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Kart, when we had 3 or 4 patients here die (5 had it) of H1N1 at the beginning of that outbreak this winter season, I put myself in quarantine since I can't take the flu shot. My town had the first patients who died from that in this country. Also, the last person in the country who died of it, pretty sure she was the last one, a young woman in her 20s, was in a town 25 miles from me. Later, someone on FR posted a very negative comment about my doing that - like I was afraid and laughable because I did that.

When you don't know the amount of the danger (those deaths were 5 miles from me), it's better to take precautions, especially if you are older. I did not get sick with even a cold this winter. After I started going out, I still kept my hands from my face while out and washed them well when I returned home.

With MERS, the CDC is still working, some of them in the middle east right now, trying to trace how people who were not around camels or bats, contracted the disease. We do know now it can be passed from person to person. The man just identified as having it but without symptoms (don't think he has symptoms), met twice for business with the man in Indiana. He shook hands twice with the diseased man and had facial close ups with this diseased man.

The CDC is stressing to keep social contact to a minimum and stand away from the person with whom you are talking if you must have social contact. At this time, there is not an emergency situation to do this. But, personally, if I lived in a city where flights come in from the middle east, I would surely do the keeping hands away from face when out and washing them when I returned home. I would avoid public restrooms. We know now, in this country, there are people walking around who have it but no symptoms.

I want to stress that taking sterile procedures for your body is not laughable nor a result of fear. I do not get afraid, I take reasonable action to protect myself. Pay no attention to anyone you know who might think you are ridiculous to stay as sterile as possible if you live in a city where flights land from the middle east.

One story: In 2009, there was a bad flu, I think it was H1N1 again (or the bad one before that), and my husband had a large melanoma on an upper arm and we had to go into Houston to MD Anderson cancer center several times in the middle of this outbreak. MD Anderson Cancer Center is very large and it was like everyone there was in a hospital isolation room - there were hand sanitizer units out in the open, many of them, you couldn't miss them, and we used those just like everyone there was using them. We spent hours there at a time, and used those numerous times before we left there. Every cancer patient in a wheelchair had on a mask. Workers had on masks. No one stood close to anyone, including us. Prominent signs were in every rest room to wash before leaving. Every eating place had a sanitizing center to use before and after eating.

Was MD Anderson Cancer Center afraid or laughable for taking these precautions? Of course they were not. If MERS shows up in your state, take reasonable precautions to keep as sterile as possible.