Weddingbee boards

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518239,00.htm

Though I think that caution is wise, I would encourage people not to freak out too much about this flu.  Millions of people are sickened by flu viruses each year, and though this is a late season outbreak of an unusual strain, precautions and transmission are no different than any other flu.

Each year, an estimated 30,000 people die of the flu.  We don't usually hear about it because it is the very young and the old that succumb.  This particular strain has a bigger effect on children and young adults because of their robust immune response to the virus

Public Health officials are taking the necessary precautions to limit the spread.   Surgical masks are actually ineffective at preventing droplet transmission, but sometimes remind people not to touch their faces with their hands.  Handwashing is the best precaution.  The virus will likely die out in the summer and then may resurge by next winter, but there will be a vaccine developed by then.

Each person should evaluate what risks they can tolerate, but the risks seem magnified because of all the crazy media coverage.

One thing I preach nonstop...handwashing, handwashing!!!  I'm in healthcare too and that's pretty much my mantra daily.

We have a flu outbreak here in my office (not swine flu).  Everyone has violent gastrointestinal issues.  I'd actually prefer to get the new virus because the one here is...messy.  Send me to Cancun for three weeks!!

All the media coverage on this is ridiculous.  This is like SARS or West Nile.  It's new, therefore newsworthy???  More people die from car accidents, but I don't see people riding their bikes to work.  Sensationalism is sad.  Causing a hysteria for no reason!!

My main reason for not going to mexico in march was unrelated to any health issue (of course there wasn't any then) but for the traveler's alerts related to the instability/drug gangs/kidnappings.

Thank you doctorgirl!  That's what I keep saying and that people need to simmer down and stop freaking out, but I guess that's what happens when the news won't stop talking about it.