I was just wondering how people feel about references made on this site to local outbreaks of norovirus, and the inclusion of links to pages in the press which give details of the exact location of the outbreaks.

As always, this is just my opinion, but I'm bemused as to how useful this information is, and in what way it serves to support our emet community. There have been posts recently where it is clear that people have been in blissful ignorance of a sv outbreak in their state, but then they found out through this site, and it scares the s*** out of them. Is this useful? Is it right? Does it contradict what this site is or should be about?

Sometimes it seems we scare each other, make each other more anxious. Does it help to know something is happening in your area, or does it just fuel this phobia?

I would just like opinions on this. I ask because earlier this year I got to hear about a sv that was in my area. When I heard about it, I was obsessed. I tracked it via the press and I lived in panic for weeks, not for myself, but for my kids - schools were affected. Anyway, I worried incessantly, put my life on hold....but my kids still got it! In short, my worrying saved nothing, but life might have been more pleasant for everyone had I not have known about it in the first place.