Blackburn man in Mexico talks of swine flu panic (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn man in Mexico talks of swine flu panic

6:13pm Sunday 3rd May 2009 in Health By Shuiab Khan

A BLACKBURN ex-pat now living in Mexico City has spoken of the panic in his new home after the outbreak of swine flu.

Maths teacher Yasir Patel, 27, has lived there for more than a year, but his job has been halted and Mexico City is “like a ghost town”, since quarantine regul-ations came into effect.

He said he is confident that he has avoided contact with people with the disease.

Mr Patel, who works a teacher, said: “I am based in the city where everything started and where everything has now stopped. Twenty million people are all stuck in their houses. I haven’t worked since April 24 as the government has ordered all schools are closed.

“They are due to open on Wednesday. I don’t know if that will actually happen.

“There are mixed messages. It is being reported that Mexico is about to go into a five-day shut down, but that coincides with national holidays over the next few days anyway.

“At first, no-one was taking it too seriously, and I even went out to a concert last Thursday, just after it was announced that there was a big risk.

“But now it is really quiet everywhere. At least 80 per cent of people outside have masks on and the streets which are normally very very busy are extremely quiet.

"People here are very intimate when they greet each other but all that has stopped and now no-one will even shake hands.”

But he said he was better off than others, with his teaching job meaning he will still be paid despite the country grinding to a halt.

He is helping small groups of students revise at home.

He said: “Yes, my family back in Blackburn are worried and every day I get a phone call but at the moment I don't know anyone that has been treated for swine flu so should be OK."