In just a  few weeks, our fears at the prospect of a flu pandemic gathered, peaked and quickly subsided. The anxiety followed the spread of swine flu itself, which appeared and spread with alarming speed.

Public concern is fading as schools reopen and experts count declining numbers of H1N1 patients. But the alarm raised by public health officials and echoed in the media was not hype ”“ there is good reason to be wary when an unusual and infectious strain of influenza appears.

In the case of H1N1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control went on alert quickly because this never-before-seen strain appeared to be fast-spreading, with the  capacity to be deadly. It took just weeks for this strain to infect more than 8,000 people from 37 countries, killing more than 770.

And it may not be going away. Health officials must continue to monitor the  strain because out-of-season infections have the potential to flare up when favorable conditions for the flu virus return.

Many of those who responded to the H1N1 outbreak now see the experience as a valuable drill for the flu pandemic that might spread worldwide one day. Agencies and organizations on the front lines appeared well-prepared, and did a good job of mapping the spread of the outbreak. The press was filled with advice about the importance of hand-washing and the advisability of stockpiling food and supplies.

When swine flu cases were discovered in Kennebunk, local schools quickly got support from the CDC, the Maine Center for Disease Control, Southern Maine Medical Center and York Hospital. The closing of Kennebunk Elementary School was a prudent response to a potential crisis, and the school kept parents and the public well-informed.

But if we some day face an actual emergency, all of us will be tested. The reaction of local organizations and businesses will play an important role in the effort to contain the epidemic. Individuals will have to make decisions in the best interest of their families  and their communities. How many retail stores, offices and manufacturers are prepared with a plan for curtailing operations? In a severe outbreak, how many people are prepared to be self-sufficient for a week or more?

This is a good moment for everyone to reflect on how we might have fared if things had gotten worse. Community and business leaders need to consider the problems that might sweep in with an epidemic. A scare like this is an incentive for planning, and it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Publisher Drew McMullin at 282-1535, Ext. 326 or  dmcmullin@gwi.net, or Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at 282-1535, Ext. 327 or cityeditor@gwi.net.

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