Swine Flu

Panic about Swine Flu is setting in as schools close around Houston, and weekend events are being canceled. One girl at Episcopal High School in Bellaire was diagnosed with Swine Flu, but she has been treated and fully recovered. The one toddler who died due to Swine Flu apparently spent the day at the Galleria the day before he started showing symptoms of Swine Flu. This caused local news outlets to react with their usual scare tactics, causing pandemonium in communities.

Education Rainbow Challenge is a major event that occurs once in the fall and once in the spring where elementary and middle school children compete in math and science competitions. The American Chemical Society always volunteers at the event and show chemistry demonstrations for the kids and parents. However, due to this Swine Flu scare, the event has been canceled. This is such a shame since approximately 600 children attend the event, and UST always brings about 60 - 90 volunteers.

I have been paying close attention to reports on Swine Flu, reading emails from the embassy in El Salvador about the situation there. As of right now, there are no reports of Swine Flu in El Salvador, but I am slightly worried about traveling for the medical mission trip in two weeks. Stay tuned to find out any updates!