Swine Flu Fear Shows Its Face on Amazon's Bestsellers List

This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alert level for swine flu not once, but twice. As alert levels have risen, so has fear. One need only look at Amazon.com.

For example, the top three items in Amazon.com's Health & Personal Care department right now are all respirators / face masks.

It's apparent these items have risen to the top three only recently. For example, the 3M - N95 Respirator/Flu Mask, 20 Pack entered the top 100 only 8 days ago.

The other two, the Disposable EARLOOP Face MASK, Filters Bacteria 3 Ply - (Box of 50) and the N95 KIMBERLY CLARK Brand Particulate Respirators Surgical, SWINE FLU & Dust Mask, 10/ pack, both entered the top 100 7 days ago.

It's clear many are afraid. With a 5-month-old baby, so am I, not for myself, but for her.

Want to track the swine flu? Google Maps user Niman, whose profile says simply "Biomedical Research, Pittsburgh, PA, USA", has created this Google My Map of the current Swine Flu outbreak (below).