鈥淓urope should test more broadly for swine flu鈥).

Maybe countries worry that if they test, they鈥檒l be forced to use precious antiviral medicines on a mild strain. Maybe they just want this virus to spread quietly, so people will become immune to its successors. Maybe a basic understanding of epidemiology is lacking, though that seems unlikely.

But we know one thing: the only item of faith you need in science is that it鈥檚 better to know than not to know. If Europe鈥檚 leaders want everyone鈥檚 trust 鈥 trust they will need if this virus really does go global 鈥 it should emulate Australia, and do the tests.

Topics: Epidemics / Swine flu