When something like the swine flu comes visiting, the challenge is to be prepared and avoid panic - not an easy line to tread, either for public health officials or for the average person on the street.

Remember that the best things you can do to protect yourself are the same things your mum always told you (and what President Obama said again yesterday): “Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you’re sick; and keep your children home from school if they’re sick.”

Would a face mask help? Though Britain is said to have ordered 32 million masks, the kind that will offer real protection is the more expensive kind used by health workers: they have very fine holes that filter much more effectively. You also need to use them properly to get any real protection. Also, even if you are using a face mask, you still need to be careful about keeping your hands clean and free from infection.

It might be a good idea to avoid crowds too. Preventing people from getting together in large numbers will (hopefully) prevent an infectious airborne disease like swine flu from spreading in large numbers. That is the idea behind banning big public meetings when a pandemic (which roughly means a very large epidemic) happens. Public gatherings have already been restricted in Mexico.

If you are sick stay at home. Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, then throw away the tissue.

There is no vaccination for this strain of the virus yet - and it could take four to six months to get ready.

Till then, be careful, be prepared, but don’t panic.

Want to know more about the swine flu? Go to:

1. The Swine Flu factsheet

2. Swine flu or pig flu facts 

3. All you wanted to know about swine flu 

4. In the news: Mexico fights the swine flu