With the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu, now detected in at least 16 U.S. states some local communities are now taking forceful steps to prevent the virus' continued spread. More than a hundred individual schools have closed across the country and Fort Worth, Texas, has closed its entire school system, sending home more than 80,000 students. Vice President Joe Biden said he wouldn't go on a confined aircraft, saying "When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft." But his office later tried to retract that statement, saying he was referring to preventative measures if people are sick. In Mexico the number of cases seems to have stabilized over 100 people have died and officials warn that the future is still unclear. In this video Ray Suarez reports for the first 6 minutes with Margaret Warner interviewing experts for the next 10. Quotes "The only people we're saying should avoid, you know, crowded circumstances or airplanes, for instance, are people with fever and respiratory symptoms." Dr. Anne Schuchat, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "If you have a confirmed case or a suspected case, current national guidelines are to strongly consider closing the school. But it is a local decision, and there are a lot of other things that go into making that final decision." Dr. Georges Benjamin, American Public Health Association "And right now, we are in a very, very, very early stage where we're not even sure that we will have a pandemic." Michael Osterholm, Centers for Disease Control Warm Up Questions 1. What have you heard about the swine flu? 2. How is the flu transmitted? Where did it start, how many people have it? Discussion Questions 1. There is a lot of news coverage about this outbreak of flu and Vice President Biden says he would not ride the subway; does this make you more nervous? Do you think it is a good idea for the vice president of the United States to say such things? Why or why not? 2. Why do you think that Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Lahood disagree? Who do you believe? 3. What did you learn about this outbreak? What did you already know? 4. Some schools and school districts are closing; why do you think schools spread the flu so efficiently? Additional Resources Read this trasncript In-depth: Global Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention