There are several reasons that the scientific community is worried. Here are 2: there are many high risk people in the world with complicating conditions. The flu can be deadly for them. A kind of flu that would just make us sick for a few days kills them. In normal years, they make sure they get a vaccine against the flu to prevent them from getting sick. This year, this is no vaccine. If they get exposed, they will get sick, they will probably die. Even more worrying for the health folks is the history of the past 4 pandemics (going back to 1889). In every case, these very deadly flu outbreaks started out like this one: in the spring and in a mild form. What made each one of them so bad and take so many millions of lives was when they each came back in the fall in a much deadlier form. So, it isn't the flu this May that will kill you, it is the version that may come back in September or October. They are trying to contain the outbreak now so that the current mild form (unless you live in Mexico) will not have the opportunity to mutate into the virulent form for fall. They are also racing to come up with a flu vaccine before it comes back in the fall. There is plenty of sound coverage on this on line at the CDC, CNN and Time magazine websites. The ones who are most worried about the current flu pandemic are the scientists who have studied past pandemics. They just look at what the science tells them. If they are deeply concerned then my level of concern rises. They are also the ones saying the disease will spread worldwide and closing borders is ineffective. They advocate the same things that they advocate every flu season: if you are sick--stay home until you are well (except to visit the doctor and get your Tamiflu), if you cough or sneeze--do it into your arm, if the flu is spreading from person to person at work or school--shut them down for a while, and mostly--wash your hands, a lot. They are not the ones gripped in hysteria. They say it is okay to eat pork, that closing borders and screening passengers is ineffective in avoiding the spread of disease. They are the ones urging vigilance and common sense, not irrational panic. Am I concerned, you bet you. Am I panicking, hardly. But my job site has two child care centers and we are on an elementary school campus. Are we going to be in the center of the flu pandemic when it finally arrives in this part of North Carolina, you'd better believe it. If I get sick, my first stop will be my doctor to get antiviral drugs and home for a 7 day recovery period. No panic, but I am staying informed of the situation worldwide, in the US and, most importantly, in my local area. I hope that this flu does fizzle out before it mutates into a deadly form. I also hope that a vaccine is developed that will save millions of lives, even if it stays mild and doesn't kill otherwise healthy people. Maybe we will be lucky and dodge the bullet on this one. But it sure will be a good drill for bird flu that is coming, the bird flu like the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed so many tens of millions of people worldwide.

Marie - thank you, an informed and sensible comment! On the many blogs I read everyday, there is mindless regurgitation of whatever mainstream News happens to be spouting. Flu happens to most people a few times per year, some years it's bad, other years it's just annoying and in a few rare incidences - like the the pandemics you mentioned - kills millions of people. The greatest difference between 2009 and the past is the speed & availability of information. Sure, there is more global travel but perhaps the economic slump (in business travel) will actually be of benefit against this particular bug.

So... No one is gonna turn into zombies? None of my video game experience is of any use yet? I'm actually glad they do exaggerate it. esp here.. finally the spitters and other disgusting forms of behaviour here in HK really get frowned upon! And... I have all the room when I travel on the train. Just pull out a tissue and pretend to blow your nose!

Hey Don - yeah, you're right actually in that regard! Although the only topic of discussion the last few days has been the flu and most of the information is either sensationalist or just plain wrong. People saying they'll stop eating pork for one. I appreciate the concern, but really "if you scare people they'll tune in more" was quoted to me once about the news. Pat - yeah ... that episode was hilarious... Chicken Noodle Soup, Dayquil, and Sprite.