It's happened: a confirmed swine flu sighting at Axel's daycare. Now I'm just checking my stash of flu-symptom fighting supplies, and waiting for the big one to hit. For the next 24 hours, we'll continue on high flu symptom alert, watching every little cough and sneeze.
It's possible that we'll escape unscathed. Possible, but not likely. Axel shares a classroom with nine other slobbering, drooling, nose-picking, toy-chomping toddlers. They spend all day putting blocks in their mouths, cramming their boogery faces into stuffed animals, and slowly learning to cover their mouths when they cough. Sure, they wash their hands frequently, but then the kids stick their fingers up their noses two minutes later. Unless each kid is outfitted with a hazmat suit, germs will be shared, generously and quickly.
A room full of toddlers is H1N1 paradise.
Before the exposure, I invested in three different kinds of hand sanitizer. Many people with regular old flu, swine flu, and countless other colds and sicknesses are walking the streets, and I tried to create our own personal impenetrable superstrength germ shield. We've got portable alcohol-free sprays in cars, strollers, and diaper bags. There's hand sanitizer pumps on changing tables, counters, and next to the sink, along with good old and frequently used soap and water. We've already gotten regular old flu shots. The threat of swine flu has already cracked and dried out my hands from all the hand washing.
But I don't think it will save us from a battle with the dreaded pig bug. Hopefully Axel will have a minor case, and Jonas will escape without more than a minor sniffle.
