Pandemics
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This article is part of the Pharma_Portal project of Spinwatch. |
Beginning in the 1980s, there have been regular predictions from the scientific community, governments, and the media about imminent or occurring pandemics (a pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through human populations across a large region). Reports in the media focus on raising alarm over the alleged seriousness of the disease concerned and predict high numbers of deaths.
It is instructive to look back over the history of these modern pandemics and see how many of these predictions have been borne out, and to what extent.
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Heterosexual AIDS epidemic
Predictions: In 1987, a report in the New York Times announced, "AIDS May Dwarf the Plague". US News declared "the disease of them [homosexuals] suddenly is the disease of us [heterosexuals]". Oprah Winfrey stated on her TV show, "one out of five heterosexuals will be dead of AIDS by 1990" (that's about 50 million people). US health Secretary Otis Bowen said AIDS could make the Black Death seem "pale by comparison." [1]
Reality: In 2008 the World Health Organization declared the heterosexual AIDS epidemic over.[2]
Affiliations
PR and lobbying companies
Patient groups, NGOs
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Resources
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Notes
- ↑ Medical correctness (New figures on AIDS cases reveals there is no epidemic), National Review, Mar 15, 1993, subscription req'd to access full article, accessed 7 Aug 2009
- ↑ Laurance, Jeremy, "Threat of world AIDS pandemic among heterosexuals is over, report admits", Independent on Sunday, 8 June 2008
