The current swine flu outbreak will become a pandemic.
It is highly contagious
It is not contained
It can cause severe illness
It is therefore almost inevitable that it will become a pandemic. That has been clear since Sunday morning (see http://www.dailykos.com/...
Panicking will not help, but people should be aware what is going on so they can avoid panic.
We will be affected by this pandemic in the US, but it will not be catastrophic. Maybe not much worse than a normal flu season, maybe 10 times worse, maybe 100 times worse. We'll find out. But we are well prepared to deal with it.
The less affluent countries will be much harder hit.
In my opinion, one of the more troubling issues we are going to face is whether and to what extent we are willing to share our Tamiflu stockpiles and vaccine making capabilities with other countries. That is an issue we will have to deal with as a country toward the end of the year.
For now, the only thing we need to do as individuals is to practice good hygiene in order to keep ourselves healthy and slow the spread.
Flu Recommendations
Take extra precautions to keep yourself healthy.
Keep your distance from other people, especially if they appear sick, are coughing or sneezing.
Do not touch handles and doorknobs in public places.
Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching anything in public, handling any shared item (such as money), and before eating or handling food.
Avoid touching your mouth, nose, eyes or face unless you just washed your hands thoroughly.
If you get sick, stay home.
Sources for more info:
http://cdc.gov/...
http://www.fluwikie.com/