(UPDATED) An email sent out by a New Braunfels, Texas emergency room physician claiming that swine flu (H1N1 flu) is spreading faster than officials admit — allegedly infecting 10 to 25 times more people than reported in the media — has itself gone viral, causing recipients across the country to fear that the situation is much more dire than they'd been led to believe and that public health officials aren't telling the whole truth.
"It is hard to convey the seriousness of this," Dr. Marcus Gitterle warned in the message, parts of which he now says were anonymously altered or deleted during the course of its circulation. "Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will have to be carefully managed, as it is not enough to treat the likely number of infections when this is full-blown." He predicted hospitals could soon be "overwhelmed" and that President Obama would likely declare a national emergency within the next few days.
Gitterle's employer flatly disavowed the message in a statement to local officials, KSAT-TV News in San Antonio reported on Thursday. "Christus Santa Rosa hospital just called me to assure me that this doctor was not speaking for the hospital," local judge Danny Scheel was quoted as saying. "The hospital agrees fully with the recommendations made by the CDC and by our local health authorities." Scheel called Gitterle's claim of an impending shortage of the flu-fighting drug Tamiflu "exaggerated."
KSAT further reported that Gitterle "backtracked" on some of his original assertions in a subsequent blog posting stating that he doesn't believe the Health Department, the CDC, or the media misled the public.
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"It is hard to convey the seriousness of this," Dr. Marcus Gitterle warned in the message, parts of which he now says were anonymously altered or deleted during the course of its circulation. "Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will have to be carefully managed, as it is not enough to treat the likely number of infections when this is full-blown." He predicted hospitals could soon be "overwhelmed" and that President Obama would likely declare a national emergency within the next few days.
Gitterle's employer flatly disavowed the message in a statement to local officials, KSAT-TV News in San Antonio reported on Thursday. "Christus Santa Rosa hospital just called me to assure me that this doctor was not speaking for the hospital," local judge Danny Scheel was quoted as saying. "The hospital agrees fully with the recommendations made by the CDC and by our local health authorities." Scheel called Gitterle's claim of an impending shortage of the flu-fighting drug Tamiflu "exaggerated."
KSAT further reported that Gitterle "backtracked" on some of his original assertions in a subsequent blog posting stating that he doesn't believe the Health Department, the CDC, or the media misled the public.
Read more...
Comments
First of all, thanks to David Emery for bringing this “over statement” to light.
I received the Gitterle email from a friend who is also a scientist and college instructor. The friend warned that they had not been able to verify any of the claims made by Dr. Gitterle and I naturally then did not forward it. I was waiting for a chance to call my physician about the message by their office is swamped with calls about the new Swine Flu.
This is the second time I have received an email from an “expert” whose identity has been highjacked. Although Dr. Gitterle admits to having sent an original email, he claims the contents have been significantly altered. The other “expert” didn’t even write an email. We need to be careful about blaming people for things they have not done.
Doesn’t anyone think he may be retracting what he has written to save his own butt? Maybe he was threatened because of the possibility of this information causing panic? Maybe everyone should take a step back and think if our government really wants us to know the severity of the situation if they do not yet have a solution to resolve it. I will definitely not take the email lightly and anyways, who added to the email, rogue doctors that want to dirty his name? I doubt that. Good luck to everyone, believe or don’t believe.
I’m also glad for the information on this circulating email. I received it from a friend whose mom is a nurse in Texas, so I was ready to believe all of it! Although I do personally think it’s probably worse than the media says, the advice in this email, whether tampered with or not, isn’t too far off. I mean, we may not all be headed for global wipeout, but it IS good to avoid it if at all possible, and keep ourselves healthy. While some may take this situation too seriously, there’s always the chance that we could take it too lightly. I say, just be aware.
I agreewith Jo’s reasoning. We will only receive information that is allowed to be disseminated by our leaders.
I don’t think it’s worse than the media says, I think it’s much better. I’m beginning to think it’s a propaganda ploy of some kind. The news says “PANDEMIC” and “MASKS” and “CLOSED SCHOOLS” and “DEATH” but the reality is that ppl are not getting very sick, no one from the U.S. has died and it’s not growing exponetially at all. I think Roche and GlaxoSmithKline and whoever is working on the vaccine stand to make a very large sum of money, and I think the media has once again acted very irresponsibly in promoting fear. I’m fed up with the media. Don’t read the headlines anymore; read the articles. They say two very different things.
The number the cdc are reporting is not accurate at to what is really happening. I live in Corpus Christi and my county now has 179 suspected cases and since it takes over 5 days just to get the results back to see if it’s a probable case they say we have only one probable case from this past weekend. The CDC does not report cases as confirmed until after they go to atlanta to be confirmed after they are probable. Half of the suspected cases are kids from the CCISD school district, but since the haven’t gotten any results back from Austin, they do not close schools. They are even having a parade here this weekend because we don’t have any “confirmed cases”.
I think too many people are big fans of the John Birch society. People there really aren’t commies behind every tree and the government agencies aren’t out to get everyone or lie to them Believe what you want but I sure don’t believe the CDC is lying to everyone and withholding information.
I don’t believe that the media has been comprised in any way. It that was any kind of twist or more information out there, the journalists and new organizations can’t wait to get their hands on it. If the swine flu was some sort of uncontrolable pandemic, the media would be the ones blowing this thing out of portion. The would have non-stop coverage, specuating on every aspect of these illness. The news organizations are in a business to get ratings. They would love to work everyone into a frenzy and have America glued to their televisions.
Sounds like he’s pushing the suppliments to me. Does he make a commission or is he in MLM for these?
I would like to see the original email, as it is I could add or subtract from it and people would be non the wiser. I also see a plug for off the counter supplements. I could just as easily put an ad for a video on how not to catch a flu for the low price of $4.99 in the email. nuf said.
Everyone does remember that between 30 and 40 thousand people die every year from regular flus right? I mean we’re talking about infections in the hundreds of thousands. I really don’t understand what everyone is so worked up about. The idea that Govt hides the truth to prevent panic is silly. Govt agencies are huge, dumb, and anything but leak proof. Media on the other hand makes money when people are terrified enough to buy their papers and watch the news.
Massive conspiracy to keep you in the dark about health, or yet another case of fear mongering by the media, which do you find more likely?
It is lookingg like Dr. Marcus Gitterle had a lot of foresight. This week NYC is set to close some 100 schools and it is spreading like wildfire. Watch for WHO to upgrade this virus to Level 6 this week.