Swine Flu? Really?

[mrlich]

Come to me, my intarwebs!

Am I missing something here? I mean - 36,000 deaths due to influenza per year (via the CDC), with (I'm told) exactly 1 death (in the US) thanks to swine flu. I don't mean to belittle that one death, but I just don't understand what the freak out is for.

To those more in the know than myself - am I missing something here?

Comments

[lawbabeak.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't want to get worked up over it. At the same time, I'm putting my 90.75-year-old grandmother on a plane soon. I don't want her catching something bad, and I certainly don't want the folks where she's going to be living to always think of her as "that awful woman who brought us the swine flu." Masks at the local drug store are sold out, but they're getting a shipment tonight. I have to go anyway to pick up prescriptions, so I'll probably grab her one.

I consider it a major accomplishment to get her to use her walker. Any bets on the chances of her using the mask I get?