But the virus is real, and as its actual spread caught up with its advance publicity, new speculation broke out about what it will do to our fragile economy. After all, "the spread of contagious diseases among humans is an eminently economic phenomenon," observes an eminent economic professor at Economix. So the swine flu outbreak is "the last thing the economy needs right now," says Real Time Economics. Explains Dismal Scientist: "Trade flows are already down around the world, and an additional barrier to travel and commerce could exacerbate the downturn or delay recovery." Ouch. "The effects of the virus have already gone airborne, striking a blow to a travel industry already severely hobbled by the recession," noted On The Money. Pork producers are especially upset and "would really, really like you to stop calling it "swine flu," reports Canada, eh? Pork is still ok to eat, but the authorities at Bacon Today say if you're worried at all and want to stay in the ballgame, there's always duck bacon. More Information
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