Flu pandemic?

True, Anna.  I just hope people use good sense in the way they receive information and don't over react.  Caution is good, panic is not good.  And hoarding meds and wearing masks can't really take the place of good old fashioned common sense, like frequent handwashing and staying home if you're ill.  As for the international aspect, it's pretty hard to avoid when you consider that all the air you breathe on a plane flight has already been breathed by everyone else on the plane.

Ruth, on my tv news here in BC, most airlines are allowing folks to change flight dates and destinations without a penalty. As you say, intelligent concern and action is required ( sensible behaviour ) based on research into valid sources of information.

Giovanni Bocaccio wrote 'The Decameron'...ten nobles...three men and seven women, hightailed it for the hills above Florence... to avoid the plague downtown and wrote tales and plays.......

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ring_around_the_rosy.htm  (1600's  Bubonic Plague Game )

Perhaps time for a new nursery ditty......

LOL, Anna.  Yes, we had a discussion here last summer about the not so nice origins of a lot of nursery rhymes.  Did you ever look up what pretty maids all in a row is about?

As for the airlines, that's great news.  I'm glad to hear that they're allowing people to change dates.  It may help to keep people from traveling unnecessarily if they know they're not going to be out hundreds by changing plans.

As for me, since I was home sick today, I guess I'd best take my own advice about good old fashioned common sense and get my butt into bed.  Plenty of rest and lots of fluids, you know the drill...

It was nice chatting with you, Anna.

opps! yes of course I'vee heard Ring-aring-of roses lol

read this intresting fact -

The Black Death or the Bubonic Plague and its Medieval World history and origins
The deadly disease has been with man and part of world and medieval history for a very long time. It has claimed nearly 200 MILLION lives. The first recorded epidemic of the Black Death / Bubonic Plague was in Europe during the 6th Century. The disease truly became pandemic in 1328 - the medieval period of the history of the world. During this period a third of the world population died. We tend to associate the history of this terrible disease with Europe however it originated in the Gobi Desert. 

The Spread of the disease
The disease spread throughout the Western world and reached  pandemic proportions due to changes in lifestyle - people were moving from the country villages to highly populated towns. The formation of major cities and increased travel by various world civilisations, the disease rapidly spread throughout Asia. The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) followed the Trade Routes. The Trade routes provided access to all corners of the known world. The increased use of the trade routes ensured that the disease spread throughout the World. We should also remember that it was not just Europe and Africa that were devastated by the deadly disease. Countries such as China suffered horrendously from the 1328 outbreak with their population dropping from 125 million to 90 million during just the middle half of 14th century. 

How the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague spread throughout Europe
The disease initially followed Caravan routes and then, with aid of European Shipping and the accompanying rats, by 1346 arrived in the Crimea. The spread of the disease had started throughout the known world. Within 12 months the spread of the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) had devastated Constantinople. The illness moved to Alexandria in the Autumn of 1347 and within 6 months of the initial outbreak 1000 people were dying every day in that city alone. Two months later the toll in Cairo was exceeding 7500 people who were dying every day. Obviously, with such high mortality rates it was not uncommon for a whole town, or city, to become depopulated. Such rates explain how the population of the World fell to such low levels. The relatively few survivors, quite naturally attempted to flee whenever the deadly virus spread to their area. But the survivors took the Black Death / Bubonic Plague with them and thus the disease spread even further by both land and sea. Even small islands , like Sicily, were also contaminated by the spread of the disease. By the end of 1346 the spread of the illness had reached mainland Europe. The Eastern part of Europe was not hit until the following year and Russia did not succumb to the deadly spread until 1351. For the next 60 years the virus devastated all of Europe. The spread of the illness followed every one of the many new Trade Routes which had been opened due to outbreaks of the disease polluting the existing routes. These Trade Routes ensured the spread of the Black Death / Bubonic Plague throughout the world. There was no hiding place.

Black Death 1348-1350

World Communities devastated by the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague and the deadly consequences of the Disease
The western world farming communities were devastated by the spread of the disease. It became common place to see livestock abandoned, their owners overtaken by the spread of the Black Death / Bubonic Plague. Livestock and people perished. This decline of the farming communities resulted in food shortages. A major consequence of the disease was famine - and even more people perished. Surviving populations of villages and towns were forced to move or starve to death. World demographics totally altered due to the spread of the disease. And the spread still continued. The Black Death / Bubonic Plague was therefore carried by starving people and spread to even more new areas. The world was gripped by a cycle of disease followed by famine...

Ruth, let me guess... Henry's ladies? ( pretty maids..)

http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Flu/cold_aromatherapy-for-cold.htm

Have you any aromatherapy ingredients at home?...take care and get well!

Anna

Michael, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel you may find someone in here..related to you!...

Guns, Germs and Steel.. and The Coming Plague....nice bedtime reading!

Being a medievalist, I am familiar with histories of the waves of plague, societal changes... and I am fascinated with the migration and mutative success of virus.. appears smarter than us... but then...most living things are...dogs, cats, dolpins...whales, horses... birds..

this 'new' virus, ( been around  long before Darwin's observances) is laughing into it's beer over the scramble underway now for higher ground.

Well, I hope I get there, if not, there's always next year....  (LOL)

 In answer to the question on the avatar, yes it is an owl. I was lucky enough to have a hold of him, Henry, 2 weeks ago at a spring fayre in a place called Banks.  I adore birds. 

HI BABS!!!

It' should be ok by the time you get here, I'm sure!!! No worries!!