The public panic about swine flu is completely out of proportion to the threat involved. People don't seem to understand the concept of risk any more - either that or we have become so risk-averse as a society that we are not prepared to stomach even the slightest threat to our health.
I am not belittling the plight of those who have the illness in Mexico and have seen relatives die. But we have to remember this is a very small number so far. The illness has spread to others in a less virulent form and there have been no deaths outside the country. There must be many more diseases in Mexico that claim more victims.
For Brits to start talking about not travelling there or even suspending travel plans to the US is bonkers. The data shows that the risk of dying from swine flu is minuscule. Eight people are killed on the roads in the UK on average each day according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, but that doesn't stop people from driving or crossing the road. Far from it.
It is yet another sign of the lack of understanding of statistics in public life. I am always amazed at the outcry over rail or air safety when so few people die in accidents associated with either form of transport. And yet as a society we are prepared to tolerate thousands of road deaths without making any fuss at all and even resisting the lowering of the speed limit or the introduction of speed cameras which reduce that risk.
OK, I know I am laying myself open to fomenting the spread of a pandemic. But we have to get these things in proportion. People need to weigh up the probabilities and make decisions for themselves. You are probably more likely to be hit by a UFO than to get swine flu.
DATA: swine flu cases, country by country
DATA: swine flu cases, country by country (use this if you already have a GoogleDocs account)
INTERACTIVE: guide to the swine flu spread
• Can you do something with this data? Please post us your visualisations and mash-ups below or mail us at datastore@theguardian.com
