Staying Healthy

I'm not one to be overly concerned with a flu outbreak, but as the world is becoming more and more worried, I too have been making sure I take the necessary precautions. However, I live in a country that does not believe in sick days and people go to work, school, out in public while they are sick. My kids don't miss school because they are ill, they miss if they are on vacation or busy with something else. The Korea Times reported Korea's first possible case of the swine flu earlier today. This person was on an airplane from Mexico so who knows how many people are infected. Koreans will undoubtedly begin donning the face masks, but this can only prevent them so much. Without proper hand washing (which, let me tell you, antibacterial hand soap isn't easy to come by) and other precautions the spread of disease is inevitable. I think about how many times I've taken public transportation and "high-fived" the hundreds of students I teach and I cringe knowing that I haven't been as germ-free as I generally like to be. The good news here is that I think my immune system is much better than it ever has been, but the people who have died so far aren't old people or children. I know that my students can and will come to school if they are sick, thus running the risk of infecting others. I also know that if I do get sick (with this virus or something else) I am not allowed to take the 2 sick days in my contract. It's a waiting game and we are all waiting to see if this blows over or becomes something huge. Stay healthy everyone!