When Pigs Fly...

Living internationally provides us lots of new opportunities.
Like living through a worldwide flu pandemic.
At 7:20 this morning, while I was on the way to school early, I got the call that there were no classes today. Dave is working from home today. (the fact that I had to pay $200 pesos and spend 2.5 hours in the car for a teacher meeting that could have been rescheduled to Monday morning while my husband slept in would have really made me angry except that I was also picking up 4 friends to come over to my house for the weekend)
Here's what we know:
a unique strain of the influenza virus is spreading like wildfire throughout Mexico City. This particular virus may be treated with common anti-virals and may have been included in the flu vaccine, but so far 16 young healthy people have died from it, and at least 60 others in Mexico are sick. Schools were closed today, and might be all next week, churches are encouraged to cancel services this weekend, gov't buildings may close, and offices may close, too. Persons are encouraged to avoid crowds, to stay home if they're sick, to wear masks at hospitals, and to go to the doctor if they have flu or respitory infeciton symptoms.
This is all to prevent a disease that could be prevented by a combination of a cheap vaccine, some anti-viral meds, and hand-washing.
But mexicans do a lot of hand-shaking, cheek kissing, metro riding, street eating, self-medicating, and non-handwashing. Changing a culture overnight is difficult; keeping people at home is easier.