Swine flu has been confirmed in over 100 cases in the United States, but that number is small compared to the number of people who contract other kinds of flu each year.
California has 16 confirmed cases of swine flu, and Kern County is awaiting results from samples sent Wednesday to the state for testing.
One of the Kern County samples is from an Arvin woman who sought treatment at Clinica Sierra Vista. She had just been to Mexico and her symptoms were similar to swine flu.
As numbers grow and the World Health Organization declares a pandemic "imminent," people are starting to worry more and more. However, health officials, including the CEO of the facility where the Arvin woman was treated, are urging people to put the numbers in perspective.
"I think what people need to do is just take a breath here," said Clinica CEO Steve Schilling.
"In America we have somewhere in between 16 and 60 million cases of the regular flu every year,'' Schilling said. ''That results in almost 36,000 deaths."
According to the CDC, swine flu has been confirmed in over 100 cases and has killed one person in the United States.
Compared to the flu we've seen in the past, that's low. The seasonal flu affects between 5 and 20 percent of the population each year and sends over 200,000 people to hospitals per year.
Kern Medical Center Dr. Royce Johnson says it's also important to look at history, particularly a swine flu scare over 30 years ago.
"Swine flu was a major deal in the nation, not particularly Kern County, in 1976," Johnson said. "And there was a major swine flu vaccine program. In fact, there never ended up being any swine flu epidemic."
That year President Gerald Ford agreed to be vaccinated on national TV and public service ads aired to scare people into getting the vaccine.
After the vaccination campaign was rolled out and millions of people were vaccinated, the medicine was blamed for causing paralysis and in some cases death. Immediately, the campaign and ads made a quick exit.
But times have changed and now doctors and nurses are telling people to treat the swine flu like you would a regular flu virus.
"The biggest treatment is to treat your symptoms," said Dr. Susan Helper. "Maintain and keep your temperature down with ibuprofen or aspirin or Tylenol, keeping hydrated, suppressing the cough."
Helper also stressed taking some of your mother's old advice.
"We should do all the things our mother told us," she explained. "Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough. Basic hygiene are huge in these situations."
There are rumors swirling through text messages that swine flu is in Bakersfield, but health officials say there are no confirmed cases in Kern County as of Thursday afternoon.
Locally, Bakersfield College is sending alerts to students on how they can identify the signs of swine flu.
Local Catholic churches are taking extra precautions by not giving communion by mouth and will not offer sacramental wine for six months. They are barring the handshake of peace by congregants who are sniffling or sneezing.
Additionally local churches are suggesting parishioners not go to Mexico from now until July.
