Swine flu – the first and last post, I hope

This site is devoted primarily to preparations that help you protect your family, your business, and your things from loss due natural disasters and theft. This week’s news, however, has been dominated by another kind of emergency, swine flu.

This morning’s twitter feed brought this message from “skydiver”, aka PR genius Peter Shankman: “Dear news: WE GET IT. Pigs infect humans, world ends. WE GET IT. Enough. Never thought I’d say this, but can we go back to Susan Boyle?”

The news today seems to be “all swine flu, all the time.” I don’t  know about you, but for me it’s too much of what I don’t need, when I don’t need it.

Preparation Nation believes that it’s good to be “just a little more prepared”, never panicked. In the interest of helping everyone prepare for this potential emergency, I want to share the best source of boring, non-panicked news on the emerging story of swine flu.

The Center for Disease Control website provides a mundane list of things you can do to prevent this flu and any flu:

• Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Use a tissue, and dispose of it. If a tissue is not available, use your elbow (the crook of your arm), not your hand, to cover your mouth.
• Wash your hands often, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based sanitizers are helpful in stopping the spread of flu.
• Avoid touching your “wet’ membranes — nose, mouth, eyes. These transmit germs and viruses most easily.
• If you feel ill, stay home from work or school.
• Protect your immune system by getting rest, eating well, drinking fluids, and reducing stress.

See? We knew all that already. I don’t want to make light of the loss of health or life and the threat that could still develop. I do want to keep things in proportion.

If you, a family member, or co-worker experiences the symptoms listed on the CDC website, then it’s time for a hospital visit.

Otherwise, relax and remember the “killer bee” threat of the 1980′s, the “Y2K” crisis of 1999, and SARS, those end-of-the-world scenarios that never happened.

We live in a precarious world. It is always better to be a little prepared, so that you can help your family, your friends, and your neighbors.

Never panic.