Friday, May 1, 2009

Swine flu

OK- I get it. Flu is scary. But to keep things in perspective a little bit, go to this article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html

That's right - regular, seasonal flu (the kind you don't have the time/energy/willpower to get a flu shot for) kills 36,000 people per year in the United States alone, and 250,000 people worldwide.

This isn't to say that swine flu won't get scarier, or that pandemics aren't real possibilities and threats. But let's not lose our senses completely. Wash your hands, don't touch your face if you've just been sneezed on, don't lick subway railings, and take care of yourself (sleep, drink water, etc) - you know, good hygiene - and you'll probably be ok (of course, you could always get regular flu, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, or some other illness that kills lots and lots of people a year...)

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