Before you start wearing a mask, before you decide to stop going out in public, a little perspective is required regarding the "flu emergency" declared by your federal government.
A particularly nasty strain of influenza, known as swine flu (for its pig origins), has claimed more than 100 lives in Mexico. And a similar strain of this flu has been reported worldwide, including in the United States. One case is as close as Elyria, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. The U.S. cases are far milder than those in Mexico and no deaths have been reported.
But in an appropriate response to what has the potential to become a pandemic, the government declared an emergency, which allows it to distribute 12.5 million doses of anti-viral medication used to fight the flu.
There's no cause for panic. But everyone should pause and remember to employ standard hygiene practices that can do much to stop the flu's spread. Chief among them is hand-washing and, when sneezing, covering the mouth and nose.
Indeed, the swine flu outbreak has been running through Mexico for weeks and only the earliest cases have been reported in the United States. Thus, the next week or so could give us a more accurate picture of the domestic threat.
But again, simple hygiene will go a long way toward keeping the swine flu in its pen.
