On top of everything else, a microscopic virus has us scrambling

Most folks are watching and waiting as swine flu cases - or possible cases - pop up in their state. In Florida, we have a few confirmed cases, and even counties such as Okeechobee have probably cases. Besides the fear some people feel, there also is a sense of wonderment how one tiny virus can cause so many problems for so many people.

It seems like of all the issues before us - war, terrorism, jobs, investments, homes - that something like the flu should be way down the list of concerns. But this new virus is something different, something our bodies can't fend off so well, and people have died and many are sick.

This health scare should remind us that big public issues can fall out of the sky and distract us from everything else going on. From the president on down to the rest of us, it seems like we're just running around putting out small fires to try and prevent a conflagration. Then something else arrives to challenge us.

Some reports are coming in that that the threat in Mexico is, perhaps, smaller than first thought. It's also been said that compared to over strains of flu that have swept through the country over the years, this isn't as big of a deal as the media, politicians and health care professionals are making it out to be.

We can't, however, turn our heads when there is potential danger. Precautions must be taken and pretending like it's not there isn't an option. No person in a position of responsibility wants to be accused of improper response, especially since Hurricane Katrina slammed onto the Gulf Coast several years ago.

We all hope this flu outbreak is contained and minimized as quickly as possible. Most of us also hope that the scare is not overblown, and lives are not too impacted just because precautions must be taken.

If there's a lesson in any of this, it's that just when things look bad, something else can pop up out of nowhere and require our attention. When that happens, we must take notice and respond.