We’re just a week into the incessant news reports of swine flu, and already I’m weary of it. (Which is why it makes little sense that I have been occasionally posting about it. But anyway.)

It is noteworthy, I suppose, that Tennessee has its first (unconfirmed) case of this H1N1 flu strain, in Williamson County.

But much more noteworthy, in case you missed it, is yesterday’s declaration from the World Health Organization that only seven deaths — all in Mexico — are confirmed to have been caused by swine flu. And then there came confirmation from the Mexican government that it believes more than 150 have died from the flu, but only seven of those deaths has been confirmed.

It wouldn’t be surprising if you did miss it, of course, since media outlets insist on continuing with the 159 deaths theme. A quick Google News search reveals no stories about the WHO’s step-back-and-reassess approach to the fatalities. Even Matt Drudge, who linked to the story for a short time, has since taken the seven deaths link off his megapopular Drudge Report.

What does all this mean? Probably very little. Is it likely that more than seven have died in Mexico from swine flu? I would say so. Have 150+ died? I would think that to be less likely. But it’s telling that the mainstream news media continues to go with the higher death toll. I’m not sure what it tells, other than the media’s fixation with sensationalism, but it tells something, I’m sure.

If you read nothing else about the swine flu, put on your tin foil hat and read this. If you can get by the author’s conspiracy theory that all flu threats are an effort to make pharmaceudical types richer, it contains good information. For example: A report from scientists just this year (February) that concluded the primary killer of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that resulted in 50 million deaths worldwide wasn’t the flu or pneumonia but strep infections that resulted from the initial illness. That’s notable, since strep is usually easier to treat than either flu or pneumonia.

A week ago, I asked the question: I was sitting on the computer musing before a fishing trip and I wondered, is this potential threat legitimate, or hyperbole? It’s still too soon to tell, but even as the virus spreads, I’m becoming more convinced that it’s hyperbole (yeah, I know: A lot of you are going “duh!”). Maybe it’s dumb of me, but I’m more concerned about what this outbreak will mean to the opportunistic among us who insist on never letting a good crisis go to waste.