Every time the Development Director for the UPenn Vet School comes into our office, she complains BITTERLY that we have a little sign on our automatic Purell dispenser that says, "Swine Flu - Bacon's Revenge!". But I like the Hamthrax, as well!

My son's school calls it the R2D2 virus (Middle School) but yea I love "Hamthrax" better. Thanks for the LOLs this morning!

I love it! :-) I don't get why people would get hostile... if they don't have H1N1 then a mask is a good way to NOT get it when their immunity is already compromised! You'd think they'd almost be grateful!

Bacon's Revenge is another good one ;-)

Hamthrax--I've seen that one. Others include:
Ham/Spam-fluenza
The Aporkalypse
H1N1OMGWTFOHNOES

I can't take credit for any of them but the alphabet soup...but, yes, I love calling it the Aporkalypse.

It sort of reminds me of when my grandfather was still at the Soldiers' Home in DC and complaining that the Post Office kept toasting his correspondence with microwaves to kill off the "Amtrak virus"

They stole it from me! I've been calling it that for months. *pout*

It's also been called BaconPox.

I suspect that my 3 favorite terms for H1N1 were all "unvented" as Elizabeth Zimmerman called it: near-simultaneous invention by several people not in contact with each other.

Mind you, I'd joke about anything -- the nastier or more serious it is, the worse the jokes. That's how my family functions. Laughing at the tragedies that befall us.

We've been calling it the H1n1e flu around here, because we love bacon and don't wish to sully its otherwise impeccable reputation (er... except for the whole rolling around in poo thing)

Hamthrax, though... yeah, I'll add that to the list :D

I actually found out from a friend who works with biochemists that most people use hand sanitizer wrong. Apparently, you have to drench your hands in the stuff and let them sit wet for thirty seconds to be effective. Or, you know, wash your hands with soap, which is what I try to do most often.

It makes me not want to think about the purell dispensers in the porta potties at events...

"I always cringe in a public restroom when I hear someone leave without washing their hands."

Same here.
I used to think I had the taps thing beat by thoroughly soaping the taps (thirty second rule), then scooping water over them to get the soapsuds off without having to touch them.
But then there would be the matter of the door.
I swear I'm going to carry sani-wipes or something, sealed up in a sandwich-sized (or even a snack-sized!) locking-zip type baggie just for dealing with the door handles.
Glad you brought it up! Thankee.

W'oot! All right!
Now I'll head out and find some!

Thanks much!

When there are no towels, I use the inside of the hem of my blouse or skirt to open the door.

Emmie always used to make me laugh because she used to shout rather loudly "why didn't that person wash their hands?" just in time for the door to be half way open so that both the unwashed person and people standing just outside the bathroom are sure to hear the eco of it all. She has gotten to self aware to do stuff like that anymore.

IIRC from our yearly training on sanitation and blood-borne pathogens (I used to work at a surgery center), they changed the guidelines from 30 seconds to 15 seconds with hot water and soap (sing happy birthday twice). I do the hot water & soap thing, use a paper towel or my shirt to open the bathroom door at work, then use hand sanitizer as soon as I am back at my desk. I HATE getting sick, be it just a cold or the flu or the dreaded hamthrax. Now I work for the state, so we keep getting emails from the bosses that say if you're sick, keep your cooties at home.

Hamthrax! Bwahah!
My tiny retail workplace is taking the threat so seriously that we're taking the unprecedented step of actually letting sick employees call in sick, and sending home obviously sick ones who show up. The problem is that with a staff of five you rapidly run out of people who can cover for you. And since nobody but the district manager knows how to do payroll, he had to come in sick and do it. Which involved drenching himself in hand sanitizer and getting assigned to his own phone so he couldn't touch any others and keeping a minimum distance of five feet from other people and I opened all the doors so that fresh air circulated, but still... I think it's too little too late, as you're generally contagious before you display symptoms, and his kids were both officially diagnosed with it two weeks ago.
Oh well. It's pretty much my whole county that has it now-- it's in all the schools and all through my roller derby league. I'm just hoping that I'm old enough not to get a severe case-- it's supposed to be worst for the young and healthy, right? The glamor of youth is off me.

Ohh-- hey, I can make a surgical mask into part of my Halloween costume, and just wear it for the rest of the flu outbreak! There's a brainwave!!!

Love the new names!

A student-teacher at my son's high school was diagnosed with H1N1 last week. He said the regular teacher dis-infected the whole classroom.
The local school system was supposed to run a clinic at the schools to give shots to the students. The day we sent the permission form back the newspaper reported that the project was on hold because of a shortage of the vaccine. He can't afford to be out sick - he's a senior taking three AP classes!

And wearing a gas mask to hand out candy on Saturday.

Dress in WWII vintage clothes and ask Are you my mummy?

My boss and I were talking yesterday about the scariest Halloween costume we could come up with for the weekend... We came up with a pig's mask with an ice pack on the head and green around the gills, carrying a scythe... in honor of the various names that H1N1 gets online. Hamthrax, piggyflu, etc. :)