Swine flu has arrived to Argentina in a big way. The government has declared a health emergency and all schools and institutes have been closed down for a month. Church - including Sunday meetings and all activities - has been cancelled for two weeks. People are encouraged not to go to public places like malls, movie theaters, children's play areas, etc. Some cities have even closed all businesses. Pregnant women who work with the public have been told not to go to work, and they will lose no benefits.
Under direct mandate from my husband, I am only allowed out of the house with a face mask on and hand sanitizer at the ready.
Problem is, I CAN'T BREATH with this stupid thing on. I have breathing problems anyway - I don't breath through my nose because I don't feel like I'm getting enough air. I can't put bed covers over my head because I feel like I'm suffocating. Withing 60 seconds of having this thing on I'm asphyxiating.
Second problem is, I feel like the panic is a bit excessive, so I don't really
need to wear the face mask to go to the grocery store. Mario sends me text messages when I'm out to remind me to wear it. I will not reveal publicly my responses nor whether they can be considered 100% truth...
But this is the breakdown, according to my understanding. Swine flu is not in and of itself more serious than any common flu. However, it does tend to set on very quickly and have respitory side effects. Because it is a new strand of the virus, it is spreading very quickly because no one is immune to it. But a normal, healthy person should be able to recover just as they do from any flu. Argentine complications: Argentine's, by natural selection, are generally more resistant to the flu. They are NOT more resistant to swine flu. A very large percentage of Argentine's live in less than ideal situations - no adequate heating in their homes, no proper diet/health, sharing of germs when drinking mate, and while no one else admits this I would say not as sanitary. Not because they are dirty, or don't care, but my personal belief is washing dishes by hand does NOT clean them as well as a dishwasher, and I know no one in Argentina who has a dishwasher. Add to that that I have witnessed regularly here that people kind of
rinse dishes in cold water more than
washing them in soap and hot water, probably for a variety of reasons that have to do with heating the water being expensive historically, and even today in poorer or more rural areas where there is not a city gas line but gas has to be purchased in tanks.
Anyway, when someone here gets the flu, it can very easily turn into pnuemonia. Especially swine flu, that is already associated with respitory side effects. And if you live in a draftly cold house without proper alimentation, sanitation, etc, pnuemonia is even more serious. And when you're a third world country that doesn't produce any of it's own antibiotics, so it all has to be imported and you suddenly have an exponentially higher need for antibiotics, you worry a lot. And if you're the citizen of a 3rd world country you tend to feel like most of life just happens to you, out of your control, so you really start to panic about things like the flu.
And if you're a north American, who has a nice toasty warm house and lots of good food and sanitizes the house and dishes regularly, you think none of this applies to you so you shouldn't have to wear a face mask or stay in doors and face the much more real threats of asphyxiation or craziness due to boredom. And everyone around you will think you are an insane risk taker and should be institutionalized...or at least sent back to your own country.
I've also been trying to keep Gabe entertained with clandestine outings to the little train at the park and visits from his cousin Pilar - equally as bored as he is! Don't worry, when we go out we use alcohol hand cleaner liberally!
and p.s. if anyone happens to be getting rid of baby girl clothes, we are accepting EVERYTHING! 
