"Wasn't the planes that killed the beast, it was beauty"

The availability of instant communication may have short curcuited the concept of global pandemic. Mexico was kind of slow off the gun, but its public policy regarding H1N1 seems to have been fairly effective. People are still getting sick; and if this was a more virulent strain, people would still be dying. But in the end, everyone is aware of the threat and able to take the small steps necessary to slow the disease's spread to a point where it might burn itself out before hitting 20% or more of the global population.

Panic is not good. But a full press information campaign in red, bold face, 72 font seems to be useful.