Guest post by British doctor DeeTee. See more by DeeTee here.

As the H1N1 swine flu pandemic gathers pace, with 29 deaths to date, the attitude of the public seems to vary from rank indifference to blind panic. This view is reflected within my own hospital, where news of a possible flu admission is greeted by some staff saying "so what?" while others demand the equivalent of a biological "hazmat" suit before they get within a mile of a case.