It seems that the media-generated hysteria over Swine Flu was much greater during the spring than it is now during the actual flu season.  There are a number of potential reasons for this. 

As a nation, we have witnessed Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN make such asses out of themselves over the last six months that we are desensitized to their antics.  It could also be that Swine Flu is simply no longer new; it's not hip anymore and the CDC keeps asking us to call it by such an uncool name - "H1N1."  Where I live - in allegedly fashionable Los Angeles - Swine Flu might just have run its course - no pun intended.  Or maybe we were so scared into being scared back in April that we won't be fooled again.

To some extent, I have health anxiety; therefore I am not one to write off illnesses and diseases as no worry. It would be tough to do so when I consider the fact that at one time or another I have thought that I have had pretty much every ailment in the book. I Google symptoms. I follow the news for the sickness du jour. I am not about to get "punked" by something like Swine Flu. If it is going to be vindictive and bully the infidels, I damn well will not be an ignorant and unprepared victim. If it gets me, I will have seen it coming and given it its due respect, armed with hand sanitizer and all. Same goes for my family.

That said, there are still a few things that bother me about the Swine Flu hysteria, albeit a tizzy not quite at the level it was back in April. First, in many articles I read the consensus is that flu cases are up big time from previous years. Makes sense. Many of these articles claim, quoting high-ranking health officials, that although we do not test everyone showing flu symptoms to confirm that it is Swine Flu we are pretty certain that 98% of these cases are Swine Flu. Folks from the CDC and the WHO have gone as far to say that if you have flu symptoms, you probably have Swine Flu. This comes off as inaccurate at best and irresponsible, hysteria inducing babble at worst.

The regular old seasonal flu has not gone away. Swine Flu is just another strain. It seems that the uptick in flu cases can be logically linked to Swine Flu, but to claim that virtually all flu cases are of the H1N1 variety seems a bit over the top. There must be some folks contracting the garden variety flu. I would guess more than 2% of those with flu symptoms. Or maybe the Swine Flu and its accompanying hysteria is so bad ass that it just bullied the seasonal flu into submission?

The conclusion is that I have no clue. I think my daughter had H1N1 back in April. She was out of it for about 4 days... with vomiting. Some articles I have read claim that H1N1 can include vomiting along with the typical flu symptoms of a cold, aches, pains, and fever. Who knows?