SWINE!

You have all heard of it by now: The Swine-Flu. Horrid name but to make it worse, some reporters are already referring to it as "The Mexican Flu"! In French the name is la gripe procrine. Frist mention of this virus that I heard was on Facebook where a friend was wondering why they couldn't have called it the "Piglet flu" or something...

Anyhow, as it has been mainly in Mexico, I have not felt the need to worry about it... until today.

Today at my morning volleyball practice, a girl from Hong Kong on my team had just gotten back from her Spring Break in Mexico. I did not think anything of this, and before I asked she said, "Don't worry, I have already seen a doctor". I found this nearly amusing, since I didn't realize the severity of the problem.

I get to class (Media and Politics) and we sit next to each other and look at the International Wall Street Journal together where articles on the Swine Flu cover the front page. According to it, the first case in Spain occurred when a student got back from a short trip to Mexico and got back on the 22nd (she got back a couple days later). The Journal also talked about how you need to be careful around people who have just returned and gave a recommended 15 day period where you should avoid contact with them. Dun dun dun, I think as I realize she just returned 3 days ago. According to her the virus can show up up to a week after returning, but as she went to the doctor, and has a 1/1 000 000 chance of being infected, I think I'll be OK. Also, France has a huge supply of Tamiflu, so I don't think the French are too worried in general. Plus, there have been no cases there...yet. Canada has 6 at the moment, and is important to note that deaths have only occurred in Mexico so far.

For the answer to 6 questions about the Swine flu, I recommend looking at the Daily Beast's article as it is really short and information (click here).

I am amazed at how fast this Flu is spreading, and any disease does these days with our high tech transportation and globalization. I wouldn't have expected that just after learning about a flu outbreak in Mexico I would sit next to a girl from Hong Kong, in Paris who just came from the affected zone. If she had been sick, just like that, my entire school could have been infected. Being from Hong Kong, where SARS caused many deaths, the Hong Kong people take infection very seriously and I am glad she got checked, just in case (went to the doctor for a mild cold that would have usually been ignored). In Mexico, some exchange students are cutting their stay short due to the Swing Flu. To end on a cliche, better safe than sorry.