Okay folks, let's not panic

Today included lots of e-mails from librarians about links to websites dealing with swine flu, one from our infection control nurse, one from our materials management director regarding travel and the flu, multiple news stories in my reader, and non-stop news coverage of the disease and its spread.

But my day was made by David Rothman, who shared a great comic on Twitter as a means to spread meaningless gloom and doom. It's great. It's best if you know anything about Twitter, but I think even if you don't, it's still fun. The comic is xkcd, and it is by Randall Munroe. Enjoy.



I'm not saying we shouldn't be concerned about the disease, but there's no reason to run off half-cocked either. Just do what you always do to avoid the flu--avoid those who are sick, wash your hands often, and if you do get sick, for goodness sake, stay home to minimise contagion and wash your hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing. I'm just saying. One interesting link I was given, though, involved Google's mapping of the outbreak. If you want to see descriptions of the confirmed cases and where they are on the map, check it out. Thanks to Helena Vonville of Texas for that link.