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By Carole Estabrook

Since first reported last month, New York health officials have found few signs that the “swine flu” has significantly spread beyond one high school in Queens.

In fact, as of the weekend, only 17 cases outside of New York City have been deemed “confirmed or probable” for the H1N1 virus.

But people are still pouring into emergency rooms in droves. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

It's important to remember, though, that even the sick students in Queens have recovered beautifully, as if it were any garden-variety case of the common flu. And I think it's worth noting that the common flu kills roughly 2,000 people in New York state annually, yet the swine flu is being treated like an outright pandemic.

I am reminded of post 9/11 panic, when as a student at SUNY Oswego, I was issued a potassium iodine pill. For those unfamiliar with Oswego, the area is home to a nuclear power plant. At the time there was a lot of fear that terrorists were going to start attacking nuclear power plants. So the city devised an evacuation plan. In the event of a terrorist attack, we were instructed to ingest the “anti-radiation” pill and make our way calmly to a designated location where a bus would be waiting to drive us all to safety.

Now, you and I both know that there is no such thing as a magic pill to prevent the human body from melting in the wake of a nuclear disaster. And no city bus driver in his or her right mind is going to drive through a nuclear war zone to pick up panicky civilians. Ergo, this whole scheme was merely a placebo to pacify the general public.

But there is nothing wrong with peace of mind, and education is perhaps the best way to prevent panic.

People seeking to learn more about H1N1 and ways to protect themselves against the threat of pandemic can always contact their primary care doctor. The Cayuga County Red Cross chapter is planning a lunch hour talk-back session Wednesday for the community at its office to educate people about the H1N1 virus. Plenty of official health agency Web sites - including the state Department of Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization - have helpful information and guidance.

But if you want my amateur advice, keep your hands clean. It's one of the most effective ways to prevent illness. Just keep your hands clean and I bet the threat of swine flu will be gone faster than you can say “mad cow disease,” “bird flu” or “SARS.”

Estabrook's column appears Mondays in The Citizen and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com