Expert says ‘just another flu virus,’ so why the fear?

Experts say the number of swine flu cases around the world is growing, but not an an alarming rate. And now there are indications the spread of this flu is similar to a typical flu outbreak.

So what’s fueling all the fear?

People are buying up masks. Pharmacies are running out of Tamiflu.

“We dispensed what little we could get,” said pharmacist Steve Cone.

Even Seattle’s Polyclinic removed all of its equipment from its physical therapy center and created an isolated flu clinic.

“The main object is to make all of our patients feel safe,” said Tracy Corgiat, the clinic’s spokesperson.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Doctor’s say the masks and Tamiflu are all prudent measures. But what about school closures — is that really necessary?

“There’s nothing we’ve seen so far that shows that this influenza is different than any other influenza,” said University of Washington epidemiologist Ira Longini, a nationally-recognized scholar who has made a career out of studying the flu.

“It’s just another flu virus,” Longini said. But he added: the flu can kill.

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