I’m working as a Health Assistant in an Elementary School now (I love it), and today I went to a meeting on H1N1 (the first case identified in the U.S. was in a school - we’re sort of at the “front lines,” really), and I thought I’d pass along some non-media-sensationalized, non-comic-hyperbolized data:

-90% of the flu viruses currently going around are H1N1.
-It’s more communicable since it’s new strain of flu, but H1N1 is no more harmful than your typical seasonal flu, and the virus is not mutating much.
-6 months to 24 years old is by far the most affected age group.
-People over 64 years old aren’t getting it. It’s suspected there was a similar flu during their lifetime.
-91% of child deaths involving H1N1 have involved additional preexisting medical conditions.
-(Again) c. 36,000 people die annually in the U.S. from the common flu (acc. to CDC), 250,000-500,000 worldwide (acc. to WHO), and ECDC reports the number of worldwide H1N1 deaths to be 4,747 as of today. Yawn.

I’m sure I’ll come into contact with it with all the sick kids I see; I probably already have. I got a little sick-ish last week but I just slept a lot and it went away without any trouble. I’ll let you know if I start oinking or growing a curly little tail, or hey what’s thiOIIINNK OH CRAP