Just when you think it's safe to stop worrying (about the economy, global warming, the obesity epidemic, knife crime, binge drinking, SARS, avian flu....) along comes another reason to be glum/anxious. The press are doing their bit to fuel the fire of course. And the news of the telly isn't much better - last nights BBC news had the talking head telling us not to panic, but in the background there were large pictures of sick children in medical face masks...
Flu kills thousands of people worldwide every year and it's clearly been a scourge in the past (post first World War it killed an estimated 17 million), but can I point out that after the last two panics of a similar nature, our government stockpiled tonnes of anti-virals and with proper treatment this particular outbreak will do no more than make you feel a bit peaky for a few days.
And even if the virus does mutate and we are facing a Survivors/I am Legend/apocalypse scenario, can I suggest that the press going into full PANIC mode is a less than helpful response anyway?