FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It's estimated between 30,000 and 90,000 people in this country could die from the swine flu this year. Scary stuff. True, in an average year about 36,000 people die from regular flu - but this has the potential to be much, much worse.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the best things people can do are simple... like washing their hands often and coughing into their sleeve.
President Obama says he doesn't want anybody to be alarmed, but he does want people to be prepared... This includes families and businesses making plans in case relatives or co-workers catch the virus and need to stay home.
Swine flu cases are expected pick up again as the school year starts... and possibly peak in mid-October. A vaccine is being tested - but isn't expected to be available until at least mid-October. Children and young adults will be at the greatest risk.
This thing has got Americans' attention. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows 39-percent of those surveyed are concerned that they or someone in their family will get the swine flu... that's double the percent who felt that way in May.
The poll also shows most Americans are confident in the government's ability to prevent a nationwide epidemic, and two-thirds say they plan to get vaccinated.
So far there have been 550-deaths in the U-S from H1N1 - or swine flu. A scientific panel recently said it's possible that anywhere from 30-to-50 percent of the population could catch it. 50-percent of the population would be around 150-million people.
Here’s my question to you: Will the fear of getting swine flu change your daily life this fall?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Robin writes:
I am a registered nurse and my husband is a police officer. He tested positive for H1N1 last Thurs. and my 2 year old, 5 month old and I are still well thanks to excellent personal hygiene. I kept my husband in our bedroom and used protective personal equipment known as PPE every time I went in to care for him. 8 cans of Lysol, 20 bottles of hand sanitizer, and lots of chicken soup...we're all well. Wash your hands. Cover your cough. We can survive this, we just have to pay attention!
Jim from New Orleans writes:
It sure has changed my daily life. I am a primary care physician and my daily life consists of a waiting room full of coughing, sick people!
Kate from Milton, New York writes:
To some extent, yes. I am a substitute teacher: the more teachers who get sick, the more I will be called in to work. If too many kids get sick and they close the schools, I'll be out of work. You better believe I will be getting the shots as soon as I can.
Ed from Rhode Island writes:
Jack, Absolutely! When the public starts getting their swine flu injections in mid-October, the pandemic will begin, as it did in 1976. I'm not afraid of the flu; I'm afraid of the vaccine.
Neil from Ohio writes:
I go to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and there are at least 110 current cases. Individuals who are believed to be infected have been asked to go home, or are quarantined in university-developed isolation areas. Major university social events have been cancelled for a week since the major breakout, but other than that my personal daily life has not changed, and it will not change. Everyone here is reported to have "mild to moderate symptoms" and those who've already recovered feel fine.
Ellen writes:
Each and every year the flu comes around, people catch it and may or may not die as a result. The only difference between this flu and other flu viruses is the attention it has received from the media. I refuse to live in fear of a media event.