Nightflier: Your post smacks of good sense and a nice, hearty dose of humor that we all need nowadays. I would just add that as well as washing hands and drinking more fluids (even my beloved beer and coffee don't count), folks (especially those who provide medical services) ought to think twice about wearing the obligatory neck-tie. The transfer of germs via these deadly cravats has been demonstrated time and again, so take care before you dip over a sick patient in your silen splendor!

Raven: I appreciated your comments as well. I am getting mighty sick of folks coming down against vaccines, without giving credit for their amazingly successful record of lives saved and pandemics staved off. Unfortunately with fear mongering "news" programs and networks, as well as celebrities who know far more about science than they should, have done much disservice to earnest researchers who know better.

In all, though, I think FA summed the situation up best, with her comment: "This potential pandemic seems to be causing pandemonium". Better said was the dictum, "Paranoia will destroy ya". The best thing we can do is keep our heads on and help those who are losing theirs get themselves together.

I'm not sure how bad the level of hysteria and actual case load is looking in the local ER's and clinics around town. I do know a very large batch of vaccines that were to be made available locally was ruined when it was inadvertedly frozen. Still, the vaccine is being doled out to at-risk groups and health-care practioners.

Again, it's nice to know when the world is going nuts I can turn here for reasonable, rational, non-fanatical discourse.....