(CNN)Feeding into the alt-right narrative questioning Hillary Clinton"s personal health, Sunday"s near-fainting spell, caught on camera, is more than enough to make her fervent opponents a little lightheaded. The social media commentary following the episode demonstrated more glee than concern. But neither emotion is warranted.
As it turns out, fainting spells (and near-fainting) are quite commonly seen in healthy people. The information we have favors Clinton"s wobbly moment as nothing unusual, particularly since we now know she"s battling an infection.
The video is dramatic, showing Clinton wavering back and forth and supported by her security staff into a waiting SUV that drove her to her daughter Chelsea"s nearby apartment. The Clinton team"s initial poor transparency, leaving it to reporters to figure out she was MIA from a New York City 9/11 memorial event (which Donald Trump also attended) and then supplying an incomplete statement, didn"t do anything to help tamp down conspiracy theories about Clinton"s health.
Respiratory infections that progress to the lung, i.e. pneumonia, are exceedingly common, particularly in older adults like Clinton. They are among the normal medical events in anyone"s life, and both pneumonia and a fainting spell both will feature strongly in the average lifespan. That said, bugs causing pneumonia are more serious than others, and may point to other underlying conditions.
I would like to see the Federal Election Commission regularly convene panels of independent physicians to review the chief executive candidate"s medical records in fine detail. Such a panel would then issue a believable third-party check (more important for some candidates" doctors than others).
Such a review could benefit the candidates as well as the nation: Sometimes it helps to have more than one medical set of eyes. There are successful companies dedicated to the concept of second and third opinions, and our chief executive deserves to benefit from that level of care.
You needn"t be the picture of health to serve as President of the United States, but even if you are, you"re never above an infection or a fainting spell.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/opinions/hillary-clinton-health-vox/index.html
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