Swine flu scare gives hospital a practice run

In the emergency room at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, the triage was simple: Those complaining of flu symptoms were masked and separated from the rest of the ER patients until they could be further evaluated. Those who were visibly ill were immediately isolated pending tests. Those determined to be the "worried well" were reassured and sent home. One thing officials there and elsewhere have learned is the need to educate potential patients to be as calm and collected as the hospital staff has been.