Thanks, erika. Oh, my, the weeping and wailing over Grayson's comment. I guess I can join you in the bad feminist penalty box, since my first reaction to his description of the lobbyist was pretty much, "Aren't they all?"

And I love the surprise penguin story! I wonder what other stories that kid will have to tell? It can't just be, "This one time I stole a penguin."

Wait, but you JUST said "If the infected person comes to work despite having *strong* symptoms, then they can spread the virus."

I know -- I had to edit, because I worded it incorrectly.

I'm not trying to be a pain, I'm trying to get facts in line. Can it be spread without strong symptoms?

Yes.

Is the normal handwashing/mouth covering that any responsible adult engages in when expectorating sufficient to prevent transmition?

Assuming that every adult actually does (or has access to) wash their hands immediately after sneezing/coughing, it will cut down on transmission. Not prevent. Cut down.

But making the assumption that every adult actually washes their hands is a giant assumption. One that, frankly, is incorrect.

Much poorer habits were revealed as fewer indicated they always washed their hands after petting a dog or cat (42%), after handling money (21%), and, most shockingly, after coughing or sneezing (32%).

Good lord. If I washed my hands every time I pet a cat I'd have more chapped skin than Lady MacBeth.

But making the assumption that every adult actually washes their hands is a giant assumption. One that, frankly, is incorrect.

I can't imagine your average public school teacher with 30-40 kids in her class has time to run to the bathroom and wash her hands every time she blows her nose. I mean, Kristin, correct me if I'm wrong, but that just does not seem practical.

Good lord. If I washed my hands every time I pet a cat I'd have more chapped skin than Lady MacBeth.

Well, yes. The point was the coughing/sneezing part.

after handling money (21%)

I blame Disney. They never showed Scrooge McDuck showering after swimming in his money....

I can't imagine your average public school teacher with 30-40 kids in her class has time to run to the bathroom and wash her hands every time she blows her nose.

Um, Purelle?

But making the assumption that every adult actually washes their hands is a giant assumption. One that, frankly, is incorrect.

Very true. A big fat "If you have any symptoms wash your hands" campaign is likely in order. THAT is something for the media to go nuts with, you know? Hand washing parties! Purelleathons!

But I'd hope (think?) that teachers would already be doing that. They KNOW they (particulaly with primaries) how colds, etc. move around.

When I lived at home, I always washed my hands after petting the cat. My parents' cats live in the kitchen, and don't get to go anywhere else in the house, and my mum had very definite ideas about hygiene. Which I approve of...but have completely abandoned since getting The Cat Daniel, and living in a shoebox with him.

I'm finding the flu conversation interesting, although I can't contribute much. fwiw, in my school we make the kids wash their hands every time they come into the classroom, which boils down to 5 times a day (plus trips to the loo, of course) as part of a campaign to minimise the spread of germs, and try to avoid Avian Flu or Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease, both of which have been problems in Bangkok in recent years. But, no, I don't go wash my hands after sneezing or coughing on them. Although now that you've pointed that out, I'm thinking that a quick squidge of antibacterial gel would be a good plan.

Question for y'all that will produce instant data to further the discussion on transmission of such diseases: When you are washing your hands, how do you make yourself lather away for a sufficient length of time (20-30 seconds)?

Me? I never manage to make it that long, then end up re-washing because I know the first time wasn't good enough.

I had H1N1 badly enough to be stuck in bed for a week and ill for at least another week after that. My partner never caught it. She's one of those Unbreakable types, though. My friend caught it from me after just a short visit, and that was on the day before I was symptomatic.

The literature is rather confusing regarding exactly how H1N1 is presenting, IMHO. I know a number of people who've been very ill for weeks, but no one who's been hospitalized. But then, H1N1 hospitalizations in the UK don't seem to have been in very high numbers at all - [link] - that is, if I'm interpreting the data correctly. (I'm dyspraxic. It's very possible that I've read those charts entirely wrong.)

That is the only accent I can think of from pretty much ANYWHERE that I find absolutely resolutely unsexy.

I know! It's grating. I know people who have worked very hard to lose their Dudley accents. I feel bad for judging a town on the way its citizens speak, but it's hard not to.