Some countries are banning flights to and from Mexico as well as advising their citizens not to travel to the US or Spain. In addition 10 countries put a stop to pork imports despite the disease not being carried by the meat or food. Not to say this is not a good idea, and is crucial for disease containment, but to have the stock market panic over false data and doomsdayers is silly.
Doing some research on the disease you will see that Swine Flu is version of influenza, and is not necessarily any more dangerous the the common cold. In the first week of February 2008 alone the common cold and flu caused or attributed to 7.6% of all deaths and there have already been 55 child deaths from the cold in 2009. The yearly estimate for deaths from the flu or complications from it is ~20,000.
So, if you are one of the panicers cool your jets, wash your hands more, and look at some research. Stop fearing every subway ride will be your last and that every Mexican is the grim reaper.
-Idaho Bob-
P.S. I am not saying this is not serious or dangerous but am reacting to the overreaction of the world media and doomsdayers. As Child Like Robot pointed out Spanish flu killed 20 to 100 million people worldwide from 1918 to 1920. But also, remember that penicillin was not even discovered until 1928 and the limitations of the medical, telecommunications, and disease containment abilities of the early 1990s.
For a good look at the extremes people are taking such as blockading pork imports, scrubbing public toilets bi-hourly, banning airport kissing, slaughtering pigs despite no evidence the disease comes from them, encouraging waves instead of handshakes as greetings, and restricting flight to spanish speaking countries with no viral cases, read HERE.
