A large part of the problem is the sheer amount of spin present in every form of news media. Is there a genuine level of threat beyond a particularly bad influ

A large part of the problem is the sheer amount of spin present in every form of news media. Is there a genuine level of threat beyond a particularly bad influenza season -- which is no joke! -- or is the quoted 3.4 percent mortality rate a realistic number for the US, or Japan, or ...? For context, 3.4% would kill 329,000 people in the SF Bay Area, likely more given the homelessness situation. That's a world-changing event. What does that breakdown look like in terms of age distribution and other health factors? Or is this just another "be afraid! be scared!" push that the 24/7 news cycle has latched on to for eyeballs and revenue? Before this, there was SARS, and H1N1, and the West Nile virus... you cry wolf so many times, no wonder the village is slow to get its act together when you report on imminent danger of canine predators. Given the death counts, I'm inclined to take things seriously, but panic never helps anything. So, personally, I'm sticking with my infectious disease protocol: work from home, wash hands and gargle every time I come in from outside, keep my storeroom stocked with the essentials, and overall, ignore every bit of panic being pumped out by news articles like this.