Swine Flu Update: Korea

According to the Korea Herald (watch out--that site's a popup monster), there have been three cases of swine flu in South Korea so far, all with clear ties to the first case in Korea, a missionary who had just returned from Mexico.

As you can imagine, the response here has been entirely level-headed.

Honestly, we've already seen:

1. A parent pull her child out of a school trip to China because of the swine flu. (Current reported cases in Korea: 3-4. Current reported cases in China: 0.)

2. A temporary ban on all pork products from the US or Mexico. (It's not possible to catch the bug from cooked meat.)

3. No fewer than four students, with no direct or indirect connection to any of the infected, who have asked me if their typical spring allergy symptoms were a sign of swine flu.

I've sent them to doihavpigflu.com (via BoingBoing) to "check their symptoms," then seized the teachable moment to explain how and why the media blow everything out of proportion.