News coverage of the spreading swine flu has pointed out the role of air travelers in spreading contagious disease. If you’re thinking that truckers, likewise being a highly mobile group, could help the swine flu bugs get around, you’re thinking like Dr. John McElligot, CEO of Professional Drivers Medical Depots.
He has put his truck stop-based clinics on “high alert” regarding the spread of swine flu.
Two of the Knoxville, Tenn.-based company’s five clinics are in El Paso and Laredo, which is notable because both cities are on the Mexican border.
Two of the Knoxville, Tenn.-based company’s five clinics are in El Paso and Laredo, which is notable because both cities are on the Mexican border.
Dr. McElligot was interviewed by the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Though I doubt he meant to single out truckers in a negative way, he was a bit blunt in describing the role they play in situations such as this because of their transience: “It’s truckers that spread things when there’s something of pandemic or epidemic proportions.”
No news reports have linked specific swine flu cases to truckers or truck stops.
— Max Heine
