There are multiple stories from multiple news sources this gray Monday morning concerning all the Bay Area school closures that have been announced due to swine flu fears, and a few scattered cases. It appears that the cases that have cropped up have all been mild, and all the panic stems from the idea that this virus is both new and unpredictable, even though it is not especially widespread nor is it deadly when treated.

What we learned this weekend was that air-kissing might not even be safe, and that health officials are most concerned about the virus picking up steam and morphing into something deadlier during the Southern Hemisphere's winter flu season, which is starting just about now. It could then come back to bite us all in the ass, in a far worse form, as soon as our flu season starts up again. There will of course be a new flu shot by then, but who knows. Until then, we'd like to congratulate all the Bay Area schoolchildren -- who've never known the joys of snow day -- who are getting a free week or two of play time.

After the jump, a quick KRON4 clip about how the pig flu is putting a damper on Cinco de Mayo celebrations.