Hysteria over swine flu is the real danger

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/03/swine.flu.react/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

And in world terms how does this compare to nuclear tests in North Korea?

I’ve often written about the need for InfoSec professionals to life their eyes from the technical aspects of this job and look at the sociological ones.

Technically – look at the numbers – your staff are more likely to be incapacitated through a road accident[1] or accident in the home than by H1N1. But the hysteria that seems to arise over this – just look at the news! – seems to be having more effect. Are people staying home?
Well hospitals are reporting that they are overwhelmed with worried people, but few actual cases.

Hysteria can be just as a damaging as a actual physical disasters.

Does your DRP have a section on dealing with absenteeism caused by media induced hysteria?

[1] http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/05/04/swine-flu-world-health119.html?ref=rss
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/04/28/bc-nurses-union-pandemic-concerns.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/04/28/health-canada-mexico865.html
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/04/28/transat.html