Laugh now, hematoma boy.

They must not have known who you were...

As far as Exo's comment - is there a panic going on that I'm not aware of? I had to do a site visit for a grant application today. No one showed any hesitation to shake hands....

Keep the bug home from school.

That's Ohio, not Oklahoma.  About 5 miles from my house, to be exact.

I would normally say no, but OK is one of the states that has cases of swine flu present, so better be safe than sorry.

Nothing over 100ml.

  I just purchased some today... (and some anti-pyretic pills)  I wonder if they still have that "no liquids" BS going on the airliners?

OK, you do have a point.  But I'll still submit you're more likely to catch it off the seat backs that others have touched than something airborne.  But I guess the mask can't hurt.  And you still need hand sanitizer. 

Thank you.

So, the only person I'm likely to catch it from is P - who's currently running a fever.

I think you're absolutely right.  This looks like panic for no good reason.

Except for one nasty little detail that no one is talking about.

The vast majority of the Mexicans who have died of this flu are young, healthy adults.  Now, if you think about it, this doesn't make sense.  Why should those in the population with the strongest immune systems doe of the flu?  Flu is supposed to kill sickly babies and people with AIDS and little old ladies with emphysema.  So why would healthy young people die of the flu?

Because they *aren't* dying of the flu.  They're dying of a hyper-immune response to the flu.  Something called a cytokine storm.  It basically makes the body turn on itself, causing (among other things) severe high fevers and pneumonia. 

We've seen this once before:  the pandemic of 1918.  That flu (the "Spanish Flu") killed almost 100 million people.

Is this flu going to be like that?  Probably not.  But because of the disease etiology, they're keeping a super-close eye on it.

I'm not sure Beanie is quite so accurate.  The air in an airliner has been known to transmit many germs.  You might consider putting a mask on but only once you're seated so that you don't freak the security wonks.

Remember that a mask is only good as long as it doesn't clog up with your breath moisture, so you need to change it every three hours or so.

I'll trust your opinion on this, Miss Bean: should I wear a mask in the airport and on the plane tomorrow?

No.

CDC says it's spread by *close* contact:  shaking hands or coughing on each other.  Leave the mask home and take hand sanitizer.

I'll trust your opinion on this, Miss Bean: should I wear a mask in the airport and on the plane tomorrow?

I'll trust your opinion on this, Miss Bean: should I wear a mask in the airport and on the plane tomorrow?

I think you're absolutely right.  This looks like panic for no good reason.

Except for one nasty little detail that no one is talking about.

The vast majority of the Mexicans who have died of this flu are young, healthy adults.  Now, if you think about it, this doesn't make sense.  Why should those in the population with the strongest immune systems doe of the flu?  Flu is supposed to kill sickly babies and people with AIDS and little old ladies with emphysema.  So why would healthy young people die of the flu?

Because they *aren't* dying of the flu.  They're dying of a hyper-immune response to the flu.  Something called a cytokine storm.  It basically makes the body turn on itself, causing (among other things) severe high fevers and pneumonia. 

We've seen this once before:  the pandemic of 1918.  That flu (the "Spanish Flu") killed almost 100 million people.

Is this flu going to be like that?  Probably not.  But because of the disease etiology, they're keeping a super-close eye on it.