Swine Flu

Besides the three precautions — handwashing, skip crowds, seek treatment — the most important thing to know is that  this is apparently the first wave. It's the second wave, in about six months, that will be fully adapted to its hosts. Supposedly by then there will be a vaccine. Fingers crossed.
I know, I know, I'm old and I scare easily.
BTW, the link is to John Barry's column in the NYT. He wrote the definitive book of the story of 1918. I haven't read it, but I read Gina Kolada's book, a really fun read.
The story is terrific. The mayor of Seattle was run out of town for closing theaters and other public places. To this day, definitive death counts are hard to come by because they were kept secret.