"Rebels been rebels since I don't know when..."

Jay Levine in Chicago:

It's a graduation tradition: a congratulatory handshake along with your diploma. But Wednesday night, the H1N1 flu virus has the University of Illinois at Chicago banning the handshakes.
...
And so, one by one, the students received their sashes and certificates without the traditional handshake.

But was this really necessary?

Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Mason says if they came to him for advice, "I would tell them I held hands in church on Sunday," he said.

While there are now more than 200 Illinois cases of H1N1 virus, few required hospitalization, though the reaction by some seems appropriate for something far more serious.

Take Tito Gonzalez's experience at Mass on Sunday.

"There was no sharing of the blood of Christ, the wine," said Gonzalez. "And the option to not shake the hand but rather wave versus the sign of peace."

When asked what he chose to do, Gonzalez said, "I shook hands, sir."
...
Dr. Mason, who reacted quickly to the H1N1 flu emergency last week, says you also have to know when to stand down.

"The question I want to ask people is, 'What did you do during regular flu season?'" Dr. Mason said.

Because that's what H1N1 is like, at least here in America. Health pros like Dr. Mason realize that now. But they seem to be having a much tougher time taking down the red flags than they had raising them.