We all laughed when the first swine flu update came across via email.  Like the updates for tube strikes and the G20 protests, it seemed to contain a lot of information we already knew.  Not even thinking about twitter and other social networking sites (viewed via phone and not internet; they’re blocked here of course) the news sites had told us everything days ago. 

Mexico seemed to be recovering, or at least they weren’t in the news so much any more.  There were a few cases smattered across the country but the fear had gone, trickled away as the public lost interest in a virus that it seemed would never reach them.  The updates continued; we’re doing everything we can to prevent spread within the office in the event that an infected person does make it through the doors.

And we laughed.  Because swine flu wouldn’t make it’s way into the capital on an infection spree.

But then it did.  And the news picked up on that virus making its way through the country and into the capital, and suddenly people became that little bit more worried. 

But we were safe in our office bubble.  Because they were doing extra cleaning and wiping and washing and they’d installed hand sanitising spray at the doors and the kitchens and put up signs pinched from hospitals telling us how to wash our hands.

And the inevitable happened.  Someone in the office caught the virus. 

We were told in another update this morning.  They’ve disinfected surfaces, door handles, kitchens, toilets, anywhere they think the person may have been.  It’s a good start but it doesn’t take into consideration the aircon.  In offices everywhere people joke how colds circulate through the aircon.  What’s to stop swine flu circulating through it too?

And suddenly, those updates don’t seem so funny anymore.