The *seasonal flu (the stuff we get each and every year) kills some 30,000 Americans annually. Generally, no big life changes have happened over that. But suddenly everything's changed -- now that *Swine Flu appears to have oinked its way into our U.S. world.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Illinois had nine *probable cases of Swine Flu -- meaning state health experts are 99% sure it's the real deal, but are awaiting final CDC confirmation. The people affected range in age from six to 57, only one of whom is hospitalized (a 12 year old girl).
Wednesday morning one northside Chicago school was closed over a Swine Flu concern (the 12 year old girl mentioned above is a student there). By afternoon, word arrived that two more area schools would close; one in Batavia, one in Aurora. And of course, as of yesterday people were reportedly creating a run on face masks at Walgreens (and hand sanitizer). Is it all Overkill?
BOTTOM LINE
The virus that's been killing people in Mexico has started to hit home. Of course, at this writing there has still only been one U.S. death: a toddler from Mexico who died in Texas (not clear *where the child was actually infected).
