Psychological Affects of Media Sensationalism of Public Health

Issues

By: Danny Gallegos

Agenda

• Introduction • Statement of Purpose• Hypothesis• Methods• Results• Discussion

To bring awareness to the public and health industry that media sensationalism of public health issues is harmful to the general public

Statement of purpose

Hypothesis

The psychological affects of media sensationalism of public health issues is more harmful than beneficial for the general public

Methods

• Observation• Literature Review

• SARS• H1N1 - Swine Flu• Influenza• Media Exposure• Vaccination response• Health industry products (facial masks, anti – bacterial products)

GLOBAL SARS OUTBREAK, 2003

November 2002 through July 2003, a total of 8,098 worldwide cases of SARS according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

774 died.

By late July 2003, no new cases were being reported, and WHO declared the global outbreak to be over.

In the United States, only eight cases confirmed as SARS . There were no SARS-related deaths in the United States. All eight persons had traveled to areas where SARS-CoV transmission was occurring.

Center for Disease Control, 2004

Health Statistics > SARS fatalities (most recent) by country

VIEW DATA: Totals

Definition Source Printable version

Bar Graph Map Correlations Showing latest available data. Rank Countries Amount

# 1 China: 349

# 2 Hong Kong: 299

# 3 Canada: 43

# 4 Taiwan: 37

# 5 Singapore: 33

# 6 Vietnam: 5

= 7 Thailand: 2

= 7 Malaysia: 2

= 7 Philippines: 2

= 10 France: 1

= 10 South Africa: 1

= 12 Germany: 0

= 12 Switzerland: 0

= 12 Indonesia: 0

= 12 United States: 0

Weighted average: 26.7

DEFINITION: Number of deaths SOURCE: WHO, SARS Summary

Search » Health

ICU casesand Deaths  Deaths

 2100  592

Reported ICU and Fatal Cases of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Infections in California (as of July 31, 2010)

2009 California Population 38,000,000 est.

.000015 percent of California population died from H1N1

Influenza

• U.S. – 25 - 50 million cases annually• U.S. – 30 – 40 million deaths annually• Worldwide – 1 billion cases annually• World Wide – 300,000 – 500,000 deaths

Flufacts.com

Profiting from pandemics

Birmingham, Alabama–based BioCryst, inhibitor peramivir, for influenza. 90% stock boost to $3.29 on April 27, after 1N1 influenza (swine flu) grabbed headlines.

Novavax stock dropped from $2 per share to around 85 cents in mid-April. But when swine flu became the topic of conversation, Novavax’s shares jumped more than 200% to $2.55 over two sessions.

Similarly, in 2005, when the flu was avian rather than swine, Novavax’s shares traded at less than a dollar for most of that summer. However, in the fall, when the company’s avian flu vaccine performed well in animal models, Novavax’s stock jumped to close as high as $5.53.

Nature Biotechnology

Anti Bacterial Products•Bath & Body Works. Sales of hand sanitizers

are up more than 50% at the chain, which sells more scented hand sanitizer than anyone else in the category, says Camille McDonald, president of brand development.•Justice. At many of its stores, the tween-targeting fashion retailer is selling mini hand sanitizers as impulse items next to the register.

USA Today

Results

•Unfounded fear and panic• Health industry market profits• Increase risk due to numbness, less Doctors visits, less vaccinations• Increased risk of high resistant bacterial strains, influenza is a virus

60 % of health professionals decline flu vaccinations

The New York Times

Discussion• Limitations – information is scattered and not readily available, possible from high profit pharmaceutical companies• No complete direct study of effects of media sensationalism of public health issues on general public• Begin general survey • Gather company specific financial information for related health products• Public needs to be educated and cautious of media sensationalism• Hand sanitizers, 99.9% bacteria killed, helps resistant bacteria• Better safe than sorry ?

Conclusion

The pandemic is the psychological affects of media sensationalism of public health issues on the general public