Earlier today, we (along with a lot of other Web sites) poked fun at Rep. Hank Johnson's assertion that, were the U.S. to relocate naval personnel to Guam, "my fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." Over at The Gaggle, we called it the quote of the day, noting that "Guam is 212 square miles with a population of 175,877 (2008 estimate)."
Now we've come across information that makes the statement seem a lot less funny. On MondayIn December, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran an exclusive in which Johnson admitted to having hepatitis C. Reporter Bob Keefe writes:
The Lithonia Democrat's already-thin frame has shed 30 pounds in the past year. His speech is slower than ever, and he regularly gets lost in thought in the middle of a discussion. He is easily fatigued and often impatient and irritable ... To keep the disease in remission, Johnson is going through an experimental treatment that he said has been the worst part so far.
"I am weaker than I ever have been," Johnson, 55, said in his Capitol Hill office.
Hepatitis C is a serious illness—one that's affecting more and more baby boomers like Johnson. In January, NEWSWEEK's Sarah Kliff documented the rising cases of hep C in those over 50, a rate that has the Institute of Medicine concerned. She writes that two thirds of those with hepatitis C are adults in their 50s and 60s, thanks in part to the virus's ability to lie dormant for decades before attacking. When it does become active, the consequences can be devastating:
