Flu Pandemic?

The WHO has raised the alert regarding the H1N1 flu to the highest level -6,

and I think that most of us probably saw this coming. What this means, they

say, is that the flu is spreading rapidly and has reached pandemic

proportions. It is expected to affect one third of the population in the

early stages, with recurring outbreaks over the next several months. I find

this whole thing to be scary(especially since I am just getting over probably

the worst cold I've ever had in my life). Some people in my area have

resorted to wearing surgical-type face masks. On the news a couple of days

ago there was a concerned mother who had rushed to her daughter's school

after learning that a student there had been diagnosed with this flu. She

took her daughter a face mask, which I'm pretty sure might have embarrassed

the girl if she was to be the only student wearing one. Do you think that

measures like this should be taken to prevent the spread of the flu? I think

that I might have had some kind of flu because it seemed to be much more than

an ordinary cold.