Swine Flu (H1N1) Continues To Top News

(picture from http://www.myfox8.com/lifestyle/health/la-sciw-swine-masks28-2009apr28,0,4461177.story)

It’s amazing how this has dominated traditional media and blown away the online media.

• CDC on Twitter
• CDC website
• PandemicFlu.gov site
• Video of the CDC director
• Podcasts, videos, buttons, widgets, etc.

I few things that stick out for me:

• The CDC’s policy on school closing would shut schools for 14-days when there is a confirmed case nearby. That would shut down work and be a huge strain on people if they didn’t get paid.
  • I’m sure it’s the right thing to do to wait out the gestation period, but it would be a huge strain on the system.
• High school sports being cancelled in Texas.
• College graduation being held but no hand-shaking.
• People wearing masks which really don’t do anything.
• Biden telling his family not to travel.
• Companies not allowing workers that were recently in Mexico to come back to work.
• Pork futures are down.
• My church is no longer going to have communion wine where there could be shared germs.
• I have heard about huge spikes in prescribing of Relenza and Tamiflu and pharmacy shortages.

One of my favorite pictures that goes right to the health literacy issue is the following.

NOTE: This is not what H1N1 flu is about…hence the dropping of the “swine flu” term.

(picture from http://cuteoverload.com/)