Swine Flu Update

Many official bodies - especially hospitals and churches - have been recommending the use of alcohol based hand cleaning gels to restrict the outbreak of H1N1 "Swine Flu" influenza.  

Which is ironic, because Marston Mortaine caught Swine Flu despite drinking bottles of the stuff.  He says he likes the taste.*

I'm glad that we managed to prevent the first outbreak of Swine Flu in the Community just as long as we did.   A combination of rigorous hygiene and banning the Sharing of the Hug of Friendship and all hand-holding related ceremonies seemed to do the job.  Along with a no-sharing policy on pebbles and tea lights, and shrink wrapping all participants in major ceremonies.

We've delivered Marston's Tamiflu to him this morning.  Now it's only flu - even if it's a man who's caught it - so I want to see a sensible approach to this with no panic measures.

So for the time being, we're keeping it at a yellow cross painted on Marston's Door, and all Beaker People to wear surgical masks at all times.  Makes eating tricky I know, but better safe than sorry.  Meanwhile it's important Marston gets some fresh air when he wants (and he's got to make it down the corridor to the toilet) so we've equipped him with a hand-bell to ring whenever he's out and about.  And we've evacuated three rooms either side of Marston's, just to be on the safe side.

* Don't drink alcohol-based hand gels.  It's a really bad idea.  No, really.  A really, really bad idea.  Leave hand-gels for hands.