Your perception of Bush compared to 2001/2002?

[pattylou]

Ah.

http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=120066&region=4

I was impressed that GI disease didn't wreak havoc in Indonesia - apparently partly because chlorine tablets were provided by us in months prior for other reasons, that sterilised drinking water.

I would hope we can get such tablets to the Gulf states as well.

Apparently the cholera variant in these cases enters through cuts - not the mouth - so chlorine sterilisation of drinking water would have made no difference.

 

[TRCSF]

Ah.

http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=120066®ion=4

I was impressed that GI disease didn't wreak havoc in Indonesia - apparently partly because chlorine tablets were provided by us in months prior for other reasons, that sterilised drinking water.

I would hope we can get such tablets to the Gulf states as well.

Apparently the cholera variant in these cases enters through cuts - not the mouth - so chlorine sterilisation of drinking water would have made no difference.

Yeah, that was a blessing. I know little about microbiology, but doesn't cholera love to spread through standing water? My understanding is that there was not as much standing water with the tsunami, relatively.

 

[pattylou]

It spreads through human waste. usually contracted orally, and death can be within 24 hours of symptoms due to massive fluid loss (violent diarrhea etc).

Having standing water would certainly make the problem worse. I thought cholera would certainly have become epidemic aftr the tsunami - even though there wasn't much standing water - because of the lack of sewage treatment and clean water supplies. I expect the chlorine tablets helped enormously.

 

[SOS2008]

I was googling briefly to see what was reported prior to Katrina making landfall. Quickly, here is one.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/28/national/main798819_page2.shtml

It presents all levels of government and agencies as being concerned and making ample preparations. If this was the case, it is truly baffling why execution went so poorly. Whether there was spin or just incompetency (or a combination) the bottom line is it's all bad.

Bush may not be taking the brunt of the blame according to this ABC Poll: http://abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1094262&page=1, but the South has been important at election time, and they are not happy with Bush.