2009 15 Nov

Ukraine Closed Off Because Of Mysterious Illness

In Kiev, Ukraine a mysterious illness has torn the country apart. Officials say it is swine flu but intelligence claims it is more dangerous than Swine Flu. It has hit the population extremely hard. Some think that is closely resembles Typhus or the pneumonic plague. Thus, Ukraine has introduced the strictest actions in the world on Friday to try and fight and manage swine flu. There have been many deaths in the western section of the country.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has taken actions in order to try and control the epidemic. Travel limitations are in place along with prohibited public gatherings; school dismissals including university level for three weeks, along with movies closing after the Health Ministry confirmed an epidemic of the supposed H1N1 virus.

The ministry revealed that 71 people had died from the flu and respiratory infections. However, it isn’t clear how many deaths were a end result of the strange illness. Ukrainians have begun to panic and the government has tried to keep everybody calm. In Kiev, pharmacies shortly ran out of medications and face masks because of the large lines of people.

Supposedly many Ukrainians do not trust government authorities and try to look out for themselves. They don’t believe that they can rely on the country. This seems like a miracle because everyone nowadays at least in America relies heavily on the government. The spirit of individualism and responsibility for ones self is missing. It’s fortunate that these citizens are responsible for themselves, plus who can blame them for not trusting authorities, with the type of background and history they’ve had.

The country will be facing elections on January 17 but this far the flu epidemic has become a political game. The president and prime minister have already issued instructions to try and combat against the virus with masks and medications. Despite the actions taken, the virus continues to rage and more Ukrainians are dying by the day.

Everyone is wearing masks in Ukraine when they are in public. This even includes police officers making rounds on the streets. Not only are public servants wearing the masks, but also everyday civilians. In order to avoid the virus people are staying home and avoiding going out and being exposed but if they have to go out, they make sure they have masks on.

Due to the number of H1N1 cases in Ukraine and the amount of deaths, a team from the World Health Organization is set to arrive in Ukraine on Monday to assist the authorities. There are also many Ukrainians that are upset with the government’s earlier inaction and are calling for the health minister to step down.

In order to combat the swine flu Ukraine has implemented some of the strictest measures in the world. There have already been 53 deaths and rising fear of how much worse the outbreak and death tolls will climb.

Diane Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college degrees, Adult Education, and the college experience.