While swine flu is spreading and certainly has potential to become a very serious situation (as does any flu outbreak) if it continues, comparatively speaking, that isn’t the case at the moment.

Consider that the mortality rate of this flu is significantly lower than other outbreaks. For example, avian flu killed 61% of infected patients. The SARS death rate was 10%. And so far, swine flu has resulted in deaths of 7% of patients.

And then there’s “normal,” everyday flu, which causes the death of between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world each year. Roughly 36,000 of those are Americans. And so far this year, approximately 12,000 Americans have already died from “normal” flu.

But the media machine doesn’t talk about that…

Crank Up The Hype Machine

The media is doing what it usually does - over-hyping the issue and whipping everyone into a panic. Face masks and hand sanitizers are flying off the

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Hello Friends!  Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting my blog, Stock Picks Bob’s Advice!  As always, please remember that I am an amateur investor, so please remember to consult with your professional investment advisers prior to making any investment decisions based on information on this website.

One of the strongest stocks in my portfolio the past two months has been Quality Systems (QSII).   After purchasing this at a cost basis of approximately $38.18 just last month on August 8, 2008, the stock has moved sharply higher.  QSII closed today at $44.89, well above my purchase price, but down $(2.15) or (4.57)% on the day.

Earlier today, with the market turning higher after a sell-off, I found myself seeing QSII moving sharply lower, lagging the rest of the portfolio.

Although the fundamentals remain …