The media hype on the flu means they aren't reporting on other things they don't want to report about.

There is no flu epidemic. This particular flu... you have a better chance of getting hit by a bus than catching it.

I thought flu season was just about over.

This overly hyped media scare is obnoxious on several levels. First, only 1200 (to date) confirmed cases have been identified... 700 in Mexico and 300 in the US. It is "mild" compared to other flu strains. Yet the media has turned this into an end-of-world scenario which has local governments shutting down schools, flooded emergency rooms across the world with frightened folks and...

...when it is all over the public will realize that a hoax has been perpetuated---and will not react when a REAL health menace comes down the pike. Terror-mongering over inconsequential flu simply because they don't want to report on REAL problems (political, finance, world events) is...

Maybe I better shut up. Just leave it as this: the "swine flu" is not the next pandemic.

Think you are spot on tangor. Nothing to worry about here, time to move on. CNN and the other news outlets showing all these people with masks on is just rediculous and getting people all scared and worked up about nothing.

People would be doing themselves more good if they wore helmets when they drove their cars or crossed the street.

The whole issue of the mainstream media attitude towards this is rather crucial to its own future, and could in reality be another nail in its coffin.

The public-at-large, as exemplified by many of the comments here, are pointing very angry fingers at the media for scaremongering and grossly over-hyping a situation that was being monitored closely by health authorities and governments around the world, individually and collectively, because of its potential to become genuinely threatening.

Instead of treating the situation in a grown up way, the media have sought to create fear for the sake of circulation and sales. Through such actions on such a widespread scale the true pandemic is the distrust that now eats away more rapidly at a sickly media.

Dear old Rupert Murdoch can blame the online world for the continued emaciation of his once fat media beast, but truly it is a sickness within, and the world has just witnessed how desperately ill the creature is.

Next time you read a newspaper I can only recommend you wear a face mask for your own protection.

Or a blindfold.

I find that newspapers are best used as liners for my kitty's litter tray. On no account read them ;)

In the UK there were a few dozen incidents. Everyone was very aware of what to look out for.

What would have happened if those people had NOT sought treatment and had passed it on widely?

It probably would have spread but the question is, would it really matter anymore than the regular old flu? So far it doesn't seem to be anything more than a different strain that packs about the same punch as the regular flu.