Swine flu, or the N1H1 virus, whichever you prefer, is starting to cause some differences in our daily lives.
At Mass on Sunday, Fr. Jeremy Myers told parishioners that because of the virus, the Bishop of the Dallas Diocese had asked that we not partake of the Blood of Christ. Also, in part of the Mass, we turn to those around us, shake hands, and say, "Peace be with you." That is now being discouraged for the time being.
It's probably good to be better safe than sorry, especially since there are churches in the diocese in areas that are dealing with cases of the virus.
Also on Sunday, my wife and I were shopping at Walmart, and we saw a woman wearing a surgical mask who was shopping there.
I know this flu is real, but is the media's reporting of it making people more scared than they need to be? It's an interesting question. Sometimes overreaction can't be helped, though, and it's difficult to judge whether or not some actions have been justified.
Should the UIL have canceled games until May 11? Their leadership thought so, based on the information they had available.
Should the Texas Rangers cancel their home games? Apparently, not yet.
While the number of cases of swine flu continue to increase worldwide, the number of deaths aren't increasing. Maybe because the story's out there, people are taking precautions by washing their hands, avoiding large groups and staying home when they're sick, and their actions are helping to save lives and stop the transmission of what could be a deadly disease. Even the so-called "regular" flu kills thousands of people in this country every year.
I hope we choose not to live in fear, but some of the precautions I can deal with, and I hope you all can, too.