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Pandemic relates to how many people have a natural resistance.

We regularly have pandemics of cold viruses. We will probably have a pandemic of the swine flu. If it happens without picking up more severe pathenogenic genes then it will give a lot of people a bad week and nothing more. If it picks up a couple of bad genes from another flu viruses, then it could kill millions. Nobody knows but responsible public health programs try to prepare for the worst.

BTW, don’t be too cocky, there have always been pandemics and our global economy makes us more susceptable than ever.

The WHO, the CDC, the Obama administration, the nation’s media and even folks on this forum try to scare the hell out of the U.S. public and I’m the one who is cocky?

Thanks for the warning, as if we hadn’t already been given the full panic mode (shouting fire in a crowded theater) treatment already.

Everyone we know in our area, as well as ourselves, have had it. I would estimate that in about 75% or more, the symptoms were very mild, just a week-ten days of fatigue, headache, low appetite and some low level muscle aches following a slight cold. The other 25% or so reported a more typical influenza, with respiratory symptoms and some GI symptoms. No deaths we are aware of, including a couple of late elderly (80s) who did develop pneumonia, but recovered with appropriate treatment.

My husband works with the public and two days a week has office hours in our home. We are strict about handwashing and just told everyone making appointments to let us know if there was illness in their home or office and we would gladly reschedule them to a week or ten days further out. Everyone was compliant.

I have seen no panic and no real dismissal. People are much wiser than many would assume, IMO, and simply followed hygienic procedures, took off from work/school if they were ill and monitored their own progression. AFAIK, only those with underlying conditions even consulted a physician.